This week’s Arkansas AgCast covers several stories affecting farmers across the state. We start with Tyson Foods’ decision to halt poultry contracts in the Illinois River watershed unless Oklahoma shifts its legal approach in a long-running lawsuit. We also break down USDA’s new $12 billion bridge payment package to help producers manage tight margins heading into 2026, plus its $700 million investment in regenerative agriculture through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and Conservation Stewardship Program. Finally, we highlight upcoming changes to crop insurance meant to streamline requirements and expand support for beginning farmers.
Arkansas Tech University dedicated its new agriculture building, funded through community support, including a $75,000 donation from the Arkansas Farm Bureau Foundation. The 2,000-square-foot facility features welding booths, virtual reality welding stations and small machine workstations to prepare students for ag careers beyond college.
Shane and Kim Lockeby of Ashdown are the Southwest District Farm Family of the Year. They operate Lockeby Farms with their three sons. It’s a laying-hen operation producing 12.8 million hatching eggs a year. They also plan to grow their 600-tree pecan orchard they’ve started.
Dawna and Randy Spears of Wedington are the Northwest District Farm Family of the Year. They left the dairy industry in the early 2000s, pivoting to Spears Cattle Co., raising commercial cattle and running a custom-feeding operation, focusing on nutrition and weight gain.
When Farm Bureau members meet policymakers face-to-face, agriculture moves forward. Our Annual Convention included a joint session of Arkansas Senate and House agriculture committees to ensure farmers and ranchers were aware of the issues legislators are debating.
We packed the studio up and headed to Hot Springs for this episode. Catch up with us on the trade show floor as we discuss all the action from the 91st Annual State Convention. We also have a great discussion with Clint Bruce, Navy SEAL and former NFL player, before his keynote address at the event. Get it here on the state’s only weekly ag news program, the Arkansas AgCast.
Poultry growers in the Illinois River Watershed in Arkansas and Oklahoma could lose their contracts with Tyson Foods due to a decade-long lawsuit between poultry companies and the state of Oklahoma. Lawmakers and growers from both states met in Fayetteville to discuss the likely impact on poultry producers and the communities that depend on them.
Jared and Cathren Smith grew up on farm operations and wanted to share that lifestyle with their children. After they married, they started their own cow-calf operation and expanded into poultry in 2019. Today, the Smiths run eight broiler houses and a growing herd of cattle alongside their two children.
Carrying on a century-long tradition in Drew County, Chuck and Carolyn Hoover are committed to leaving their land better than they found it. They raise cattle on more than 900 acres and operate a logging business, and consider themselves blessed to work so closely with their family.
Rare, docile and cute like pandas, Belted Galloway cattle also sport striking coats resembling the bamboo-eating bears from China. Dragon Fly Ranch in Cave City owns one of only a few herds in Arkansas. The breed is slow to grow, but owner Nick Norris doesn’t mind the wait due to its many qualities.
