Arkansas AgCast

This week, we catch up with Michael Sparks of the Arkansas Chapter of the Farmer Veterans Coalition to talk about the group’s upcoming Veteran’s Day celebration. We also talk to Monroe County’s Jim Carroll about wrapping up his term as chair of the United Soybean Board, and learn about Prestonrose Farm & Brewing Co. in the Arkansas River Valley, a destination craft brewery with locally grown food options. And, finally, we hear from Arkansas Farm Bureau state affairs director Jeff Pitchford about Tuesday’s election results.

This week, we wrap up Farm to School Month in Arkansas with a discussion about outstanding school gardens and we hear from Daniel Keisler about his custom beef and pork business, Circle K Angus. We also talk to 82-year-old farmer Ellis Bell of Forrest City, who founded a local non-profit for promoting science-based agriculture education, and catch up with Rick Bransford of Lonoke County about this year’s cotton crop.

This week, we visit the state livestock show in Little Rock and we learn about the production and use of mass timber in Arkansas. We also talk to about the farming life with Steve Morgan of Johnson County and growing organic with Shawn Peebles of Augusta.

This week, we visit with Lee County’s Nathan Reed, who gives us an update on this year’s cotton crop. We also learn about the critical issues on the ballot this Nov. 3 and why they matter for rural Arkansas and we check in with Terry and Robin Fisher, who were 2020 finalists for the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Regional Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award.

This week, we hear from the leader of the firefighting team from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division that recently returned from helping to fight destructive West Coast blazes. We also learn about the Arkansas Food Conservancy’s work in Northwest Arkansas, get an update on this year’s peanut crop and hear from a farmer working to bring in his harvest before more rain arrives this weekend.

This week, we hear from Brittany Carwell of B&D Genetics in Cross County about the business’s major new move into the European market. We also get an update on the 2020 pecan crop from Chas Davis of Davis Pecan in Little River County and we spend a morning Hicks Family Farms near Cabot, as they work to follow COVID-19 safety guidelines in preparing their annual pumpkin patch and corn maze for visitors.

This week, we hear from a cattle producer and mother about youth livestock events during this unusual year, and Arkansas Farm Bureau Director of Policy Development and Legislative Research Jessica Clowser Burkham fills us in on CFAP 2, the recently announced second round of Coronavirus aid for U.S. farmers. We also have a special interview with Jason Brewer of Ritter Farms.

This week, we hear how some counties are holding limited or scaled-back livestock shows despite COVID-related fair and rodeo cancellations. We also learn about the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust and what it can do for farmers and we get important mental health tips for National Suicide Prevention Month.

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.

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.