For the Media

August 31, 2009

STUTTGART, Ark. - Soybean rust has been confirmed in six counties, but at such low levels farmers are not being advised to apply fungicides, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture said.

September 9 conference highlights marketing resources for growers

LITTLE ROCK - Growers looking for help in marketing their agricultural products will have an opportunity to see a new tool at work and hear advice from growers as well as experts in agricultural law and sustainability at a conference set for Wednesday, September 9.

August 28, 2009

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas producers selling a strong hay crop in a drought-driven market need to consider fire ant quarantine rules before shipping, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and the Arkansas State Plant Board.

Quick meals mantra: plan ahead

MARION, Ark. - Parents trying to run a household, get the kids to practice and juggle their own out-of-home work schedule may find dinnertime somewhat trying, but there are ways to make healthy meals in minutes, said VeEtta Simmons, Crittenden County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

TEXARKANA, Ark. - It's a summer scenario repeated in neighborhoods across the country: Your generous neighbor is coming up the front walk with armloads of zucchini for the third time. Do you answer the door or pretend you're not home?

Earning your keep, or letting fools and their money part ways

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Dad tried to instill in us that wherever we worked, always end the day knowing that you earned your keep.

August 27, 2009

UNDATED - Late planted cotton needs an ideal September for maximum yield during a season featuring pressure from stubborn pests including bollworms, plant bugs and pigweed, said Tom Barber, extension cotton specialist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

August 21, 2009

LONOKE, Ark. - Tuesday's rain once again proved that father knows best.

Hot, dry days reactivate fire ants

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Sunshine, high temperatures and drying soil is prompting fire ants to become more active, according to Don Plunkett, Jefferson County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Sometimes more is better when it comes to fruits, vegetables

MURFREESBORO, Ark. - That $1.50 candy bar may seem like a deal at the moment, but when it comes to real value, it’s hard to beat fruits and vegetables, said Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Extra rain helping, hurting hay growers

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Homeowners lamenting their wildly growing lawns and the lack of dry weather to cut them can empathize with the state’s hay growers.

Keep your cash bottled up with refillable water containers

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - When making those back to school purchases, consider adding a refillable water bottle along with the refillable notebooks and pens, Trish Ouei, extension stormwater educator for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture said.

Potassium Needed to Improve Yield and Size of Ears of Corn

Pine Bluff, Ark. - Low levels of potassium limit the size of ears of sweet corn as well as the overall yield of corn plants, according to research by Dr. Sixte Ntamatungiro, researcher and assistant professor of soil science at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He evaluated the effect of potassium fertilizer on sweet corn growth and yield characteristics at the Agricultural Research Experiment Station in Pine Bluff.

Figuring rent for farmland unlike other rental properties

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - When asked, "What's the going rate for renting land?" I decide that it may well be one of the Top 10 most difficult questions to answer. More recently the caller is usually a landowner with no rural rental acreage experience.

August 14, 2009

Back to school II: Budgeting for school supplies

LITTLE ROCK - It's the annual end-of-summer ritual: parents and children, lists in hand, perusing office supply and other retail outlets to purchase what's needed for going back to school.

Back to school II: Budgeting for school clothing

MARION, Ark. - Families are expected to spend nearly $300 this fall on clothing and shoes for school, making it a good time to learn a few money-saving tricks, said VeEtta Simmons, Crittenden County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Back to School II: Bullying on the syllabus

LITTLE ROCK - Bullying can happen to anyone at any age, but the most concentrated cases are usually in the school years. With families readying their children for back-to-school, some children may be dreading the first day more than most.

Back to School II: Myth of the 'freshman 15'

TEXARKANA, Ark. - Good news, incoming freshmen: most studies show that the "freshman 15" is a myth. The bad news is that most freshmen will gain some weight, but the freshman15 is alliterative hyperbole.

Avoid perfumes and avoid becoming bug bait

LITTLE ROCK - Perfumes and cologne may attract more than the opposite sex, said Dr. Margaret Harris, assistant professor-health for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Rain, high temps taking BLTs and grilled veggies off the homegrown menu

LITTLE ROCK - Record rainfall and high temperatures are forcing Lisa Ferris to take homegrown vegetables off the menu.

Donation helps offset costs to groups participating in RES-Q

FERNDALE, Ark. - Youth organizations attending the Arkansas 4-H RES-Q program at the center are now eligible to receive funding to offset part of the cost of the program thanks to a donation from Entergy Arkansas, Inc.

Like phoenix from the flames: 'dead' rooster provides important life lessons

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - About 70 years ago my ex-friend Bill, then a lad, happened upon his Grandma's favorite rooster laying dead in the chicken house. Being a realist, there was nothing to do but to dispose of the carcass and that task was assigned to young Bill.

August 12, 2009

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Homeowners lamenting their wildly growing lawns and the lack of dry weather to cut them can empathize with the state's hay growers.

Conference offers solutions for 'Building Vibrant Communities in Tough Times'

LITTLE ROCK - There's plenty of uncertainty about the economic future among community leaders, according to Dr. Mark Peterson, extension community development specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Livestock clinic brings top showmanship instructor to Greene County

PARAGOULD, Ark. - More than 160 people are expected to attend a clinic that is bringing one of the nation’s top cattle fitting and showmanship instructors to the heart of row crop country this weekend.

Herbicide resistant pigweed dominates farmers' concerns at research field day

KEISER, Ark. - Farmers, agricultural consultants and county agents who turned out for a field day at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Northeast Research and Extension Center all had at least one question in common: what to do about herbicide resistant pigweed?

August 7, 2009

Back to School: Parents urged not to trivialize small children's big worries

LITTLE ROCK - Parents shouldn't trivialize any big worries small children might have before the first day of kindergarten or pre-school, according to Dr. Wally Goddard, professor of family life for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Back to School: Immunizations for school-aged children a must for registration

LITTLE ROCK - Diseases such as diphtheria and measles that could cause blindness or even death in children, are reaching record-low levels thanks to vaccination, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Back to School: Breakfast makes better students, studies show

LITTLE ROCK - Studies show breakfast makes better students, according to Dr. Rosemary Rodibaugh, extension nutrition specialist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Back to School: Packing a lunch they won't trade for junk food

LITTLE ROCK - It's a daily temptation at the school lunchroom: Your child's brown bag contains fruit and low-fat everything. His or her best friend has an overabundance of cream-filled, sugar-sprinkled fat globs. Guess what happens next?

Back to School: Is lack of sleep causing classroom problems?

LITTLE ROCK - Constant colds, low energy, irritability - it's possible these are symptoms your school-age child isn't getting enough sleep, according to Dr. Margaret Harris, extension health specialist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Back to School: Parents plus schools equal student success

LITTLE ROCK - Parents plus schools equal student success, Dr. James Marshall, assistant professor of family life with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Back to School: Parent-teacher conference? Now what?

LITTLE ROCK - It's one call from school that parents dread: "We need to schedule a parent-teacher conference."
 

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - As the U.S. commemorates National Catfish Month, producers in Arkansas and across the country are grappling with high feed costs and a drop in sales.

Uncle Ray's reversed lawn care

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - "Hey!" Uncle Ray's voice boomed over the phone, "I got an idee about reversing my lawn." Uncle Ray could always be counted on to throw a curve ball and this one had the makings of a real doozy, so I backed off as it zinged across the plate.

Small businesses report being charged for free registrations

MALVERN, Ark. - Some businesses are being pressured to pay fees to register to contract with the federal government, a registration process that is offered for free, according to Sue Coates, director of the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center, or APAC.

Jones to take charge of 4-H livestock programs

LITTLE ROCK - Steve Jones, associate professor of animal science for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, will take charge of 4-H livestock programs beginning September 1.

Carp in the turn row: Rains cut planted acreage

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Heavy July rains were viewed as a curse or a blessing across the Arkansas Delta, with soybean producers in the northeast citing brutal conditions since spring, while the precipitation was described as "very timely" in parts of Chicot and Desha counties in the southeast corner.

Draining rice fields right to preserve quality crop

LONOKE, Ark. - Bad timing when it comes to rice field draining and harvest can be costly, according to Keith Perkins, Lonoke County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

August 4, 2009

August 3, 2009