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.

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.

Check out our latest videos and interviews with Arkansas farmers, leaders and agriculture industry experts.

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.