At our annual Officers & Leaders Conference last week, we premiered this special video highlighting the highs and lows of the past year and how Arkansas farmers and ranchers dealt with a variety of challenges in order to continue doing what they love. See and hear how they stayed strong in the face of adversity and are #StillFarming.

George Eldridge of Gregory is well known as the restauranteur who started Doe's Eat Place Little Rock, AR and the Tamale Factory, but many people don't know this Woodruff County native also owns a working horse ranch on property that's been in his family since the 1800s.

Staying on top means staying busy. Rising high school senior Hayden Leavell works on his family farm and his neighbor's farm, lifts weights five days a week and practices football, all while making time for his true passion, rodeo. The Franklin County teen is the 2021 Arkansas High School Bareback Reserve Champion. Learn more about this hard worker and his championship dreams.

Get to know YF&R award winners John Michael and Rachel Bearden of Hot Spring County and James and Ashton Dixon of Madison County.

After a year of virtual meetings and events, Arkansas Farm Bureau leaders finally got together again in Host Springs this month. The annual Officers & Leaders Conference featured speakers, workshops, awards for outstanding Young Farmers & Ranchers and more. Watch the Day 1 and Day 2 General Sessions here.

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.

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.