Learn more about the history of boll weevil eradication across cotton producing states and the ABWEF here. With questions about the boll weevil rebate, contact Regina Coleman at 870-692-6368 or rcoleman@abwep.org.

REMINDER: Arkansas Department of Agriculture Urges Poultry Owners to Increase Biosecurity, Monitoring

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides resources on biosecurity for poultry operations through their Defend the Flock campaign, which can be found here.

Poultry owners should also monitor their flocks and report any possible symptoms to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture at 501-823-1746. More information on HPAI symptoms can be found here.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will be hosting two webinars intended to help small flock owners protect their birds from this virus. Registration and more information on these webinars can be found here.

More information on HPAI can be found here.

Confirmed HPAI cases in the U.S. for 2022 can be found here.

In recognition of National Arbor Day, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division will be hosting giveaways of bare root seedlings at various locations across the state each Friday from March 18 through April 29.

“Adding trees to your yard or to a community forest is beneficial to all Arkansans, and Spring is an excellent time to plant trees,” said Kristine Kimbro, Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator for the Forestry Division. “With these giveaways celebrating Arbor Day, we hope to provide all Arkansans with access to the many benefits trees provide.”

Additional locations will be added throughout the month. Find giveaway locations and times here. or contact Kristine Kimbro at Kristine.kimbro@agriculture.arkansas.gov.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program has scheduled four Abandoned Pesticide collection events from April 4-7 for the following seven counties: Arkansas, Howard, Little River, Montgomery, Pike, Polk, and Sevier.

Collection events are from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the follow dates and locations:

Participation in a collection event is free and anonymous to anyone. Commonly collected items include old/outdated pesticides such as calcium arsenate, 2,4,5-T, sodium cyanide, lindane, and chlordane, as well as registered pesticides unusable because they have been exposed to the elements or have been held over from previous growing seasons such as glyphosate products and 2,4-D.

Since the program began in 2005, 5,351,431 pounds of unwanted pesticides have been collected in counties across Arkansas.

The Abandoned Pesticide Program is conducted in cooperation with Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation, Inc., the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the State Plant Board. Representatives from these agencies make up the Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board.

The Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board selects county sites for collection events and moves locations by region within the state seasonally. Priority watersheds are a large consideration factor for the Advisory Board in choosing counties/regions for site collection.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce that 49 Arkansas entities achieved recognition by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of their commitments to effective urban forest management in 2021.

Forty-six Arkansas communities were recognized through the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA® program. Two Arkansas colleges achieved recognition through the Tree Campus Higher Education® program, and an Arkansas utility company was recognized through the Tree Line USA® program.

The Tree City USA® program allows communities to achieve recognition by meeting the program’s four requirements: establishment of a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation. The following 46 communities in Arkansas met these standards by the end of 2021 and were awarded the title of Tree City USA®:

A map of Tree City USA® Communities can be found online here.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the University of Arkansas – Monticello were recognized through the Tree Campus Higher Education program which helps colleges and universities establish and sustain healthy community forests. Carroll Electric Cooperative, an electric utility company headquartered in Berryville, was recognized through the Tree Line USA® program. The Tree Line USA® program recognizes best practices in public and private utility arboriculture, demonstrating how trees and utilities can co-exist for the benefit of communities and citizens.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division Urban & Community Forestry program

provides technical assistance to communities and campuses seeking to apply for recognition.

Recognition materials from the Arbor Day Foundation, such as Tree City USA® banners and signage, are hand-delivered by urban forestry staff and representatives. The Forestry Division also provides additional annual incentives.

“Through grants from the U.S. Forest Service, we are able to purchase a large tree and mulch for each community and campus achieving recognition,” said Kristine Kimbro, Urban & Community Forestry Coordinator. “Increasing local tree canopy cover benefits all Arkansans and encourages communities to continue their commitment to practicing sound management of their urban forests.”

More information on the Arbor Day Foundation and its programs is available here.

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission has released the Arkansas Timber and Forest Products Industry Report, reporting 19 million total acres of forestland, covering 57% of the state's total land area. The large acreage, paired with Arkansas's strong workforce, low costs and taxes, ample educational opportunities, and more, make Arkansas an attractive location for timber companies.

Download the full report here.

The new tool, PRC for Potash Rate Calculators, joins a lineup of Decision Support Software available from the Agricultural Experiment Station. The Excel-based tools can be downloaded free here.

Read more about rising fertilizer prices and this tool here.

Arkansas is the number one rice producing state in the country, providing about 48 percent of the nation's supply. Having 14.5 million acres of farmland in the Natural State can create significant pressure on the state's natural resources and environment, but Arkansas rice farmers are doing their part for conservation.

The Arkansas Rice Federation has been tracking progress in sustainability practices and you can read about their findings in the latest edition of the Arkansas Grown magazine! With more than 25 features about Arkansas agriculture, there’s something for everyone. You can view the magazine online here, or find a physical copy at various locations around the state.

Chris Colclasure, Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division Director, addressed the Arkansas Farm Bureau Environment Issues Committee, March 3 in the Arkansas Farm Bureau Boardroom. Colclasure emphasized the priorities of the agency, including helping communities with water and wastewater infrastructure issues, improving the state’s water quality, assisting conservation districts, tax credit programs to incentivize conservation on private lands, the Unpaved Roads Program, the Feral Hog Task Force, and groundwater conservation.

State Project Coordinator Megan Perkins provided the committee with updates regarding the Grand Prairie Demonstration Project and the Bayo Meto Basin Project. She explained the role these projects will play in preserving our state’s groundwater.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division visited Roberts Elementary in Little Rock last week to plant trees as a part of their Shade Trees on Playgrounds (STOP) Program.

The Forestry Division used a Single Engine Air Tanker (SEAT) to control a wildfire in Calhoun County.

Considering Carbon: Understanding the Legalities of Soil Carbon Sequestration Contracts

Todd J. Janzen, with Janzen Schroeder Agricultural Law LLC, will present at 11 a.m. on March 23. Those interested can register here.

The Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities is hosting a cyber safety workshop Tuesday, March 15. This workshop will teach simple steps to protect yourself and your state-federal partnerships from theft email scams. Specifically, this workshop will cover two common email scams targeting businesses that perform electronic payments such as wire or automatic clearing house transfers.

Those interested can register for this webinar here.

The National Young Farmers Coalition is seeking young farmers and ranchers to participate in their 2022 National Young Farmer Survey. This survey is completed every five years and is used by the coalition to develop programs and policies. Those interested can complete the survey here.

For questions, contact the National Young Farmers Coalition communications director, Jessica Manly, at jessica@youngfarmers.org.

Those interested should register online here before April 6.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced plans for a $250 million grant program that will support American fertilizer production to supply American farmers. This grant program is in response to rising fertilizer costs across the U.S.

This program will support fertilizer production that is independent, made in America, innovative, sustainable, and farmer-focused. Details on the application process will be announced in the summer of 2022, with the first awards expected before the end of 2022. Read more here.

Special Speaker – Wes Ward, Secretary, Arkansas Deptartment of Agriculture. Virtual meeting here. For audio only call 202-650-0123 and enter code: 307 597 909#.

Special Speaker - Doris Washington, State Executive Director – Farm Service Agency. Committee members are a critical component of the day-to-day operations of FSA. Learn more about how you can participate. Virtual meeting here . For audio only call 202-650-0123 and enter code 783 560 535#. 

Special Speaker: Shane Booth, District Forester, Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division. Find out how these programs work to address a large number of farming and ranching related conservation issues. Virtual meeting here.  For audio only call 202-650-0123 and enter code 980 012 680#.

Special Speaker: Rusty Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney, U of A Division of Agriculture. Learn how to obtain a farm number and Heir Property documentation needed. Virtual meeting here. For audio only call 202-650-0123 and enter code 740 167 816#.

The Food Conservancy will be hosting Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training workshops for fruit and vegetable growers in Benton, Washington, Carroll, and Madison counties. These one-day classes are for growers interested in learning about GAP and for those who have previously attended a GAP class, but not completed their certification. Those interested can sign up for one of the following dates:

Classes are free and lunch will be provided. For more information, or to sign up, email  letsgrow@thefoodconservancy.org or call 479-334-5336.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Fiscal Year 2021 Annual Report provides information about the Department and how it served Arkansas agriculture, our state's largest industry, from July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021. Click here to view the 2021 Annual Report.

The summary is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Market Reports webpage, as well as each Division's webpage and Facebook page, and you may sign-up to receive the summary by email at Subscribe To Notifications And Publications.

For the latest in Arkansas agriculture, be sure to follow us on social media! Links to our social media pages can be found here.

Are you passionate about Arkansas agriculture? With many new and exciting career opportunities, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture is looking for highly motivated individuals to bring their passion for the Arkansas agriculture industry to the workplace. Check out our available positions today on the AR Careers website by searching for "agriculture" or "natural resources."