Arkansas timber production in March and April declined 480,000 tons, down 15% from a year ago. Family-owned logging and log trucking businesses are suffering from a reduction in wood fiber being sourced from our forests and industry organizations are seek assistance from Congress. We spoke to John McMinn, forestry division coordinator for Arkansas Farm Bureau, about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on this vital sector of Arkansas agriculture and our state's economy.

Mark Lambert, director of Commodity Activities and Economics at Arkansas Farm Bureau, joined AgCast to discuss recent changes to the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which can provide vital financial assistance to Arkansas farmers and ranchers impacted by the pandemic.

We talk to Dustin Cowell of Mount Judea (Newton County). He and his wife Kayla operate a cow/calf operation with roughly 35 momma cows. They also serve as chairs of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Committee. Cowell discusses his new and very succesful effort to sell beef directly to consumers.

Three college students have joined Arkansas Farm Bureau for the summer as interns. The interns will assist several departments within the organization and work to advance their skills, while also learning more about Arkansas Farm Bureau’s grassroots impact within the state and across the nation.

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An Easter Sunday storm generated hurricane-force winds and leveled timber across numerous east Arkansas counties. Especially hard hit was Lincoln County, where hardwood stands still lie on the ground as logging crews are unable to reach and salvage the timber. For many private landowners, this is a multi-million dollar disaster.

This week, we are joined by Yell County Judge Mark Thone, who tells us about the ongoing work to restore damaged river levees in his area. We also chat with Arkansas Game & Fish Commission's Luke Lewis and JP Fairhead of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture about feral hog eradication efforts and with Diana Endicott, executive director of The Food Conservancy in Springdale.

This week, we're joined by Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Chief Economist Travis Justice for a deep look at the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the agricultural economy in Arkansas. We also have a discussion with Dr. Victor Ford, vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, about the long-term impacts of the outbreak on production agriculture.

Arkansas Farm Bureau state leaders and policy specialists met via tele-conference Tuesday with livestock producers to inform them about the U.S. CARES Act Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, known as CFAP. Only producers directly affected by the coronavirus who lost 5% or more raising cattle, swine or lambs are eligible for this program. Cow-calf cattle operations are the dominant livestock production in Arkansas.

Dr. Chelsea Bland Smith operates Broken L Veterinary Services, a mobile clinic, out of her homebase in Nashville, Ark. She is licensed in Arkansas and Oklahoma and works on livestock and pets on farms and homes in both states. Follow along as she takes us through an average day of a mobile vet.