This week, we talk National Honey Month with Jeremy Bemis of Bemis Honey Bee Farm. We get the latest on cotton from agronomist Bill Robertson and we hear about the challenges facing agritourism businesses in Arkansas during the COVID-19 pandemic.
September is Rice Month and the harvest is well underway in Arkansas, the nation’s leading rice producing state. C.J. Parker began harvesting his 4,000 acres this week on his farm near Carlisle. Though he’s had some weather-related delays he still expects to have a good yield.
This week, we talk to Sen. John Boozman after one of his recent farm visits this week, and we hear from Cooperative Extension Service expert Julia Fryer on produce safety issues after Hurricane Laura. We also catch up with the Benton County Farm Bureau Women’s Leadership Committee's Brenda Patton about the challenges her group has faced during COVID-19.
In this Video AgCast, UA Food Science Research Specialist Renee Threlfall talks about grapes in Arkansas and the new, grant-funded Arkansas Quality Wine Program.
Dewayne Goldmon of Pine Bluff grows corn, rice and soybeans on 1,400 acres. He worked full-time for Bayer Crop Sciences in technology development and research while farming “part-time” for more than 20 years. He and his wife Debra were the Southeast District and Jefferson County Farm Family of the Year in 2019. Goldmon served on USDA’s Advisory Committee for Minority Farmers and is executive director of the National Black Grower’s Council. He sat down with us to discuss farming, his career and recent events.
For a number of reasons, peanuts are one of the more attractive crops for Arkansas delta farmers right now and Delta Peanut is completing construction on the state's first peanut shelling facility in Jonesboro. We spoke to Andy Vangilder, peanut specialist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, about this year's crop and why production is increasing in Arkansas.
Jim Carroll of Brinkley is midway through his year as chair of the United Soybean Board. The board had an important meeting this week to fund priority projects and discuss marketing and export of their many products. In this Agcast Video Extra, Carroll spoke with Ken Moore about the importance of the meeting what it’s been like to serve as chair of this national commodity group.
Blair Griffin is a Extension County Agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service. He's based in Clarksville and travels the state working with county agents and farmers wanting to control pasture weeds. He says it's time now to spray to control the initial outbreak of summer pastureland weeds.
At the Faulkner County Library in Conway, patrons can check out more than just books. It's the location of the state's first "seed library," where visitors can check out vegetable and flower seeds, grow them out, then save and donate a portion of the seeds back to the library.
