Merry Christmas from the
Arkansas Agriculture Department!
December, 2017
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During a ceremony at the State Capitol,
Governor Hutchinson joined agriculture leaders, industry partners, and students from Arkansas 4H and FFA as he declared the week of November 19-26 as Turkey Week in Arkansas. The Turkey Week proclamation highlights Arkansas’s turkey industry and its value to Arkansas’s economy and agriculture industry.
See full release.
"We should celebrate our farmers and ranchers all year long for providing the food, fiber, and shelter that we depend on each day, but as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I especially want to recognize Arkansas’s turkey industry that produces over 11% of
all U. S. turkeys," said Governor Hutchinson. "Long hours and hard work go into the $434 million turkey industry that creates and supports 14,000 Arkansas jobs. I appreciate the work of our farmers and industry leaders who help keep our state’s economy and agriculture industry strong."
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Governor Hutchinson recognized Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year winners during a ceremony and check presentation by Arkansas Farm Credit on November 13.
See full release. Winning schools include Mayflower Elementary, King Elementary, Sheridan Intermediate, James R. Tate Elementary, and Clarendon High.
“School gardens create valuable teaching experiences because they incorporate hands-on activities with lessons in food production, good nutrition, and the overall importance of agriculture. I commend the efforts of educators, students, and partners involved with making communities healthier through student-led food initiatives like school gardens,” says Governor Hutchinson.
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The Arkansas Agriculture Department began the Christmas Holiday with a Lighting Ceremony for the 2017 AAD Christmas Tree
, located at AAD Headquarters at 1 Natural Resources Drive. The red cedar was delivered from
Poison Springs State Forest.
The celebration also begins the #12DaysofARAgriculture series, a campaign of 12 releases that will
will highlight programs and services provided by the AAD that support our state’s agriculture industry.
See full release.
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The November edition of Agri-Arkansas features the
Arkansas Forestry Commission, whose mission is protecting and serving the citizens of Arkansas and the agricultural and business communities by providing information and unbiased enforcement of laws and regulations, thus ensuring quality products and services. See interviews from State Forester Joe Fox, Assistant State Forester Don McBride, Forest Health Expert Chandler Barton, the Hot Spring County crew and equipment, and others.
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Choose "Arkansas Agriculture Department" in the drop-down menu)
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AAD officials were proud to be part of the 83rd annual
Arkansas Farm Bureau Convention and Trade Show in Little Rock.
In his address to attendees, Governor Hutchinson assured farmers and ranchers in the crowd that he will always find time to "meet with those who are leading Arkansas's number one industry."
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Regulatory Updates and Comment Periods, provided by the
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The Arkansas Agriculture Department is now a sponsor of the new agriculture-focused microsite of
Talk Business and Politics
(the AAD has no part in content generated, but rather, is a partner in supporting agriculture-industry news in Arkansas).
See stories featured in September:
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Arkansas Ag Fact:
Arkansas is home to eight egg facilities that produce and process more than 3 billion shell eggs annually, generating $4 million in state and local taxes and $8 million in federal taxes.
Poultry and Egg production is the largest sector of our state’s largest industry, agriculture, providing more than 136,000 jobs and over $4.47 billion of the industry’s total cash receipts. Find more egg and poultry industry stats,
here.
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What is one way the AAD serves AR farmers and ranchers?
Pest experts in different divisions of the Arkansas Agriculture Department protect Arkansas crops from pests and diseases through trapping efforts specifically designed to monitor for the presence of native and exotic insects.
Rice can be home to a host of exotic pests including Asiatic rice borer, Egyptian cottonworm, Cotton cutworm, Rice stem nematode and others. Trapping efforts in 2018 will begin another cycle of monitoring for exotic pests in rice, none of which are currently known to be present in Arkansas. Trapping efforts take place during the growing season which coincides with the pest life cycle. Early detection is paramount for effective eradication efforts.
Learn more.
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Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission Meeting: Jan 11, Hot Springs
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Annual Meeting of the Arkansas Soybean Association: Jan 29, Brinkley
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The Arkansas Agriculture Department is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation.
Contact us to add your event to our calendar; or to let us know about other updates, inquiries, and more. Send an e-mail to
[email protected]
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