News - May 2026

College students to gain hands-on experience as Cooperative Extension Service summer interns

LITTLE ROCK — John D. Anderson, extension director for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, advised the 2026 class of extension summer interns to “embrace questions you don’t know the answer to, because that’s how new knowledge gets created.”

The science of barbecuing: grilling, smoking and beyond

LITTLE ROCK — “Barbecue,” as anyone in the South can tell you, is a loaded word. 

“It means different things to different people,” said Janeal Yancey, extension animal science instructor for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. But, she said, one thing ought to be clear: “Barbecuing” is not for hamburgers.

Practice food safety when grilling this Memorial Day

LITTLE ROCK — As pools open and family and friends gather to light up the grill this Memorial Day, it’s important to keep food safety top of mind to ensure a delicious and healthy holiday for all.

May WASDE signals optimism for soybean, corn, cotton, rice growers

JONESBORO, Ark. — May’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, or WASDE, report is shining a biofueled ray of light as it forecasts higher average prices for soybeans and corn.

Cooperative Extension Service to host Streets to Streams Watershed Fair

LITTLE ROCK — Central Arkansas residents can learn more about their local waterways at Streets to Streams: A Watershed Fair, a new event hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service and community partners.

Bennet Chen retakes first place in state Soybean Science Challenge

LITTLE ROCK — Bennet Chen, a Little Rock Central High School junior, took first place in this year’s Soybean Science Challenge state-level competition. It was Chen’s third time on the podium in three consecutive years.

Drought has ranchers playing a waiting game 

LITTLE ROCK — For many ranchers, 2026 is shaping up to be a waiting game: waiting for the rain to come and waiting for summer forages to grow. 

Arkansas gin numbers hold steady on smaller 2025 cotton crop 

JONESBORO, Ark. — Arkansas was still the No. 3 cotton producer in the United States in 2025 despite growing fewer acres than the previous year, and this year, farmers may grow the smallest number of cotton acres in nearly a decade. 

Upcoming SCOTUS ruling in ‘failure-to-warn’ case could change course of glyphosate litigation 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in Monsanto v. Durnell could change the way opponents of pesticides fight their battles, according to an attorney with the National Agricultural Law Center. 

Learn to manage food safety risks, support farm success at extension produce safety training

FORREST CITY, Ark. — The Cooperative Extension Service’s Local, Regional and Safe Foods team will host a free produce safety grower training for Arkansas producers on June 18 in Forrest City.

Saline County Master Gardeners bring spring cheer to residents at Southern Trace Rehabilitation and Care Center

BRYANT, Ark. — On a sunny May morning, Saline County Master Gardeners joined elderly residents of the Southern Trace Rehabilitation and Care Center in Bryant to plant flowers, part of the facility’s celebration of National Skilled Nursing Care Week.

Extension to host May 22 webinar addressing Theileria, Asian longhorned tick

LITTLE ROCK — Researchers with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture will host a free webinar on May 22 addressing the prevalence of Theileria, a tick-borne pathogen affecting cattle, and the Asian longhorned tick, which is known to carry it.

Extension row crop verification program helps farmers maximize yields

LITTLE ROCK — With clear skies but relatively little rain, verification program coordinators with the Cooperative Extension Service spent April working overtime to ensure verification fields were planted and ready for irrigation across the state.

Extension financial expert shares tips to navigate high gas prices

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas drivers are paying higher gas costs at the pump, and a financial expert with the Cooperative Extension Service says some households may need to adjust their spending habits to accommodate increasing gas prices.   

Extension ArHOP program, Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas hosting monthly food distributions via mobile pantry

FORREST CITY, Ark. — To combat food insecurity in St. Francis County, the Arkansas High Obesity Prevention Project is collaborating with the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas’ Nourish Mobile Pantry to host monthly distributions of fresh produce to rural communities.  

Recent rain welcome on Arkansas farms, but more rain is needed to erase drought

JONESBORO, Ark. — Amid a few rounds of rain, Arkansas corn and rice planting are nearly complete in Arkansas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Craig Bacon to lead department of food science

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — After a 35-year career in food production, Craig Bacon is bringing his love of teaching and research to the University of Arkansas as its next food science department head.

In troubled times, FARM Champions emerge

LITTLE ROCK — At a time when farmers are facing their darkest season in four decades, there’s a cohort of FARM Champions ready to help.

Researchers document rice plants trapping and killing fall armyworm caterpillars

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Rice plants and Venus flytraps share something in common that was not scientifically documented until recently.

Farmers for Tomorrow Benefit Happy Hour set for June 11 at CAFF Farm

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress that “the family farm should be protected and preserved as a basic American institution.”

Genetic location of primocane-fruiting discovered in blackberries

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Lifting a veil of uncertainty in blackberry genetics, a national team of horticulture scientists have discovered evidence pointing to the single genetic region that controls primocane-fruiting, or the ability to flower and fruit on first-year canes.

How short-form videos may aid teaching small engine maintenance

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The 1974 novel “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” offered a simple but enduring idea: working on machines should not be about just fixing them, but slowing down, paying attention and reflecting on both the work and oneself in the pursuit of quality.

Hot Spring County 4-H receives inaugural Community Organization of the Year award

MALVERN, Ark. — The Hot Spring County 4-H program received the inaugural Community Organization of the Year award from the Malvern/Hot Spring County Chamber of Commerce, recognizing the organization’s integral role in youth development.  

Five Arkansas 4-H members named finalists for Governor’s Award

LITTLE ROCK — For the first time in three decades, five Arkansas 4-H members have been named finalists for the Arkansas 4-H Governor’s Award.

Arkansas net farm income forecast to drop

LITTLE ROCK and FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Weighed down by low commodity prices, heavy fuel and fertilizer outlays and the costs of war, disease and weather, Arkansas’ net farm income is expected to fall for the fourth straight year, with farmers enduring on government support.

Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council celebrates social, community impact during EHC Month

LITTLE ROCK — Denise Bailey, member of the Garland County Extension Homemakers Council, said when she first became interested in the organization, she thought she was “just signing up to do a craft show and wound up getting a family.”

Arkansas Outdoor School, county day camps promise adventure and learning for youth and teens throughout summer

LITTLE ROCK — As Arkansas families set their schedules for the summer, the Cooperative Extension Service will offer several opportunities for day camps and overnight camps throughout the season.

Failure to Warn: NALC’s latest webinar dives into efforts to limit liability for pesticide manufacturers

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center will host an upcoming webinar, “Failure to Warn? A Look at Recent State and Federal Action on Pesticide Labeling,” on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, from noon-1 p.m. EDT or 11 a.m. to noon CDT.

Oliveira joins UADA with focus on beef cattle production systems

HOPE, Ark. — Ramiro Oliveira, assistant professor of beef cattle production systems and integrated resource management, has joined the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture after recently completing post-doctoral research at Texas A&M AgriLife.