Cattlewomen’s bootcamp set for April 10-12 in north-central Arkansas

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

BATESVILLE, Ark. — April 10-12 won’t be the usual “girls’ day out” unless your day usually involves moving cattle, managing vaccinations and testing hay.

Cleburne County Extension Staff Chair Amy Heck demonstrates how to tag cattle during the Cattlewomen's Bootcamp. Taken Feb. 23, 2024, at the Livestock and Forestry Research Station in Batesville, Arkansas. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Sarah Cato)

The second Cleburne and Independence County Cattlewomen’s Bootcamp “will be a great opportunity for women to deepen their knowledge about managing a livestock operation,” said Amy Heck, Cleburne County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The bootcamp offers hands-on experience in a female focused, non-intimidating environment.

“Our goal is to  empower women in the agriculture industry, specifically in beef cattle operations. The program fosters women-to-women mentorship while providing essential knowledge on owning and managing a cattle farm,” Heck said. “Participants also have the opportunity to network with other female cattle producers across the state.

“Hearing the success stories from last year's participants has been incredibly rewarding and we look forward to a new class of participants this year,” she said.

Michelle Mobley, Independence County extension staff chair, said that “this year, the bootcamp will cover essential topics including forage management, herd health and nutrition, cattle handling, farm business planning, trailer backing and administering cattle vaccines and other disease prevention measures.”

As in past, the bootcamp sessions will be hosted in two places: the Chimney Rock Cattle Company in Concord, and the Livestock and Forestry Research Station near Batesville, part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

The bootcamp is limited to 35 participants. Registration is $50, which covers food and materials. For registration information, contact the Independence Co. Extension Office at 870-793-8840 or you can register online.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X 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 X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Bad Boy Mowers to add 300 jobs in Batesville

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

Bad Boy Mowers will expand its facility in Batesville – again – creating 300 new jobs over the next five years.

“Bad Boy is committed to growing our Batesville roots deeper than ever, while furthering our reputation of quality, value and performance across the USA,” said Bad Boy Mowers CEO Peter Ballantyne. “Through new jobs and state-of-the-art facilities, we are showing our industry and the rest of the country what Arkansas can do.”

As part of the expansion, Bad Boy Mowers will build a new paint facility and shipping center while continuing to add manufacturing equipment. The company will also move its corporate office and truck shop to existing facilities and continue to expand its transportation fleet.

Bad Boy Mowers to add 300 jobs in Batesville

Lyon College provides update on Little Rock dental and veterinary schools

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

Lyon College in Batesville is moving forward with its plans to build a dental and veterinary school in downtown Little Rock.

On Tuesday at the Little Rock Rotary Club, officials described the building design and curriculum plans for the school as they continue their work to earn accreditation. The two schools will be built near the Sixth Street corridor at the headquarters of Heifer International.

Merritt Dake is CEO of OneHealth Companies, which is partnering with Lyon College on the effort. He said there is an "under supply of veterinary schools."

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-05-03/lyon-college-provides-update-on-little-rock-dental-and-veterinary-schools

Heifer International/Heifer.Org

A new dental school will be located in Heifer International's current headquarters in downtown Little Rock.

Forest management workshop to focus on white oak woodlands

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

BATESVILLE, Ark. — An upcoming workshop aims to help forest managers better understand white oak woodlands in the Ozark region, from improving the health of the habitat to selling harvested timber.

LEAF BY LEAF, BIRD BY BIRD — An upcoming workshop aims to help forest managers better understand white oak woodlands in the Ozark region, from improving the health of the habitat to selling harvested timber. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

The forest management workshop will be hosted at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Livestock and Forestry Research Station in Batesville, Arkansas. The workshop is scheduled for April 26, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

Kyle Cunningham, associate professor of forestry for the Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service, said the workshop will address several themes, including:

• Experiences with white oak management in Arkansas and neighboring states
• Selling white oak for stave logs
• Field tour of sustainably managed white oak woodlands, and
• Increasing Health and Habitat within your Woodland

"White oak woodlands in the Ozark region are a valuable resource that provide timberlands, wildlife habitat, aesthetic value, assist with air and water quality concerns,” Cunningham said. “The resource is experiencing strains from higher demand for wood products, climate, invasive species impacts, unsustainable management and other factors. This workshop aims to provide current and accurate information on the resource and its management.”

The meeting will also provide a platform for networking among stakeholders, he said.

There is no cost to attend the workshop, but registration is required. To RSVP, contact the Livestock and Forestry Research Station at 870-793-7432. For more information, contact Cunningham at kcunningham@uada.edu.

The research station is located at 70 Experiment Station Drive in Batesville.

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.