News - September 2026

As fall approaches, planning is key for grazing success

LITTLE ROCK — As summer turns to fall, forage and pasture experts with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture are encouraging Arkansas farmers to think ahead and take the steps necessary for successful end-of-year grazing.

Surviving the Downturn: Exit strategies

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Exiting farming should not be viewed as failure.

Canola added to Arkansas enterprise crop budgets for 2027

JONESBORO, Ark. — With harvest of summer’s crops underway, some farmers are planning for fall-planted canola, and they now have a financial tool to help them make decisions about the crop.

From music to food label, sensory scientists explore what drives behavior   

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The flavor of a meal begins long before the first bite. Color, light and even music can influence how we experience food and drink.

Extension expanding rural mental health training in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — It can be tough for anyone to ask for help. Farmers in particular have a reputation for avoiding it, especially when it comes to dealing with mental and emotional stress brought on by a tough year in the field.

Genome assembly of rice stink bug offers new data-informed tool in fight against costly pest

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Scientists are getting a leg up on the rice stink bug, one of the most significant threats to rice, a staple food for nearly half of the world’s population and a major crop in Arkansas.

Rice bran researched as source for antimicrobial, biodegradable food packaging film

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Rice bran is a plentiful agricultural byproduct that is often underused, but research out of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station shows it could be a source for biodegradable food packaging with built-in antibacterial properties.

NASS forecasts record yields for Arkansas corn, soybeans

JONESBORO, Ark. — The September Crop Production Report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service is forecasting record corn and soybeans yields for Arkansas.

Anheuser-Busch grant supports Arkansas rice research

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Researchers with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station were recently awarded $130,000 from Anheuser-Busch, donated through the Anheuser-Busch Foundation, to support ongoing projects ranging from rice quality and brewing applications to water stewardship and crop management.

Arkansas rice geneticist Vibha Srivastava remembered for scientific impact, mentorship

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Colleagues and former students are remembering Vibha Srivastava as a pioneering scientist, dedicated mentor and compassionate friend whose influence extended far beyond the laboratory.

Will jobs report prompt Fed rate hike?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In the wake of August’s burgeoning jobs report and the upward revisions of the June and July jobs reports, analysts are closely watching if the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at its Sept. 15-16 meeting.

Surviving the Downturn: Responding to financial stress

LITTLE ROCK — Farmers enduring the stress of financial hardships often bear other weight: guilt, hopelessness, unending fatigue and pain.

Dry weather continues to drive Arkansas soybean, rice harvest at record pace

JONESBORO, Ark. — Arkansas’ soybean harvest is moving at a record pace for this time of year, according to the Sept. 8 Crop Progress report from the National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Small business, big opportunity: NWA caterer lands military contract

SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Susan Moore started out looking for a commercial kitchen earlier this year to prepare meals. What she found was much more.

Surviving the Downturn: Ag economists team up to show how we got here, and what the future holds

LITTLE ROCK — As agriculture faces its darkest period since the 1980s, a team of economists from across the Southeast documented their answers to “how did we get here?” and “how do we recover?” into a sweeping publication titled “Surviving the Farm Economy Downturn: 2026 Update.” 

USDA files notice of appeal in SNAP waiver case

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The U.S. Department of Agriculture filed a notice of appeal after a federal judge struck down waivers in five states that excluded purchases of candy, soda and other items from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as SNAP.

UADA hires first extension culinary nutrition, hospitality and tourism instructor 

LITTLE ROCK — Quadarius Whitson, who joined the Cooperative Extension Service as a culinary nutrition and food safety program associate in 2024, has taken on a new role as extension’s first culinary nutrition, hospitality and tourism instructor.

Sept. 4, 2026

Extension beef cattle reproduction workshop offers demos, hands-on learning for cattle producers

LITTLE ROCK — Beef cattle producers can get insights into breeding, pregnancy diagnosis and animal selection at a beef cattle reproduction workshop on Sept. 25 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center, located at 362 Hwy 174 North in Hope, Arkansas.

AI helps Arkansas researchers target bacteria behind premature beef browning

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — One of the beef industry's most costly challenges is invisible to the human eye but costs billions of dollars each year.

Global cotton mill use hits highest levels since 2017/18 marketing year

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As the price of the raw materials for synthetic fibers rises, global cotton mill usage has hit its highest levels since the 2017/18 marketing year, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Heat spurs Arkansas cotton closer to harvest as diesel soars

NEWPORT, Ark. — Dry weather is keeping the combines rolling in Arkansas corn, rice and soybeans, and the high heat is driving cotton toward the beginning of its harvest.

Modern hatchery innovations take center stage at animal wellbeing symposium

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Leading poultry industry experts will gather this fall at the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing's 12^th annual symposium, “Hatching the Future: Innovation in the Modern Hatchery,” to explore innovations shaping modern poultry hatcheries.

‘Can my 2-year-old drive a tractor or combine?’ Federal law has a surprising answer

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Youngsters have worked on family farms for generations, but federal labor law is very specific about when and in what jobs minors under 16 can work, said Audry Thompson, staff attorney at the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law.

New farm program rules, tax changes take center stage in Sept. 16 NALC webinar

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The National Agricultural Law Center will host a webinar on Sept. 16 examining significant changes to federal farm programs and agricultural taxation resulting from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.