Armed to Farm programs help military veterans, establish connections

By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Veterans and other beginning farmers face numerous challenges getting into agriculture. Much goes into the development and management of any kind of agricultural business: from planning the business entity, to liability considerations, to marketing and running the operation.

Rusty Rumley, senior staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, is a frequent presenter at Armed to Farm events, which provide training to military veterans as they get started in agriculture. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image)

In the U.S., more than 289,000 farms have producers with military service, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. These farms account for more than 108 million acres of land throughout the country.

Veterans pursuing agriculture as a business may require training and want support as they get started in their new journey. A program from the National Center for Appropriate Technology fills that need: Armed to Farm.

Launched in 2013, Armed to Farm’s purpose is to provide training, resources and opportunities to military veterans as they get started in agriculture, connecting them to invaluable resources.

“Across the country, there are veterans who want to start a new business opportunity in farming,” Margo Hale, Armed to Farm program director, said. “Our program provides not only a solid foundation in the basic principles of operating a sustainable farming enterprise, but also a support system they can rely on throughout their farming journey. We want to see them succeed in reaching their goals.”

Armed to Farm training events are hosted frequently at locations across the U.S. At the events, veterans learn about farming and sustainable agriculture, develop goals for their business and connect with other veterans and farmers.

Rusty Rumley, a senior staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, or NALC, is a frequent presenter at Armed to Farm events, having spoken at trainings nationwide over the past decade. He said there is a lot of ground to cover in these presentations, as getting started in agricultural business is no small feat.

“I talk about business entities, landowner liability, ag leasing and more with veterans at these events,” he said. “I always receive great questions, too. Helping these veterans learn about the process of starting an ag business and connecting them to other resources is something the NALC is very proud to be a part of.”

Rumley’s presentations utilize research materials published on the NALC website, which is regularly updated. Much of this research is stored in the NALC’s numerous “Reading Rooms.” The Reading Rooms cover a range of agricultural subjects, many of which Rumley has developed over the years. These include topics of interest to new farmers, such as business organizations, agritourism, and landowner liability. Information on topics such as these is crucial in helping veterans in their new endeavor.

“There’s so much to cover, it’s important we have resources available on our website to help those who need it, too,” he said.

Hale said that while the workshops conclude after a week, their impact lasts much longer.

“It’s amazing to see veterans from our program go on to build up and improve their agricultural businesses,” Hale said. “The connections they make during Armed to Farm workshops last well beyond the workshops themselves, too.”

Rumley will next speak at an Armed to Farm workshop in Harrisonburg, Virginia, on Aug. 14-15.

A full list of upcoming Armed to Farm events can be found online.

Census of Ag shows increased spending on cover crops, more no-till acres

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

File photo of Hunter Biram speaking at a conference. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

LITTLE ROCK — More farmers seem to be adopting cover crops and no-till, according to data from the 2022 Census of Agriculture.

“Cover crops expense is up across the United States, which suggests farmers are adopting more climate-smart practices, whether it be for participation in the carbon market, participation in government programs, or to rebuild and maintain soil health to conserve the land upon which they farm,” said Hunter Biram, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“According to the Ag Census, there were nearly 18 million acres that have cropland planted to a cover crop in 2022 compared to 15.4 million acres reported by the 2017 Ag Census,” he said. “In Arkansas, there were about 20,000 more acres planted to a cover crop on a little over 100 more farms compared to the 2017 Ag Census.”

Biram said the number of farms on which no-till practices were used increased by nearly 21,000 across the United States on about 750,000 more acres compared to 2017.

“There were also about 6.6 million fewer acres upon which intensive or conventional tillage practices were used,” he said. “These patterns were mirrored in Arkansas at 23,600 more acres under no-till practices and 379,000 less acres under conventional tillage practice.”

Arkansas reported 3.7 million acres of cropland acreage under conservation practices across all categories of cropland acreage. This is an increase of over a half-million acres compared to the 2017 Ag Census.

‘Something’s got to give’

One farmer who has made the change is Greg Hart, who grows corn, wheat and soy, and raises cattle in Conway County in the sandy bottoms of Cadron Creek.

Greg Hart, right, and his brother Todd, left. The two farm as Hart & Sons Farm LLC, in Conway County, Arkansas. (image courtesy the Hart family)

“I'm always trying to find a better way of doing things,” Hart said. “Several years back when diesel fuel got to be $3 to $4 a gallon for farm fuel and fertilizer was up to $1,000 a ton, you look around and think, ‘how am I going to keep doing this? Something’s got to give.’”

He was already using cover crops in his cattle pastures and moved to cover crops and no-till for all of his crops. He’s seen the amount of soil organic matter increasing and has been able to reduce the amount of herbicides and fertilizers he puts into the fields.

However, “the single biggest benefit is the water-holding capacity,” he said. When the drought hit in 2023, “I thought these beans were going to burn up in no time. They stayed green and they kept growing for three weeks when a lot of people’s beans were just hurting bad.

“Two or three weeks of that flash drought is all it takes to kill a crop,” he said. Having that water holding capacity might mean losing “five bushels instead of 50 and that right there is the difference between making money and losing money.”

ROLLIN' — Planting into rolled ryegrass is part of Greg Hart's use of cover crops and no-till tactics on his Conway County, Arkansas, farm. (Image courtesey Greg Hart)

The increased water-holding capacity has decreased the “amount of times you have to water and how much diesel you’ve got to burn to water” ground set up for irrigation, Hart said.

Moving to no-till and cover cropping does require some changes.

“When people get done harvesting they kind of want to be done for the year,” Hart said. “But basically you have to plant another crop.”

Hart’s no-till approach has been so successful, “we actually have sold the tillage equipment and added better residue management to our combine.”

No-till doesn’t look like conventional farming which starts with a clean field.

“I was literally planting corn in rye that was as tall as the tractor cab,” Hart said. “Your mind is thinking, ‘this isn’t going to work.’”

The cereal rye, or other cover crop, then gets flattened by a roller.

“It looks like you laid a blanket on top of the ground and as soon as that soil warms up enough, little plants, they just start popping up through that mat and within a week I mean they're just off to the races,” he said.

Fewer tractor hours

Nick Moore, who grows corn, wheat and soybeans in the Arkansas River bottoms in Conway County, said no-till slows the flow of money out of his operation and “just saves hours in the day.”

“It’s not like I’m fishing more,” he said with a laugh, but “we went from putting 900 to 1,000 hours a year on a tractor. Now maybe you spend 100 to 300 hours. It’s due to not having to plow every acre like we used to.”

Edward Moore with his grandson. Moore is father to Nick Moore, a Conway County farmer who uses no-till in his operation. Moore, 66, still gets to run the tractor on acres where no-till isn't the right fit.  (image courtesy the Moore family)

For Moore’s operation, tilling is now confined to smaller 20- to 40-acre plots — areas where he conducts row irrigation.

“My dad, Edward Moore, who’s in his late 60s, has been on the tractor all his life. He’s from that generation where you till everything,” Moore said. “He gets those little 20s and 40s and he’s like the kid in the candy store.”

Like Hart, Moore appreciates that the no-till residue “might slow the evaporation some,” even if it doesn’t protect against a two-month-long drought. He’s also good at keeping soil temperatures a little cooler in the summer, though in spring that same effect “kind of stunts the corn a little.”

Benefits to farmers

Trent Roberts, professor of soil fertility-soil testing, said both cover crops and use of no-till can be beneficial.

“I believe the biggest benefit from cover crops and increased soil health is input reduction,”  Roberts said. “Very few producers will see an increase in yield on irrigated ground, but many see yield increases in non-irrigated ground.”

For farmers, “inputs” include items such as fertilizer, irrigation, fuel, seeds and herbicides.

However, “after several years of cover crops and no-tillage, farmers are able to reduce inputs while maintaining yields — therefore increasing profitability,” Roberts said.

Roberts said that “no-till reduces fuel, labor and tractor wear, which is huge and almost always more than covers the costs associated with the cover crops.”

“In many places, farmers are reducing the number of times they have to irrigate from six to eight times down to three to four times, which is a huge cost and water savings,” Roberts said.

Weed management

No- and low-till systems can help farmers manage weeds, said Tom Barber, a weed scientist who is extension’s interim head of agriculture and natural resources for the Division of Agriculture.

 “Cotton and soybean farmers seem to be the most interested in cover crops for various reasons,” he said. “We have several years of data showing that cover crops, specifically cereal rye can be a very effective cultural practice to manage multiple herbicide-resistant Palmer amaranth, better known as pigweed. Cover crops such as cereal rye also aid water infiltration into the soil and prevent wind/sand damage when cotton and soybean are in seedling growth stages.  

“No-till is not as common as reduced tillage across the state, but both can help reduce weed emergence,” Barber said. The downside is that no-till systems rely mainly on herbicides for weed control, especially if a cover crop is not planted. 

“This significantly increases herbicide applications and exposure and thus, aids in the development of herbicide-resistant weeds, therefore it becomes more critical to utilize cover crops on these no-till acres,” he said. 

If farmers are considering shifting to no-till production practices, proactive management plans for troublesome herbicide-resistant weeds such as pigweed should be in place prior to making a major shift in current production practices.

Find more information about using cover crops online. 

The Census of Agriculture, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, offers a very broad snapshot of the farming sector in its 757 pages. The latest version, 2022 Census of Agriculture, was released Feb. 13. The previous version was released in 2017.

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.

Wayne Sanderson Farms to invest $43 million in new Danville feed mill

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

Oakwood, Ga.-based Wayne Sanderson Farms announced Tuesday (Feb. 27) it is building a $43 million feed mill at the company’s processing plant in Danville, Ark., with completion expected in April 2025. The new operation is estimated to add 15 jobs.

The mill, to be built on 21 acres next to the processing plant, will support 125 poultry farms in the region, according to the company. The mill is estimated to produce 8,500 tons of feed a week, with some of the raw materials purchased from local row crop farmers.

“Farming and poultry are the economic drivers here,” Toby Tapp, Danville complex manager, said in a statement. “Poultry is big business in Yell County and across the region. We just took the mayor, city administrator, county judge and other officials on a tour of the construction site and we’re getting lots of support – the entire community is excited to see construction begin.”

Wayne Sanderson Farms to invest $43 million in new Danville feed mill

Computer rendering of the planned new feed mill in Danville, Ark.

New UA ag economist to help farmers assess risk

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Andrew Anderson.

Volatile weather patterns, fueled by climate change, geopolitical strife like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, spiraling commodities markets, and other factors impact farmers each season. They have to weigh these risk factors when deciding what crops to grow.

A new economist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is doing research to help farmers assess those risks.

“Any farmer will tell you that farming is a lot like gambling,” said Andrew Anderson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “To be able to have policies that are created understanding that risky environment is really important.”

New UA ag economist to help farmers assess risk

Farming opportunity seekers network with farmers March 9 in Fayetteville

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — People seeking experience on a working farm will have a chance to meet with farmers at a Center for Arkansas Farms and Food networking event on March 9.

FARM OPPS — Farm School students work the land at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food in Fayetteville. A networking event will be held March 9 at Ozark Natural Foods. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

The Farm Opportunities Mixer will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. that Thursday at Ozark Natural Foods Co-Op’s Taproom, 380 N. College Ave., in Fayetteville.

Heather Friedrich, assistant director for the center, said one major constraint to a small farm’s operations and expansion is labor. The event is intended to bring together farmers who are looking for farm workers and anyone interested in farm employment or experience opportunities, she added.

Complimentary food and drinks will be provided by Ozark Natural Foods.

On March 12, the center will also offer an in-person class on winter maintenance as part of Growers School programming. The class is $10 and will be held at 1005 Meade St. at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville.

Registration for the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food events can be done at NWAFarming.org.

The center’s Beginning Farmer classes are available online to the public for $10 each. They last about two hours. Recordings of the classes are available for those who register at BeginningFarmer.org.

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. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Hallie Shoffner returns to her roots; pushes for environmentally friendly farm practices

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Hallie Shoffner grew up on a farm near the township of Shoffner, named for her family in rural Jackson County. When she left to attend college at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., she decided to study one of her passions, literature.

After graduating, she received a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and went to work at a nonprofit in North Little Rock that focused on the local Hispanic community. She loved her job, but the row crop fields in the Arkansas Delta kept calling her home, she told Talk Business & Politics.

Her parents, John and Wendy Shoffner, started SFR Seed in 1988, a soybean and rice research farm. Among other things, the company specializes in new seed plot trials. Shoffner decided to return to the family business in 2016, which included a 1,500-acre farm.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/12/hallie-shoffner-returns-to-her-roots-pushes-for-environmentally-friendly-farm-practices/

Henry: Next 30 days critical for irrigators, crops and equipment

MAKING IT RAIN — Irrigation pivot running in Marvell, Arkansas, on July 17, 2022, as drought deepened in Arkansas. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower)

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

STUTTGART, Ark. — If there’s one message Chris Henry has for Arkansas row crop farmers during the drought, it’s “don’t get in a hurry.”

Henry, professor and water management engineer for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has posted a handout with a variety of tactics aimed at helping farmers get the most crop they can with what irrigation is available. Additional information can be found in a fact sheet series on Arkansas crop irrigation.

“The next 30 days will be critical for many irrigators, as fatigues sets in, and many crops are still at or entering high water demand,” Henry said. “However, there are things that farmers can do to mitigate both the human and plant stress being experienced.”  

Arkansas has experienced a broken string of days with highs in the triple digits, with rain in short supply. The U.S. Drought monitor map of July 19 showed all of Arkansas experiencing some form of drought. The Climate Prediction Center’s extended outlook issued July 21 showed most of Arkansas with temperatures well above normal. However, the CPC’s precipitation outlook was more promising, with the northern two-thirds of the state possibly seeing above-average amounts.

Henry’s tactics include:

• Using a computerized hole selection program such as Pipe Planner, Rice Irrigation or PHAUCET to help plan water distribution across the field. Henry said use of these programs can reduce pump time by between 10 percent and 50 percent.

• Plan to be patient. Henry said water is drawn down from wells and reservoirs, pumps have to lift water further. “Expect to take longer to irrigate a set or flood up a field and adjust accordingly,” he said. “Some alluvial wells can drop off as much as 50 percent and it’s not uncommon for relifts to fall off 30 percent as we get to the bottom.”

• Soil sensors are still relevant. “It’s not too late to incorporate sensors into irrigation management,” Henry said. “Using sensors to determine the last irrigation of the season is the largest payback of monitoring soil moisture, it almost always saves at least one irrigation and allows for planning ahead of dwindling irrigation supplies.”

Even with one or two sets of sensors — for less than $500 — estimating the number of irrigations left can be done for the entire enterprise. “In a drought year like 2022, sensors can save both water and profitability,” Henry said.

• Irrigate deeply. Instead of flushing fields with limited water, try to fill the profile up when irrigating, Henry said. “This will encourage the roots to go deeper for water and reduce the number of sets for the season-saving on precious labor.”

• Check those pumps. Drought is prompting farmers to run their irrigation pumps beyond the typical 800 hours a year.

“For diesel power units, oil changes and greasing propeller shafts may seem obvious, but changing the oil in the gear head is often overlooked,” Henry said. He also urged farmers with electric motors to be sure to use both the correct lubrication and amount. “If the oil in the sight window is black or white, there is a high risk of bearing failure.”

The fact sheet provides additional guidance, tables and example calculations, on how to estimate crop demand and the amount and number of irrigations needed for reservoirs and wells as supplies draw down. 

“Heat stress and heat exhaustion awareness are real threats to safely sustaining irrigation, keep ample water to employees and yourself and don’t get in a hurry, it may take more time to do things safely,” Henry said.

 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. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Arkansas Remains Largest Rice Producing State

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas is easily the top rice producing state and it’s no surprise it leads the nation in rice exports, according to the State Agricultural Trade database released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Rice exports accounted for $722 million of the state’s total of $3.1 billion in agricultural exports, the report stated. Scott Stiles, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture said that of the $3.1 billion 78%, or $2.4 billion, was attributed to plant products. The report covers the 2019 calendar year.

According to the report, following are the commodities ranked by their respective contribution to the total export value.
• Rice — $722 million
• Soybeans — $679.3 million
• Cotton — $427.3 million
• Other feed grains: barley, oats, sorghum — $73.2 million
• Corn — $71.4 million

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/arkansas-remains-largest-rice-producing-state/

Early Soybean and Corn Planting Set to Begin

by Talk Business & Politics staff

Anecdotal reports from growers across Arkansas indicate corn producers are eager to take advantage of clear weather as it occurs. Jason Kelley, extension wheat and feed grains agronomist for the Division of Agriculture, said fields in the southern part of the state are already seeing scattered activity.

“There are areas of south Arkansas where some producers have a substantial amount of corn planted,” Kelley said. “Some might even be close to done planting, while their neighbors haven’t even begun to plant yet. A lot of this corn was planted within the last week to 10 days. Calendar-wise, that’s still pretty early. With the warm weather earlier this week, a lot of that corn is already coming up out of the ground.”

Early planting is a gamble for growers. Early planted crops often have superior yields, compared to late-planted crops. In corn, however, those yields hinge on successfully establishing a stand. In years when spring brings heavy or recurring, intermittent rainfall, stands may be less than ideal, resulting in a lower yield from early planting.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/03/early-soybean-and-corn-planting-set-to-begin/

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

By ANTOINETTE GRAJEDA

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

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