October is National Farm-to-School Month! Luke and Deedee Alston of Polk County are part of the "farm-to-school" movement in Arkansas. The Alstons – the 2017 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year – provide fresh vegetables and produce from their Holly Springs Homestead to the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain Community College in Mena.
The 2014 Farm Bill expires September 30, meaning the deadline for Congress to approve a new Farm Bill is this Sunday. Farmers and ranchers need the certainty and protection the new Farm Bill will provide and a House-Senate Conference Committee has been meeting for weeks to reach a compromise, but so far no agreement has been struck. Hear what ArFB's Matt King has to say about what will happen if a deal isn't reached.
Earl Pepper of De Queen calls himself a "modern day cowboy." He spends his days working with horses and cattle and he wouldn't have it any other way. Learn more about Earl in our latest video feature.
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.
