Quiet agricultural community in Arkansas with deep roots
Green Forest is the kind of place where everyone comes out for Friday night high school football games, neighbors have known one another for decades, and running to the store usually entails running into an old acquaintance. Located in rural northwest Arkansas, this agricultural community has generational residents with deep roots. Janice McKelvey, executive broker at Kings River Realty, emphasizes how it feels like everyone knows one another. "It's not uncommon to walk into a business, and the older men are sitting around, drinking coffee. If someone says, 'old Donny so-and-so died yesterday,' everyone has a memory of him, dated his wife, went to school with him," she says.
Locally owned restaurants on Main Street and more in Berryville
Along Green Forest's Main Street, locals can hang out after work and grab a drink at Brew & Cue, enjoy Mexican food at Paisanos Taqueria or start their day with a breakfast platter at Cattleman's Family Restaurant. The area also has many churches, including United Baptist Church and First Baptist Church. "Berryville and Green Forest literally have a church on every other corner," McKelvey says. For groceries, Green Forest has a Dollar General Market and Family Dollar, and nearby Berryville has more major retailers like Walmart Supercenter. "The people in Green Forest are coming to Berryville for shopping and dining, or going to Harrison," McKelvey says. "The progression in Green Forest has been slower [than Berryville]. The mentality has been different. They don't want the big businesses here; they want them in Berryville. They don't want increased taxes or traffic." Poultry and cattle are major industries in this agriculturally dominated community, and Tyson Foods has a major processing plant and hatchery in Green Forest. "We have a lot of chickens, and we probably have more cattle in this county than we do people," McKelvey says.
Family-owned farms and ranch-style properties in Green Forest
Ranch-style homes and cottages are common in Green Forest, with these styles typically selling for between $100,000 and $300,000. Along the flat, residential streets, some backyards are closed in with chain-link fences, and sheds and carports offer more storage. Expanses of farmland stretch beyond the town's center, with some properties spanning dozens of acres and passed down over generations. "The premium price of land has driven up since Covid," McKelvey says, though she notes that land doesn't come up for sale often. "It's running somewhere upwards of $8,000 an acre," she says.
Fans and alumni show support for Green Forest's school teams
Green Forest Elementary School has a B-plus rating from Niche. Students progress to Green Forest Intermediate and Middle schools, which earn B-minus Niche grades. Green Forest High School also has a B-minus and has athletic teams including cheerleading, golf, basketball, soccer and football. The football team draws crowds at Friday night games, especially for the annual Carroll County Super Bowl, when the Green Forest Tigers face the Berryville Bobcats, their rival from the town over. "The old-timers still go. They're alumni. People come out to support their grandkids or their neighbor's kids," McKelvey says.
Fun at the Agricultural Appreciation Days event
Locals celebrate the area's industry with events like the annual Agricultural Appreciation Days in September. This weekend-long event hosts vendors selling handmade wares, sheep and goat shows, cornhole and horseshoe pitching tournaments and more. While wandering among the vendor tents or enjoying barbecue and watermelon, event attendees listen to live performers play gospel, country and bluegrass music.
Green Forest City Park and more nearby recreation
Green Forest City Park, just off Main Street, has a playground, picnic pavilion and basketball court. The park also borders the Green Forest City Soccer Complex and baseball fields. For more fun, the neighboring city of Berryville's Parks Department manages over a dozen recreational areas, including a city pool, community center and fishing pond.
Driving to nearby cities on Route 62
U.S. Route 62 goes through Green Forest and takes drivers 20 miles west to Eureka Springs, a popular tourist destination in the Ozark Mountains, and continues to Bentonville, which is home to Northwest Arkansas National Airport and Walmart's headquarters. Fayetteville is about 60 miles west as well. For medical care, North Arkansas Regional Medical Center is just east in Harrison, and Mercy Hospital Berryville is just west.
Written By
Faith Wakefield
