News - June 2024

HOLIDAY: Practice fireworks safety during Fourth of July festivities

LITTLE ROCK — Though fireworks are a treasured part of Independence Day celebrations, it’s crucial to adhere to city and county fireworks ordinances and to practice safe handling techniques, especially for parents of young children.

Arkansas Outdoor School Coordinator receives lifetime service award from Arkansas Environmental Education Association

LITTLE ROCK — For more than 20 years, Eric De Vries has made a career of helping children discover a love of nature and a passion for learning. De Vries, extension coordinator of Arkansas Outdoor School for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, was recently recognized for his efforts by the Arkansas Environmental Education Association with the Robert McAfee Lifetime Service Award.

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.

Roy Rom remembered for contributions to fruit industry, university

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On campus, he was Dr. Roy Rom, but the fruit industry and the locals knew him as Mr. Peach and Mr. Apple.

Trio of entomology research stories scores national honors for Fred Miller

ST. LOUIS — A trio of stories by a “closet entomologist” describing Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station research on honey bees has won first place in the National Federation of Press Women communications contest.

Arkansas Master Gardeners of the Year announced at 2024 state conference

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. — The Arkansas Master Gardeners — a group of volunteers committed to beautifying communities throughout the state — celebrated achievements and recognized award winners at its state conference.  

Food safety scientists crank up steam, radio waves to kill salmonella amid spice recall

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Bacteria can easily hibernate in low-moisture ingredients such as flour and spices, and food scientists have been working on ways to make them safer with novel technologies.

Pulaski County Master Gardeners honored for volunteerism, beautification work

LITTLE ROCK — If you’ve ever visited some of central Arkansas’ historic landmarks, parks and tourist sites, you may have admired the handiwork of the Pulaski County Master Gardeners who maintain nearly three dozen beautiful garden sites throughout the county.

Vaden: U.S. locked into ag trade deficit by static policies

RENO, Nevada — The rising cost of labor, the higher value of the dollar, competition from Brazil and the lack of new trade agreements are cementing the United States into a trade deficit for agricultural products, said Stephen Vaden, a judge on the United States Court of International Trade.

Fourth Amendment a hot topic in open lands, Corporate Transparency Act discussed at 11^th Mid-South Conference

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The conflict between the Fourth Amendment and the century-old open fields doctrine boils down to the contemporary definition of “search,” and omission of “land” by the framers of the Constitution, say attorneys from the Institute for Justice.

Study shows the more you know about GMOs, the more you accept them as safe

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The more that people know about gene editing, the more likely they are to feel it is safe to use in agriculture and medicine, according to a survey of more than 4,500 people across the United States.

Arkansas Rice Processing Program launches Terry Siebenmorgen Scholarship

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Terry Siebenmorgen, known around the globe for his work in rice processing, is being honored by an endowed scholarship launched at the 30^th annual Industry Alliance Meeting held by the program he founded in 1994.

Roofe named to Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics board of directors

CHICAGO — Nina Roofe, head of Family and Consumer Sciences for the Cooperative Extension Service, has been elected to serve a one-year term as speaker of the house of delegates for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

Extension piques interest of Italian university

LITTLE ROCK — Educators from a country with a university that’s operated for most of a millennium found themselves intrigued by a uniquely American learning concept that’s a mere 110 years old.

Arkansas' most celebrated fruit the star at All-Tomato Luncheon

WARREN, Ark. — People are sometimes willing to pay a little more for quality, and that was certainly true at the 68^th annual Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, where a 20-pound box of the celebrated fruit sold for $2,050 — as much as an ounce of gold.

Rice leaf blast gets early start, Arkansas growers should scout now

LITTLE ROCK – With early planted rice comes earlier-than-expected issues.

Should I sign a carbon credits contract?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Getting paid to sequester carbon in farm fields may sound like an attractive bit of revenue, but Rusty Rumley said farmers need to dig deep into the contract to know how much they’ll actually net.

Arkansas 4-H offers axe throwing at 4-H Outdoor Skills Challenge

LITTLE ROCK — Successfully throwing an axe is tougher than it looks, but Arkansas 4-H members had a unique opportunity to give it their best shot at the 4-H Outdoor Skills Challenge, held June 10 at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center.

Research leads to first-ever agricultural communications program in the UK
                                                            
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are about 50 degree programs specializing in agricultural communications in the United States, but in the United Kingdom, the first master’s level microcertificate program has just begun to take shape with some help from an Arkansas professor.

Arkansas gets ‘early bird’ blackberry season

CLARKSVILLE, Ark. — Jackie Lee, director of the Fruit Research Station, names each blackberry season as if they were hurricanes.

Biram named associate director of Southern Risk Management Education Center

LITTLE ROCK — Hunter Biram has been named associate director of the Southern Risk Management Education Center, effective June 15.

Extension welcomes new cotton and peanut agronomist

LITTLE ROCK — From the time he was a child on his parents' cattle ranch, Zachary Treadway knew he wanted a life in agriculture. As the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's newest agronomist, he'll have the opportunity to further pursue that dream, working with producers throughout the Arkansas Delta and beyond. 

GUEST COLUMN

When it comes to joro spiders, don’t believe everything you hear

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — "Giant." "Venomous." If those adjectives weren't enough to pique America’s arachnophobic interests, some are also tagging joro spiders as “flying.”

What happens when chemical controls are removed from row-crop agriculture?

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Taking pest control chemicals out of agriculture would lead to increased use of valuable natural resources and an attendant rise in greenhouse gases, according to a study born of three years of data collection.

Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council members gather for state meeting in North Little Rock

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Clad in their signature red t-shirts, hundreds of members of the state’s largest volunteer organization, Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council, gathered at the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock for their state meeting June 4-6.

Farmers markets play vital role in boosting state’s economy, access to food

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas’ farmers markets play a crucial role in supporting the agricultural economy while improving access to fresh produce in rural communities.

Four 4-H members in running for Governor’s Award

LITTLE ROCK — Four 4-H members are in the running for this year’s Governor’s Award, the highest honor bestowed by the Arkansas 4-H program.

June 13, 2024

Fruits, vegetables, high tunnels, ornamentals the highlights of Horticulture Field Day

HOPE, Ark. — The latest research on growing fruits, vegetables and ornamentals will be featured at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Horticulture Field Day on June 27.

June 13, 2024

Solar storms make GPS a navigational mess

NEWPORT, Ark. — Farmers in the northern U.S. and Canada found their planting disrupted by weather 94 million miles away — and there might be more to come.

Fields joins Agriculture Future of America board  

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  — Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has joined the board of the Agriculture Future of America.  

Food science professor wins research award for upcycling rice bran into aerogel

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Ali Ubeyitogullari, assistant professor of food engineering for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, is part of the team that recently won a new Outstanding Early Career Researcher Award from the Royal Society of Chemistry for a study that transforms rice bran into food-grade aerogels.

Division of Agriculture inks agreement with Sicily’s Kore University

LITTLE ROCK — In a joyful ceremony at the University of Arkansas System Office, the system’s Division of Agriculture signed a memorandum of understanding with Kore University of Enna, Sicily.

EPA close to clearing legal backlog, working on herbicide, insecticide strategy incorporating the Endangered Species Act

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —  Lack of personnel and sketchy maps are among the stumbling blocks as the Environmental Protection Agency works pesticide approvals through the lens of the Endangered Species Act, according to a senior EPA adviser.

Arkansas Water Resources Center broadens focus of annual conference

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas Water Resources Center will co-host its annual conference July 16-18 to address a broad spectrum of water issues including stormwater, source water protection, groundwater, and stakeholder perceptions and education.

Arkansas 4-H honors Hall of Fame inductee, teen leaders

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas 4-H recognized a new crop of young leaders on Wednesday, naming 50 new Teen Stars and inducting one teen into the Arkansas 4-H Hall of Fame.

 Arkansas APEX Accelerator helps businesses tap into federal marketplace

LITTLE ROCK — The U.S. government is the largest customer in the world, buying more than $745 billion in goods and services in the 2023 fiscal year, but navigating the federal government marketplace can be murky. The Arkansas APEX Accelerator offers Arkansas businesses free guidance in securing government contracts through workshops and one-on-one counseling.

Extension partners with City of Forrest City, Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas on Beech Grove Park renovation

FORREST CITY, Ark. — For communities to thrive, it’s crucial that residents have access to safe, accommodating public spaces. The Cooperative Extension Service, the City of Forrest City and the Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas recently celebrated the renovation of Beech Grove Park, which now offers more opportunities for community members to gather, exercise and play.

'300 Days Grazing' program still making steady progress, 16 years on

LITTLE ROCK — A new way of thinking can often be a hard sell, especially to an old hand. But since Kenny Simon, extension forages instructor for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, first began showing growers how they could reduce wintertime dependence on hay and other feed, he said he's seen gradual acceptance, especially when conditions are tough. 

The early bean gets the bushels: Brown pushes planting envelope

SUCCESS, Ark. — Back in 2022, people wondered why Zack Brown was planting soybeans in March when his neighbors in northeast Arkansas planted in mid-April.

Grant County 4-H SeaPerch team among world’s top scorers at 2024 International SeaPerch Challenge

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — For a group of Arkansas 4-H members, months of hard work fine-tuning their underwater robots and their teamwork have paid off at the 2024 International SeaPerch Challenge. 

Soybeans shaping up well, but active hurricane season is a concern, Ross says

LITTLE ROCK — This year’s soybean crop progress is on par with 2023’s record-breaking pace, but the forecast for an above-average hurricane season means the Atlantic Basin could have a say in how the year ends, said Jeremy Ross, extension soybean agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Hail-damaged soybeans? Ross recommends a wait-and-see approach

LITTLE ROCK —  Rounds of hail that accompanied storms in the last two weeks chewed up some soybeans, but Jeremy Ross says growers need to take a wait-and-see approach before replanting.

National Ag Law Center launches 'Western Water' Webinar Series with groundwater recharge presentation

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Streams, ponds and lakes may be what come to mind when considering natural water sources, but one water supply that plays a crucial role in agriculture is located out of sight: Groundwater.

Frequent mowing puts poisonous weed into survival mode

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A study of the effects of mowing on a common weed has found that what doesn’t kill you can make you stronger.