Arkansas AgCast

We check in with Dr. Bill Robertson, Cotton Extension Agronomist at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, to hear about record cotton yields last year and what could lie ahead in 2022. We also get a farmer’s perspective on last year’s cotton crop from Terry Pollard of Piggott.

We explore efforts by Arkansas farmers and ranchers to market directly to consumers and the challenges and opportunities in this space. To get some perspective on the issue, we talked to Karen Reynolds from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and Logan Duvall, owner of Me & McGee Market in North Little Rock.

After returning from an eventful American Farm Bureau Convention in Atlanta, our policy experts sit down to discuss how the event went and what to expect from national Farm Bureau policy in 2022.

In this special edition, we put together some of our favorite interviews from a very busy 2021, including our conversations with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, retired University of Arkansas Professor Andrew Sharpley and more.

This week, we talk to newly elected American Soybean Association president Brad Doyle and we get to hear from Dustin Cowell about direct to consumer marketing.

This week, we talk to an expert about agriculture estate planning, we get details on the Arkansas state meat inspection program and we hear about how a project related to Beaver Dam could impact farmers along the White River.

This week, we hear from the 2021 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. We also hear about the problems caused by snow geese and the unique opportunity one farmer has found in growing yellow peas.

This week, we’re live at the 87th annual Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention in Little Rock. We talk to two first-time attendees at the Convention, we hear from an exhibitor at the event’s trade show and we also visit with a workshop leader about farm and ranch branding and marketing.

This week, we talk about the price of Thanksgiving dinner, along with personal Thanksgiving traditions and memories. We also catch up with Pulaski County Farm Bureau President Debbie Moreland about policy development and Farm Bureau’s upcoming annual convention, and we get the latest on November rice and cotton markets.

This week, we talk about Arkansas Soybean Month and the 50th anniversary of the soybean checkoff program in Arkansas. We also get to know Chris Colclasure, recently appointed director of the Dept. of Agriculture's Natural Resources Division, and we hear about Arkansas Farm Bureau's annual resolutions meeting, an important part of the organization's grassroots policy development process.

This week, we talk cotton and learn about harvest progress in Northeast Arkansas, and we hear about the art, etiquette and ethics of photo shoots on the farm. We also discuss problems caused by the invasive Egyptian Goose.

This week, we bring you tricks and treats, as we learn about disgusting Dead Man’s Fingers and mildly terrifying carnivorous plants and we talk about fun fall harvest and Halloween activities.

This week, we hear about the 2021 corn crop and get an update on grain markets. We also learn the ins and outs of cover crops and talk about the value and importance of Arkansas Farm Bureau membership.

This week, we talk to Arkansas State Fair Livestock Director, Chris Bacchus about the benefits of showing livestock and poultry. We also talk to Leigh Ann Bullington about the role as family consumer science educator, and we hear about the Farm Bureau PR team’s visit to media day at the state fair.

This week, we talk to Congressman Bruce Westerman as he kicks off his latest Ag Tour in the state. We also hear about this year’s Arkansas Youth Expo livestock event in Washington County, which wrapped up earlier this week, and we get the latest news on commodity markets from Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Brandy Carroll.

This week, we learn about unique, new research on “night pollinators” and we get to know another inductee in the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame, Andrew Wargo. We also explore the partnership between Five Oaks Duck Lodge and the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the launch of the Five Oaks Ag Research and Education Center.

This week, we take a “Rice Month” look at this year’s rice harvest and we get a farmer’s perspective on agriculture supply chain challenges. We also hear about the upcoming “How to Win and Election” workshop presented by Arkansas Farm Bureau and the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce.

This week, we hear about the critical role data plays in making sound economic decisions on the farm, and we talk about the history of grape breeding in Arkansas and how it led to development of the wildly popular “cotton candy” grape. We also learn about four livestock disease outbreaks that Arkansas agriculture experts are watching closely.

This week, we were on hand for the Arkansas Connectivity Summit at the Hot Springs Convention Center. We heard from a variety of experts, including a sitting FCC commissioner, about the state’s effort to expand and improve broadband internet access and about the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. See our interview with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr at arfb.com.

This week, we hear about what's happening in the equine industry in Arkansas and we learn about a new "mobile" meat processing trailer. We also talk about Senator John Boozman's tour of farms and agriculture operations in the state and learn why these visits from Congressional leaders are so important.

This week, we learn about how certain new federal tax proposals could hit farmers hard and we meet another member of the next class of Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame inductees. We also get a progress update on the White River Irrigation District canal construction project.

This week, we get the latest on this year’s cotton crop and take a look at tools and techniques that will help with future crops. We also hear about a new and surprisingly sweet blackberry called the Ponca and we learn all about Rock City Burger week.

This week, we learn about the University of Arkansas Pine Bluff’s Small Farm Program and a new effort to get a better map of broadband and cell coverage in Arkansas. We also visit a Monroe County farm to get an update on this year’s corn crop.

On this week's edition we get an update on this year's rice production in the state and learn about the upcoming briefing with the Senate Ag Committee taking place in Arkansas.

On this week's edition, we hear about the importance of upcoming agricultural yield surveys from the National Agricultural Statistics Service. We also learn all about soil moisture sensors and other technology for managing irrigation and get the latest on this year’s soybean crop.