Arkansas Farm Bureau hired Jessica Richard as director of Commodity Activities and Economics in the organization’s Commodity and Regulatory Affairs Department.

Caleb Plyler is a Farm Bureau state board member. He operates a cow-calf farm in Hempstead County and was recently appointed to the national Cattlemen's Beef Promotion & Research Board. He shares his reaction to that appointment with us.

Southwest Arkansas has been without a USDA-inspected meat processing facility and local livestock producers have had to make lengthy roundtrips to deliver their animals. Now a local plant is under construction near Horatio because of the efforts of local cattleman Charles Morris. He took advantage of Coronavirus CARES Act grant funds to build the plant which will meet demand for locally-sourced protein products.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation’s Organization and Member Programs department announced promotions for three members of its staff. The moves come after Justin Reynolds was named director of the department earlier this month.

Magen Allen of Hot Spring County is beginning her second as chair of Arkansas Farm Bureau's Women's Leadership Committee. She participated in American Farm Bureau's first "virtual" annual convention this week and represented the state in AFBF's Women's Leadership activities. Ken Moore visited with Magen about conducting their business virtually and not being able to meet with other farm women in person. She also discussed the state committee's plans to continue their work virtually this year.

This week, we learn about the Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s recent work and their participation in American Farm Bureau’s Virtual Annual Convention. We also talk to Arkansas State Representative DeAnn Vaught about a new state meat inspection bill she is championing and we learn about a very busy week for Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Public Affairs and Government Relations team.

This year's American Farm Bureau Annual Convention wraps up today with a virtual Business Session. Arkansas Farm Bureau voting delegates joined in from the Arkansas Farm Bureau headquarters in Little Rock and worked along with Farm Bureau leaders from across the country to finalize the organization's policies for 2021. Hear what some of our delegates had to say about the process.

Cody Rose of Poinsett County won Arkansas Farm Bureau's Young Farmers and Ranchers Discussion Meet last year and represented the state in American Farm Bureau's first "virtual" contest this week during the organization's "virtual" annual convention. He shared his experience with Ken Moore in this Agcast Video Extra.

Read the latest edition of the Farm Bureau Press.

John Bailey has been promoted to Director of the Commodity and Regulatory Affairs Department at the Arkansas Farm Bureau, replacing Travis Justice. In his new role, Bailey will be responsible for development, implementation and administration of department priorities and helping manage the department‘s efforts related to the organization’s commodity divisions, regulatory affairs activities, market information delivery, commodity checkoff program administration, and economic analysis impacting Arkansas agriculture.