Boozman to keynote Fryar Center speaker series event on Oct. 30
Oct. 14, 2026
By Mary Hightower
University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts
- Boozman chairs U.S. Senate ag committee
- In-person, virtual options for event
- Register for virtual event
(490 words)
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — John Boozman, chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition & Forestry, will be the keynote for this year’s Future of Arkansas Agriculture and Beyond speaker series event, set for Oct. 30.
Hosted by the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, the keynote address will be held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Drive in Fayetteville. The event begins at 2:30 p.m., with a virtual option available.
Registration is available online.
As chair of the Agriculture Committee, Boozman is leading efforts to pass an updated Farm Bill. Congress last passed a comprehensive Farm Bill in 2018.
Through the Working Families Tax Cuts, signed into law last year, he successfully championed some of the most significant investments in farm country in decades, strengthening the farm safety net, enhancing risk management tools, bolstering animal health and trade programs and expanding access to affordable crop insurance.
“We are honored to have Sen. Boozman speak because of his longstanding support for Arkansas agriculture and his commitment to the producers, businesses and rural communities that depend on it,” said Lanier Nalley, director of the Fryar Center.
“Given his 15 years of experience on the Senate ag committee, this event will be a valuable opportunity for academics and industry professionals to hear Sen. Boozman’s thoughts on agriculture in Arkansas and beyond,” he said. “He brings perspective that can inform how we think about our research, teaching, and industry priorities.”
In addition to being at the helm of the Fryar Center, Nalley is also head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.
Native Arkansan
Boozman is a fifth-generation Arkansan who grew up in Fort Smith. He’s no stranger to agriculture, having raised polled Hereford cattle that were competitive in the show ring.
Boozman played football for the Razorbacks before graduating from the Southern College of Optometry and entering private practice with his brother in Northwest Arkansas.
First elected to the Senate in 2010, Boozman was sworn in for a third term on Jan. 3, 2023.
Prior to serving in the Senate, he represented the Third District of Arkansas in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In addition to being a leader on the Senate Agriculture Committee, Boozman also serves on the Appropriations Committee, which allocates federal funds, the Committee on the Environment and Public Works, where much of the nation’s infrastructure policy is developed, and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. He also rejoined the Committee on Rules and Administration this Congress.
Boozman and his wife Cathy live in Rogers. The couple has three daughters and four grandchildren.
About the series
Inspired by Thomas Gist Jr., a University of Arkansas alumnus and Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame member, the Future of Arkansas Agriculture and Beyond series reflects his lifelong commitment to agriculture, community service and leadership.
The vision for the series builds on Gist’s forward-thinking perspective and is designed to provide a platform for strong voices with deep expertise in agriculture across Arkansas, the United States and the global marketplace.
About the Fryar Center
The Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas was established in 2020 with a gift from Ed and Michelle Fryar.
The center is committed to developing an international program of scholarship embracing the university’s three-fold land-grant mission of research, teaching and outreach. Our work focuses on critical risk management issues facing the food and fiber system, with particular emphasis on products and industries contributing significantly to the Arkansas economy.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To learn more about the UADA, visit uada.edu. To learn more about ag and food research in Arkansas, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station at aaes.uada.edu.
About UADA
The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, UADA conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
UADA is one of 22 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three university campuses.
Pursuant to 7 CFR § 15.3, UADA offers all its Extension and Research programs and services (including employment) without regard to race, color, sex, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual preference, pregnancy or any other legally protected status, and is an equal opportunity institution.
# # #
Media Contact:
Nick Kordsmeier
nkordsme@uada.edu