John Michael and Rachel Bearden (Hot Spring County), James and Ashton Dixon (Madison County), and Lauren Martin (White County) earned Young Farmers & Ranchers awards today during Arkansas Farm Bureau’s annual Officers & Leaders Conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

Read the latest edition of the Farm Bureau Press.

On this week's edition, we kick off a series of interviews with upcoming inductees into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame and visit with teachers attending the FFA’s Arkansas Agricultural Education Summer Teacher's Conference at Camp Couchdale in Garland County. We also learn about a new sheep herd at the University of Arkansas Monticello.

The global market for mushrooms is close to forty billion dollars annually and it's expected to grow significantly in the next few years. So perhaps it's not surprising that some enterprising farmers have started growing many different varieties right here in Arkansas. A few years ago, Fat Top Farm in Farmington jumped into the business without much expertise. Since then, they've learned which kinds grow well and which kinds sell well, all while maximizing output with a relatively small operation. Now they're growing their business almost as fast as their mushrooms.

On July 7, Congressman Bruce Westerman visited with farmers in Drew County to discuss the June flooding impacts with local farmers. Rep. Westerman talked about potential federal government assistance and a timeline for getting aid back to Arkansas.

On this week's edition, we get a preview of the upcoming Diversity in Ag Virtual Conference, learn about the ongoing problem of fire ants and discuss the latest crop progress report from the USDA.

Arkansas Farm Bureau has hired Jeff McClure of Little Rock as events director for the 190,000-member organization. In this role, McClure will handle much of the planning and preparation for various events, including Farm Bureau’s Annual Convention and mid-summer Officers and Leaders Conference.

Arkansas farmers harvested 75,000 acres of winter wheat last year. Faulkner County farmer Chris Schaefers talks about the crop and how the 2021 harvest is progressing so far.

For almost a century, Ogden Ranch cattle have been grazing in the Boston Mountains of Washington County. They are well-known for their angus beef and the family now operates a community meat market right on the farm. However, in recent years they've gained national notoriety for something they started just for kicks. The ranch is quickly becoming prime breeding ground for some big-time bucking bulls.

Blackberry season is in full swing and just like most Arkansas grown crops it's been a difficult year. Despite the challenges, the University of Arkansas's Fruit Research Station continues to innovate. Since its inception, researchers at the Clarksville farm have developed varieties that are now grown and eaten all over the world.