For the Media

October 30, 2009

Arkansas farmers assess damage; look to drier days ahead

UNDATED - Arkansans were assessing the damage Friday following a storm system that dumped more than 5 inches of rain in some areas in 24 hours on top of already saturated ground.

Pecans rally to 2007 production levels

LITTLE ROCK - Pecan production in Arkansas is expected to rally to 2007 levels, recovering from damage inflicted by hurricane remnants in 2008, the National Agricultural Statistics Service said.

Fireplace safety a hot topic as temperatures drop

MOUNTAIN HOME - As cold weather approaches, there's nothing like a roaring fire in the fireplace. But danger can lurk in fireplaces and chimneys, said Mark Keaton, Baxter County extension staff chair with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Discover the natural beauty of fall in decorations

MURFREESBORO - With fall in full swing, now is the time to brighten up front yards and porches with flowers, pumpkins and decorations, said Robbie McKinnon, Pike County extension agent with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - With signs of the approaching holiday season already in many stores, this could be one of the longest and most dreaded holiday seasons ever, says Rita Conley, Cooperative Extension Program family resource management specialist at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Gov. Beebe presents $400,000 check for UAPB's Sweet Potato Seed Program

PINE BLUFF, Ark. ­ The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff has received funds for a program that will benefit sweet potato farmers in eastern Arkansas. Gov. Mike Beebe recently visited the university to present a $400,000 check to UAPB Chancellor Lawrence A. Davis Jr. on behalf of the Arkansas Works Summit.

Agriculture women ask the best questions

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - After local producers received a recent newsletter regarding management practices dealing with fescue toxicity, it's no surprise that I received a few questions about it.

October 29, 2009

Arkansas County added to federal fire ant quarantine

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas County in southeast Arkansas is now part of the federal fire ant quarantine, bringing to 34 the number of quarantined counties in state.

October 26, 2009

WYNNE, Ark. - Arkansas growers are finding ways to beat the mud as they struggle to harvest rice, soy, cotton and sorghum and plant winter wheat.

UNDATED - Arkansas farmers are planting winter wheat, though with continued rain, expectations for the crop are iffy, say extension agents and economists for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

October 23, 2009

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - They may look cute and appealing as they graze on the roadside, but don’t be fooled - deer can cause injury and even death for Arkansas motorists.

Ensuring treats are the least scary part of Halloween

LITTLE ROCK - It's up to parents to make sure Halloween treats are the least scary part of the holiday's fun, said Dr. Denise Brochetti, assistant professor of nutrition with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Insect-proofing helps keep bugs out

CLARENDON, Ark. - Now that cooler fall temperatures have settled in, Arkansans should take care to insect-proof their home, said Van Banks, Monroe County extension agent for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

JONESBORO, Ark. - Production costs for Arkansas' major row crops for the coming growing season are mixed, with fertilizer expected to drop, while seed, pest control and energy prices remaining stable to slightly higher, according to Scott Stiles, extension economist-risk management, for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

'Scarecrows' for pest vultures

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Vulture replicas are more than just a scary Halloween decoration for some Arkansas home- and farm-owners.

Rainy growing season begs question: Who will survive into 2010?

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - Forage producers continue to maneuver equipment between spastic rainfall patterns, cooler temperatures and the first killing frost in an attempt to salvage the last hay harvest.

October 22, 2009

HELENA, Ark. - Near constant rain has caused between 25 percent and 80 percent damage in some cotton, rice and soybean fields in Arkansas as growers struggle to harvest what's left during brief periods of dry weather, according extension agents, agronomist and economists with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Pumpkins: The Cinderella vegetable

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Though grown and savored in the New World for thousands of years, most Americans don't think of pumpkins as much more than a potential jack o' lantern or Thanksgiving pie.

Lengthening a jack o' lantern's life

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - There are a couple of tricks to making this year's masterful work of jack o' lantern carving last a little longer, said Craig Andersen, extension horticulture specialist for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

October 21, 2009

HELENA, Ark. - After weeks of waiting on the rain to stop, Arkansas cotton growers are in the field and harvesting what they can of the state's crop.

Cooperative marketing and controlling production costs focus of upcoming workshop

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, along with the Southern Region Risk Management Education Center and CSREES, is presenting a seminar focused on utilizing cooperative marketing groups as well as controlling costs on Wednesday, October 28 in Russellville, Ark.

October 16, 2009

LITTLE ROCK - The prolonged wet weather is causing calf scours to become a problem in fall-born calves, according to the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Pigweed causing farmers to rethink farming methods

LITTLE ROCK - Ken Smith, Ph.D., weed specialist with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, says producers have lost this year’s battle against nature’s forces, whether through heavy rains at planting and harvest or through the infestation of glyphosate resistant pigweed.

Tips for selecting the best pumpkin

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - At this time of year, many adults and children are picking pumpkins from stores or pumpkin patches. Weather conditions in Arkansas and across the Southeast have created perfect conditions for diseases in pumpkins, said Dr. Obadiah Njue, horticulture specialist with the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) Cooperative Extension Program.

SARE Deadline November 15 for Farmers and Ranchers

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Farmers, like everyone else in these tough economic times, are seeking non-traditional funding to help their bottom lines, said Dr. Henry English, director of the Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff.

Adding value to farmers' fruits and vegetables is UAPB lab's mission

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - At the Value-Added Products Laboratory at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, the rich fruity aroma of warm blackberries fills the air these days.

Arkansas 4-H'ers perform well at national engineering competition

LITTLE ROCK - Think parallel parking is difficult? Try keeping balance on a bicycle as it moves between obstacles in a five-inch gap. Or manage to keep a heavy trailer steady while coaxing a tractor 40 feet backwards into a shed.

October 9, 2009

TEXARKANA, Ark. - "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," or so the old saying goes. While it may take more than an apple to keep you healthy, researchers are finding that trace chemicals in apples help protect against cancer. The combination of these nutritional compounds called "phytochemicals" give fresh produce its cancer-fighting properties.

Soybean harvest hampered by weather, green bean syndrome

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas' soybean growers have been beset by wet weather this entire season, say specialists with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture.

Study: Economical feed use saves dollars, makes sense

LITTLE ROCK - The results of a recent Scott County study suggest that cattle farmers can reduce feeding losses using alternative feeding methods, says Kenny Simon, Program Associate-Forages with the University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - Attorneys, legislators, policy makers, extension personnel and producers in the farm and food business have a new online source for their research: the United States Agricultural & Food Law and Policy Blog.

Crickets, kids and Uncle Ray

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - The first shock was being awakened by noises coming from the living room at midnight. The second shock was the blurred view of Uncle Ray's big, skivvy-clad rear sticking up in the air, his head behind the couch and him whispering, "Now, you boys hold the light and I'll smack him good!"

October 2, 2009

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Don Plunkett tells the story of a Jefferson County grower who began to bring in his crop, while his neighbor "circled like a buzzard," suffering from "harvest envy."

Fair food doesn't have to spell diet doom

LITTLE ROCK - All those exotic and unusual foods available at this year's Arkansas State Fair could spell doom for your diet.

Rainy spell brings out fire ants, mosquitoes

LITTLE ROCK - The weeks of wet weather have had an impact on Arkansas’ insect population, said Dr. John Hopkins, extension entomologist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture.

Renewed funding for free services to Arkansas businesses

MALVERN, Ark. - The Defense Department on Monday renewed its contract with a unit of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture to continue operation of the Arkansas Procurement Assistance Center, or APAC.
 

Collaborative grants, Census can provide local government safety nets

MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. - Collaboration in grants and accurate Census counts are two ways local governments can build fiscal safety nets during tough economic times, according to speakers at a recent economic development forum.

It's Nematode Test Time

PINE BLUFF, Ark. - Early autumn when populations are at their highest is the best time to sample for nematodes, says Dr. Henry English, director of the Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB).

Black walnuts behind Uncle Ray's 'black magic' cure

BENTONVILLE, Ark. - A recent phone call to Uncle Ray, rather than the other way around, began like this, "Uncle Ray, I seem to remember a black magic cure the family used to control ringworm infections." He didn't waste time to correct me, "It wasn't black magic! It was black walnut!"