Arkansas Water Plan Update Moves Forward After First Phase Completion

Cossatot River (Robert Thigpen-Flickr)

LITTLE ROCK, Ark — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture, along with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), has completed the first phase of the Arkansas Water Plan (AWP) update as directed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ Executive Order 23-27. Completion of Phase I marks a significant milestone in the preparation and development of a comprehensive program for the orderly development and management of the state’s water and related land resources that will benefit all Arkansans.  
 
“Every Arkansan deserves access to safe, reliable drinking water. My administration’s ongoing review and update of our Arkansas Water Plan is key to that goal,” said Governor Sanders. “Completion of Phase I of our plan review is an important milestone and I look forward to moving on quickly to Phase II while we continue making needed investments statewide.”
 
“Governor Sanders has been the most proactive Governor in the country in addressing water issues,” said Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “From signing Executive Order 23-27 that initiated an update to the Arkansas Water Plan, to initiating a statewide levee inventory and analysis to prepare for and mitigate future flooding events, to addressing critical groundwater issues for our state’s agriculture industry and administering over $2.5 billion in water development projects in all 75 counties across the state.  There is no Governor that has devoted more time and effort to address water issues and ensure that Arkansas is set up for success for many years to come.” 
 
Phase I required a comprehensive review of the existing Arkansas Water Plan to determine areas of significant change to be reevaluated or updated. Completion of Phase I included a total of seven stakeholder meetings that were held across the state from March to May 2024. Additionally, citizens were encouraged to provide feedback through a stakeholder survey. The Department used this data to better understand the state’s current water needs and to develop the goals for the Arkansas Water Plan update. 
 
Completion of Phase I identified the following six goals for the Arkansas Water Plan Update:

• Provide drinking water that supports public health and well-being.

• Provide water that supports environmental and economic benefits to the state and supports interstate agreements.

• Use the best available science, data, tools, practices, and technologies to support water resource planning and management for current and future needs.

• Maintain and improve water supply, wastewater, stormwater, and flood control infrastructure and plan for future infrastructure needs.

• Maintain, protect, and improve water quality to support designated uses of waterbodies.

• Reduce the impacts of future flooding events on people, property, infrastructure, industry, agriculture, and the environment.

 The update to the Arkansas Water Plan is being completed in two phases. Phase II is scheduled to begin before the end of the 2024 calendar year.

More than 13,000 trees given away through Free Tree Friday campaign

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s fourth annual Free Tree Fridays campaign resulted in the distribution of 13,400 trees during 27 events held across the state each Friday from March 22 through April 26.

The events were hosted by the Forestry Division in the weeks between Arkansas Arbor Day and National Arbor Day, celebrated on the last Friday in April.

“This program is an excellent way to provide access to trees for people who may never have planted a tree, and to residents in areas like Little Rock and Wynne who lost trees in the March 2023 tornadoes” said Kristine Kimbro, Urban and Community Forestry coordinator. “Arbor Day celebrates trees, and through Free Tree Fridays, we are able to promote proper planting techniques for bare root and potted trees, as well as the importance of planting native species.”

More than 13,000 trees given away through Free Tree Friday campaign

Department of Agriculture launches ‘Arkansas Agritourism’ website

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has added Arkansas Agritourism to the multi-platform website that includes the Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Farm to School websites. This collaboration connects consumers to local food, farm to school programs, and agritourism within the state and can be accessed through the following links:

aragritourism.com

arkansasgrown.org

arfarmtoschool.org

“Agriculture impacts every citizen in every community throughout our state,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “This collaboration offers unique opportunities for producers, schools, and agritourism destinations to connect with one another and form partnerships that have positive, long-lasting impacts on our communities, state, and visitors.”

The connected website offers many features, including user-friendly interactive maps of Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made products, school gardens, local procurement, farms, and agritourism destinations across the state. The site enables school nutrition directors and farmers to find each other and connect on one website platform with a simple click on the home page.

Department of Agriculture launches ‘Arkansas Agritourism’ website

Feb. 14 webinar to discuss creating, safely processing value-added food products in Arkansas

By Tru Joi Curtis
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Food entrepreneurs know that consumers appreciate the “magic” that turns fresh-picked strawberries into a biscuit-worthy jam, but they also know that following the rules for safe food processing is a must for creating value-added products.

The third "Plan. Produce. Profit." webinar will inform Arkansas food entrepreneurs on creating and processing value-added foods. Renee Threlfall, research scientist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, will present the webinar on Feb. 14.

In Arkansas, the Food Freedom Act allows producers to sell homemade goods to the public. The process of creating and processing raw ingredients into a value-added product has its challenges.

“Homemade food products can be extremely beneficial to both the producer and consumer due to their higher market value, and in some cases, longer shelf life,” said Renee Threlfall, research scientist with the food science department in the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “But it’s important to ensure that items sold under the Arkansas Food Freedom Act are processed correctly.”

Threlfall will discuss home to commercial production of value-added foods during the third webinar of the three-part “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinar series, titled “Plan. Produce. Profit: Creating and Processing Value-Added Food Products in Arkansas.” The webinar will be held Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 11 a.m. Central/noon Eastern. Registration is online and free of charge.

Threlfall was recently recognized with the John W. White Outstanding Team Award- Value-Added Food Production at the 2024 Agriculture Awards. NALC Senior Staff Attorney, Rusty Rumley, who presented the first “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinar, is also a member of that award-winning team.

The “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinars, which are designed for Arkansas specialty crop producers, are facilitated by the National Agricultural Law Center and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The presentations provide needed information on how to operate within the Arkansas Food Freedom Act and are a continuation of the Plan. Produce. Profit. series from last year.

The series is funded by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture through the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

Arkansas Food Freedom Act

Act 1040 of 2021, which became known as the Arkansas Food Freedom Act, allows Arkansas residents to sell more types of homemade food and drink products in more locations than before, and allows direct sales of certain homemade food and drink products that do not require time or temperature controls to remain safe. Some products, such as pickles, salsas, and canned vegetables, may require pH testing or pre-approved recipes.

The first webinar, “Liability Issues with Food Processing Under the Arkansas Food Freedom Act,” was presented by NALC Senior Staff Attorney Rusty Rumley. The recording of the presentation is available online.

The second “Plan. Produce. Profit.” webinar is titled “An Overview of Arkansas Food Freedom Act and was presented by Jeff Jackson of the Arkansas Department of Health. The recording of the webinar is available online.

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on X. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For updates on agricultural law and policy developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture, which issues twice a month.

About the National Agricultural Law Center

The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.

The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

Celebrate Arkansas Farmer’s Market Week June 11-17

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — As summer arrives in the Natural State, many Arkansans are heading to their local farmer’s markets for fresh produce and other farm products. Rip Weaver, extension food systems and food safety technician for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said farmer’s markets are an important source for healthy, fresh and affordable food, especially for communities with limited access to such food.

ARKANSAS FARMER'S MARKET WEEK — Community members, Arkansas Department of Agriculture staff, representatives from hunger relief organizations, members of the media and other stakeholders braved the rain to gather at Oak Forest Community Garden in Little Rock for the Arkansas Farmer's Market Week Proclamation. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

“This is especially important in communities — including rural and urban — that may have reduced access to food,” Weaver said. “Furthermore, many markets actively incorporate programs such as SNAP and Double Up Food Bucks, to assist lower-income shoppers with purchasing food.”

To recognize the efforts of local growers and markets, Arkansas Deputy Agriculture Secretary Cynthia Edwards delivered Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ proclamation of June 11-17 as Arkansas Farmer’s Market Week.

On June 9, Edwards shared the proclamation with a crowd of community members, Arkansas Department of Agriculture staff, representatives from hunger relief organizations, members of the media and other stakeholders who braved the rain to gather at Oak Forest Community Garden in Little Rock.

“We are happy that you’re here, and we’re very excited that Governor Sanders proclaimed next week, June 11 through 17, as Arkansas Farmer’s Market Week,” Edwards said. “It’s one of our favorite events at the Department of Agriculture. We love celebrating our farmer’s markets.”

Edwards said there are 112 farmer’s markets in Arkansas with 1,500 farmers providing goods with a value in direct-to-consumer sales of over $9 million.

Weaver said fresh produce and other market products sold at farmer’s markets are significantly less likely to be impacted by supply chain disruptions, such as those that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Supply chains can be easily disrupted and cause long delays in products reaching consumers,” Weaver said. “The closer a product is to the consumer and the fewer hands it has to go through to get to them, the less likely it will be affected by these disruptions. This is especially important for something so basic as food, which we all need every day. Buying local not only feels good in many ways, it’s also a smarter choice for our long-term success.”

Local, fresh food for local communities

Edwards presented the proclamation to Katrina Betancourt, president and executive director of the Arkansas Coalition for Obesity Prevention, the umbrella organization for the Arkansas Farmer’s Market Association. The group administers Double Up Food Bucks, a program that doubles the dollars for recipients of SNAP — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps — to purchase locally grown produce at many farmer’s markets and stands.

“Our organization is a coalition made up of other organizations, farmers, vendors and consumers,” Betancourt said. “Thank you again — every single one of you here is receiving this proclamation.”

Mark Nelson, garden and market manager for the Oak Forest Community Garden, also thanked attendees and emphasized the importance of supporting local farmer’s markets.

“We’re a small market, we’re tucked away in the neighborhood here, but we really take a lot of pride in what we do — being able to support access to healthy and fresh foods for the neighborhoods around here, participating in Double Up Food Bucks, and just to be a space for a growing community,” Nelson said. “The money that people spend at the University District Farmer’s Market goes right back into this garden. It helps support what we do, the programming we have and the work that we’re doing with other community partners to make this space into a truly communal space.”

Weaver said research has shown linkages and even positive outcomes between access to healthy, fresh food — including fruits and vegetables — and reduced chronic disease and mental health burdens in society.

“In addition to the societal health benefits, markets offer another sales channel for our state’s farmers, growers, and food producers,” Weaver said. “Not only are shoppers making a purchase that directly provides income to these folks, but the indirect benefits of community relationship building and buyer education about agriculture products also support the state’s agricultural industry.”

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Wildfire risks statewide remain high despite rainfall

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Many parts of the state received a soaking, prolonged rain Tuesday (Oct. 25), but state agriculture officials are still warning residents that many parts of the state are still under a serious wildfire threat caused by extended drought conditions.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division is reminding Arkansans that wildfire danger is elevated across the state and currently 62 counties remain under a burn ban.

“Conditions are dry with low humidity statewide,” said State Forester Joe Fox. “We are seeing an increase in the number of wildfires and their intensity, and that’s a trend that will continue until we see significant rainfall. With this in mind, we are asking citizens of the state to be mindful of this risk and avoid burning.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/10/wildfire-risks-statewide-remain-high-despite-rainfall/

Oct. 28 field day to address drought’s effect on cattle, forages and more

HOPE, Ark. — While several weeks of relatively cool, wet weather may have distanced the memory of this summer’s drought conditions across much of the country, experienced cattle and forage producers know there’s no guarantee tough times won’t return.

UPCOMING — This year’s Beef & Forages Field Day, scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope, will address drought impacts on the cattle market, nutritional considerations in forage and more. (DIvision of Agriculture flier.)

Though the rain has eased the dry conditions, nearly two-thirds of Arkansas still had some form of drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Sept. 15 update.

This year’s Beef & Forages Field Day, scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope, will address drought impacts on the cattle market, nutritional considerations in forage and more. The center is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s research arm, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

The event is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and conclude at 3 p.m., with lunch provided. There’s no cost to attend, but registration is required. To register, visit https://bit.ly/SWREC_Cattle_Field_Day_2022 or call 870-777-9702 no later than Oct. 25.

Daniel Rivera, associate professor and SWREC director, said attendees will “have the opportunity to tour facilities and pastures to hear ways to reduce hay waste and how to utilize annual forage plantings to extend grazing as you see these management strategies in practice.”

Speakers include James Mitchell, livestock economist for the Division of Agriculture; Shane Gadberry, cattle nutritionist and director of the agricultural experiment station’s Livestock and Forestry Station at Batesville and more. Additional topics include minimizing hay waste, an overview of the research topics at SWREC and a tour of the pastures and facilities.

The Southwest Research and Extension Center is located at 362 Highway 174 North in Hope.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. 

Burn Ban for most of Arkansas; Drought continues

Maps from the Arkansas Department of Agriculture & Arkansas Forestry Commission

33 counties are currently under a high wildfire danger risk. As dry conditions continue, it's important to be aware of what you can do to help prevent wildfires.

Arkansas Cattlemen's Association

All of Arkansas is in a drought for the first time in 10 years. Conditions are rough for all of agriculture.

Hay production has all but stopped in the majority of the state, with estimates of drastically less hay harvested this year and a need to start feeding it soon because of limited grass.

Cattle are being sold at a drastically increased rate at Arkansas livestock markets because of limited grazing.

The ACA and Governor Asa Hutchinson have requested a USDA Drought Disaster Declaration for the entire state of Arkansas.

The ACA has also requested $3.5 million for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture to create a new program to help producers through this time - the Arkansas Emergency Feed Assistance Transportation Program.

This program would provide financial assistance to producers on transportation costs of feedstuffs, including hay, during this drought.

How can you help? Share this post to raise awareness, be prepared to contact your legislators if we make a call to action, and take care of yourself and your herd in this heat.

Abandoned Pesticide Collection Events Scheduled April 4-7

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 03/07/2022
Contact: Amy Lyman, (501) 410-4616

amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov

LITTLE ROCK, AR – 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 event are from 8:00 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the follow dates and locations: 

• April 4 – Sevier County/Little River County - Sevier County Road Shop, 1155 Highway 70/71 East, De Queen, AR 77832

• April 5th – Howard County/Pike County- Howard County Fairgrounds, 1567 US 371, Nashville, AR 71852

• April 6th – Polk County/Montgomery County – Polk County Fairgrounds, 156 Polk Road 43, Mena, AR 71953

• April 7th – Arkansas County- Stuttgart Municipal Airport, 2000 State Highway 980, Stuttgart, AR 72160

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 Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program is administered by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries Division. Learn more about the Plant Industries Division at: agriculture.arkansas.gov/plant-industries/, or call 501-225-1598. The mission of the Plant Industries Division is to serve the citizens of Arkansas and the agricultural and business communities by providing information and unbiased enforcement of laws and regulations set by the Arkansas State Plant Board.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture 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. Visit agriculture.arkansas.gov/. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

ANDREW VOGLER

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

1 Natural Resources Drive, Little Rock, AR  72205

Office (501) 219-6392

w.andrew.vogler@agriculture.arkansas.gov

agriculture.arkansas.gov

Influenza could threaten state’s poultry industry

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Disease, especially avian influenza, could impact Arkansas poultry producers in 2022.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to increase biosecurity measures on their operations in response to several reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in other states to include some in the Mississippi Flyway.

HPAI is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry and wild birds. HPAI virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to chickens, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. Symptoms can include sudden increase in bird deaths with no clinical signs, lack of energy and appetite, decrease in egg production, soft- or thin-shelled or misshapen eggs, and more.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/02/influenza-could-threaten-states-poultry-industry/

Rare Communicable Brain Disease Found in Horses in Arkansas

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Cases of Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) have been confirmed in Arkansas in horses at two separate locations in Pulaski County, according to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

EEE is an extremely rare but serious and fatal infection that causes encephalitis, an acute inflammation of the brain. The disease is spread by biting insects, primarily mosquitoes and flies that have bitten birds infected with the EEE virus (EEEV). Insect control and vaccination are the recommended preventative measures.

EEE can infect a wide range of animals other than horses, including other mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. While humans can also contract the disease through biting insects, they cannot get the disease through direct contact with an infected animal.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/09/rare-communicable-brain-disease-found-in-horses-in-arkansas/

Dr. Mark Cochran Set to Retire from Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

After guiding the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture through a decade of growth, vice president for agriculture Dr. Mark J. Cochran will retire effective Sept. 30.

During his tenure, Cochran encouraged the growth of the entrepreneurship and commercialization of research products and obtained funding to continue the Division of Agriculture’s research and extension work, enabling the traditional land grant mission to remain strong in Arkansas.

“After 39 rewarding years in the University of Arkansas System, retirement is not a decision that was made casually or in haste,” he said. “It’s been an honor to lead the Division of Agriculture and there is still much that can be accomplished. However, the time has come to pass on that responsibility to the next leader of the division and to enjoy time with my family and especially my granddaughter.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/09/dr-mark-cochran-set-to-retire-from-arkansas-system-division-of-agriculture/

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Links Farms to Schools

By JACQUELINE FROELICH & KYLE KELLAMS

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has launched a new multiplatform website connecting schools engaged in gardening and agriculture to local farmers and growers. Sarah Lane who serves as Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture says the new portal features interactive maps of school gardens, local procurement activities, participating farms and producers – which number around 800 statewide.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-department-agriculture-links-farms-schools

Sarah Lane is Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

COURTESY / SARAH LANE

Court Orders Nine Members of Plant Board to be Removed

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The Pulaski County Circuit Court, 6th Division, issued an order Thursday (June 10) removing nine of the 18 members of the State Plant Board from their positions on the board. The Court’s action was a result of a ruling from the Arkansas Supreme Court that those nine members had been unconstitutionally appointed.

In 2017, a lawsuit was filed by six Arkansas farmers challenging the constitutionality of the statute that provides for certain members of the Plant Board to be elected by private trade associations. The circuit court upheld the constitutionality of the statute and the farmers appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court.

The members removed from the Board are:

Tommy Anderson, Arkansas Agricultural Aviation Association; Marty Eaton, Arkansas Seed Dealers Association; Terry Fuller, Arkansas Seed Growers Association; Mark Hopper, Arkansas Pest Management Association; Brad Koen, Arkansas Crop Protection Association; Scott Milburn, Arkansas Forestry Association; Mark Morgan, Arkansas State Horticultural Society; Jason Parks, Arkansas Green Industry Association; and Terry Stephenson, Arkansas Oil Marketers Association.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/06/court-orders-nine-members-of-plant-board-to-be-removed/

arkansas.gov

Industrial Hemp Farming in Arkansas Slowly Blooms

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

When hemp, the non-intoxicating cousin of marijuana, was legalized by USDA several years ago, industrial hemp farming flowered in northwest Arkansas, under strict federal and state regulatory control. We visit Bio Gen LLC, a new experimental hemp farm, learn about scientific hemp research by Dr. Jim Correll at the University of Arkansas, and get a promising forecast from Arkansas Department of Agriculture's hemp division leader.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/industrial-hemp-farming-arkansas-slowly-blooms

Bill Morgan, a consultant and founder of Bio Gen LLC hemp farm near Lake Weddington, tests, develops and markets CBD hemp cultivars.

J. FROELICH / KUAF

Rural Areas Continue To Lose Businesses and Youth, Latest UAEX Report Shows

By ANTOINETTE GRAJEDA

For about 30 years, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has produced the Rural Profile of Arkansas. The biennial report aims to provide a greater understanding of the social, demographic and economic conditions in rural and urban regions in the state. According to the 2021 report, the trend of loss of businesses in rural areas and continuing migration of youth and talent to urban areas is continuing.

https://www.kuaf.com/post/rural-areas-continue-lose-businesses-and-youth-latest-uaex-report-shows

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Issues Warning on Mystery Seed Packets

Since July, residents across the state and country have reported receiving unsolicited packets of seeds that appear to come from China. The Arkansas Department of Agriculure warns not to plant the seeds and to turn them over to the department or a local extension office. 

https://www.kuaf.com/post/arkansas-department-agriculture-issues-warning-mystery-seed-packets

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Issues Warning on Mystery Seed Packets

Since July, residents across the state and country have reported receiving unsolicited packets of seeds that appear to come from China. The Arkansas Department of Agriculure warns not to plant the seeds and to turn them over to the department or a local extension office.