White County is the state’s top county Farm Bureau organization for 2019. Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach and Vice President Rich Hillman presented the organization’s President’s Award to White County President John Hamilton, Dec. 4, at the 85th Annual Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
Trent Dabbs is the 2019 recipient of the Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation. Dabbs accepted the award Dec. 4, during the organization’s 85th annual conference at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock. Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach and Charlene Reed, widow of ArFB’s late president presented the award.
The University of Arkansas Ranch Horse Team keeps alive the horsemanship skills that once ruled the iconic cattle drives of the Old West. Formed in 2016, the two-time national champions recruit skilled riders and compete several times during the school year. Watch these skilled riders and learn their story.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson proclaimed Nov. 24-30 as Turkey Week in Arkansas during a special ceremony on the steps of the capitol Nov. 26. Members of the poultry industry were on hand for the ceremony and to recognize the importance of turkey and poultry production to the state in advance of Thanksgiving. We spoke with Marvin Childers, president of the Poultry Federation and Wes Ward, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture following the observance.
The kunekune is a small breed of domestic pigs originally from New Zealand. We visited Brenda Eldridge, president of the American Kunekune Pig Society, at her Piney Creek Farm in Calico Rock to learn more about these hairy, rotund pigs that produce well-larded meat.
John McMinn has been hired as the director of Commodity Activities and Economics at Arkansas Farm Bureau, where he will be responsible for economic analysis and commodity-specific programs and activities surrounding for Aquaculture, Forestry and Specialty Crops.
We talk to Hermitage High School Ag Instructor Joe Don Greenwood, who is also the coach of the school's winning forestry team. He discussed his four decades in agriculture education and introduced us to members of this year's forestry team.
This week, we hear about the annual Thanksgiving Feast survey, which measures the cost of traditional Thanksgiving meal, and we get a complete update on this year’s cotton harvest from cotton agronomist Bill Robertson. We also hear from Col. Nate Todd, Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, about the recent Vets4Ag Summit, and we learn about a recent Young Farmers and Ranchers trip to our nation’s capital to discuss issues critical to farmers and ranchers.
For the second year in a row the average cost of the traditional Thanksgiving meal reflected a modest increase, according to Arkansas Farm Bureau’s 34th annual survey of food items typically included in the holiday feast. This year’s meal will cost $57.75 for a family of 10, up $4.82 from last year’s average of $52.93, but still a relative bargain at less than six dollars per person.
