UPCOMING EVENTS
- Aug. 30 — POINSETT COUNTY —NERREC grand opening
- Sept. 3 — MEMPHIS, Tenn. — 2024 Southern Soybean Breeders Tour
- Sept. 4 — FORT SMITH — Capacity Building Through Grant Writing – Sebastian County
- Sept. 9-11 — LITTLE ROCK and STUTTGART — International Symposium on Rice Functional Genomics
- Sept. 11 — ONLINE — NALC: Growing Careers: Planning for Success in Starting and Maintaining an Agricultural Law Student Association
- Sept. 17 — HOPE — Ornamentals and turf field day
- Sept. 18 — ONLINE — NALC: Right to Repair and Agriculture
- Sept. 24 — FERNDALE — Dinner at the Vines
- Sept. 26 — LITTLE ROCK — Produce Safety Training
- Sept. 27 — WEST MEMPHIS — Gardening School & Master Gardener Advanced Training
- Sept. 30-Oct. 4 — FAYETTEVILLE — International Avian Influenza and One Health Emerging Issues Summit
- Oct. 10 — PARAGOULD — High Tunnel Workshop
2025
LITTLE ROCK — When Harold Betton received his diploma and became the earliest known African-American undergraduate of the University of Arkansas College of Agriculture in 1969, something was missing. By Mary Hightower.791 words, with art.
Crittenden County Farmers Market celebrates final event of inaugural season Sept. 14
MARION, Ark. — Community members from Marion, West Memphis and surrounding areas will have one last chance to visit the new Crittenden County Farmers Market at its final event of the season on Sept. 14. The market will feature a seed swap, a free yoga session and a touch-a-truck event for families. By Rebekah Hall, 1,135 words, with art.
2024 Avian Influenza Summit to address virus’ impacts on global health beyond poultry
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — While surges in colds, flu and even COVID may come and go, agricultural producers are always on the lookout for avian influenza — and not just in poultry flocks. In 2024, highly pathogenic avian influenza has been detected not only in birds, but cattle, swine and humans as well. By Ryan McGeeney. 235 words, with file art.
Early days of rice, corn harvests near record pace
LITTLE ROCK — The first few phone calls an agronomist receives during harvest tend to say a lot about how the fall will go. For Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the news has been overwhelmingly good this year. By Ryan McGeeney. 718 words, with art.
PLANNED
New machine learning model offers simple solution to predicting crop yield
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A new machine-learning model for predicting crop yield using environmental data and genetic information could one day speed development of new, higher-performing crop varieties. By John Lovett. 730 words, with art.
National Ag Law Center launches national stakeholder survey
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — For Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agricultural Law Center, it all started with one question: How can we help you? By Drew Viguet. 460 words. With art.
Grand opening at NE Rice Research and Extension Center begins new round of innovations
HARRISBURG, Ark. — For only the second time in 101 years, an Arkansas land-grant rice research and extension center has opened its doors. By Mary Hightower. 400 words, with art planned.
ALREADY MOVED
Unique chicken line advances research on autoimmune disease that affects humans
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A unique chicken breed is helping researchers better understand vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that affects 1-2 percent of the world’s population. By John Lovett. 682 words, with art.
Sowing support: Farmers for Tomorrow fundraiser to benefit aspiring farmers
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Starting a farm from scratch is no easy task, especially for first-generation farmers. The costs for tools, equipment, seeds, and storage can quickly become overwhelming. To help ease this burden, the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, CAFF, created the Farmers for Tomorrow Fund — a resource designed to assist aspiring farmers in launching their businesses. By Jenifer Fouch. 363 words, with art.
‘Growing Careers’ webinar will focus on how to start, run ag law student associations
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Law students interested in agricultural law have student associations available to them for networking, learning and other career opportunities, they just have to know where to look — or, how to build one. By Drew Viguet. 466 words. With art.
Aug. 30 grand opening planned for NE Rice Research and Extension Center
LITTLE ROCK — VIPs from industry and academia will be cutting the ribbon for the grand opening of the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center on Aug. 30.
By Mary Hightower. 250 words, with art.
LISTEN: Better Rice – Boosting Food Security, Profits without Increasing Yield: Arkansas could produce an estimated 1 to 3.5 million more servings of rice per year. That’s according to recent research analyzing rice quality in the state. In this episode of Food, Farms and Forests, Dr. Lanier Nalley, interim department head and professor in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department, explains his research on the impacts of improving rice milling quality.
Gerald Klingaman’s Musings on Nature:
Alaska: the 49th State
Alaska has exceeded my expectations. I can’t quite put in words what I expected but the trip has been more in every way than I expected. It is now the end of August and I’m heading south, wanting to be out of here before the snow that is now dusting the mountain tops begins sticking to the roads.