Lee Nutt, an 83-year-old farmer raised on the banks of the Arkansas River in Perry County, has a deep appreciation of farming "the way it used to be." Through the years he has developed a passion for collecting and preserving relics of the past. They are more than just antiques, he says, and if they could talk, they'd "tell quite a story" about the lives and labors of the previous generations who produced our food. Learn Nutt's story and the story of his amazing collection.
Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, Ambassador of Japan to the United States, joined Arkansas Farm Bureau President Randy Veach on a visit to the farm of Robby Bevis near Scott in Lonoke County. The ambassador was visiting Arkansas from the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. to discuss possible agricultural trade expansion.
Roger Pohlner of Fisher is the new chairman of the Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board. We visited with him at the recent Rice Field Day in Stuttgart and learned about some of ways the board hopes to improve profitability for the state’s rice farmers this year.
A variety of industry, education and government experts attended our recent Officers & Leaders conference in Hot Springs. We caught up with a few of these presenters for video interviews, including Farm Service Agency State Executive Director David Curtis and Natural Resources Conservation Service State Conservationist Mike Sullivan. Hear what they had to say about disaster recovery, new programs and more.
During a recent field day at the Rohwer Research Station, Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service agronomists Jason Kelley and Jarrod Hardke updated southeast Arkansas farmers on the condition of the state's corn, rice and soybean crops after one of the wettest spring planting and summer growing seasons in memory.
Arkansas Farm Bureau leaders from around the state gathered in Hot Springs July 22-23 for the 71st ArFB Officers & Leaders Conference. Several of those in attendance spoke about the importance of the annual gathering and what they learned during the event. Watch our interviews with Woodruff County Farm Bureau board member Terrance Scott, Mississippi County Farm Bureau President Heath Donner and Monroe County Farm Bureau President Bo Mason.
The first general session of our 71st Officers & Leaders Conference opened with this video about the challenging 2019 season and the rain and flooding that have made it so difficult for farmers and ranchers across the state. See for yourself how they've been "facing the storm" and how they plan to keep doing what they love, no matter what Mother Nature may throw at them.
This year has been a roller coaster ride for many Arkansas producers. Jackson County's John “Bubba” Sink, who farms rice, corn and soybeans, shared the high points and the low points of the season in this interview.
Peach farmer Mark Morgan and his family run Peach Pickin' Paradise in Lamar just outside of Clarksville, where they grow almost two dozen varieties of peaches and nectarines. With peach season in full swing in Arkansas, Morgan took a few minutes to tell us how the crop looks this year and what "peach pickers" can expect when they head out to get this sweet summertime favorite.
Kenny Holt grows corn and soybeans in the Snow Lake community of southern Phillips County along the Mississippi River. The river has been near flood stage for several months and "seep water" coming up from underground has flooded thousands of acres of cropland and pasture throughout the region and has helped make this one of the most difficult seasons in Holt's memory.
