This week, we talk to members of our Arkansas Farm Bureau team about important issues such as high-speed broadband access in rural areas and opportunities for veterans in the agriculture industry. We also learn all about the 85th annual Arkansas Farm Bureau convention, which will be held in Little Rock next month.
Farm-to-table is the foodie rage and, in Hot Springs, there's an example of this trend that highlights how mutually beneficial the relationship between local farms and restaurants can be. In a unique relationship, JV Farms Homestead in Bismarck takes waste brewers grains from Superior Bathhouse Brewery in Hot Springs National Park, feeds their hogs with it, then sells the pork meat back to the brewery where it’s made into sausage for the brewery restaurant.
The week, we talk to Ashley County farmer James Meeks about issues facing specialty crop farmers and we hear from Dustin Cowell of Newton County about conservation and stewardship of land and water in his area. We also learn about a new “Farmer Apprenticeship Program” launching in January through the University of Arkansas.
Before harvest season in Arkansas wraps up, we paid a visit to Jackson County farmer Bubba Sink to follow his pickers in the field. See for yourself how Sink brings in his soybean crop and learn more about soybeans in Arkansas.
We visited Jeremy Bemis on his family’s tree farm near the southern Pulaski County town of Wrightsville. A brief venture into growing pumpkins and Christmas trees led to development of Bemis Honeybee Farm, which Jeremy and his wife Emily operate. Established in 2012 the bee farm now features one of the largest stores for beekeeping equipment in the state and it has become a destination for beekeepers across Arkansas and neighboring states.
Jessica Clowser Burkham has been promoted to director of policy development and legislative research for Arkansas Farm Bureau. She previously served as the director of commodity activities and economics for aquaculture, forestry and specialty crops at Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Find out what's growing in Arkansas, learn the story of an Arkansas rancher doing this on her own, get a great chili recipe for chilly weather and more.
The week, we talk to Jeremy Bemis of Bemis Honey Bee Farm and Supplies and Bemis Tree Farm about his family’s growing business in southern Pulaski County, and we hear from this year’s Arkansas Tree Farmer of the Year. We also talk to Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Jessica Clowser Burkham about new regulations for industrial hemp production just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Earlier this year, 93-year-old cattle rancher Lloyd Reynolds of Lamar attended his last Johnson County Farm Bureau board meeting. Reynolds had served on the board for most of his adult life. He shared his thoughts about Arkansas Farm Bureau with us, along with stories from his full and fascinating life in agriculture.
