County Fairs are a fall tradition that bring communities together and celebrate local agriculture. The Garland County Fair is keeping the tradition alive, with a little help from the Garland County Farm Bureau and the Garland County Farm Bureau Women's Committee.
Some 1.3 million acres of rice are grown annually in Arkansas, but only a few hundred acres are devoted to Yamada Nishiki; a short grain variety used to produce premium sake. Chris and Judy Isbell of Isbell Farms in England, AR, grow the grain. Watch them describe how sake is made.
"Rice Day" was celebrated in Arkansas on Thursday, September 13. Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed the Rice Month proclamation at the state Capitol and rice industry representatives gathered at the Arkansas Foodbank to announce the industry's annual rice donation to feed the hungry.
Luke and Deedee Alston are participating in the "farm-to-school" movement in Arkansas by providing fresh vegetables and produce from their Holly Springs Homestead to the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain Community College in Mena. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast, the Alstons and Student Union Manager Jason Wood discuss this partnership and future plans for expansion.
University of Arkansas Distinguished Professor of Horticulture John Clark spoke at a muscadine workshop, Sept. 11 at the UA Fruit Research Station on Red Lick Mountain near Clarksville. More than 50 growers and hobbyists from a half-dozen states attended the workshop to compare notes and hear about the latest research on "Arkansas's favorite grape." Hear what Clark has to say about the muscadine and why it works so well in our state.
Meet Nathan and Nicole Hill, swine, poultry and cattle producers near the community of Newhope on the Pike and Howard County line. Nathan left a job as a high school football and baseball coach, while Nicole left a nursing career in Texas to move back home to Arkansas and start their farm. Together, Nicole and Nathan – a member of this year’s President’s Leadership Council – are raising their four children to appreciate the farming way of life.
Farmers statewide were scrambling to harvest crops in front of the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon that hit Thursday. Rain continued in areas across the state on Friday, with anywhere from 1 to 6 inches predicted in different regions. Joseph Post of Post Winery is halfway to completing his grape harvest. The last grape species they have to harvest is 100 acres of muscadines.
Feral hogs continue to be a costly nuisance across all of Arkansas, causing millions of dollars in property damage and spreading disease. Hear from two members of the state's Feral Hog Eradication Task Force and the effort to bring some relief to farmers, ranchers and other landowners.
