News - November 2018

Giblets: What to do with that packet of stuff you find inside the turkey

TEXARKANA, Ark. – Anyone who has cooked a turkey purchased from the grocery store has found it: that mysterious packet in the bird’s cavity filled with equally mysterious items known as “the giblets.”

Independence County 4-H spearheads decades-old holiday food donation program

BATESVILLE, Ark. – As the December holidays approach, members of Independence County 4-H will be working to continue a decades-old tradition of charitable giving within their community.

Helpful hacks ease holiday finance stress

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Costly gifts can add unwelcomed stress to the holidays but following some simple tips and tricks can help you focus on family, not finances, this Christmas.

Have more joy, less stress for the holidays

LITTLE ROCK— The holiday season is in full swing. Between shopping for presents and holiday parties, it’s easy for your holiday schedule to seem overwhelming. Add in the additional expenses of gifts and travel, and the holiday season can seem more stressful than merry.

Dealing with loss during the holiday season

LITTLE ROCK— The holiday season is supposed to be a joyous one, but it can often feel just the opposite for those who have recently experienced the loss of a loved one.

Mark your calendar: the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show will be here before you know it

LITTLE ROCK – This holiday season, make your presents about being present.  As the temperatures drop and we see the occasional dusting of snow, remember: spring is around the corner, and the 2019 Arkansas Flower and Garden Show will be here before you know it.

Soil scientists prepare to mark 350 years since discovery of ‘cold fire’

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — In 1669, alchemist Hennig Brandt was looking for the “philosopher’s stone,” a legendary device believed to be able to turn base metals into gold. So it was quite by accident that he discovered “cold fire.”

AmeriCorps’s National Civilian Community Corps lends its strength to the Arkansas 4-H Center

LITTLE ROCK – A team of 10 AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members are lending their strength to the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center, spending part of November and December improving trails and other learning areas, as well as increasing facility energy efficiency.

4-H, FFA sisters supply the star for governor’s Arkansas Turkey Week proclamation

LITTLE ROCK – For the second year in a row, one family has managed to represent both 4-H and the Future Farmers of America at the Arkansas Turkey Week Proclamation signing at the State Capitol.

Intermittent cold unlikely to speed harvest; bean seed quality looks low for 2019

LITTLE ROCK – With approximately one-fifth of Arkansas soybean still left to harvest, producers were struck this week with a cold snap that neither sped nor hindered progress; it just made things slightly more miserable.

Nov. 14 Webinar to cover Endangered Species Act and agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The National Agricultural Law Center will host a webinar Wednesday, Nov. 14, to clarify the application of the Endangered Species Act in the context of agriculture.

Killing freeze signals treatment for horse bots

LITTLE ROCK – This weekend’s freezing forecast may herald winter’s arrival, but it’s also a sign for horse owners to start bot fly control.

Peanut harvest seeing the same slow progress as many crops across state

As periodic rains continue to dampen the state well into the fall, the state’s peanut growers are facing the same struggles as most other producers: Waiting out the rain, hoping for enough sunny days in a row to further the progress of harvest.

U of A System Division of Agriculture, Adisseo announce professorship endowment and research collaboration

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agricutlure and Adisseo, a France-based animal nutrition company, have established a collaborative partnership to advance agricultural poultry nutrition research.

Southern Risk Management Education Center announces 2018 Projects of Excellence

LITTLE ROCK – Programs to help farmers make better use of online marketing strategies, implement biosecurity protocols and make better decisions in livestock operations were named 2018’s top three Projects of Excellence by the Southern Risk Management Education Center’s advisory council.

Farm, research tour keeps aides to Arkansas congressional delegation in touch with current ag issues

NEWPORT, Ark. – As the No. 1 industry in Arkansas, agriculture is often a top concern for the state’s legislators, both within Arkansas borders and in the nation’s capitol. For more than 20 years, experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture have been working to help educate government leaders and their respective staff members on the critical issues facing Arkansas producers at any given time.

Career cattle breeder, geneticist comes home to U of A after nearly 40 years in the field

HOPE, Ark. — Having left the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville after completing undergraduate and graduate degrees there in the 1970's, Charles Looney has returned to the university system, accepting a joint appointment with the Arkansas Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service as a professor of cattle improvement for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Arkansas Insect Festival changes perspectives about bugs, scientists

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The busloads of students and teachers that came to the Insect Festival of Arkansas expected a day of noisy fun, intriguing sights and musical theater; but many left the venue with a new perspective on bugs and science itself.

Baking with fresh pumpkin

LITTLE ROCK — It is deep into the pumpkin season. Pumpkin spice is everywhere—in lattes, muffins and pies. The list goes on and on.