LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture (Department) is pleased to partner with the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas for the seventh annual Arkansas Farmers Market Promotion Program and the Arkansas Farmers Market Bag Program. These programs, which are administered by the Department and funded by the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas, help build awareness for farmers markets and their vendors. These programs provide funding assistance for the state’s farmers markets to serve their communities as consumer interest in locally grown and made products continues to increase.

The Farmers Market Promotion Program may fund the following promotional items to build community and regional awareness for a specific farmers market: signage listing names, seasons, times of operation, and location details; local traditional advertising; and social media campaigns. In 2021, the Department provided over $9,000 in grants to 23 Arkansas farmers markets through the partnership with the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas. Applications are due April 29, 2022, or until funds are no longer available. Applications and additional information can be found at www.agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-department-of-agriculture-programs/farmers-market-programs/.

Reusable paper shopping bags are available for purchase by farmers markets or vendors at greatly reduced rates through the Arkansas Farmers Market Bag program. This service assists farmers markets and/or vendors in providing convenient shopping bags for their customers. A total of 30,000 shopping bags were provided to Arkansas farmers markets in 2021.

Additional information about how to order the shopping bags can also be found at www.agriculture.arkansas.gov/arkansas-department-of-agriculture-programs/farmers-market-programs/.

LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Commission approved $26,463,899 for four water and wastewater projects on January 19, 2022. The projects are as follows:

More information about the Natural Resource Division’s water and wastewater programs can be found at agriculture.arkansas.gov/natural-resources/ or by contacting Debby Dickson at debra.dickson@arkansas.gov or 501-682-0548.

The Feral Hog Eradication Task Force was created by the Arkansas Legislature during the 2017 general session and was directed to create a plan for the eradication of feral hogs in Arkansas. To help monitor the removal efforts, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission developed the Arkansas Feral Hog Control Survey on the mobile platform Survey 123. Information uploaded to the survey will help the task force better understand how many feral hogs are being removed monthly by private individuals, state agencies, and federal agencies. The information provided will assist with future management decisions and allocation of resources to specific areas to continue the fight against feral hogs in Arkansas.

Click here to find out more.

The latest edition of the Arkansas Grown magazine is here! 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 very soon!

Webinar Recording:

The 2022 Arkansas Women in Agriculture Conference will be held on March 15-16 in Little Rock. This conference provides an opportunity for attendees to learn more about personal, career, and operational growth as well as a chance to network with other women in agriculture across Arkansas. Keynote speakers will be Lesley Kelly, co-founder of Do More Ag, and Courtenay Dehoff, founder of Fancy Lady Cowgirl. Find registration and more information here.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture's Food and Agriculture Service Learning Program (FALSP) is a farm-to-school program that supports projects that bring together school cafeterias and classrooms and fosters community engagement between local farms and schools. The goal of these efforts is to not only increase access to school meals for underserved children, but also improve the quality of the meals. FASLP is focused on the development of leadership skills, knowledge, and qualities necessary to prepare students for food, agricultural, and related careers. See the Request for Applications (RFA) for full details.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has extended the deadline for agricultural producers who are certified organic, or transitioning to organic, to apply for the Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP). This program provides pandemic assistance to cover certification and education expenses. The deadline to apply for 2020 and 2021 eligible expenses is now February 4, 2022, rather than the original deadline of January 7, 2022.

“We listened to feedback from our stakeholders and are happy to provide organic producers,

and those transitioning their operations, enough time to learn about the program and complete the application,” said Zach Ducheneaux, FSA Administrator.

Signup for OTECP, administered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), began November 8.

Certified operations and transitional operations may apply for OTECP for eligible expenses paid during the 2020, 2021, and 2022 fiscal years. Signup for the 2022 fiscal year will be announced at a later date.

For each year, OTECP covers 25% of a certified operation’s eligible certification expenses, up to $250 per certification category (crop, livestock, wild crop, handling, and State Organic Program fee). This includes application fees, inspection fees, USDA organic certification costs, state organic program fees, and more.

Crop and livestock operations transitioning to organic production may be eligible for 75% of a transitional operation’s eligible expenses, up to $750, for each year. This includes fees charged by a certifying agent or consultant for pre-certification inspections and development of an organic system plan.

For both certified operations and transitional operations, OTECP covers 75% of the registration fees, up to $200, per year, for educational events that include content related to organic production and handling in order to assist operations in increasing their knowledge of production and marketing practices that can improve their operations, increase resilience and expand available marketing opportunities. Additionally, both certified and transitional operations may be eligible for 75% of the expense of soil testing required under the National Organic Program (NOP) to document micronutrient deficiency, not to exceed $100 per year.

Producers apply through their local FSA office and can also obtain one-on-one support with applications by calling 877-508-8364. The program application and additional information can be found at farmers.gov/otecp.

OTECP builds upon USDA’s Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) which provides cost share assistance of 50%, up to a maximum of $500 per scope, to producers and handlers of agricultural products who are obtaining or renewing their certification under the NOP. Although the application period for OCCSP ended November 1, 2021, FSA will consider late-filed applications for those operations who still wish to apply.

Meanwhile, USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) recently made improvements to Whole-Farm Revenue Protection to make it more flexible and accessible to organic producers.

To learn more about USDA’s broader assistance for organic producers, visit usda.gov/organic.

High school and 1890 University students are eligible to apply for the USDA 1890 National Scholars which provides full tuition, fees, books, and a summer internship which may convert to full-time employment. The application deadline is February 15, 2022. Application information can be found here.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) 1994 Tribal Scholars Program seeks to increase the number of American Indian and Alaska Native students studying agriculture, food, natural resource sciences, and related disciplines. The USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars Program combines classroom study with paid work experience that leads to employment at USDA.

High school, current college students, and recent 1994 Tribal College and University students are eligible to apply for the USDA 1994 Tribal Scholars which provides full tuition, fees, books, and a summer internship which may convert to full-time employment with USDA after graduation. The scholarship is open to future, current, and recent graduates of the 1994 Land-Grant Institutions. The application deadline is February 15, 2022. Application information can be found here.

The U.S Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA NASS) has released its 2021 Crop Production Annual Summary. The summary reports an increased acreage and higher yields for corn and soybeans in 2021, leading to record soybean production and near-record high corn production for the U.S.

For Arkansas, the summary reports record yields for both rice and cotton crops, with corn and soybean production remaining roughly the same as 2020. Peanut and wheat production in Arkansas was down from 2020.

Find more details on the 2021 Crop Production Annual Summary here and read about Arkansas's 2021 crop production here.

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."