Arkansas AgCast

Livestock farmers Cody Hopkins and Andrea Todt are part of a co-op that sells meat directly to consumers online. They utilize blockchain technology that allows customers to know how their meat was raised, what it was fed, who raised it and more. In this edition of Arkansas AgCast, Hopkins describes the value of block chain technology to his operation and for consumers.

A radio PSA for hearing safety during Ag Safety Awareness Month 2019.

A radio PSA for road safety during Ag Safety Awareness Week 2019.

PSA for Heat safety and Hydration during Ag Safety Awareness Week.

Radio PSA announcement for Ag Safety Week 2019.

Around 100 growers and fruit specialists attended a meeting in Little Rock Feb. 16 about forming an Arkansas Blackberry Growers Association. It was also an opportunity for growers to learn about a new blackberry variety and how to effectively market their crops. Listen to our interviews with a horticulture specialist and a blackberry grower.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Chief Economist Travis Justice gives a sneak peek of the soon-to-be-published Arkansas Beef Industry Assessment survey and his perspective of the state's $750 million beef business.

Arkansas cattlemen and dairy farmers have been experiencing the coldest temperatures of the season recently. Faulkner County dairy farmer Matt Simon has weathered many winter cold snaps over the past 20 years and, in this edition of Arkansas Agcast, he says dairy cows need to eat more when they are cold to help stay warm and that actually helps increase their milk production.

Arkansas Farm Bureau Forestry Chair Grant Pace discusses the impact of the wet winter weather on the Arkansas timber industry.

The Arkansas Agriculture Department held its 2019 Local Conversations event at the Hermitage Community Center in Bradley County January 17. Specialty crop farmers joined local school food service and nutrition directors, food distribution representatives and other industry officials to network and source new marketing opportunities for their locally grown products. In this edition of Arkansas Agca...

A grant from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture is helping fund cutting-edge biotechnology research on corn at Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Dr. Elizabeth Hood, distinguished professor of agriculture at ASU, joined us to discuss the research team’s work, which could ultimately lead to corn strains that produce proteins important for more environmentally sound ind...

Chris and Judy Isbell of Humnoke are the 2018 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The honor was announced today at the annual luncheon honoring county and district Farm Families of the Year. The Isbells are fifth-generation rice farmers and have diversified their operation into growing specialty varieties for the Japanese market. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast, they share with the honor means to...

Brenda Patton chairs the Benton County Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast, she discusses how hard her committee worked to earn the Outstanding County Women's Program Award this year.

The ongoing tariff war and dispute with China, a record soybean crop produced by U.S. farmers with limited storage capacity and need for new export markets, and the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement are all issues addressed by Ted McKinney, Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs at USDA at Arkansas Farm Bureau’s annual convention. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast McKinne...

Farm Bureau member and volunteer Dana Stewart made White County proud as she was recognized with the prestigious Stanley E. Reed Leadership Award at the state convention in Hot Springs, Nov. 28. Arkansas Ag Cast visited with her to get her reaction to earning this honor.

In this special edition of Arkansas AgCast, we talk with Terri McManus with the Farm Service Angency about the Dec. 7 deadline for producers who have generic seed cotton base who want to participate in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) program for the 2018 crop. For more information about the program and to see if you are eligible, visit bit.ly/SeedCottonBase.

Many in Arkansas know all too well about the devastating impact Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia can have on families. Providing care for loved ones suffering from these conditions is difficult without adequate support or knowledge. That’s why Arkansas Farm Bureau has partnered with the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative to provide training for caregivers at the county level. In this...

Farmers and ranchers from every county in Arkansas convened in North Little Rock recently and spent two days discussing resolutions that will soon become Arkansas Farm Bureau policy. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast, ArFB president Randy Veach explains the importance of this grassroots policy development process and why it will determine the organization’s state and federal legislative blueprint...

Thanksgiving is upon us. And that means turkeys. According to tradition, turkey was one of the birds of choice for the Pilgrim’s first Thanksgiving feast shared with the Native Americans. Butterball is the choice of Logan County farmer Brian Weisenfels. Listen as he tells us about raising turkeys and whether the busy holiday season changes anything from a farmer's perspective.

KARN's Kevin Miller interviews Mark Lambert, director, commodity activities and economics, at Arkansas Farm Bureau. The two discussed the economic and weather challenges faced by Arkansas soybean farmers this harvest season.

Derek Haigwood, a fourth-generation row-crop farmer from Newport, serves as a U.S. Soybean Board director and chairman of the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC). In this podcast, he discusses how many soybean farmers are facing a devastating hit to their bottom line this year due to low prices, trade issues, weather problems and more, and talks about USSEC efforts to create new markets and keep e...

October is Farm to School Month, so for our latest Arkansas Agcast, we sat down with Andy Guffey, Arkansas Farm Bureau's director of education and outreach, to discuss this innovative educational program that brings agriculture and schools together, teaching students where their food comes from and the importance of agriculture to our state and country.

A native Arkansan, Dr. Charles Looney spent much of his career working in the cattle reproduction industry outside the state. He recently took advantage of an opportunity to return to Arkansas to fill an animal science position at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s Southwest Research and Extension Center. Artificial Insemination, or A.I., has revolutionized cattle breeding, but i...

Earl Pepper, who turns 75 later this year, can't recall a time when he wasn't around horses. Raised in Alabama, he now lives near DeQueen, where he tends cattle on horseback. He formerly chaired Arkansas Farm Bureau’s equine division and was responsible for the equine program for the Arkansas Department of Corrections. Pepper has a love and respect for horses and, in this edition of Arkansas Agcas...

Many public schools are realizing the importance of teaching students about how food is grown and have established gardens on campuses. Three years ago Sheridan Intermediate School partnered with the Grant County Cooperative Extension Service and other organizations to develop a garden. This week students harvested sweet potatoes they planted last spring, just in time for the holidays. October is...