We talk to Dustin Cowell of Mount Judea (Newton County). He and his wife Kayla operate a cow/calf operation with roughly 35 momma cows. They also serve as chairs of the Arkansas Farm Bureau Young Farmer & Rancher Committee. Cowell discusses his new and very succesful effort to sell beef directly to consumers.
An Easter Sunday storm generated hurricane-force winds and leveled timber across numerous east Arkansas counties. Especially hard hit was Lincoln County, where hardwood stands still lie on the ground as logging crews are unable to reach and salvage the timber. For many private landowners, this is a multi-million dollar disaster.
Dr. Chelsea Bland Smith operates Broken L Veterinary Services, a mobile clinic, out of her homebase in Nashville, Ark. She is licensed in Arkansas and Oklahoma and works on livestock and pets on farms and homes in both states. Follow along as she takes us through an average day of a mobile vet.
This week, we talk to poultry grower and Arkansas Farm Bureau Board Secretary/Treasurer Dan Wright about challenges for the poultry industry caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. We also talk to Jamie Anderson of I.F. Anderson Farms, the nation’s largest producer of baitfish, about what a recent increase in recreational fishing has meant for his operation. Finally, we speak to Arkansas Farm Bureau Public Affairs & Government Relations Director Matt King about the latest on the CARES Act and the creation of the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program.
Michael Whatley was trained to drive heavy equipment in the National Guard. That skill helped land him a job hauling rice for Craighead County farmer and ArFB board member Joe Christian, thanks to the new Farm Corps initiative led by Congressman Rick Crawford, in partnership with the National Guard and Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, we've been reaching out to experts to tell us more about how different segments of agriculture have been dealing with challenges caused by the crisis. Recently, we spoke to a state legislator, an FFA advisor and educator, a professor and expert on specialty crops and the executive vice president of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association. We also received an update on the recently completed legislative fiscal session from ArFB's Jeff Pitchford.
Amanda McWhirt, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Extension fruit and vegetable specialist and professor, talks about damages to specialty crops from weather and other challenges facing growers.
The spring planting season continues, despite challenges caused by the COVID-19 outbreak, storms and extreme cold snaps. Arkansas farmers and ranchers and agriculture industry leaders continue their work to provide us with reports and updates from their fields, workshops and offices. Here's a selection of recent videos.
The Farm Bureau Insurance companies announced Thursday a $500,000 gift to the six foodbanks that cover the state of Arkansas, anchored by the Arkansas Foodbank, which represents 33 counties in Central Arkansas. “Farm Bureau’s founding mission is to support the families that put food on our tables,” said Rich Hillman, Carlisle rice farmer and president of Arkansas Farm Bureau. “Providing relief to our communities in a time of need is a core value of the Farm Bureau. Offering a helping hand to our friends at the Arkansas Foodbank and their partners who provide similar services throughout Arkansas is critical at this time.”
