We visited Jeremy Bemis on his family’s tree farm near the southern Pulaski County town of Wrightsville. A brief venture into growing pumpkins and Christmas trees led to development of Bemis Honeybee Farm, which Jeremy and his wife Emily operate. Established in 2012 the bee farm now features one of the largest stores for beekeeping equipment in the state and it has become a destination for beekeepers across Arkansas and neighboring states.
Jessica Clowser Burkham has been promoted to director of policy development and legislative research for Arkansas Farm Bureau. She previously served as the director of commodity activities and economics for aquaculture, forestry and specialty crops at Arkansas Farm Bureau.
Find out what's growing in Arkansas, learn the story of an Arkansas rancher doing this on her own, get a great chili recipe for chilly weather and more.
The week, we talk to Jeremy Bemis of Bemis Honey Bee Farm and Supplies and Bemis Tree Farm about his family’s growing business in southern Pulaski County, and we hear from this year’s Arkansas Tree Farmer of the Year. We also talk to Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Jessica Clowser Burkham about new regulations for industrial hemp production just released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Earlier this year, 93-year-old cattle rancher Lloyd Reynolds of Lamar attended his last Johnson County Farm Bureau board meeting. Reynolds had served on the board for most of his adult life. He shared his thoughts about Arkansas Farm Bureau with us, along with stories from his full and fascinating life in agriculture.
Dennis Martin of Hickory Ridge followed in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps, farming row crops on land in Cross, Jackson and Woodruff counties. Now his daughter Jenna, fresh out of college, has decided she’ll continue the family tradition and work full-time on the farm alongside her dad. Watch as they share their story.
Peanut production has become more common in Arkansas. With a little help from Tommy Jumper and his vertically integrated business model at Delta Peanut LLC, cotton farmers in Lee and St. Francis counties have been adding peanuts to their rotation and harvesting better-than-expected yields. Jumper talked to us about his business and how he believes that the state will become a “major player” in the U.S. peanut industry when Arkansas’ first shelling facility begins operation near Jonesboro next year.
This week, we talk to Natural Resource Commission Executive Director Bruce Holland about the work of the state’s Levee Task Force and we hear from Tommy Jumper, chief executive officer of Delta Peanut LLC, who discusses the latest on the peanut industry in Arkansas. We also visit with participants in this year’s livestock shows at the Arkansas State Fair.
