The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) have named Pryce Jones as the recipient of the 2022 Foresters for the Future Scholarship. The scholarship provides $4,000 per semester, for four years, to an incoming freshman pursuing a forestry degree at UAM’s College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources.

Pryce Jones, from Arlington, Tennessee, owns and operates a lawn and landscape business in his hometown and hopes to restore his family’s forestland in Fordyce, Arkansas. This restoration project, along with his passion for the outdoors, led Jones to pursue a forestry degree.

“My grandparents have a little over 900 acres of timberland,” Pryce said. “I believe that coming to UAM will benefit me the most in learning how to manage that land and bring it back to its former glory, while also getting a great education.”

Jones aims to build a career in timber management and looks forward to getting involved in forestry activities on campus.

“I love the forestry program here. It's personable and close and everybody really knows everybody,” he said. “I'm anxious to get involved in as many different clubs and things that will benefit my future.”

“Pryce has demonstrated a great work ethic, as exemplified by his building a substantial lawn and landscaping business while still in high school. He also has a deep commitment to sustainable forest management and family ties to southern Arkansas. I’m pleased that this scholarship provides financial assistance and work experience for an up-and-coming young forester like Pryce,” said Dr. Michael Blazier, dean of the UAM College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources.

Foresters for the Future Scholarship recipients will participate in a paid internship exploring the various sections of the Forestry Division annually throughout their college career. The internship will allow them to experience the different career paths within forestry and strengthen their skill set before they enter their respective field.

“Our goal with the Foresters for the Future Scholarship is to attract young leaders to forestry careers,” said State Forester Joe Fox. “Pryce Jones has begun his journey as a future leader, and we are excited to provide him this opportunity with UAM.”

The scholarship program was established by Act 399 of the 2021 Regular Session of the Arkansas General Assembly. The underlying legislation, House Bill 1389, was sponsored by Representative Ken Bragg and Senator Ben Gilmore and was signed into law by Governor Hutchinson on March 17, 2021.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications from producers for reimbursement under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Organic certification fees paid between the dates of October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022, are eligible. Applications for reimbursement are available here and are due by November 1, 2022.

Reimbursement for 50% of eligible certification costs up to $500 is available for operators who have been certified by a USDA accredited certifying agent. Certification costs that have already been reimbursed through the USDA-Farm Service Agency or other agencies are not eligible. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture administers the USDA National Organic Certification Cost Share Program through funding provided by the USDA.

“Anything we can do to help offset costs for Arkansas producers is a win for agriculture, which is our state’s largest industry,” says Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the USDA on this program that provides important cost-share assistance to an expanding sector of Arkansas’s agricultural industry.”

According to the latest data available from the USDA National Agricultural Statistic Service, organic production in Arkansas has grown significantly since 2012. From 2012 to 2019, the number of farms selling organically produced commodities increased from 32 farms to 67. Sales of organic products increased from $789,000 in 2012 to over $55 million in 2019, an increase of almost 6,900 percent.

For questions about the application or the reimbursement process, contact Karen Reynolds at 501-529-1630 or karen.reynolds@agriculture.arkansas.gov.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division is pleased to announce that water quality improvement efforts on the West Fork White River that resulted in the river’s removal from the state’s impaired waterbodies list are featured in the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) July 2022 Success Story publication. The success story highlights the efforts of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, Watershed Conservation Resources Center, Beaver Watershed Alliance, Beaver Water District, and the Arkansas Water Resources Center, with funding from the Natural Resources Division. The article and short videos highlighting this accomplishment can be found here.

To be eligible as an EPA success story, there must be documentation of a waterbody’s improvement or removal from a state’s impaired waterbodies list. A total of 27.2 miles of the West Fork White River has been impaired since 1998 due to high levels of sediment and turbidity. As of 2018, the uppermost 16.5 miles of the river met the state’s water quality criterion for the first time since 1998.

The West Fork White River along with the Middle and East Fork White Rivers are among the major tributaries to the upper portion of Beaver Lake. Beaver Lake serves nearly 1 in 6 Arkansans with drinking water. With increased loss of vegetated stream buffers comes increased streambank instability and erosion. This erosion increases suspended sediment downstream which poses a significant risk to surface water intakes. Erosion and sediment are the leading source and cause of water quality pollution in Arkansas and across the nation.

Draft lists of impaired waterbodies within Arkansas are submitted to the EPA by the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment which is currently working to submit the 2022 draft list. Once a new list is approved by the EPA, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture will continue to work with all partners to implement conservation practices and water quality monitoring efforts to better inform future water impairment listings and to highlight water quality improvements.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has made funds available to the state of Arkansas through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is awarding these funds to six projects in the state that will enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops and support specialty crop growers through marketing, education, and research. Read more about the SCBGP and the recipients here.

Visit arcareers.arkansas.gov or check out our Facebook pages for open positions in Shared Services, Forestry, Livestock and Poultry, Plant Industries, and Natural Resources!

During the first two weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, online searches for "local food" doubled nationally. Over the following 12 months, searches for "local food" in Arkansas consistently ranked high. As we experienced uncertainty in our traditional food system, Arkansas farmers came through.

Read more about how local food systems in Arkansas thrive in the 2022 edition of Arkansas Grown. You can view the magazine online here, or find a physical copy at various locations around the state.

The 2023 edition of Arkansas Grown is in the works! If you're interested in purchasing advertising space, please contact Amy Lyman at amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov.

Last month, Governor Hutchinson celebrated Arkansas Catfish Month at the State Capitol with Secretary Ward, Arkansas catfish producers, and industry professionals. Find more photos from the event here.

Governor Hutchinson, Secretary Ward, and Natural Resources Division Director Chris Colclasure met with Edward Swaim of the Bayou Meto Irrigation District at the Marion Berry Pump Station in Scott. The Bayou Meto Project, once complete, will provide much-needed surface water for irrigation, conserving groundwater resources for the future.

Secretary Ward attended the Farm Progress Show in Iowa with colleagues from the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA).

Upcoming Webinars:

Recent Blog Posts:

The Rural Fire Protection (RFP) program in the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division is hosting the annual Rural Fire Show next month at the Conway Expo Center. The Rural Fire Show is a free appreciation event for Arkansas firefighters and their families. Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with other firefighters, visit with vendors, and enter to win door prizes.

Read more about this year's Rural Fire Show, the agenda, and available door prizes here.

The Diversity in Ag conference will be held this month to expand awareness of the diverse career and business opportunities in agriculture. The conference will allow participants to explore opportunities through success stories and networking.

The conference will be held at Four Points Sheraton in Little Rock on September 14. Those interested can register here.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is hosting a Muscadine Grape Workshop and Field Day on September 19. The program will include updates on muscadine breeding research, grape tasting, and a session about establishing a muscadine vineyard. The event will take place from 2 to 7 p.m. at the Fruit Research Station, 1749 State Highway 818, in Clarksville.

Registration is $20 per person and includes dinner. The deadline to register is September 12. Participants can register online here and read more about the workshop and field day here.

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 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.