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.

Four States Ag Expo offers growers, producers latest research-based information

(Division of Agriculture photo)

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

TEXARKANA, Ark. – The Four States Agricultural Expo returns Feb. 13, bringing together growers and producers from Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma area to learn about the latest research and resources available for commercial horticulture, livestock and forages, integrated pest management, home gardening, lawn, pond management, and more.

The expo is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. at the Four States Fairgrounds, 3700 E. 50th Street in Texarkana. Registration begins at 7:30 a.m. All growers and producers from the four-state region are invited. The expo is free, open to the public, and includes lunch. No registration is required. Lunch will be provided by Farm Credit of Western Arkansas and Texas Farm Bureau - Bowie County. Sponsors and donors include Cavender’s Texarkana and Simmons Bank-Jonathan Shumate.

The event is a joint project of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, with experts from both agencies presenting workshops throughout the day.

“We usually have around 350 people attend,” said Jennifer Caraway, Miller County extension agent. “Every year we offer a variety of agricultural sessions about livestock and forages, row crops, horticulture, commercial horticulture, timber and wildlife management, and pond management."

Continuing education units — CEUs — are available for licensed pesticide applicators. Texas pesticide applicators pay $10 for up to five hours of CEU credits. Arkansas pesticide applicator training will be available at the expo. The cost is $65, with $20 paid to Miller County Cooperative Extension and $45 paid to Arkansas State Plant Board to obtain a five-year license.

Concurrent programs will begin at 8:30 a.m. and include the following topics and speakers: 

8:30 a.m.

• Managing Vegetation in Farm Ponds – Tyson Keese, pond management program specialist, Texas A&M.

• Vaccination Protocols for Beef Cattle – Meg Harrington, NAH Livestock Consulting.

• Production & Management of Blueberries – Tim Hartman, assistant professor, extension specialist, integrated pest management Texas A&M 

9:45 a.m.

• Alternative Forages for Livestock – Jonathan Kubesch, extension forage specialist, Division of Agriculture.

• The Fate of Dicamba and Rice Weed Control – Bob Scott, extension weed scientist, Division of Agriculture.

• Production and Management of Tomatoes – John Gavin, Bradley County extension agent, Division of Agriculture.

• Beekeeping 101 – Garrett Slater, assistant professor and apiculture extension entomologist, Texas A&M.

11 a.m.

• Managing Fish Populations in Farm Ponds – Tyson Keese, Texas A&M.

• Treating Common Diseases in Beef Cattle – Robert Bonner, DVM, Nashville Animal Hospital.

• Production and Management of Peaches – Tim Hartmann, Texas A&M.

Noon-1 p.m.: Lunch 

1 p.m.

• Safe Use of Pesticides Around the Farm – Bob Scott, extension weed scientist, Division of Agriculture.

• Grassy Weed Control in Pastures and Hay – Chad Cummings, Texas A&M county extension agent-agriculture and natural resources.

• Pests, Pathogens, Pesticides, and Poor Nutrition and Their Impact on Bee Hives – Garrett Slater, Texas A&M.

2:15 p.m.

• Broadleaf Weed Control in Pasture and Hay – Chad Cummings, Texas A&M.

• Arkansas Pesticide Applicator Training – Jennifer Caraway, Miller County agricultural extension agent, Division of Agriculture.

• Texas Auxin Training – Brian Triplett, county agent-agriculture and natural resources, Texas A&M.

For more information about the expo, contact the Miller County Extension office at 870-779-3609. To learn more about Division of Agriculture 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.

Free school breakfast up for debate in Arkansas Legislature

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

On Monday, a legislative committee plans to discuss a bill to make breakfast free for all public school students in Arkansas.

Flickr Image

Perhaps the largest restaurant in the state of Arkansas is the Little Rock School District. Serving thousands of kids, breakfast and lunch, five days a week, nutritionist Stephanie Walker-Hynes says a lot of work goes into meal planning, because children, she says, “eat with their eyes.” The food has to look appealing.

“Because you don't want your tray to be bland,” she said. “You don't want to serve starchy vegetables all the time. And so we also want to make sure we have a variety and we are advancing the palate.”

Free school breakfast up for debate in Arkansas Legislature

Free Youth Deer Tags Available at AGFC.com

The first segment of the 2024-25 Arkansas youth deer hunting season takes place this weekend, and many young guns will be celebrating their first deer hunting trip, first deer of the season and the beginning of their conservation journey as a hunter. Make sure they have all the tools for success, including the deer tags they will need to use to check their harvest with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

To obtain youth deer tags, your youth hunter will need to have their own account in the AGFC licensing system. Visit www.agfc.com and click “Get a License” on the top right hand corner of the website. Youth licensing options only appear under youth accounts, so if your youth hunter already has an account from previous years, be sure to sign in under their account. If you’ve never set up an account for your new hunter, click the “Create an Account” button to set them up. Their free deer tags will be listed under the Hunting section of the license system and will have the license code #YDT for residents and #YDTN for non-residents.

If you use the AGFC smartphone app, be sure to log out of your name and log into the youth’s account to obtain and use the youth’s deer tags.

Once their deer tags are obtained, youths will check their harvest just like adults. They may use the mobile app, www.agfc.com or call 833-289-2469 to check their deer at the location of harvest, and as long as their deer remains within their immediate vicinity until it is home, it does not need to be tagged with a physical tag. If you are unable to immediately check your deer through one of the three options (app, website or phone), you must place a temporary physical tag on the deer indicating the hunter’s name, customer identification number, date, time, zone or WMA of harvest and the method they used. This paper tag must stay with the deer until it is checked. Hunters have 12 hours after the time of harvest to check their deer.

UAMS to Host Health Care Technology, Data Science Summer Camp for 10th Graders in Northwest Arkansas

By David Wise

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is hosting a two-week summer day camp for rising 10th grade students in Northwest Arkansas who are interested in learning about STEM and data science as it relates to the health care field.

The Arkansas Technology and Data Science in Health & Medicine (AR Tech DaSH) camp will be held June 3-14 on the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville. Spots are limited to 25 students, and the deadline to register is April 12. Registration is available online at https://medicine.uams.edu/neurobiology/outreach/ar-tech-dash/.

The free, 10-day summer camp incorporates imaging technologies and a data science curriculum focused on health and medicine. Students who complete the AR Tech DaSH camp will be designated as STEM Ambassadors and will be expected to participate in limited community outreach activities during off-school hours during the next academic year. Program staff will also provide a short series of college preparation sessions for the STEM Ambassadors.

UAMS to Host Health Care Technology, Data Science Summer Camp for 10th Graders in Northwest Arkansas