Registration opens Feb. 24 for spring edition of Walk Across Arkansas

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — For Arkansans looking to achieve their fitness goals or develop new healthy habits this spring, Walk Across Arkansas offers an eight-week, group-based exercise program that helps get people moving.

HEALTHY MOVEMENT — Walk Across Arkansas, supported by the Cooperative Extension Service, is a free, eight-week, group-based exercise program where participants work as teams to log daily minutes of physical activity. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

The free program is offered each spring and fall by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Participants can sign up in teams of up to 30 people, and they log their total number of minutes spent being physically active each day.

“We encourage participants to get creative with the types of exercise they engaged in, not just walking,” said Heather Wingo, extension health program associate for the Division of Agriculture. “If you’ve been curious about yoga, strength training, or taking a Zumba class, this is a great time to try that out. Any moderate to vigorous physical activity counts, as long as you get your heart rate up.”

Individuals can participate in the program alone, but Wingo encourages Arkansans to participate alongside their peers.

“This program is free and encourages friendly competition between groups of friends, family members, co-workers or church members,” she said. “Anyone who wants to work together towards their physical activity goals would benefit from Walk Across Arkansas.”

Registration for the spring 2025 session opens Feb. 24. Participants can register and log exercise minutes at walk.uada.edu/walk/. The competition starts March 10 and ends May 4.

Health benefits

During the fall 2024 Walk Across Arkansas session, 160 teams of 1,757 individuals from 39 counties reported more than 1.9 million minutes of physical activity.

Wingo said past participants have reported that through Walk Across Arkansas, they had more energy, slept better, strengthened their relationships and lost weight or inches. They also reported lower stress levels and improved their blood pressure and blood panels.

Anyone can participate in Walk Across Arkansas. Division of Agriculture employees must use a personal email address, not their work email address, to register. Visit walk.uada.edu/walk/ to learn more and register or contact your local county extension agent.

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. 

Extension expert offers spring pruning tips

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Timing is key when it comes to pruning flowering and fruiting plants. Randy Forst, extension educator for consumer horticulture for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said late February is an optimal time to prune plants that bloom in the summer.

PRUNING HELP — Pruning helps encourage new growth, and for many plants that bloom in the summer, late February is the optimal time to prune. Randy Forst, extension educator for consumer horticulture for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said using the correct — and sharp — pruning tool for the job is essential. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

“In general, plants that bloom in the spring should be pruned immediately following blooming, and plants that bloom in the summer should be pruned before growth begins in late February,” Forst said. “Pruning encourages new wood growth and more flower buds, and roses and cane-producing plants especially benefit from pruning.”

Some plants, including big leaf hydrangeas, oak leaf hydrangeas and gardenias don’t follow this rule.

“These plants all bloom in the summer, but they set their flower buds at the end of the summer into early fall,” Forst said. “If you prune them before growth begins, you will not have flowers this summer. The time to prune them is when the flowers begin to fade.”

Forst, who also coordinates the extension Master Gardener program, said gardeners should research specific information about the plant they want to prune, as some plants do not need pruning at all.

“Some of the most common mistakes people make is pruning too intensely, especially when it comes to crape myrtles,” Forst said. “Instead of dehorning — or entirely removing the top branches of a crape myrtle — gardeners should instead selectively remove branches so that the tree maintains its height.”

Forst said the following plants need to be pruned at the end of February and in early March:

• Ornamental grasses

• Roses

• Fruit trees

• Blueberries

• Blackberries, by removing old dead canes

• Buddleia, also known as butterfly bush

• Summer blooming spiraeas

In addition to timely pruning, Forst said pruning with the correct tool is important to a plant’s success.

“The size of material to be pruned reflects the best tool for the job,” he said. “Most of the time, it would be a bypass blade hand pruning shear. On larger branches, it might take lopping shears. On tree branches, it might require a bow saw. On any pruning device, it is very important that the blades are sharp, and you are getting a clean cut.”

Visit Arkansas Yard and Garden Pruning Resources, Spring Pruning Tips and Crape Myrtle Pruning for more information, or contact Randy Forst at rforst@uada.edu.

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. 

Cooperative Extension Service to host Arkansas Veterans' Small Business Summit

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — For veterans who own and operate small businesses, accessing available resources is critical to financial success and longevity. Arkansas veteran business owners will have an opportunity to learn about programs and services designed to help their businesses succeed at the Arkansas Veterans’ Small Business Summit, hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center on Nov. 4.

The free in-person event will start at 9 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, located at 2301 S. University Ave. in Little Rock. Registration is available at https://bit.ly/veteran-business-summit.

VETERAN RESOURCES — The Cooperative Extension Service's Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center will host a free Veterans' Small Business Summit on Nov. 4. The in-person event will provide resources and networking opportunities for veteran small business owners, including information about upcoming contracting opportunities with federal agencies in Arkansas. (Division of Agriculture photo.) 

Kimberly Magee, outreach coordinator for Arkansas APEX Accelerator, said the summit will provide “tailored resources” for veteran business owners in the state, including information about no-cost resources and upcoming contracting opportunities with federal agencies in Arkansas.

“It’s important to provide these resources because the public doesn’t generally know how to navigate through the government marketplace,” Magee said.

The summit is presented in partnership with the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, Arkansas Division of Emergency Management – Arkansas Federal Surplus Property, Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center, The Conductor, SCORE and the U.S. Small Business Administration – Arkansas District. Representatives from these organizations will be present at the summit to help connect attendees with the services they provide, including business counseling, low or no-cost training programs and training and networking opportunities.

Magee said the needs of veteran business owners are unique, and this summit is designed to connect them with resources available specifically to them.

“Veteran small businesses need a tailored pathway,” she said. “Veterans are already aware of government lingo and are therefore natural leaders in the government marketplace.”

In addition to networking with other business owners, the summit will include a small business resource panel, a presentation on veteran small business certifications and a presentation on government contracting opportunities.

“Veterans are our nation’s heroes, and it is our obligation to take care of them and help them succeed,” said Savanna George, extension program technician for the Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

For more information or for assistance with registering, contact the Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center at APEX Accelerator@uada.edu.

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.

Best Care program awarded thousands of professional development hours to Arkansas childcare providers in 2024

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — In 2024, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Best Care program awarded more than 22,000 hours of professional development to childcare providers in the state. Providers are required by the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Early Childhood to earn a minimum of 15 hours of professional development each year.

TRAINING FOR PROVIDERS — Through the Division of Agriculture's Best Care programming, childcare providers across the state of Arkansas can earn required hours of professional development training. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

The Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture, partners with the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Early Childhood to provide 58 hours of professional development training for childcare providers throughout the state.

“It is important that the childcare providers in Arkansas are educated and are knowledgeable in research-based early childhood practices to provide quality care to children, from birth to age five,” said Rebecca Simon, extension program associate for Early Childhood and Family Life for the Division of Agriculture.

Extension offers four methods of Best Care training, all of which are approved by the Arkansas Professional Development Registry, for childcare providers in the state:

• Best Care: Ten hours of in-person training for childcare professionals across the state, taught in 26 multi-county clusters. In 2024, this program reached 2,373 participants through 32 trainings.

• Best Care Connected: An online program that offers five hours of professional development for early childhood childcare educators in Arkansas. In 2024, this program reached 2,234 participants, and 11,170 hours of professional development were awarded.

• Guiding Children Successfully: An online or self-paced correspondence program that offers up to 38 hours of continuing education for parents, foster parents and childcare educators. This program reached 998 participants and awarded 10,374 training hours in 2024.

• Best Care Out of School Time: A program designed to better meet the needs of childcare providers who work with school-aged children in after-school, summer and camp settings. This program offers five hours of professional development, and in 2024, 557 training hours were awarded to 2,785 participants.

Simon said these four programs are tailored to the needs of childcare providers statewide, including those in remote and underserved areas. Extension Family and Consumer Sciences agents play a significant role in the delivery of the training.  

“County Family and Consumer Sciences agents are responsible for planning and providing training in their ‘cluster,’ or multi-county setting,” Simon said. “The FCS agents build relationships within their community and are seen as the local source of knowledge, providing consistent, research-based professional development for local early childhood professionals.

“The training content is different every year, and that is one reason why early childhood professionals attend Best Care in their county or cluster every year,” Simon said. “The programs that the Division of Agriculture implements and provides strengthen the early childhood workforce and improve the lives of our youngest Arkansans.”

Simon said the extension training programs are aligned with Family and Consumer Sciences subject matter areas, including family life, health, nutrition and consumer economics. They also align with the Arkansas Department of Education Office of Early Childhood key content areas, including family, community, positive interactions and guidance.

“High quality early childhood environments are vital for fostering the foundational skills necessary for children’s lifelong health, learning, social relationships and overall success,” Simon said. “In Arkansas, childcare providers play a pivotal role in ensuring these developmental milestones are met.”

Simon said there are more than 48,600 professionals serving 165,219 children across 1,940 childcare facilities statewide.

Feedback from the field

In an evaluation sent to Best Care participants after each one-hour unit of training, one participant responded that the training helped them to “have conversations with children about our differences and find ways to include those physically impaired to do our usual curriculum.”

Another participant shared that the training helped them “implement breathing techniques when a child is stressed and struggling with strong emotions,” they wrote. “This helps us to get a handle on the situation, and as a result, it de-stresses me in the process.”

One participant said the program helped them “recognize the unique aspects of the children and their families to create a diverse learning environment that fosters a sense of well-being for all.”

The year ahead

Thirty Best Care trainings are scheduled throughout the state for 2025, in addition to online programming. Best Care lesson topics for the year will include Farm to Early Childhood Education, Sensory Play for All Ages, Outdoor Learning Environments and Physical Activity, Sound Solutions: Music in the Classroom, Arkansas History and Culture and more.

Those interested in Best Care training should contact their local Family and Consumer Sciences agent at uaex.uada.edu/counties/ for information about upcoming training in their area or visit uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/child-care-providers/best-care. More information about Early Childhood Professional Development opportunities in Arkansas can also be found at uaex.uada.edu/life-skills-wellness/child-care-providers/.

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. 

River Valley Beef Cattle Conference offers cattle producers latest recommendations for herd, forage management

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

MORRILTON, Ark. — This year’s River Valley Beef Cattle Conference will offer cattle producers from 12 counties the latest research-based recommendations for cattle producers in herd health and pest management, along with market outlook for the beef cattle industry.

BEEF — Cattle producers from Arkansas' 12-county River Valley area gather with Division of Agriculture experts to get the latest research-based information. UADA graphic

The conference will be on Feb. 13 from 9 a.m. – noon at the Conway County Fairgrounds, 901 E. Elm St. in Morrilton. Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. The cost is $20, payable at the door, and includes a steak lunch.

The annual conference, hosted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, brings together faculty, livestock economists and extension specialists to share research-based information to help producers plan and manage their operations efficiently.

Cattle producers from the River Valley area — Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Newton, Perry, Pope, Scott, Sebastian and Yell counties — are invited to attend.

“This year’s conference will bring together experts from the Division of Agriculture who will share the latest recommendations for dealing with armyworms, protecting herd health, and assessing cattle for optimum performance,” said Bob Harper, Logan County extension staff chair. “The industry market outlook will also be discussed.”

Armyworm update

Pope County Extension Agent Brandon Yarbery will discuss options for controlling armyworms and review products that are available this year for controlling pests and products that have worked successfully in the past.

“Last year was one of the worst years we’ve had for armyworms,” Harper said.

The pests appear in the spring and can severely damage forages, hay yields and seed production. Infestations can be easily overlooked when the caterpillars are small and eating very little.

Vaccination programs

Kristen Midkiff, extension animal health and wellbeing specialist for the Division of Agriculture, will discuss vaccination strategies in beef cattle, including options for calves, weaned calves and for the breeding herd for both developing heifers and the cowherd.

“Vaccines are an important portion of a herd health program, as we are protecting our cattle from infectious diseases by allowing their immune system to be able to recognize the pathogens,” Midkiff said. “There are many viruses and bacteria that cattle can be exposed to in their lifetime, and vaccinating gives us an opportunity to set our cattle up for success for future interactions with these agents.”

Midkiff, who has a doctorate in beef cattle health, nutrition, and physiology from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville, joined the Division of Agriculture last fall.

Evaluating Longevity

Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist, will discuss assessing beef cattle for optimum performance.

“She will focus on evaluating cows for the? long term and selecting cows that will stay in the herd and remain productive,” Harper said.

Market Update

James Mitchell, extension livestock economist, will discuss industry outlook and provide highlights from the annual cattle inventory report published Jan. 31. Other topics include cow-calf and feedlot profitability, beef demand and impacts of New World screwworm on the beef and cattle trade.

Conference agenda

• 8:30 a.m. – Registration

• 9 a.m. – Introductions: Kevin Van Pelt, Conway County extension agent

• 9:05 a.m. – Welcome: Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas

• 9:10 a.m. – Armyworm Update – Brandon Yarbery, Pope County extension agent

• 9:30 a.m. – Vaccination Programs for Beef Cattle Producers, Kirsten Midkiff, extension animal health and wellbeing specialist

• 10:15 a.m. – Break

• 10:30 a.m. — Evaluating Longevity: Annual Beef Cattle Assessment for Optimum Performance, Maggie Justice, extension beef cattle specialist

• 11:15 a.m. – Market Outlook, James Mitchell, extension livestock economist

• Noon – Lunch and adjourn

For more information about armyworms in Arkansas, visit https://www.uaex.uada.edu/armyworms

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 publications or extension programs, 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.uark.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Discovery Farms Conference set for Feb. 13-14 in Fayetteville

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The work of Arkansas Discovery Farms, the program that conducts agriculture research under real-world conditions on working farms, will be showcased during its Climate Smart Agriculture Conference on Feb. 13-14.

The conference will be held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville.

Registration is available online and registering by Feb. 10 is appreciated for a meal headcount.

Lunch will be provided both days. There is no cost to register.

Arkansas Extension Irrigation Educator Mike Hamilton speaking at a  joint NRCS/Cooperative Extension Service training conducted at Robby Bevis farm in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Conservation efforts are a key part of the Discovery Farms program. Taken Aug. 2018. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“If you have an interest in farming, agriculture, conservation, environmental research, carbon research, climate smart research, you should be there,” said Lee Riley, extension program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “If you love sustainable agriculture, what could be better than spending Valentine’s Day learning about Arkansas Discovery Farms' research projects?”

Arkansas Extension Irrigation Educator Mike Hamilton speaking at a joint NRCS/Cooperative Extension Service training conducted at Robby Bevis farm in Lonoke County, Arkansas. Taken Aug. 2018. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

This year’s conference features two keynoters, John Anderson, director of the Cooperative Extension Service, on Feb. 13, and Amanda Mathis, the Arkansas conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Riley said that the first day “is farmer and industry partner focused, highlighting some of our farmers' experience from the research we're conducting with them and audience participation discussion panels — including question and answer sessions — from our Discovery Farmers and industry partners.

“Day two is more research-focused, several of the research team and partners sharing what they are doing and their findings on several of their Climate Smart research projects,” he said.

The conference will also feature a student research poster content with awards held during lunch on the second day. The deadline for contestants to register is Feb. 7.

Additional details on presenters will be available at the conference webpage.

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. 

LeadAR leadership program accepting applications

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — LeadAR, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s leadership program, is accepting applications for its next class of leaders. The in-depth learning experience covers economic and social issues impacting communities throughout the state.

LEARN TO LEAD — Founded in 1984, LeadAR is the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's leadership program. Applications are open for the next class of leaders, and the 18-month program's alumni include farmers, educators, state legislators and more. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

Operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach and teaching arm of the Division of Agriculture, the 18-month LeadAR program will include two-day seminars in multiple regions of the state. Topics will include infrastructure and public health, natural resources, public policy and media, community and economic development and many more.

“Through the LeadAR program, participants receive a unique, hands-on experience in skill development,” said Julie Robinson, extension professor and LeadAR director for the Division of Agriculture. “They will gain a better understanding of local issues, which helps them see policy impacts at the community, state and national level.”

Robinson said participants can also expect to gain a better understanding of the legislative process and improve their leadership skills with research-proven tools.

Founded in 1984, LeadAR celebrated its 40th anniversary last year. It was originally modeled after the W.K. Kellogg Foundation’s leadership training program. LeadAR now has more than 500 hundred alumni serving as leaders in their communities throughout Arkansas, especially in rural and agricultural areas.

Each applicant must be an Arkansas resident and must be 25 years old by the date of the first seminar. As many as 30 participants will be selected for the upcoming class, with a goal of including 50 percent rural residents, 25 percent urban residents and 25 percent agriculture professionals.

The deadline to apply is Feb. 7. The application can be found at uaex.uada.edu/leadar/. The program’s advisory council will conduct interviews in February, and all applicants will be notified of the Class 21 selections by March 7, 2025.  

Local, national and international perspectives

LeadAR Class 21 members will participate in a mock legislative session at the Arkansas State Capitol. They will then travel to Washington, D.C. in September 2025 for a week-long tour, where they will meet with officials representing government agencies, nonprofits and industry. They will also meet with the Arkansas congressional delegation and aides to discuss issues in their own communities.

The program culminates in September 2026 with an international study tour, during which participants will study political dynamics and how global issues impact Arkansas. Since its founding, LeadAR class members have visited 34 countries, including Morocco, Portugal, Greece, Bolivia, Canada, Australia and Vietnam, among others.

LeadAR participants will also work on a leadership service project throughout the program, focusing on creating positive change in their communities. Past projects have included building a local library and developing the annual Goat Festival in Perryville, Arkansas.

The LeadAR alumni network includes farmers, educators, state legislators, city council members, school board members and more. LeadAR is supported by program alumni, corporate donors, foundations and the Division of Agriculture. The cost to participants is $3,500, which covers seminar expenses, most lodging, meals and travel expenses. Class members are encouraged to seek tuition support from outside sources, such as their employer, and scholarships are available to help participants with payment.

To learn more about LeadAR and to apply, visit uaex.uada.edu/leadar or contact Julie Robinson, LeadAR director, or Lisa Davis, program coordinator, by emailing LeadAR@uada.edu.

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.

Extension’s Rowbotham humbled to be named to state influential list

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Each day, Jeanie Rowbotham puts her heart into Arkansas agriculture, as a farmer and as an agent for the Cooperative Extension Service, working with its 4-H youth development program.

She and her husband, Theron, own and operate Infinity Ranch in rural Johnson County. They have two children, Mae and Tate, and the family manages four commercial turkey houses contracted to Butterball as well as a commercial cow and calf operation.

Johnson County Extension Agent Jeanie Rowbotham has been named one of Arkansas' 250 most influential. (U of a System Division of Agriculture photo)

This month, Arkansas Business named Rowbotham among the 250 most influential people in the state.

“From the state’s top CEOs to the rising stars and the behind-the-scenes businesspeople, these selections are made by our editors and publishers based on the merit of being an influencer in business and community around the state of Arkansas,” Publisher Eric Olson said.

“It is an honor to be named one of the 250 most influential people in Arkansas!” Rowbotham said. “I can honestly say I am a little shocked and very humbled to be mentioned in this group among some truly inspirational leaders in our state.  

“It’s a beautiful thing when a career and passion come together,” she said. “I feel very blessed to be in the Arkansas Agricultural Industry in my personal and professional life.”

John Anderson, director of the Cooperative Extension Service, said “We are really proud of Jeanie and what she has accomplished in her career with extension. As a county agent, Jeanie works hard for the people of Johnson County, but she is clearly having a great impact far beyond the county’s borders.”

Sherry Beaty-Sullivan, extension’s Ozark District director who oversees 25 counties, including Rowbotham’s, said "It is no surprise that Jeanie is a top influencer. Look at the countless young people she has been able to influence over the years in the Johnson County 4-H program.”

“I am proud that others recognize her influence not only with young people but the entire agriculture community. We are very proud to have her as part of our team,” she said.

“It’s gratifying to see Jeanie Rowbotham counted among the state’s most influential people,” said Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “It speaks to her dedication to agriculture and the big positive difference one person can make in her community. Congratulations to Jeanie on a well-deserved honor.”

Back in May, Rowbotham was named 2024 Arkansas Ag Woman of the Year by Arkansas Women in Agriculture, an organization dedicated to educating and supporting women in the field.

She has been an extension agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture since 2007. She came to the extension service with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural business and management from Arkansas Tech University, and a Master of Science in agricultural economics from the University of Arkansas.

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. 

Arkansas Soybean Science Challenge: A new decade of students using their bean

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — For a decade, the Arkansas Soybean Science Challenge has been planting seeds for students contemplating a future in research.

The idea behind the program was simple: Pique the interest of students from grades 6-12  to consider a science fair project involving soybeans, and by extension, agriculture.

Alyssa Butler, was a 17-year-old senior at Carlisle High School in Carlisle, Arkansas, in 2021, when she won both her regional-level competition in the Arkansas Soybean Science Challenge. She is now pursuing a degree in agriculture, inspired by the competition. (Courtesy photo)

Karen Ballard, a now-retired extension professor who conceived the program, gained the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board as a partner to help fund the outreach work of the Soybean Science Challenge.

“Many students, even those in cities near farming areas, have never thought of research in agriculture as a career,” said Julie Robinson, professor-community, professional and economic development for the Cooperative Extension Service. Robinson has administered the program for five years. “The humble soybean is more than just livestock feed. It’s the basis for biofuels. Its fibers are used in making fabrics and foam for seat cushions. Its oils replace petroleum bases in paints, candles and inks. Soybean meal can be used in making adhesives. 

“Over the decade, we’ve seen our student researchers put their own creativity and brainpower into creating plastics, computer climate models or evaluating the effects of radiation on soybean growth,” she said.

While the program offers cash prizes as an incentive, “even more importantly we’ve seen the program work. Many of the participants who have had their enthusiasm stoked by the Soybean Science Challenge have gone on to continue their research in college,” Robinson said.

Confidence and comfort zones

The challenge has been a career-builder for Alyssa Butler, who won five times at the regional and state levels. She is an undergraduate student working as an extension program associate in plant pathology.

 “The Soybean Science Challenge was the first time I ever pushed myself outside of my comfort zone and did any form of public speaking,” Butler said. “I was terrified and self-critical, but after knowing I did good enough to make it to state, I had more confidence in myself than ever.

"When I competed at the state level and won first place at Soybean Science Challenge, I was so proud of myself and all my research,” she said. “For me, it wasn't just about winning or the prize that came with it, it was about the fact that weeks of hard work, stepping out of my comfort zone, and pushing myself paid off.”

Butler said when she worked on her first experiment, looking at Southern root-knot nematode resistance, she gained a deeper appreciation for plant pathology and knew she wanted to continue research in that field.

“It is one of the best opportunities that high school has to offer,” she said.

Keith Harris, extension ag education program associate who coordinates the challenge, said he finds gratification in seeing the program fulfill its mission by “students showing an interest in research, specifically agricultural research, and them seeing agriculture as an industry with career options.”

The next decade

A decade later, “we are still focused on engaging student researchers through regional and state science fairs,” Robinson said.

The program has done some growing of its own over the decade.

“We have expanded the program to include teacher in-service, Grow Your Own Protein, and a variety of classroom curriculum available for free,” Robinson said.

The Grow Your Own Protein program provides edamame seeds for schools, community groups. 4-H clubs and others to grow edible soybeans in their own gardens. There’s also a “soybean store,” where those interested in taking part in the Soybean Science Challenge as a student researcher, can request a variety of soybean seeds, including conventional soybeans, soybeans tolerant to Roundup and tofu soybeans.

2023 winners

Last year, 15 students were named 2023 Soybean Scholars after their projects won the Soybean Science Challenge at district and state science fairs.

First-place went to Bennet Chen, 14, a freshman at Little Rock Central High, for his project, “Forecasting the future; a predictive modeling approach to deciphering climate change's impact on county level soybean yields.” Chen won the 2024 Soybean Science Challenge First Place Award at the State Science and Engineering Fair held at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway on March 30, and the Senior Division SSC Award at Central Arkansas Regional Science and Engineering Fair held at UA-Little Rock on March 1. 

How it works

The 2025 Soybean Science Challenge is now open for entries.

Students interested in participating are required to complete six online course modules before submitting their science project to their district science fair, the state science fair or the Arkansas FFA Agriscience Fair.

Each project submitted is assessed by judges from the Soybean Science Challenge. The project must focus on soybeans to qualify. Winners of the Soybean Science Challenge special award win a cash prize. The winning students’ teachers also win a cash prize if their student wins at a regional science fair.

“The Soybean Science Challenge allows us to engage young people and demonstrate the vast opportunities within the agricultural industry,” said Brad Doyle, Poinsett County soybean producer and chairman of Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board. “Their fresh perspectives, skills and innovative ideas are vital to the growth and sustainability of our industry.”

For additional information on the soybean science challenge, visit the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board website at www. themiraclebean.com.

To learn more about the program, see its 10th anniversary video.

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. 

Cooperative Extension Service to host Veterans' Business Summit

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — Military veterans seeking to land contracts with the state or federal government for their businesses are invited to attend the 2024 Veterans' Business Summit on Nov. 7. The event, which is free to attend, will be held at the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters at 2301 S. University Ave. in Little Rock.

The program will begin at 9 a.m. with an introduction by Melanie Berman, director of the Arkansas APEX Accelerator program for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The APEX Accelerators program, formerly known as the Procurement Technical Assistance Program, plays a critical role in the Department of Defense’s efforts to identify and help a wide range of businesses enter and participate in the defense supply chain. The program provides the education and training to ensure that all businesses can participate in the federal, state and local government contract process.

Tim Hicks, procurement counselor for the Division of Agriculture, said the event will appeal to many entrepreneurs hoping to expand their sales base.

CALL TO SERVE — Military veterans seeking to land contracts with the state or federal government for their small businesses are invited to attend the 2024 Veterans' Business Summit on Nov. 7. The event, which is free to attend, will be held at the Cooperative Extension Service state headquarters in Little Rock. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)

“The summit focuses on veteran-owned businesses, but we invite all businesses to join us,” Hicks said. “This will be a great time to network and collaborate with many resource partners.”

Berman’s welcome will be followed by the presentation of colors by the Cabot High School JROTC. Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Kendall Penn, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs, will deliver the keynote address.

The event’s featured speaker will be Ruby Crenshaw Lawrence, chief of the Office of Small Business Programs & Industry Engagements for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. She will discuss the government’s stance on Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence, and associated concerns.

Nearly two dozen organizations will be participating in the event, with representatives taking part in discussion panels and available for networking throughout the day. Participating organizations include:

• 19th Contracting Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base

• Arkansas Division of Emergency

• Arkansas Economic Development Commission

• Arkansas National Guard Purchasing Office

• Forge Institute

• Arkansas Small Business Technology Development Center

• SCORE Business Mentorship

• The Conductor / Startup Junkie Foundation

• U.S. Small Business Administration – Arkansas District

• Arkansas Women's Business Center

• City of Little Rock

• Clinton National Airport

• Communities Unlimited

• Disabled American Veterans

• State of Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs

• State of Arkansas, Office of State Procurement

• US Army Corps of Engineers, Little Rock District

• US Department of Veterans Affairs

• Veterans Business Outreach Center

The summit will conclude before noon. Online registration is required.

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.

New department head Nalley puts land-grant mission integration high on priority list

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  — Lanier Nalley, the new head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department, plans to continue to build on his predecessor’s foundation and work toward a fuller integration of land-grant research, extension and teaching. 

FULL APPOINTMENT — Lanier Nalley will take the reins of the Agricultural Economics/Agribusiness Department in October 2024. He had been serving as interim. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Nalley has served as interim department head since the beginning of 2024 and will begin his new position — without the interim title — on Oct. 7. Nalley succeeds John Anderson, the previous department head, who went on to become director of the Cooperative Extension Service in January.

“We saw him grow and develop as a leader. One of the things we noticed during his time as interim is how good of an advocate Lanier was for his faculty, even making significant personal sacrifices to benefit the whole unit,” said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System and head of the Division of Agriculture. “He will be missed in the role he’s played. He’s a top researcher and educator and has extension experience. He really gets all three land-grant functions.”

No longer a stepping stone

“When I first came here, Arkansas seemed to be a place where professors came and then went to quote-unquote better schools,” Nalley said. “It’s been so nice to see a transformation where this is now a destination, not a stepping stone for academics. John Anderson really laid that foundation. I hope to carry that on.”

Nalley also said he was keen to continue serving stakeholders in all three of the land-grant missions: research, extension and teaching.

When he started with the Division of Agriculture as an assistant professor in 2008, Nalley had an extension appointment.

“I have a deep passion for extension,” he said. “I’m really excited not only to strengthen our outreach programs, but also to promote the extension work we do in our department.”

Nalley highlighted a desire to strengthen the links between research and extension work in the department.

“I want faculty to be thinking that regardless of what your research is, it can be extended in some facet, to a stakeholder in Arkansas.”

Another goal of Nalley’s is to further promote the work being done by the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, of which Andrew McKenzie is associate director, Fryar Endowed Professor in Risk Management.

“McKenzie is phenomenal,” he said. “The work he does is not just regionally great, it’s nationally and internationally great.

“It will be high on my list of priorities to highlight his work and the work of the Fryar Center to make it more visible, not just to the stakeholders of Arkansas, but nationally,” Nalley said.

Nalley has earned a litany of honors for his work, including three John W. White Awards — a 2013 team award; 2021 Outstanding Teaching Award, 2023 Research Award plus earning the Jack G. Justus Award for Teaching Excellence in 2017. 

International reputation

“Lanier Nalley has built an international reputation as a production economist,” Anderson said.

“One of the most impressive things about Dr. Nalley’s research program is that he really demonstrates how a faculty member can have global impact while working on problems that are relevant to stakeholders in Arkansas,” Anderson said. “He has made tremendous contributions to the Arkansas rice industry, particularly on global rice demand issues and on the economic impacts of new technologies. Dr. Nalley has amply demonstrated that he understands and values the university’s land-grant mission, and I have complete confidence in his ability to lead the department to new heights.”

Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said that “Lanier has a proven track record of producing high quality research and supporting student success. He has done an admirable job as interim department head, and I am excited to continue working with him to advance our research mission and support our stakeholders.”

Jeff Edwards, dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, said “I’ve had the opportunity to work with Lanier as an interim over the past year. He brings an even-keeled approach to leadership and is a strong advocate for the students, faculty, and staff in the department. Lanier has been a valuable member of our Bumpers College team for a while, and it is exciting to see him transition to this new role full time.”

Edwards said that from an undergraduate enrollment perspective, agricultural economics is one of the largest academic departments in Bumpers College.

“I am pleased that we have someone with Dr. Nalley’s experience and student-focused perspective to lead the department. It is a big job and I am confident that Lanier is up to the task,” Edwards said.

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

Oct. 16 conference offers insight on rural economic development

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — An upcoming conference, co-hosted by the Cooperative Extension Service, will offer participants the chance to learn how to access state, federal and private funding resources for rural development projects.

FIND THE SOURCE — "Investing in Rural Prosperity: A Forum on Blending and Braiding Federal and Private Funds" is a project of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Alliance. The event is free to the public and can be attended in-person or virtually. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)

"Investing in Rural Prosperity: A Forum on Blending and Braiding Federal and Private Funds" is a project of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis and the Arkansas Community and Economic Development Alliance. The event is free to the public and can be attended in-person or virtually. The in-person event will take place at the Cooperative Extension Service’s state headquarters, located at 2301 S. University Ave., Little Rock.

The Cooperative Extension Service is the outreach and education arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Brandon L. Mathews, economic development program associate for the Division of Agriculture, said attendees can expect to hear directly from representatives of several state and federal agencies involved in rural development programs.

“We’ll also get to hear from several communities across Arkansas that are leveraging these resources and others to really promote economic development in their communities,” Mathews said. “We’re really focusing on non-metropolitan areas of the state — not just Little Rock or Northwest Arkansas.”

The deadline for registration is Oct. 10, and registration is available online. Individuals who plan to attend virtually must also email communitydevelopment@stls.frb.org in order to obtain the Zoom link.

The conference will begin at 9:30 a.m. and conclude at 1 p.m. The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis will provide lunch for attendees. A complete event agenda is available online.

Mathews said the conference is intended for rural chambers of commerce, economic developers and other community-based organizations and individuals.

“But really, any kind of economic workforce practitioners or leaders,” he said. “Anyone who’s really trying to do that work in their community. This is taking a hard-to-reach group of assets and services and trying to bring them to a broader audience across the state.”

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis’s participation in this cosponsored activity does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or approval by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis of the views, opinions, products or services of any cosponsor or other person or entity.

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.

Arkansas 4-H to celebrate National 4-H Week

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Since its inception more than 120 years ago, the 4-H youth development organization has prepared participants to be engaged, healthy and productive citizens. From Oct. 7-12 Arkansas 4-H members, leaders and volunteers will celebrate the program during National 4-H Week.  

CELEBRATE 4-H — From Oct. 7-12, Arkansas 4-H will join programs throughout the nation to celebrate National 4-H Week. The 2024 theme is "Beyond Ready," and Arkansas 4-H clubs are encouraged to share their stories of success and impact through the program's Instagram and Facebook pages. (Division of Agriculture photo.) 

Arkansas 4-H is the largest youth organization in the state, with 7,800 members and more than 600 4-H clubs. Nationally, the program has more than 6 million members. The 2024 theme of National 4-H Week is “Beyond Ready,” which focuses on how the organization is “building a ready generation in a world of change.”

Debbie Nistler, extension assistant vice president for 4-H and youth for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Arkansas 4-H is excited to celebrate with programs nationwide.

“4-H has been growing strong, amazing young people for more than 123 years,” Nistler said. “We are excited to continue the tradition in every county across Arkansas. National 4-H Week is a great time to highlight 4-H and the way our program impacts our members.”

To celebrate during the week, Arkansas 4-H’s Facebook and Instagram pages will highlight different program elements, including 4-H mentors, stories of 4-H alumni who’ve used their 4-H skills to achieve workplace success, and local 4-H leaders in their communities.

Breanna Wade, extension program associate for 4-H and youth development for the Division of Agriculture, said she encourages 4-H agents, members and supporters to tag Arkansas 4-H in their social media posts using #BeyondReady and #AR4H.

“By sharing their stories during National 4-H Week, our Arkansas 4-H’ers can contribute to the conversation about how this program has helped them dream bigger and achieve more,” Nistler said.

To learn more about Arkansas 4-H, its programs and scholarship opportunities, visit the organization’s website at 4h.uada.edu or follow along on social media.

4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.

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. 

Early days of rice, corn harvests near record pace

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — The first few phone calls an agronomist receives during harvest tend to say a lot about how the fall will go. For Jarrod Hardke, extension rice agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the news has been overwhelmingly good this year.

AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE — Both corn and rice harvests in Arkansas are moving at a near-record pace. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

“The frequent refrain in the phone calls I’ve been getting for the past couple of weeks is ‘You won’t believe what this rice cut!,’ and relatively little of the ‘Hey, there’s something wrong with this rice,’” Hardke said. “You can gauge the tone of the harvest pretty quickly.”

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday that 23 percent of Arkansas’ rice crop had already been harvested, dwarfing the five-year average of 4 percent typically harvested so early in the season.

Hardke said this pace hasn’t been seen since 2010.

“At this point, we’re going as fast as we can go,” he said.

Accounting for about half the rice produced in the United States, Arkansas growers this year planted more than 1.4 million acres of the crop. Hardke said growers’ efforts at early planting have put Arkansas in a good position for an early harvest with good yields.

The earliest harvest efforts occurred on the last day of July, with more producers gradually moving into their fields in early August. With few exceptions, the state has avoided the heat and moisture of 2023 that led to the repeated rewetting and drying cycles blamed for widespread low milling yields.

Hardke said that while overall grain yields seem high, he remained cautious regarding the state’s ultimate milling yields for 2024.

“One of the odd things about milling yield — even in a high milling yield year, where things turn out well, some of the early plantings can have a lower milling yield,” he said. “A quarter of the way through harvest, there’s still a long way to go. The story’s hardly written.”

Arkansas corn is also experiencing a rapid harvest, with 30 percent of the state’s 500,000 acres already harvested as of Aug. 25, according to USDA. The five-year average for this point in the season is 12 percent.

Jason Kelley, extension wheat and feed grains agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said that like rice, early planting in the spring set Arkansas growers up to capitalize on good growing conditions throughout the summer.

“Early planting doesn’t necessarily mean an early harvest, but by the last week of April, we were 81 percent planted, versus the five-year average, which was 64 percent,” Kelley said.

“The month of May was nearly the warmest we’ve had — at or near a record,” he said. “That really sped things along. All along, I’ve felt like we were 10 days ahead of what a normal growth stage would be.”

Early spring rain events in the southern half of the state did impede early corn planting for some growers, Kelley said. Later rain events, however, precluded growers from needing to irrigate the crop as much as they often do throughout a growing season.

He said that corn, even among Arkansas’ most notable row crops, is especially temperature-driven in its development. The high heat of August, along with relatively few major rain events during the summer, helped the crop sprint toward the finish line.

“We’re at a point where a lot of growers are waiting for the corn to dry down a bit more, so they can harvest it and take it directly to the grain terminal,” Kelley said. “The only limiting factor for a lot of growers is if they’ve also got rice or soybeans to harvest.

“Harvest is going very smooth without any weather delays so far and like rice, yields overall are really good this year,” he said.

A looming obstacle that growers in Arkansas and elsewhere will still likely have to contend with is the low levels on the Mississippi River. Below a certain point, the river becomes impassable for the barges carrying grain to the Gulf of Mexico for export. Producers are then faced with the predicament of selling their grain with a discounted basis, cutting into an already narrow profit margin.

As of Aug. 29, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported the river’s level at minus 4.3 feet, with continued drop in levels forecast. In October 2023, the river fell to a record minus 11.5 feet.

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.

Extension staff recognized for community, economic development achievements

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals has recognized University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture extension program associates for achievements in community and economic development.

TEAMWORK — Brandon L. Mathews, extension program associate for economic development for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, received the 2024 Southern Regional Winner team award for Education Materials from the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals. Left to right: Hunter Goodman, extension assistant professor for Community, Professional and Economic Development, Brandon L. Mathews, extension program associate for economic development for the Division of Agriculture, and Michelle Eley, NACDEP board president. (Division of Agriculture photo.) 

The association awarded members of the division’s Community, Professional and Economic Development department with the 2024 Southern Regional Winner team award for Education Materials.

The department is part of the Cooperative Extension Service. Brandon L. Mathews, extension program associate for economic development for the Division of Agriculture, and former program associate Kamelle Gomez received the award.

The award recognized Mathews and Gomez’s collaboration on the Arkansas Business Navigator Project and its accompanying podcast. The project, which is an initiative of the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, seeks to help small business owners and entrepreneurs access capital and other financial resources.

“I’m incredibly grateful to be recognized for the work we accomplished through the Arkansas Business Navigator Project and podcast,” Mathews said. “Being able to use my passion for storytelling in ways that support entrepreneurs and small business owners is something special.”

The National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals also recognized the Division of Agriculture for its Extension Health Ambassadors program, which is a partnership between CPED and the extension Family and Consumer Sciences unit. The Extension Health Ambassadors team was the runner-up for the association’s Cross-Team Award, which identifies “excellence in extension work that combines or integrates community resources and economic development activities with work in other program areas.”

The Extension Health Ambassadors program is funded by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Rural Health and Safety Education grant. The program uses an asset-based community development model, an approach that focuses on utilizing a community’s existing strengths to meet their own needs. Extension team members recruit volunteers in Mississippi, Phillips, Pope, Clark, Hempstead and Hot Spring counties and train them in the fundamentals of public health promotion and education. These volunteers then lead community health programming in their own counties, helping to extend the impact of extension health programming in rural communities.

“This strong collaborative partnership between Family and Consumer Sciences and Community, Professional and Economic Development staff demonstrates Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service’s commitment to community engagement at the local level,” said Bryan Mader, extension assistant professor of health and co-project director for the Extension Health Ambassadors program. “This ground-up approach works to assist communities in identifying and prioritizing needs using assets and resources available within and among the community and its residents.

“These approaches bridge the gap between diverse populations and improved health, and they also build capacity and human capital toward health promotion and the identification of strategies for reducing chronic disease,” Mader said.

For more information about the Community, Professional and Economic Development unit, visit their Arkansas Business and Communities webpage. To learn more about the Family and Consumer Sciences unit, visit the extension Life Skills and Wellness Resources webpage.

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. 

Registration for fall’s Walk Across Arkansas to open Aug. 26

LITTLE ROCK — The registration date for the Cooperative Extension Service’s biannual health initiative, Walk Across Arkansas, is fast approaching. Individual Arkansans are encouraged to form teams in their respective workplaces, neighborhoods or other communities and join the effort on Aug. 26.

START YOUR ENGINES — Registration for the fall iteration of Walk Across Arkansas will soon be open. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)

Heather Wingo, family and consumer sciences program associate for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the Cooperative Extension Service has been using Walk Across Arkansas to promote health and active lifestyle changes in the state for about 20 years.

“The program’s main goal is to increase physical activity,” Wingo said. “We’re working to help Arkansans overcome the state’s high obesity rates and combat chronic disease throughout individuals’ lifespans.”

During the eight-week session, individuals will log their daily total number of minutes of physical activity — which isn’t limited to walking. Running, gardening, playing or coaching a team sport — it all counts.

“A lot of Arkansans live close to parks or trails,” Wingo said. “It’s great when we see those being put to good use.”

During the spring 2024 Walk Across Arkansas, 65 teams — 346 participants — logged more than 986,000 minutes of activity over eight weeks.

The registration window for the fall session is Aug. 26 – Sept. 8. The eight-week session begins Sept. 9 and will conclude Nov. 3. To register, visit https://walk.uada.edu/walk/.

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.

La Ñina boosts the Panama Canal; Houthi threat drives up shipping costs through the Suez

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — While La Ñina is helping ease the traffic knots at the Panama Canal, repeated attacks by Houthis — some fatal — have driven shippers to find alternatives to the Suez Canal, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

More than a quarter of the soybeans grown in the U.S. are exported through the Panama Canal, says Ryan Loy, extension economist. (U of A System Division of Agricultre photo)

The Panama Canal is a key route for global trade, including for Arkansas commodities such as soybeans and corn. In March, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that traffic through the Panama Canal had dropped 49 percent since 2021 and 42 percent in the Suez Canal during the same period.

“About 26 percent of U.S. soybeans and 17 percent of U.S. corn is transported via the Panama Canal,” Loy said. “And this is important to us, especially in Arkansas, because a lot of our grain goes down the Mississippi River to the Port of New Orleans.”

Arkansas’s export soybeans and corn go through the Panama Canal to get to Asia, Loy noted.

Long-term drought across Central America was strangling the Panama Canal. While the passage connects two oceans, the water used to raise and lower ships between the coasts comes from Gatun Lake, a fresh water body. Each ship transit requires 52 million gallons of water. The lake fell to its lowest levels in five years last June, hitting 79.5 feet.

“It was a very dire situation,” Loy said. The alternative to the canal would mean sailing around Cape Horn at the bottom of South America, costly in fuel and fraught with dangerous weather.

Lower lake levels meant shallower water in the locks. The Panama Canal Authority ended up restricting the number of ships making transits. Ships that could make the trip had to carry less cargo to prevent their hulls from hitting bottom.

However, the return of La Ñina has meant replenishing rain for the lake and the canal authority has not only increased the number of ships allowed through, but also allowed heavier ships that sit more deeply in the water.

As of July 11, the canal authority was “increasing the number to 33 ships a day. Then on July 22, they’re going to allow 34 ships a day and on Aug. 5, they will open up one more spot for the Neopanamax ships.”

“Neopanamax” refers to the largest ships than can pass through the canal’s newest locks, which opened in 2016. These vessels can be up to 1,202 feet long, 168 feet wide and have a draft of 50 feet. Draft is the distance between the ship’s waterline and its lowest point.

“This is very close to what they used to do —  38 ships a day — so we’re getting close to normal,” Loy said.  “Just for comparison, in November 2023, they were at 24 ships a day, so you can see how much we’ve kind of improved since then.”

Should drought return the canal to its restricted state and if China’s soybean crop is poor, “that leaves Brazil an opportunity,” he said.

Brazil is a key rival to the U.S. for soybean trade and doesn’t rely on the Panama Canal.

“Brazil can come in and say, we don’t need the Panama Canal. We can transport our grain via rail and trucks to the Pacific. They have a lot of it and it’s much cheaper,” Loy said. “So those are the kind of implications of what could happen if the drought comes back.”

Suez Canal

The Suez Canal is a critical route, carrying an estimated 12-15 percent of global trade.

The Operational Land Imager on the Landsat 8 satellite acquired these images of the Suez Canal’s mid-section, showing the canal after expansion was completed in 2016. (Image courtesy NASA).

Since starting in November 2023, Houthi attacks in the Suez Canal have become fiercer, resulting in the deaths of four crewmembers from attacks on two ships, the MV True Confidence and the Tutor.

MarineTraffic.com, which tracks global shipping, reported a 79.6 percent reduction in dry bulk carriers — whose shipments include grain — passing through the Suez, just 24 ships in June, compared to 118 in June 2023. The amount of cargo passing through the canal in May was 44.9 million tons, down from 142.9 million tons in May 2023.

The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency said many shippers were opting to avoid the canal and the Houthis, including British Petroleum, Evergreen, CMA CGM, Hapag Loyd and Maersk.

Maersk resumed its use of the canal in June, since taking the the Cape of Good Hope route around the tip of South Africa added an estimated $1 million in fuel costs and one to two weeks in additional transit time, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. Rounding the cape is still perilous, with one ship running aground and another losing cargo, according to Bloomberg.

The Suez Canal’s decreased traffic meant the port authority’s yearly revenues were nearly halved, from $648 million last year to $337 million, Loy said.

“The areas surrounding this are also impacted, too, because people's jobs, people's livelihoods depend on traffic through the Suez Canal,” he said, and “that’s tough for that region.”

Houthis are only attacking ships affiliated with the U.S., Israel and their allies, affecting insurance premiums for the carriers.

“The total premium for U.S.-based cargo is 1.7 percent of total freight on board,” Loy said. “Because they’re not attacking Chinese ships, the Chinese premium is just 0.2 percent of the value of total freight on board.”

Where does this leave consumers?

“I'm surprised that we haven't seen much increase in items at the grocery store, even vehicles, or whatever it may be, anything besides grain, that are separate from our inflation issues,” Loy said. “The expected big ripple effect is having a little bit less of an impact than most people thought.”

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 Instagra.m.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. 

Invasive tick found in Boone County cattle, July 11 webinar to address concerns

By Sarah Cato
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK – A tick found in a Boone County cattle herd has been confirmed as the invasive Asian longhorned tick, known for carrying a parasite that can be deadly to cattle.

TICKING UP – Asian longhorned tick populations are increasing in Arkansas.

The Asian longhorned tick, also known as bush, cattle or scrub tick, was first found in Arkansas in 2018 on a dog in Benton County. The tick can kill its host by swarming the animal but can also transmit a protozoan parasite called Theileria orientalis. One Theileria genotype, Ikdea, can impact cattle by attacking blood cells.

Since its arrival in Arkansas, the Asian longhorned tick has been confirmed in Benton, Independence and Washington counties with Boone County added last month.

Three researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are collecting ticks as part of a broad surveillance project. They include extension entomologist Kelly Loftin; veterinarian and animal science professor Jeremy Powell; and assistant professor of entomology Emily McDermott. The team aims to evaluate the prevalence of Asian longhorned ticks in Arkansas, determine whether Theileria orientalis is present in the tick population and evaluate host preference.

“Surveillance efforts in 2024 began in April and we’ve seen a significant increase in the Asian longhorned tick population from both on-animal and environmental tick collections,” Loftin said. “In our 2023 collection efforts we found eight to 10 ticks at our site in Batesville and this year we found over 200. That site in Batesville has the most dramatic increase I’ve seen.”

In addition to the spread of the tick, more confirmed cases of Theileria orientalis have recently been confirmed in Arkansas cattle with Boone and Searcy counties reporting cases.

“Arkansas producers should be aware of the risk of Theileria infection in their cattle herd, but not alarmed,” said Maggie Justice, beef cattle extension specialist for the Division of Agriculture. “Understanding how the disease spreads and the best methods of prevention are important in helping herds, so it’s important producers utilize resources and knowledge available through their veterinarians and local county extension agents.”

Justice said cattle that are infected may look like those that have been impacted by anaplasmosis, a tick-borne disease common in Arkansas. She added that signs of sickness can make the animal appear weak and “off” with an abnormal attitude, not eating and decreasing gains.

The Division of Agriculture, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association are partnering to host a webinar to discuss how to look for the Asian longhorned tick, signs of Theileria orientalis infection, prevention methods and more.

The webinar will be at 6 p.m. on July 11 and is free to attend. Those interested 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.

McCullough earns 2024 Bonnie Teater Community Development Lifetime Achievement Award

HOUSTON — The Southern Rural Development Center has bestowed its 2024 Bonnie Teater Community Development Lifetime Achievement Award on Arkansas’ Stacey McCullough.

McCullough is assistant vice president-extension and head of the community, professional and economic development section of the Cooperative Extension Service. The extension service is the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The Southern Rural Development Center has honored Stacey McCullough as the 2024 recipient of the Bonnie Teater Community Development Lifetime Achievement Award. McCullough currently serves as an assistant vice president for community, professional and economic development at University of Arkansas System-Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service and the drector of the Public Policy Center at UADA. She has over 20 years of experience working with community and economic development at the local, regional, institutional, and national levels. (Image courtesy Southern Rural Development Center)

“I am incredibly honored to receive this award. I can’t imagine a more fulfilling career than working alongside people and communities to achieve their goals and dreams,” McCullough said. “The relationships with my colleagues from the Southern Rural Development Center and across the Cooperative Extension System have allowed me to grow and contribute to society in so many ways.”

The award, named for a retired member of the Southern Rural Development Center staff, recognizes superior lifetime work by an individual who has made an important contribution to extension community development. It was presented at the National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals conference, held June 17-20 in Houston.

“Stacey exhibits all the characteristics that this award was designed to recognize,” said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture for the University of Arkansas System and head of its Division of Agriculture. “Her portfolio, including scholarship and community impact, demonstrates that she is highly deserving of this distinguished recognition.”

Fields noted, in particular, McCullough’s leadership.

“Whether working on projects, serving on committees, or spearheading the development of new programs and opportunities for communities, Stacey leads by example,” Fields said “She always puts her team first, stands beside her team, and encourages them to work hard. Her servant leadership inspires others to achieve greatness while making a lasting impact that matters.”

McCullough was nominated by Hunter Goodman, assistant professor-community, workforce, and economic development, for the extension service.

“Dr. McCullough embodies the land-grant mission to higher education and the unique calling of extension to impact the lives of people and communities through research and best practices along with community voice,” Goodman wrote in his nomination. Since 2005, McCullough has been a program associate, instructor, assistant professor, director, interim associate department head, and currently assistant vice-president.

McCullough earned a doctorate in public policy from the University of Arkansas in 2012. She has served as extension’s director of community, professional and economic development since May 2020 and was named assistant vice president in 2022.

“This is well-earned recognition for Dr. McCullough,” said John Anderson, head of the Cooperative Extension Service. “She has a long-standing reputation for quality, impactful work and for leadership among her peers in the field of community economic development. And she built that reputation while serving the needs of stakeholders right here in Arkansas. 

“We are grateful to Dr. McCullough for her work on behalf of our organization and our state, and we are thrilled to see her contributions recognized by her peers with this prestigious honor,” he said.

In addition to her service, McCullough has helped develop numerous initiatives that focus on economic development, ballot issue education, and racial understanding. She has also served in active roles within several regional and national leadership organizations such as the Joint Council of Extension Professionals, National Association of Community Development Extension Professionals, and the Southern Region Program Leaders’ Network. McCullough’s experience has benefited the state of Arkansas with more than $3.5 million in grants.

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. 

Roofe elected Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics board speaker

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

CHICAGO — Nina Roofe has been elected to serve a one-year term as speaker of the house of delegates for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Roofe, assistant vice president for Family and Consumer Sciences for the Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, began her term on June 1 and will serve until May 31, 2025. She just completed a one-year term as speaker-elect.

“It has been an honor serving as speaker-elect this past year,” she said. “I look forward to leading the house of delegates this year. I work with the best of the best when it comes to movers and shakers in the world of dietetics and nutrition. Together we can achieve great results.”

Nina Roofe, of Conway, Arkansas, will serve as the speaker of the house of delegates for a national nutrition and dietetics organization. She is head of Family and Consumer Sciences for the Cooperative Exension Service. (U of A System Division of Agriuclture photo)

Roofe said she and the other board members listen to, identify, and respond to critical issues facing the profession of nutrition and dietetics.

“Currently we are engaged with two issues. In one, we are mobilizing educators, professionals, and industry experts across the nation to ascertain how to best use artificial intelligence in classrooms and worksites, and to solve challenges ethically and innovatively,” she said.

“For the second issue, we are studying the issue of student enrollment in dietetics and nutrition programs at all levels nationwide to determine how much of the decline is due to the shift in demographics versus other factors like the mandatory master’s degree, pay scale, or perceived respect by others on the healthcare team,” Roofe said.

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Board of Directors for 2024-2025 are: 

• Carl Barnes, MS, RDN, LDN, Director-at-Large (Rockville, Maryland)
  Barnes is the executive director of The Wholesome Village Inc., in Germantown, Maryland, and the president of United Nutrition Group LLC and Chow Solutions LLC, both in Kensington, Maryland.

• Don Bradley, MD, MHS, CL, Public Member (Durham, North Carolina)
  Bradley is a consulting professor at Duke University School of Medicine and core faculty member at the Duke Margolis Institute for Health Policy. He retired from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina in 2014 after serving as senior vice president for health care and chief medical officer.

• Deanne Brandstetter, MBA, RDN, CDN, FAND, President-elect (Naples, Florida)
  Brandstetter is vice president of nutrition and wellness at Compass Group North America, a global food service company, author of numerous scientific journal articles and book chapters, and a speaker to professional and consumer groups.

• Harlivleen "Livleen" Gill, MBA, RDN, LDN, FAND, President (Bethesda, Maryland)
  Gill is president and CEO of Apostle Group LLC, a consulting company that provides innovative solutions to clients in health care, food and nutrition. She is also the CEO of The Wholesome Village Inc., a non-profit centered on equitable access to healthful foods.

• Amanda Goldman, MS, RD, LD, FAND, Treasurer (Lexington, Kentucky)
  Goldman is the system vice president of Food and Nutrition Services at CommonSpirit Health, where she leads the overall food service and clinical nutrition operations for their national program.

• Leslene Gordon, PhD, RDN, LDN, Director-at-Large (Lutz, Florida)
  Gordon retired in 2023 as the Hillsborough County community health director for the Florida Department of Health, where she had worked since 2005. She is an affiliate assistant professor at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health.

• RoseAnna Holliday, PhD, MPH, RDN, LD, FAND, Speaker-elect (Twin Falls, Idaho)
  Holliday is an assistant professor and former chair of the department of health sciences human services at the College of Southern Idaho.

• Suzanne Jiménez, MS, RDN, LND, Director-at-Large (Guaynabo, Puerto Rico)
  Jiménez is a public health dietitian and currently works at Head Start/Early Head Start Quintana Baptist Church, providing nutrition-related services and education to program participants, families and staff.

• Sherri Jones, MS, MBA, RDN, LDN, FAND, House of Delegates Director (Wexford, Pennsylvania)
  Jones was a clinical nutrition manager for 13 years before transitioning into quality improvement in 2012 and earning her Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality national certification in 2020. She was formerly the quality manager at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside.

• Young Hee Kim, MS, RD, LDN, CNSC, FAND, House of Delegates Director (Windsor Locks, Connecticut)
  Kim most recently worked as a clinical nutrition manager from 2012 to 2023 at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts.

• Marcy Kyle, RDN, LD, FAND, Foundation Chair (Rockport, Maine)
  Kyle provides nutrition counseling via telehealth for the diabetes management and nutrition programs at Eastport Health Care (EHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center in rural Maine, and nutrition education for Penobscot Bay YMCA and EHC distance Diabetes Prevention Programs.

• Ainsley Malone, MS, RDN, LD, FAND, Past Speaker (New Albany, Ohio)
  Malone is a clinical practice specialist with the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.

• Patty Riskind, MBA, Public Member (Chicago)
  Riskind is a healthcare technology leader and most recently served as the chief executive officer and is now the board chair of Orbita.

• Christina Rollins, MBA, MS, RD, LD, FAND, Treasurer-elect (Rochester, Illinois)
  Rollins is the owner of Rollins Nutrition, LLC. She is also the finance administrator in the Department of Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.

• Nina Roofe, PhD, RDN, LD, FAND, Speaker (Conway, Arkansas)
  Roofe is the assistant vice president for Family and Consumer Sciences at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service in Little Rock, Ark.

• Tracy Wilczek, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, House of Delegates Director (Boston)
  Wilczek is a regional wellness director with FLIK Hospitality in Boston.

• Lauri Wright, PhD, RDN, LDN, FAND, Past President (Tampa, Florida)
  Wright is an associate professor and the director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health.

• Krista Yoder, MPH, RDN, LDN, FAND, Past Treasurer (Miami Beach, Florida)
  Yoder is the chief operating officer of Eat Ahara®.

• Wylecia Wiggs Harris, PhD, CAE, Chief Executive Officer (Chicago)
  Harris has oversight of all entities under the Academy's umbrella and is also the chief executive officer of the Academy's Foundation.

Representing more than 112,000 credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals.

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 the Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.