TEXARKANA, Ark. - Who doesn't love a juicy steak fresh from the grill? The start of grilling season has begun, and now is a good time to revisit food safety rules to keep you and your family safe and healthy, says Carla Haley, Miller County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Pinkeye costs Arkansas cattle producers and industry annually

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Pinkeye is a serious problem in pre-weaned calves, hitting cattle producers in the pocketbook, warned Dr. Jeremy Powell, associate professor/extension veterinarian with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Boiling Water: Miracle treatment, scientific tool or another crazy idea?

HAMPTON, Ark. - Over the years, Arkansas residents have tried many schemes to rid themselves of fire ants. Some ideas are just downright dangerous to the environment such as pouring bleach, ammonia, petroleum products or other non-EPA approved materials on mounds.

MURFREESBORO, Ark. - Anyone can stretch. We do it everyday, and you don’t have to be young, flexible or athletic. Whether you sit at home all day, drive a truck, do housework or deliver mail on foot, you can do some simple stretches, says Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

The art of chicken house democracy

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Dad's last instructions of the morning were, "You boys clean out the chicken house, and then help your mother get the garden fertilized." Sounds simple enough, but that occasion back in the late 1950s was my first opportunity to experience the corporate decision-making process.

JACKSONVILLE, Ark. - Catherine Canfield was startled look up from a game of bridge to see a masked bandit looking in the window of her Jacksonville kitchen. She tapped on the window in hopes of scaring the creature away, but it scarcely even flinched.

Possums: Things that go bump in the night

MOUNT IDA, Ark. - Hated elsewhere, possums are revered in Mount Ida.

Division of Agriculture, Soybean Promotion Board team up on soybean podcasts

LITTLE ROCK - The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture is teaming up with the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board to deliver the latest soybean production news on a weekly basis via podcast.

Goldfish circus, fish petting zoo part of UAPB Aquaculture Research Station tour

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Kindergarteners from James Matthews Elementary School in Dollarway attended a goldfish circus and got to wrap their hands around a variety of fish during a recent tour of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Aquaculture Research Station.

Spring Garden Delayed? Rethink Crops to Plant

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Gardeners who are waiting for soils to drain enough so they can plant crops such as English peas, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, spinach and mustard greens should rethink their planting plans, says Dr. Obadiah Njue, Cooperative Extension Program horticulture specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.
 

Think "green" when it comes to spring cleaning

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Summer is coming quickly, but there's still time to get spring cleaning done, says Trish Ouei, extension stormwater educator with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Learn how to stretch your dollar

MURFREESBORO, Ark. - You may think you’ve exhausted all the ways of stretching a dollar, but there may be a few more methods to consider, says Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

APAC offers free seminar for Arkansas military vendors

MALVERN, Ark. − The Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center (APAC) is offering a free all-day seminar to Arkansas military vendors on Wide Area Work Flow (WAWF), a paperless shipping system, says Sue Coates, APAC program director.

Fueling the economic engine

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - It seems that each day we develop a better but belated appreciation regarding the impact that viable industries have on local economies. Possibly a collective weakness is our failure to recognize various components of a community as contributors to the overall economic health.

LONOKE, Ark. - Weeks of wet weather have increased the chances that wheat disease will affect yield, plant pathologists with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture said on Monday.
 

MURFREESBORO, Ark. - If you're planning to set sail for warmer climates, you'll need all the usual articles - camera, sunscreen and swimsuit, says Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Outdoor activity for youth helps build productive adults

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Young people who participate in outdoor activities grow up to become adults who participate in outdoor activities, says Joshua Wright, Garland County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Save Money, Taste and Waste When You Take Your Lunch to Work

LITTLE ROCK - Our grandparents had it right: take your lunch to work, save money.

Summer camp is more than just a night away from home

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Nothing makes young people feel more wanted and part of an activity like summer camp, says Joshua Wright, Garland County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Sorry, there's no magic pill for weight loss

TEXARKANA, Ark. - Chances are you've seen the ads for pills, shakes and supplements that claim to take pounds off with no exercise. If these claims actually worked, everyone would be thin.

Farmers asked not to panic over rains

The spring of 2009 is beginning to feel like a replay of last year when rains and flooding took most Poinsett County farmers to the cleaners.
 

LITTLE ROCK - Ever wonder why it's so hard to stop eating potato chips once the bag is open? Subtle factors such as bag size, appearance and portability are at work. Small influences like these result in 'mindless eating' and unhealthy choices, says Amy McClelland, Program Associate-SNAP-Education with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

'Mindless eaters': Which type are you?

LITTLE ROCK - 'Mindless eating,' a concept developed by Dr. Brian Wansink of Cornell University, is being incorporated into the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP-Ed.

'Detox diets' no substitute for healthy living

STAR CITY, Ark. - When it comes to eating healthy, so-called "detox diets" are more crackpot than common sense, says Jane Newton, Lincoln County Extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Adapting to a changing world

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - A degree of empathy will always manifest itself in visiting with any of the growing number of small-acreage owners. Conversations often include the availability, or the lack of services and supplies such as equipment, land preparation/seeding, lime/fertilization applications, fence/facility construction or repair and herbicide selection and use.

Children of Arkansas military invited to participate in 2009 camps

LITTLE ROCK - 4-H Operation Military Kids, or OMK, a partnership program supporting programs for children of United States military personnel, is offering several camping opportunities for Arkansas youth this summer.

Welfare and abandonment issues surround horse ownership

LITTLE ROCK - Abandoned horses have been turning up in sale barns, cattle pastures and state and federal lands across Arkansas and the country, says Steve Jones, associate professor/extension equine specialist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Sharpen mower blades for a clean-cut, healthier lawn

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A sharp lawnmower blade pays off for the homeowner in the long run, says Dr. Aaron Patton, assistant professor/extension horticulture specialist for turfgrass with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Tips to make your mowing job more productive

HOPE, Ark. - At first glance, mowing a lawn doesn't look like a difficult job requiring much thought. We're just cutting grass - right?

Pizza Ranch shows kids where food comes from

LITTLE ROCK - Some 1,500 fourth-graders from central Arkansas schools will learn that dinner starts on the farm, not on their table. That’s the message they’ll receive Tuesday, May 12, at Domino’s Pizza Ranch at Barton Coliseum in Little Rock.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Workshops on environmentally responsible and effective pest management for farmers' market producers and other small acreage farmers will be held at three locations in May and June.
 

Setting spending priorities in tough economic times

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Responding quickly to financial problems and being an active participant in managing money both in the good and the not-so-good times are essential to building a secure financial future for your family, says Rita D. Conley, Cooperative Extension Program family resource management specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB).

Hummingbird migration flits through Arkansas

SEARCY, Ark. - The first hummingbirds of the season are passing through the Natural State, so enjoy them while they last, says Randy Feagin, White County Master Gardener.

Why eat breakfast? It's all in the name

JONESBORO, Ark. - Perhaps the most important reason to eat breakfast each morning comes from the body's need for energy, says Debbie DeRossitte, Craighead County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Battling back against high blood pressure

MARION, Ark. - Lifestyle changes and dedication are key to prevent and control the risks associated with high blood pressure, says VeEtta Simmons, Crittenden County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Common sense trumps fear for wary parents

LITTLE ROCK - Parents do have a responsibility to keep their children safe. But they also have a responsibility to help them feel safe.

Older siblings need time to accept new baby

LITTLE ROCK - Bringing home a new baby is often joyous for parents, but it's not always quite as exciting for older siblings who may be unsure of how their lives might change. They may wish that the little intruder could be sent away.

Medium grain rice looking good to Arkansas rice producers

STUTTGART, Ark. - Buoyed by good prices, growers of medium grain rice scrambled over the winter to find enough seed to plant, according to Dr. Chuck Wilson, extension rice agronomist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Arkansas 4-H Foundation receives $5,000 grant from Entergy

LITTLE ROCK - Entergy has awarded the Arkansas 4-H Foundation, Inc., a $5,000 grant to be used in its Responsible Environmental Stewardship - Quest, or RES-Q, program, operated by the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service.

Bus tour, pest clinic to highlight horticulture field day

HOPE, Ark. - Gardeners and fruit producers can learn the latest production techniques and the latest research into pest issues at the 2009 Horticulture Field Day on June 18 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center at Hope.
 

Anthracnose affecting shade trees statewide

LITTLE ROCK - Recent cool temperatures and frequent rainfall have created ideal conditions for anthracnose plant disease on several common shade trees, says Dr. Steve Vann, assistant professor/extension urban plant pathologist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Former ARS national program leader to head UA department

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - A. Rick Bennett, formerly a national program leader in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has joined the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Arkansas as a professor and department head.

Model cattle farm demonstrates '300 Days of Grazing' system

BATESVILLE, Ark. - A model cattle farm at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's Livestock and Forestry Research Station near Batesville demonstrates how producers can manage pastures to reduce the feeding of hay.

Genetics, cow pastures and animal husbandry

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Nearly six decades ago, a young man came home to the Ozarks from his tour of duty in Korea. Tired in body and spirit, one item used to maintain enthusiasm was provided by a Georgia buddy who told him about Coastal Bermuda grass.