Though heavy rains this past spring forced Prairie County farmer Mason Sickel to push back his rice planting several weeks, he says that his crop is turning out better than expected this harvest season.
Arkansas farmers have faced many challenges this year, but even those who managed to grow good crops are finding it hard to make ends meet. Third-generation farmer Benton Felts of Joiner shares his thoughts on the difficulties producers are facing due to low commodity prices, trade issues and other problems.
To celebrate National Dog Day, we visited Howard County farmer Amanda Whisenhunt, who introduced us to her team of working farm dogs and showed us how they help her with her daily operations.
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.
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.
Read about the "Soaked Season" of 2019 and the impact weather and flooding has had on Arkansas farmers and ranchers. Plus, check out our latest Taste Arkansas recipe, Rural Road Trip and Delta Child features.
James Meeks is a fifth-generation farmer who has become known across Arkansas and region for his tomato, watermelon and "u-pick" produce operation near Hamburg in Ashley County. He and his business partner have overcome regulatory and workforce challenges and built their Triple M Farms into a key tomato provider for Walmart, Subway restaurants and a number of roadside vendors. He spoke to us about his love of growing tomatoes, industry challenges and the uncertain future of the business.
This year has been a roller coaster ride for many Arkansas producers. Jackson County's John “Bubba” Sink, who farms rice, corn and soybeans, shared the high points and the low points of the season in this interview.
Peach farmer Mark Morgan and his family run Peach Pickin' Paradise in Lamar just outside of Clarksville, where they grow almost two dozen varieties of peaches and nectarines. With peach season in full swing in Arkansas, Morgan took a few minutes to tell us how the crop looks this year and what "peach pickers" can expect when they head out to get this sweet summertime favorite.
Kenny Holt grows corn and soybeans in the Snow Lake community of southern Phillips County along the Mississippi River. The river has been near flood stage for several months and "seep water" coming up from underground has flooded thousands of acres of cropland and pasture throughout the region and has helped make this one of the most difficult seasons in Holt's memory.
