There has been a recent flurry of activity meant to encourage legislators to pass a new farm bill, not just an extension of the current legislation. We look at the role Arkansans are playing in the pressure campaign and why it matters. Plus, Iowa is host to 30,000 acres of “short corn” this growing season. We’ll talk about why these smaller stalks could be a big deal for Arkansas farmers, plus more on this episode. It’s all here on the state’s only weekly ag news podcast, the Arkansas AgCast.
The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food is training the next generation of farmers through an intense 10-month program. CAFF provides students with hands-on farming experience and classes that will set them up for success as new farmers.
Big John Manufacturing of Heber Springs provides tree spades around the world. Stephen Choate started over 30 years ago as a Big John employee and now owns the company. He is proud that everything made at Big John is done in house. Tracey Bemis, a tree farmer, has been using Big John equipment for 50 years and explains the benefits that Big John products have provided his business.
After graduating high school, Jeremy Baranauskas moved to Benton County from Illinois to build Prairie Woods Farm. After a challenging beginning, the year-round produce farm is thriving and is now an important part of a bustling Bentonville Farmers Market.
Spring Creek Food Hub opened in 2023 with the goal of creating a more sustainable food system for Northwest Arkansas by uniting farmers and customers. Now they are working with 60 farms of various sizes across the state, providing food for restaurants, schools and grocers. Watch to find out more about this innovative program that is directly connecting farmers with their communities.
The beans are late, but the cows are fat. It’s a tradeoff tried for the first time at River Valley Farms in Mayflower. Austin Thrash explains and shares his soybean, rice and corn harvest reports from near the north bank of the Arkansas River.
American Farm Bureau published responses to its Presidential Candidate Survey with both parties answering how they’ll address top issues facing farmers and ranchers. Plus, the Consumer Price Index data released this week shows grocery prices holding steady and declining inflation, which is welcomed news. We take a closer look at these stories and much more on the state’s only weekly ag news podcast, the Arkansas AgCast.
With Hurricane Francine threatening heavy downpours across the delta, farmers like Dalton Dilldine are working overtime to get crops out of the field and into storage or elevators. The weather issues are compounded by the Mississippi River levels slowly creeping down. Watch to learn why you may have seen lights moving across fields late into the night this week.
Charles Barham has been raising cattle in Ozark for over 40 years. In 2019, his stepson Ed joined with him to launch a direct-to-consumer beef business they call Barham’s Ozark Beef. The sweet potato-fed beef is now a popular go-to in the Conway area, leading the Barham family to coin the term “beef snob” for its loyal customers.
An abundant harvest doesn’t keep the Norwood family from considering its rural Northeast Arkansas farm’s future. See this year’s crop and hear how innovation bolsters yield and lessens labor in diminutive Delaplaine.
