News - May 2019

Lessons from 2015: Pastures, hayfields can recover from flood

LITTLE ROCK – Research gathered following the flooding of 2015 will help Arkansans recover from damage to their pastures and hayfields by this year’s flooding, said John Jennings, professor-forage, for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Nature’s irony: As Arkansas floodwaters rise, some SE Ark farmers coping with dry fields

McGEHEE, Ark. – While farmers in southeastern Arkansas prepare for the rising Arkansas River, some of their colleagues are coping with the opposite problem: dry fields.

As some crops enter late planting period, crop insurance options to consider

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The final days of the late planting period are quickly approaching for some crops, leaving farmers looking for prevented planting options.

Division of Agriculture launches mobile-friendly pesticide database

LITTLE ROCK — Producers, agricultural agents and consultants will now have access to a comprehensive database of insecticide information at their fingertips, with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s launch of a mobile-device-friendly version of the invaluable MP-144, also known as “Insecticide Recommendations for Arkansas.”

Stay out of the water: Floods can carry debris, disease

LITTLE ROCK – Floods carry more danger than just high water volume and fast flow: debris and disease-causing bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella may be part of the mix too.

Farmers waiting, watching for slow-rolling disaster after moving livestock, equipment to higher ground

LITTLE ROCK  — Farmers who work the Arkansas River’s fertile bottomlands were scrambling,  moving equipment and livestock to higher ground; anticipating the rain-swollen, angrier side of the waterway.

May 25 marks cutoff for use of dicamba in Arkansas crops

LITTLE ROCK – May 25 marks the last day for Arkansas growers to apply the herbicide dicamba to crops in the state, per a ruling from the Arkansas State Plant Board earlier this year.

Brief spike in armyworm activity as summer picks up steam

FAYTTEVILLE, Ark. – April showers have brought forth a lot of things in 2019, some of them more welcome than others. Among the less desirable, perhaps, was a sharp spike in armyworm activity in pastures in the northern half of the state.

Cabot business, APEX Accelerator client, earns Small Business Administration recognition

LITTLE ROCK – A Cabot business that’s a client of Arkansas APEX Accelerator has been named 2019 Small Business Person of the Year for Arkansas by the federal Small Business Administration.

Arkansas cotton gin numbers lower in 2018

LITTLE ROCK  — Arkansas’ brief rally in the number active cotton gins has ended, as open gins declined from 33 to 28 between 2017 and 2018, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Division of Agriculture to hold pest scouting school May 30

JONESBORO, Ark.  — The frequent, heavy rains that have defined this spring will make an upcoming insect and disease pest scouting school a can’t-miss event for Arkansas growers dealing with late crops that are more prone to pests.

Federal government announces farm aid as soybean growers continue battle for profit against weather, tariffs

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas farmers squeezed by weather-delayed planting, trade disputes and depressed commodity prices are awaiting details on how the U.S. Agriculture Department will deploy up to $16 billion in aid to growers.

Little Rock Mayor to speak at Breakthrough Solutions Conference in June

LITTLE ROCK – Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. will speak at the 2019 Breakthrough Solutions Conference, scheduled for June 26 at the Four Points by Sheraton Little Rock Midtown in Little Rock.

Baxter County economic development action plan to launch May 21

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. – Community leaders in Mountain Home will launch the Baxter County Forward Blueprint and Action Plan at Arkansas State University on Tuesday, May 21.

Division of Agriculture Turfgrass Field Day planned for July 24

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Registrations is open for the 2019 Turfgrass Field Day, scheduled for July 24 at the Arkansas Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville.

Value-Added Producer Grants offer support for local foods startups

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Farmer-owned New South Produce Cooperative is one of three Arkansas agricultural ventures that received a USDA Value-Added Producer Grant that helped get the coop up and running.

Room to exercise and graze key to happy horse ownership

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The idea of owning horses is an appealing one to many Americans, whether they grow up in a rural or urban setting. An important part of making that dream a reality is understanding the demands of owning such an animal.

Louisiana attorney to discuss complexities of ag labor, immigration at Mid-South Agricultural & Environmental Law Conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Labor laws can be difficult to navigate, but when applied to agricultural employees, they become even more complicated. At the sixth annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, Brandon Davis, partner at Phelps Dunbar, LLP, of New Orleans, will discuss agricultural labor and immigration for farmers and agribusinesses.

Division of Agriculture to offer racial sensitivity training to agents, stakeholders

LITTLE ROCK – County agents across Arkansas will soon be equipped with the training necessary to facilitate community dialogue about race.

Division of Agriculture disaster preparedness, recovery resources available online

LITTLE ROCK – As intermittent rains and flooding continue throughout many parts of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service is ready with information to help prepare for and recovery from natural disasters.   

Controlling Palmer amaranth with metribuzin tolerant soybean varieties

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When it comes to weed control in Arkansas, farmers need every tool available in order to maintain profit. 

As late planting period draws to a close, Arkansas corn growers face tough decisions

JONESBORO, Ark. – To whatever degree any year in the last decade can be said to have been a “normal year” in Arkansas agriculture, one thing is certain: 2019 isn’t one of them.

SIDEBAR: Division of Agriculture releases revised crop budgets

LITTLE ROCK – As producers across Arkansas consider how to proceed in a year of wide-spread delayed or prevented planting, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has released revised crop enterprise budgets to reflect current market prices and changes in input prices.

The benefits of planting native warm season grasses

FAYETTEVILLE. Ark— Native warm season grasses have become very popular recently. One reason for that popularity may be their successful contribution to the overall sustainability of grassland agriculture in the southeastern United States.

USDA general counsel to be keynote at 6^th annual environmental/ag law conference June 6-7 at Memphis

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Environmental law, immigration and agricultural labor, ag bankruptcy, and a keynote address by U. S. Department of Agriculture General Counsel Stephen Vaden  are some of the hot topics on the agenda for the sixth annual Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, set for June 6-7 in Memphis, Tennessee.

Bringing overgrazed pasture back from the dead: Be patient, have a plan

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — New landowners sometimes face a daunting challenge: How to make the most of newly-acquired pasture land that has been overgrazed for years. The soil may lay bare, incapable of the forage production necessary to support a substantial number of animals.

May 8 webinar to discuss state approaches to water quality impacts from agricultural nutrients

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Nutrients from agricultural crop production have had a detrimental impact on water quality in the United States, but many states are working to address the issue.

2019 Arkansas Irrigation Yield Contest now open to entries

STUTTGART, Ark. – The 2019 Arkansas Irrigation Yield Contest, Most Crop per Drop, is now open for entries.

Arkansas EHC to host National Volunteer Outreach Network conference in Springdale

LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Extension Homemakers will be hosting the national conference of the National Volunteer Outreach Network in Springdale on July 23-25.

RockCityHacks: Up all night solving the world’s challenges

FERNDALE, Ark. – Faces lit by the glowing screens of laptops, more than two dozen Arkansas high-schoolers tested their coding skills in a competition to solve their choice of five challenges at the first RockCityHacks hackathon.

Recording of industrial hemp webinar available online

LITTLE ROCK – A recording of the industrial hemp webinar presented by University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is now available online.

Pre-conference workshop to examine North Little Rock, SW Arkansas communities for lessons on putting community development plans into action

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Community and economic development can involve a variety of frameworks designed to equip communities with the tools to take control of their futures. While each step helps community members map out a vision for growth and success, what counts most is action. Action transforms a community’s planning process into reality, gains buy-in from stakeholders, and makes impact happen.