The beef and egg industries provide an immense value to Arkansas agriculture with beef and egg products consistently ranking in Arkansas's top eight agricultural commodities in cash receipts, with a combined value of over $1.2 billion.

Join the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, Governor Sanders, and industry partners at an event recognizing these industries and the dedicated producers who work hard to meet rigorous standards of quality and safety. The event will be held on May 18, starting at 11 a.m., at 1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas. RSVP for the event here.

The training will provide an overview of Arkansas BMPs with accompanying on-site field demonstrations and will be led by Poison Springs State Forest Manger Aaron Williams and Arkansas BMPs Coordinator John Beasley. A full agenda can be found here. For more information, contact Aaron Williams at aaron.williams@agriculture.arkansas.gov.  

Visit here for more information about the Illinois River Watershed. For more information about the meeting, contact Tate Wentz at tate.wentz@agriculture.arkansas.gov.

This report focuses exclusively on the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial and Sparta aquifers. Based on estimated water use, pumping rates continue to exceed generalized sustainable yield estimates in both aquifers. As a result, water-level declines have been observed and are expected to continue in certain areas of the state. The state’s groundwater systems will continue to be observed by the Department and its partners. Find the full report here.

This year, the NRD developed an interactive story map version of the Groundwater Protection and Management Report that allows the user to look at the maps in greater detail. The map can be found here.

Visit here for more information on the Groundwater Protection and Management Program. For questions regarding the 2022 Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Report, contact Corbin Cannon at corbin.g.cannon@agriculture.arkansas.gov. 

Find a county-by-county list of winning families here.

In a story published by THV11 on May 1, Skot Covert joined J.P. Fairhead, Feral Hog Program Coordinator at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, as well as farmers and landowners in Arkansas County to witness feral hog damage first hand and discuss the purpose of the Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force. View the full story here. Learn more about the Arkansas Feral Hog Eradication Task Force here.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for the 2023 Arkansas Century Farm Program. This program recognizes Arkansas families who have owned and farmed the same land for at least 100 years. Online and printable applications are available here. There is no cost to apply.

Contact Beth Moore at 501-539-4027 or beth.moore@agriculture.arkansas.gov with questions. Applications must be received via email or postmarked on or before May 31, 2023, to be eligible for designation as a 2023 inductee.

On April 26, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s National Integrated Drought Information System (NIDIS) launched expanded state pages on Drought.gov. The new pages feature additional state-level maps, links to state resources, improved usability and map features, and a new drought overview section. Learn more about the expanded state pages here. View Arkansas's state page on Drought.gov here.

2023 Arkansas Grown Magazine

The Poultry Federation (Federation) is on a mission to support youth programs across the state. Every summer the Federation hosts the annual poultry festival, a tradition that spans more than six decades. The festival takes place over two days and is an event that brings together upwards of 5,000 industry partners, families, and friends.

Read more about the summer tradition that supports Arkansas 4-H in the 2023 edition of Arkansas Grown. You can view the magazine online here, or find a physical copy at various locations around the state! With more than 25 features about Arkansas agriculture, there's something for everyone.

Shay Hoog, Forest Legacy Coordinator for the Forestry Division, and Jeremy Jones, County Ranger for the Forestry Division, assisting a landowner in Cross County.

On May 2, State Forester Joe Fox spoke at the 2023 Spring Foresters Workshop at the Vines 4-H Center in Ferndale, Arkansas.

Origami Sake, handcrafted in Hot Springs with Arkansas rice grown and milled in Lonoke County, will be on retailers' shelves soon! The Arkansas Department of Agriculture joined industry partners, and Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders staff for a tour of the new sake rice milling facility in England, Arkansas.

On April 25, Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward spoke at the 96th Annual Arkansas FFA Convention and Expo in Hot Springs.

On April 24, students from the Arkansas State University (ASU)-Beebe, Veterinary Technician Program toured the Arkansas Veterinary Diagnostic Lab. Students get the chance to tour the lab every April as part of their curriculum. To learn more about the ASU-Beebe Veterinary Technician Program and how it provides support to the agriculture industry, read the 2022 Arkansas Grown story here.

The Arkansas Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program visited "Fun on the Farm" at Arnold Family Farms in Alma, Arkansas. This event is a collaborative effort between the Arnold Family, Crawford County Extension Office, and other partners who work hard to create an immersive three-day event where students from local schools can learn about agriculture.

During the last week of April, Forestry Division staff was at Drew Central Elementary School in Monticello, Arkansas planting trees for the Shade Trees on Playgrounds Program.

On May 2, Leah Johannes, program fiscal manager, and Amy Theriac, program outreach coordinator, represented the Natural Resources Division at the Arkansas Water Works and Water Environment Association Annual Conference in Hot Springs.

Introducing The Feed:

The body of laws, policies, and regulations affecting agriculture is vast and fast-changing, but the National Agricultural Law Center has introduced The Feed, a biweekly newsletter aimed at keeping industry professionals up to date.

Content is written by research attorneys but is designed for non-attorneys as well. Find recent issues of The Feed here.

Upcoming Webinars:

Recent Blog Posts:

The Arkansas Cattlemen's Association is partnering with the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas, Arkansas Cattlewomen's Foundation, and Safe Money Advisors to award scholarships to deserving students in the agriculture industry. Deadlines and requirements vary by scholarship. Find more information and download applications here.

If you own forestland in southern states (AL, AR, FL, GA, KY, LA, MS, MO, NC, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA), you can help improve the information available for forest landowners by participating in the 2022 Costs and Trends of Southern Forestry Practices Survey. This survey has been conducted for nearly 70 years. In recent years, a partnership with the Forest Landowner Foundation, the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment at Auburn University, and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System has provided the opportunity to enhance and continue this long-standing and beneficial survey. Insights from this survey provide long-term trends in silvicultural practices across the southern United States and the costs of managing forest and timberland. The survey will close on May 14 and takes approximately 45 minutes to complete. Take the survey here.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the National Agricultural Law Center are facilitating a series of workshops called "Plan. Produce. Profit." Workshop participants will learn how to operate under the Arkansas Food Freedom Act for selling homemade food items to the public. Attendees will be eligible to receive a free pH meter for producing food products. Funding for these workshops is provided by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture through the United States Department of Agriculture Specialty Crop Block Grant Program. Learn more and register here. For more information, contact Rusty Rumley at rrumley@uark.edu.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service Local, Regional, and Safe Foods is hosting a two-day remote produce safety grower training on May 24 and 25. The training will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. each day via Zoom. Registration is $25 for Arkansas residents and $100 for out of state participants. The deadline to register for the training is May 17. Visit here to register. For more information, please contact Gaby Sanders at gsanders@uada.edu.

Do you have a vegetable-based value-added food business idea or need help getting started in a commercial kitchen? The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service Local, Regional, and Safe Foods will host a bootcamp program for food entrepreneurs this summer. Applications will be accepted through May 30 and there is no cost to apply. Individuals, or existing businesses, located in Central Arkansas who are interested in creating a vegetable-based value-added product in a commercial kitchen are eligible to apply. Applicants must also be able to:

Interested individuals can apply for the program here. For more information, please contact Dr. Amanda Philyaw Perez at aperez@uada.edu.

Registration for the 2023 Arkansas Grazing Conference is now open! Mark your calendars to attend the state's most anticipated grazing event hosted by the Arkansas Grazing Lands Coalition (AGLC) on Saturday, May 20 at The Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Ferndale near Little Rock. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear from and interact with some of the state's top experts in grazing systems and forage management. Registration is $40, or sign up to be an AGLC member for $35 and receive a complimentary conference registration. Doors open at 8 a.m. and lunch is provided. Interested individuals can register here.

The Wallace Center's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Historically Underserved Farmers Subaward Program is a competitive subaward program for the Mississippi River Region that aims to address the diverse needs of historically underserved farming communities, center networking and co-learning among sub awardees, and resource underserved farmers as conservation leaders. The Wallace Center has extended the due date for concept note submissions to May 15 at 11:59 p.m. CT. The deadline to submit questions via email has also been extended to May 8 at 11:59 p.m. CT.

The Wallace Center held pre-application webinars on March 22, April 5, and April 11. The information provided in the webinar slides can be found here.

Find more information here, and contact wallacegrants@winrock.org with any additional questions.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report provides information about the Department and how it served Arkansas agriculture, our state's largest industry, from July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2022. Click here to view the 2022 Annual Report.

The Census of Agriculture allows producers to tell the story of agriculture in the United States and it’s not too late to respond. Since data collection began last fall, over a million ag census recipients across the country have returned their questionnaires, but many have yet to respond. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) will continue to collect completed 2022 ag census forms through the spring to ensure all producers have the chance to be represented in widely used census data. Producers can respond online here or by mail. 

Agricultural operations in Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, and Wisconsin have been significantly impacted by recent tornadoes and severe storms that caused widespread and extensive destruction across those states. USDA has technical and financial assistance available to help farmers and livestock producers recover in the wake of these disasters. Impacted producers should contact their local USDA Service Center to report losses and learn more about programs that may be available to assist in their recovery from crop, land, infrastructure, and livestock losses and damages. Read the full release from the USDA here.

The USDA will host a Mental Health Awareness Month Workshop Series starting May 9. The workshop series convenes farmers and ranchers, faith leaders, rural health providers, USDA employees, and partners to dialogue and discuss mental health challenges; stressors; and the resources and services available to address them. Register and find a breakdown of the series and the topics that will be covered here.

Farmers or landowners in the Conjunctive Water Use Protects Mid-South Aquifers Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) project area in Arkansas can apply to receive financial assistance in fiscal year 2023. Farmers and landowners in Arkansas who submit applications to their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office by May 26 will be considered for this assistance. Eligible Arkansas counties include Ashley, Chicot, Desha, and Drew. This project is supported by the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Stewardship Partnership. For more information, visit here or contact your local USDA-NRCS Field Service Center.

The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Southeast Arkansas office is hosting free, virtual informational sessions to educate producers and agriculture businesses on available programs and loans and share vital information such as program deadlines and eligibility. The first session was held on Thursday, March 30. The following sessions will take place in the coming months, and are free to attend virtually.

Interested individuals should call their local FSA office to receive the meeting link. Contact information for your local FSA office can be found here.

The Southern U.S. Trade Association (SUSTA) is a non-profit organization that facilitates trade between small to medium-sized southern U.S. companies and overseas importers. Since 1973, SUSTA has worked with Departments of Agriculture to increase the export of southern U.S. food and agricultural products and enhance the economic well-being of the region.

There is a $150 participation fee which includes the following modules to be conducted via Zoom (8:30 a.m.- 12:00 p.m. CST):

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.