After reaching critically low levels in the 1990s, water table levels in the Sparta Aquifer in south Arkansas are being recharged thanks to a countywide campaign undertaken by the Union County Water Conservation Board, the local Chamber of Commerce and other area organizations. In this edition of Arkansas AgCast, Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Ken Moore sat down with two of the key leaders of the campaign to save the aquifer to discuss their efforts and the results.
In recent years ranchers have begun selling meat directly to consumers and area restaurants, making use of a growing number of local meat processing facilities. One example is Kenny Simon, a University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture pasture and forage specialist and third-generation cattle producer near Saltilo in Faulkner County.
Brett Ausley is a young cattleman producing and marketing Wagyu beef on his family ranch in Hot Spring County. He got into Wagyu about five years ago and he’s selling it directly to consumers through social media and to local restaurants. In this edition of Arkansas Agcast, this entrepreneurial young rancher shares what led him to pursue this niche, premium market.
Applications are now available to high school students for the summer M*A*S*H (Medical Applications of Science for Health) camps. These camps will be located at 34 medical facilities throughout Arkansas. The two-week M*A*S*H camps are designed to expose rising high-school juniors and seniors to healthcare-related vocations.
Timber production in Arkansas is valued at more than $3 billion. Private landowners own almost 60 percent of the forestland in the state providing them a significant marketing and money-making opportunity. Hear from one Arkansas timber producer about his approach to succeeding in the industry.
Krista Cupp, vice president of The Herald Group in Washington, D.C. was selected to be the keynote speaker during both days of the Arkansas Women in Agriculture Conference in North Little Rock, and with good reason. She's been working for years to help close the gap between food producers and consumers. Hear how she thinks women in agriculture can positively change how farmers and farming are viewed by the world.
President Donald Trump's new tariffs on certain imported steel and aluminum could potentially have a significant, negative impact on Arkansas agriculture. Eric Wailes, distinguished professor of economics for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, explains what it all means and what the financial impact might be for Arkansas farmers and ranchers.
Read the latest issue of the Farm Bureau press to see highlights from the Presidents' Advocacy and Leadership Trip and to read about the latest ag news in Arkansas.
Arkansas cotton farmers have been struggling due to heavily subsidized foreign fiber competition and other factors, but new programs are now available to help. In this interview, Arkansas Farm Bureau's Brandy Carroll provides the details on these programs, sign-up dates and more.
