Believe it or not, fair season is here. Beyond the rides and food, it's a time of building connections between urban and rural communities and the agriculture industry and those outside of it. Benton County Farm Bureau leaders explain how they're using their annual petting zoo at the county fair to bridge the gap between producers and consumers in their community.
2019 Miss Rodeo Arkansas Susan Rhodes spoke with us about her personal platform, “Tough Enough to Talk” and shared her passion for the sport of rodeo and its agricultural roots and family atmosphere.
Many people don’t know it, but at the Arkansas Agriculture Department, a team of specialized law enforcement officers is working day and night throughout the state to investigate agricultural crimes such as wildfire arson, timber theft, livestock theft, agricultural and forestry equipment theft and vandalism.
President Donald Trump recently authorized a second round of Market Facilitation Program payments to farmers and ranchers to offset economic losses due to the ongoing trade dispute with China and loss of that important market. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast, Matt King, Director of National Affairs for Arkansas Farm Bureau, encourages producers to sign up for the payments before the deadline in December and explains why exporting our agricultural products is necessary to maintain a viable ag economy.
Lee Nutt, an 83-year-old farmer raised on the banks of the Arkansas River in Perry County, has a deep appreciation of farming "the way it used to be." Through the years he has developed a passion for collecting and preserving relics of the past. They are more than just antiques, he says, and if they could talk, they'd "tell quite a story" about the lives and labors of the previous generations who produced our food. Learn Nutt's story and the story of his amazing collection.
Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, Ambassador of Japan to the United States, joined Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach on a visit to the farm of Robby Bevis near Scott in Lonoke County. The ambassador was visiting Arkansas from the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. to discuss possible agricultural trade expansion.
Roger Pohlner of Fisher is the new chairman of the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board. We visited with him at the recent Rice Field Day in Stuttgart and learned about some of ways the board hopes to improve profitability for the state’s rice farmers this year.
Solar arrays are beginning to become more visible on farms and ranches across Arkansas, especially on crop farms in the Delta as farmers are realizing the cost savings and benefits of solar energy.
Taylor Wiseman of Fayetteville, a graduate assistant majoring in agriculture economics at the University of Arkansas, won the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet at this year's Arkansas Farm Bureau Officers & Leaders Conference. Hear what she had to say after the competition.
