Bill Haak, ArFB Dairy Chair, hosted the Dairy Division’s summer commodity meeting at his farm in Gentry, Arkansas. The group discussed current issues affecting Arkansas dairy farmers and toured Haak's facility. Attorney General Leslie Rutledge was a special guest and was honored for her support of the dairy industry.

The United States-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade agreement went into effect July 1. Matt King, director of National Affairs for Arkansas Farm Bureau's Public Affairs and Governmental Relations department explains why this is important for agriculture and why it's step up from the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mark Morgan is a Johnson County peach grower who also raises turkeys and beef cattle with his father, Steve. He took some time to talk to us about this year's crop and how his family's operation, Peach Pickin' Paradise, is dealing with the challenges of operating during a pandemic and continuing to provide the tasty, fresh peaches summer customers have come to expect.

The newly elected State FFA officer team is hard at work preparing for the great things ahead in Arkansas FFA. State President, Brooke Bradford joined Ashlyn Ussery for a conversation about where her FFA journey began and to shine some light on what's in store for members throughout the coming year, despite COVID-19.

Clyde Fenton, UA Extension county agent in Sebastian County, visited farmers at recently opened farmers markets in the west Arkansas River Valley. He took some time to give us a report on those markets that are just getting underway.

Students are home on their summer break, as schools in Arkansas anticipate reopening in August. Sarah Lane, Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program coordinator for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, provides an update on how school gardens are being maintained during the summer and how Farm to School is more important than ever during the Covid-19 pandemic, continuing to provide fresh, local produce for children and families in need.

According to Logan Duvall of Me & McGee Market on Highway 70, business has been steady despite the ongoing pandemic. However, Duvall explains that somes small changes have been made to keep customers and employees safe, and masks are required for all visitors. The market, located east of Little Rock, is known for its fresh, local produce, floral arrangements and canned goods, along with food trucks that visit each week.

Blair Griffin is a Extension County Agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. He's based in Clarksville and travels the state working with county agents and farmers wanting to control pasture weeds. He says it's time now to spray to control the initial outbreak of summer pastureland weeds.

Arkansas timber production in March and April declined 480,000 tons, down 15% from a year ago. Family-owned logging and log trucking businesses are suffering from a reduction in wood fiber being sourced from our forests and industry organizations are seek assistance from Congress. We spoke to John McMinn, forestry division coordinator for Arkansas Farm Bureau, about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on this vital sector of Arkansas agriculture and our state's economy.

Mark Lambert, director of Commodity Activities and Economics at Arkansas Farm Bureau, joined AgCast to discuss recent changes to the federal Paycheck Protection Program and Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, which can provide vital financial assistance to Arkansas farmers and ranchers impacted by the pandemic.