Arkansas AgCast

This week, we visit Trent Dabbs on his rice, corn and soybean farm near Stuttgart to talk about commodity prices and the impact they may have on planting decisions this year. We also check in with Arkansas Farm Bureau's Autumn Wood during Farm Bureau Week to learn about the benefits of being a Farm Bureau member, and we get the latest update on what’s happening at the State Capitol.

This week, we pay a visit to Mary Bone’s property in north Pulaski County, where she and her husband are preparing to grow fruit and vegetables to sell locally. We also get an update on what’s happening at the State Capitol and how Arkansas Farm Bureau’s priority issues are faring during the legislative session, and Arkansas Farm Bureau’s John McMinn tells us about the USDA’s new forest management...

This week, we get to know Arkansas Farm Bureau’s new director of Commodity Activities and Economics, Jessica Richard. We also learn about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the equine industry in Arkansas and we talk to one of the first participants to complete the Farm Apprenticeship program through the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food at the University of Arkansas.

This week, we learn about the Arkansas Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee’s recent work and their participation in American Farm Bureau’s Virtual Annual Convention. We also talk to Arkansas State Representative DeAnn Vaught about a new state meat inspection bill she is championing and we learn about a very busy week for Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Public Affairs and Government Relations team.

This week, we hear about Arkansas Farm Bureau’s top policy priorities for the upcoming legislative session at the State Capitol and we learn about a new “micro dairy” operation started by an enterprising Searcy County teen.

This week, we wrap up our podcasting year with a look at why feed costs are rising and what it means for livestock growers and we hear from the chair of the Scott County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee, which was recently honored as the state’s top women’s committee.

This week is all about award winners. First, we get reactions from the newly named Arkansas Farm Family of the Year for 2020, then we hear from poultry grower Kallem Hill, the recipient of this year’s Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award. We also talk to Larry Smith, president of Stone County Farm Bureau, which received the prestigious President’s Award from Arkansas Farm Bureau during this year’s vir...

This week, we learn about caring for poultry and other livestock during bitter cold weather, We talk to Rich Hillman about wrapping up his first year as Arkansas Farm Bureau president and the challenge of overseeing the organization’s first virtual convention and business session. We also hear from Garland County Farm Bureau President Tommy Sorrells about his reaction to participating in the virtu...

This week, we learn about the development of the first Roundup-ready forage soybean from Eagle Seed and we talk to Pope County’s Sam Cecil, Arkansas’s representative at the U.S. Meat Export Federation. We also talk turkey with Poultry Federation head Marvin Childers.

This week, we talk about the results of this year’s Arkansas Farm Bureau survey of the cost of traditional Thanksgiving dinner items and we learn about how the pandemic has affected the logging and timber industry in Arkansas. We also get a lesson on the history of soybeans in the state, along with details of a new survey of forest landowners and tips on battling bugs that cause problems for lives...

This week, we talk to a beef broker at the Oklahoma National Stockyards about the challenges cattle ranchers have faced in 2020 and what’s ahead. We also catch up with James Meeks of Triple M Farms, who tells us about how COVID-19 has affected his produce business and we learn about the recently upgraded Senter & Sons Cotton Gin in Osceola. We also talk to Terry Laster of Union County about th...

This week, we catch up with Michael Sparks of the Arkansas Chapter of the Farmer Veterans Coalition to talk about the group’s upcoming Veteran’s Day celebration. We also talk to Monroe County’s Jim Carroll about wrapping up his term as chair of the United Soybean Board, and learn about Prestonrose Farm & Brewing Co. in the Arkansas River Valley, a destination craft brewery with locally grown f...

This week, we wrap up Farm to School Month in Arkansas with a discussion about outstanding school gardens and we hear from Daniel Keisler about his custom beef and pork business, Circle K Angus. We also talk to 82-year-old farmer Ellis Bell of Forrest City, who founded a local non-profit for promoting science-based agriculture education, and catch up with Rick Bransford of Lonoke County about this...

This week, we visit the state livestock show in Little Rock and we learn about the production and use of mass timber in Arkansas. We also talk to about the farming life with Steve Morgan of Johnson County and growing organic with Shawn Peebles of Augusta.

This week, we visit with Lee County’s Nathan Reed, who gives us an update on this year’s cotton crop. We also learn about the critical issues on the ballot this Nov. 3 and why they matter for rural Arkansas and we check in with Terry and Robin Fisher, who were 2020 finalists for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Regional Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award.

This week, we hear from the leader of the firefighting team from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division that recently returned from helping to fight destructive West Coast blazes. We also learn about the Arkansas Food Conservancy’s work in Northwest Arkansas, get an update on this year’s peanut crop and hear from a farmer working to bring in his harvest before more rain arrives...

This week, we hear from Brittany Carwell of B&D Genetics in Cross County about the business’s major new move into the European market. We also get an update on the 2020 pecan crop from Chas Davis of Davis Pecan in Little River County and we spend a morning Hicks Family Farms near Cabot, as they work to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines in preparing their annual pumpkin patch and corn maze for...

This week, we hear from a cattle producer and mother about youth livestock events during this unusual year, and Arkansas Farm Bureau Director of Policy Development and Legislative Research Jessica Clowser Burkham fills us in on CFAP 2, the recently announced second round of Coronavirus aid for U.S. farmers. We also have a special interview with Jason Brewer of Ritter Farms.

This week, we hear how some counties are holding limited or scaled-back livestock shows despite COVID-related fair and rodeo cancellations. We also learn about the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust and what it can do for farmers and we get important mental health tips for National Suicide Prevention Month.

This week, we talk National Honey Month with Jeremy Bemis of Bemis Honey Bee Farm. We get the latest on cotton from agronomist Bill Robertson and we hear about the challenges facing agritourism businesses in Arkansas during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This week, we talk to Sen. John Boozman after one of his recent farm visits this week, and we hear from Cooperative Extension Service expert Julia Fryer on produce safety issues after Hurricane Laura. We also catch up with the Benton County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee's Brenda Patton about the challenges her group has faced during COVID-19.

This week, weather takes center stage. We hear from a National Weather Service Senior Forecaster John Lewis, Ag Extension Rice Agronomist Jarrod Hardke and Sevier County livestock and poultry grower Bruce Jackson about how excessive winds and rainfall from Hurricane Laura could impact Arkansas agriculture. We also get some tips and information for Arkansas small meat and poultry processors interes...

This week, we learn about a potential $5 million grant to help Arkansas meat processors expand. We also talk Catfish Month in Arkansas with Chad Causey of Catfish Farmers of America, and we discuss the recent outbreak of VSV that’s hitting horses in the state.

This week, we learn about a new partnership involving the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and UAMS to help with COVID-19 testing in rural areas and we hear about more funding for rural broadband in the state. We also talk to Sara Gardner, who was recently named to the National 4-H Council’s Young Alumni Advisory Committee.

This week, we talk to the new, interim director of the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, and we learn about new funding for research on improving management of crop burns. We also hear from University of Arkansas Professor Steven Ricke, who was recently honored for his work on poultry broilers and food safety and we get details on the Double Your Dollar farmers market program in Nor...