September 17 is National Teach Agriculture Day. Kristyn Sheets, agriculture instructor and FFA Advisor at Magnet Cove High School shares why she is passionate about being an ag educator and why teaching young people about our state’s largest industry is so important.
According to a 2019 American Farm Bureau survey, most farmers say financial issues, farm or business problems and fear of losing their farm have a negative impact on their mental health. September is National Suicide Prevention Month and Rebecca Simon with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service shared signs of depression to watch for, steps to help someone in emotional pain and resources for people who need assistance.
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.
September is Rice Month and the harvest is well underway in Arkansas, the nation’s leading rice producing state. C.J. Parker began harvesting his 4,000 acres this week on his farm near Carlisle. Though he’s had some weather-related delays he still expects to have a good yield.
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.
The ArFB AgTech Training Lab recently made its first stop of the school year at Morrilton High School. The trailer holds three simulators that allow students to experience industrial equipment being used in the workforce and earn credit toward certifications. The trailer remains at each school for one week, allowing time for students to get some experience in the simulators. The schedule calls for the AgTech Training Lab to visit 36 other schools throughout the school year.
A number of issues during the past several years have compounded farm stress, and Farm Bureau has been working to address this critical issue. Rebecca Simon with the Cooperative Extension Service joined us to share some everyday ways farmers can cope when things aren't going as planned.
Construction on a new poultry education center at Southern Arkansas University is nearing completion. The facility will add "hands on" poultry education to the growing agriculture program at Southern Arkansas University. Dr. Jeff Miller, chairman of the SAU Agriculture Department, explains why poultry education is needed to train future professionals for this important industry in Arkansas.
Rip Weaver, program assistant with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, spoke with us about ways the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed state agencies into the digital age, with in-person meetings, trainings, farm tours and other activities taking a back seat to virtual get-togethers.
We talked to Dr. Karen Ballard, professor of program evaluation for the Cooperative Extension Service’s Community, Professional & Economic Development Department, and Dr. Julie Robinson, associate professor in the Community, Professional & Economic Development Department, about their work on virtual teaching and professional meetings and how use of this technology is expanding during the COVID-19 pandemic.
