Folks often call him "The Pecan Man," and with good reason. Billy Wilchman of Paw Paw's Pecans in Conway County loves sharing his extensive knowledge of these delicious nuts.
Robert Stobaugh farms rice, soybeans, wheat and corn with his brother Barry and nephew Bart on 6,000 acres in Conway County. We caught up to him as they were harvesting their first crop of row rice and asked him to share some thoughts on this year's harvest.
Chad Russell has been farming near Marianna since the mid-90s and grows cotton, corn and soybeans. Last year he joined other local farmers and added peanuts to his cotton rotation. For the third year in a row, persistent rainfall is slowing harvest, but as Russell says they will get the crops out and he expects good yields.
John "Bubba" Sink farms rice, soybeans, corn and wheat in Jackson County. He took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to tell us how the fall harvest is going so far.
Seven years ago, Alan and Angela Mahan established Rabbit Ridge Farms between Damascus and Bee Branch. They started raising grass-fed cattle and chickens and hogs and transformed an old gymnasium into a beautiful venue for hosting weddings and corporate meetings. They welcome visitors to stay overnight to learn what life on a farm is all about. The Covid-19 pandemic changed their world, but they have adapted quickly and now ship their products nationwide.
Ryan Pace, a retired colonel from the Army National Guard, runs and lives on Wholly Cow Farm in Judsonia with his wife and children. Pace served in the military for almost 29 years, and when he's not on the farm, he works for Greenway Equipment in central Arkansas. Pace tells us all about Wholly Cow and the meat he produces for local restaurants and consumers.
In this issue, we look at the challenges facing health care providers in rural Arkansas and we learn about a new state organization for veterans in agriculture. We also explore another Rural Road Trip destination and share the winning recipe from this year's Dairy Foods Contest.
Terry Kruse of McCrory is the 2020 Arkansas Catfish Farmer of the Year. He has been growing "U.S. Farm Raised Catfish" at Cain Fish Farm for more than 30 years. He spoke to us about receiving the honor and opportunity to promote this important sector of agriculture.
Dewayne Goldmon of Pine Bluff grows corn, rice and soybeans on 1,400 acres. He worked full-time for Bayer Crop Sciences in technology development and research while farming “part-time” for more than 20 years. He and his wife Debra were the Southeast District and Jefferson County Farm Family of the Year in 2019. Goldmon served on USDA’s Advisory Committee for Minority Farmers and is executive director of the National Black Grower’s Council. He sat down with us to discuss farming, his career and recent events.
John Michael Bearden and his wife Rachel have a cow-calf and hay operation in rural Hot Spring County. They recently cut and baled hay to feed their cattle this winter. In this update from their farm, John Michael explains the challenges they've had with the weather and supply chain issues resulting from Covid-19. But he also says the pandemic has had positive aspects as well.
