Arkansas strawberries are ready now

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

NEWPORT, Ark. — If you love fresh Arkansas strawberries, farmer Bill Landreth has a simple message: Come and get ‘em now!

A relatively warm winter and spring has prompted some farms to have strawberries three weeks earlier than usual. Landreth, who owns Berries by Bill in Jackson County, is no exception.

AVAILABLE NOW — Arkansas strawberries are ready for picking now. (U of A System Division of Agriclture file photo).

“On average, we’d start picking somewhere around April 20 or 25th,” Landreth said. This year, “I started a week ago, Friday,” which was April 5.

“Eight out of ten phone calls I get during the day are asking ‘when will your berries be ready?’” Landreth said. “I tell them we started picking a week ago.”

“I don’t even have that many peddlers calling,” he said, referring to people who buy his berries and sell them on the roadside. “Usually, they pester the dickens out of you.”

“Eight out of ten phone calls I get during the day are asking ‘when will your berries be ready?’” Landreth said. “I tell them we started picking a week ago.”

“I don’t even have that many peddlers calling,” he said, referring to people who buy his berries and sell them on the roadside. “Usually, they pester the dickens out of you.”

Early wake-up call

Amanda McWhirt, extension specialist-horticulture crops for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said warm temperatures from late February and into March were an early wake-up call for berry plants. The plants take about 30 days from bloom to ripe fruit.

“Plants ‘woke’ up earlier and started flowering,” she said. “We were able to protect blooms through several freezes.”

Landreth said he worries about whether the three-week-early start will also mean a three-week-earlier-end to the season, with regular buyers missing out because of the shift.

Earlier farmers market starts?

Matthew Davis, Jackson County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said “customer volume is a big factor for these groups — the strawberries, peaches, any fruit and vegetable crop this year.

“Farmers markets could open sooner this year along with many roadside stands if weather is favorable,” Davis said.

He said fruit and vegetable growers, are always at the mercy of Mother Nature. Severe weather that usually happens in the spring can have a major impact on an early harvest, like this year.

“Call your producers now and check in to see if early harvest may happen. Waiting may not be a good option with the unpredictable nature of the weather,” Davis said. We could have a storm tomorrow with hail and lose all production instantly. Currently, strawberries are moving readily for our area, but we may see other items potentially move up later in the season."

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.

The eclipse is coming: Are agricultural communities prepared?

By the U of A System Division of Agriculture

KNOW THE ZONE — On April 8, between noon and 4 p.m., the earth’s moon will completely eclipse the sun for about four minutes over any given location in its path. For Arkansas, this will mean a shadow approximately 118 miles wide, stretching from the southwest corner of the state to its northwest corner. The shadow is expected to begin near De Queen at 1:46 p.m., CDT, and exit the state at about 2:00 p.m. near Pocahantas, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation. (Graphic courtesy ArDOT.)

NEWPORT, Ark. — A tourism event unlike any other will be darkening the skies across Arkansas — and many other states in its path — in just a few months. And while the Great North American Eclipse will be something of an unescapable spectacle, rural and agricultural communities will likely see an influx of traffic as enthusiasts seek the open skies of farmlands.

On April 8, between noon and 4 p.m., the Earth’s moon will completely eclipse the sun for about four minutes over any given location in its path. For Arkansas, this will mean a shadow approximately 118 miles wide, stretching from the southwest corner of the state to its northeast corner. The shadow is expected to begin near DeQueen at 1:46 p.m., CDT, and exit the state at about 2:00 p.m. near Pocahontas, according to the Arkansas Department of Transportation.

People throughout the region are expected to flock to the path of totality, including agricultural areas such as Jackson County, Arkansas. Matthew Davis, staff chair for the Jackson County Cooperative Extension Service, recently appeared before the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce, urging its members to begin thinking about how best to prepare residents for the possible influx of motorists.

“The concern is that local, county and state two-lane highways typically used by sizeable farming equipment — sometimes exceeding 20-foot widths — will be potentially full of additional vehicles,” Davis said. “People using these less-trafficked roads as places to pull off to view the eclipse could be concerning to farmers with agriculture production starting at that time.”

“Up to 1.5 million people are expected to travel from outside the state into Arkansas, along with 500,000 Arkansans who will travel from their residences to the path of totality, for a total of 2 million people who will visit the viewing area,” according to an October 2023 report from ArDOT.

To prepare, Davis had recommendations for both motorists as well as farmers, many of whom will still be preparing fields and planting crops in April.

Here are a few things to consider when planning your routes as a farmer:

1. Make sure the lights are legal and working.

2. Hazard lights and slow-moving vehicle signage need to be visible.

3. Proceed with caution when entering and exiting highways.

4. Use "follow cars" with flashing lights to alert traffic.

5. Verify that attachments are secured, lights are functioning, and equipment widths and heights are noted.

6. If traffic stops, pull over, seek assistance, or remain until traffic clears. 

7. Limit equipment movement during the day of the eclipse. Move equipment to areas that would provide a full day of work without the need to move equipment if possible. 

Here are a few things for drivers to consider:

1. Slow down when approaching equipment.

2. Watch for hand signs or turn signals.

3. Refrain from attempting to overtake machinery by speeding past.

4. Watch for flashing lights or slow-moving vehicle signage. 

5. Only pull out in front of slow-moving vehicles after verifying that the slow-moving vehicle is a safe distance away and the road is clear enough to do so. Large equipment cannot stop as quickly as a motor vehicle. Always be cautious and verify safe operating distances to maintain space between yourself and the machinery. 

6. Slow-moving vehicles may be unable to use the shoulders, and you should not expect them to use them. 

7. Share the road.

8. Avoid stopping on shoulders or private drives. 

Davis said he wanted to address the Newport Area Chamber of Commerce out of an abundance of caution, but that it should still be taken seriously.

“Undoubtedly, we will get through this event, and it will be a footnote in the history of Jackson County,” Davis said. “Even beyond the event, we need to maintain these safe practices as we cooperate with the farmers and industry of our area.”

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.