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Life in LA TodayAuthor: Steve Ford
Everyone in Lower Arkansas has a story. What's yours? Meet some of the people who make our L.A. such an interesting place in which to live, with our host Steve Ford. Language: en Genres: Philosophy, Places & Travel, Society & Culture Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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From pews to pastures, meet the other Jack Daniels
Episode 4
Monday, 13 October, 2025
His father either had a great sense of humor or a knack for coming up with names. He called the acreage he farmed along the Red River in Lafayette County Miracle Farms, inspired by one of his favorite sayings: "God grants the miracle — we do the work." But why did Mr. Daniels name his son Jack? "I have a lot of fun with the name," Jack Daniels told me. "Apparently my dad had a pretty good sense of humor." In the latest episode of my podcast, I sat down with Jack to talk about the story behind Miracle Farms — its roots, its name, and the faith that still shapes the work that happens out near the Bodcaw community in Nevada County. Along the way, we learn a few amazing facts about the man who keeps things rolling at the farm. Jack hopped on the lead bus from our school district as we arrived, guiding it through the gate and out into the parking pasture. His wife, Sunny, greeted our students as they filed out into acres and acres of agri-tourism fun. Minutes later, Jack was loading passengers onto the hay wagon, then taking his seat on the tractor that would pull them around the farm. Later in the morning, as I tried to corner him for this interview, he hopped on a four-wheeler promising to return shortly. "Jack-of-all-trades" might be a more fitting name than the eponym with the founder of a Tennessee whiskey distillery. Take his education, for example. A graduate of Hope High School, Jack studied both music education at Southern Arkansas University and diesel and heavy truck mechanics at Red River Vo-Tech. How many musicians do you know who also have an interest in heavy mechanics? The music part made sense for a man who grew up singing and playing and currently serves as worship leader at Garrett Memorial Baptist Church in Hope. But the mechanics part — that's where his story takes an unexpected turn. And what a story it is. Jack toured for 20 years with David Phelps, five years with the Gaither Vocal Band, and two years with The Martins. He figured knowing a bit about diesel mechanics might come in handy for someone who lived part of his life on a tour bus. "I've had the great opportunity to be involved in gospel music for 40 years now," Jack told me. "I've traveled with a lot of icons and people that I really, really look up to and think the world of." Jack got his start in gospel music at age 14, performing with his father's family group, The Ambassadors. "My dad and I started when I was 14 years old, back in '84," Jack said. "We traveled regionally for years and years, and I stayed with them all through high school." After graduating from Hope High School, Jack joined the well-known gospel group, The Martins, playing piano with them for nearly two years before deciding to pursue another interest. "I'd always loved working with machinery," he said. "I was raised on a farm, always working on equipment, and I thought, if I ever join a gospel group, it'd be good to know how to fix a bus if we broke down on the road. So I decided to learn a little diesel mechanics to go along with playing the keyboard." That practical thinking led him to Red River Vocational-Technical School, where he studied diesel mechanics. But Jack's love of music never faded. Before long, he enrolled at Southern Arkansas University, earning a degree in music education — all while continuing to travel and perform with his family's group, The Ambassadors. It was music, too, that brought him together with the love of his life. While singing at a church one evening, he caught the attention of a young woman named Sunny. "She just fell in love," Jack says with a smile, then admits, "I think it was the other way around." The two have now been married twenty-six years and have six children. To no one's surprise they are all musically inclined and frequently perform at local venues. About a year into their marriage, a family connection opened the door to a whole new chapter. Jack's cousin is married to David Phelps — the world-renowned tenor whose soaring voice helped define the Gaither Vocal Band. When Phelps called one day to ask if Jack might like to play piano for some of his solo shows, Jack said yes. That yes turned into twenty years of music, travel, and unforgettable moments. "Twenty years go by in a hurry," he says. "I traveled the world — played Carnegie Hall twice, performed in London at the O2, and just about everywhere in between. It was an amazing twenty years." During that time, Jack became close with Bill Gaither and the Homecoming family. He even drove Gaither's bus for several years and occasionally filled in on stage, playing auxiliary keyboards, mandolin, or dobro. "Really great opportunities," he reflects. "I got to be part of something special." Even with all the miles Jack Daniels has logged on the road, his heart has never strayed far from the land. Farming runs deep in his veins — three generations deep, to be exact. His family's story is rooted right here on the quiet backroads of Nevada County, where the Daniels family settled not long after the Civil War. The farm itself was purchased by Jack's grandfather, I.J. Daniels, in the 1940s, just after World War II. "He was born just around the curve in 1916," Jack says, pointing down the gravel road. I.J. built the original log house that still stands on the property today, and over the years the family added on to it. Jack and his family still live there, carrying on the legacy that began nearly a century ago. I.J. Daniels was something of a pioneer. In the 1950s, he became one of the first chicken farmers in Nevada County, building some of the earliest poultry houses in the area. Today, the chicken houses still dot the landscape, but the Daniels family has shifted its focus to cattle. "We raise beef cattle," Jack says. "That's our main crop here." Miracle Farms Market is where the family's work meets the community. Their beef is 100% grass-fed, raised right there on the farm from birth to finish — about 28 months of nothing but grass, minerals, sunshine, and, as Jack likes to say, "raised with love." The market also offers seasonal produce: sweet corn, purple hull peas, watermelons, pumpkins, and more. Market season runs May through July, but the beef is available year-round. October brings one of the farm's most anticipated traditions: Fall Family Fun Days. For three Saturdays each October, Miracle Farms turns into a festive gathering place. There's live music on the porch, burgers and pulled pork from the concession stand, and hayrides that weave around the fields. Families wander through an eight-acre maze, children pick pumpkins from the hillside, and the whole place hums with laughter and conversation. School groups come from all over L.A. (Lower Arkansas) — Magnolia, Smackover, Norphlet, Camden, Texarkana — to experience it. It's a joy to watch children enjoying everything the farm has to offer, especially as they set off into that sprawling maze. As for what's next for Miracle Farms, Jack is always planning the next season. "We have a field day planned for the first of May," he said. "It'll be a lot like our Fall Family Fun Days. We'll take tours of the farm, show everything that's growing — the beef cattle, the crops — and have play areas for the kids, concessions, and live music." Jack Daniels' life has followed two steady rhythms — one set to music, the other to the seasons. Whether he's behind a piano on a world stage or behind the wheel of a tractor in Bodcaw, the same spirit runs through it all: gratitude, hard work, and a deep love for the life God has given him. The same hands that once played Carnegie Hall now mend fences and feed cattle. The same heart that poured out gospel songs now tends the soil that has sustained his family for generations. At Miracle Farms, the name fits. As Jack's father once said, "God grants the miracles — we do the work." It's a simple truth that still echoes across the fields each morning when the dew is fresh and the day begins. —- Steve Ford is a retired Baptist minister who drives a school bus, flies a drone and publishes a podcast called Life in LA Today. Find it wherever you get your podcasts or online at https://lifeinlatoday.blogspot.com
