Arkansas Farm Bureau Podcast

Former Congressman Charlie Stenholm of Texas, an advocate for agriculture and member of the House Agriculture Committee throughout his term, was the keynote speaker at the annual Arkansas Rice Expo in Stuttgart. Prior to his remarks Stenholm took to time to discuss the 2018 Farm Bill and what needs to be done in order for Congress to pass a new law that addresses the needs of all commodities and farmers and ranchers in the U.S.

Arkansas Farm Bureau has launched the Farm Bureau Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) fundraising arm of the organization to fund education efforts, research, litigation and disaster relief. The first organization to receive support from the Foundation was the Arkansas chapter of the Red Cross. In this conversation, Chuck Tucker of Arkansas Farm Bureau and Lori McFarlane of the Red Cross discuss why the Foundation was created and how it can help charitable organizations like the Red Cross in their time of need.

Satellite imagery and unmanned aerial systems are transforming the way farmers and ranchers are scouting their fields for disease and improving crop yield. Terry Spurlock, a plant pathologist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, discussed this topic at Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Officers and Leaders Conference in Hot Springs. In this podcast, he talks about how this technology will help producers save time and money and improve their operations.

South Dakota ranchers Troy and Stacy Hadrick were keynote speakers at the Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Officers & Leaders conference in Hot Springs. The couple travels the U.S. and the globe speaking to farmers and ranchers about "telling the farming story." Hear about their mission and why they are so passionate about it.

Hear about the current hot-button legal issues in agriculture from Harrison Pittman, director of the National Agriculture Law Center based at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Pittman discuses the upcoming Farm Bill, commodity checkoff programs, herbicide use and more.

Arkansas Farm Bureau was the host state for Farm Bureau’s National Commodity Conference at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Rogers. American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall spoke at the event and we had an opportunity to talk with him about the challenges facing agriculture in the second half of the year, such as helping develop a new Farm Bill that includes an adequate safety net for all agricultural producers.

For more than 30 years University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture health educators have been working through schools and local communities to encourage children and families about the importance of maintaining a healthy diet. In this conversation, Rosemary Rodibaugh, a professor of nutrition with the UA Division of Agriculture, explains the programs Family and Consumer Science agents are using to reach the public in their counties.

The results of the American Farm Bureau’s annual survey on what it costs to prepare the traditional 4th of July barbecue dinner with "all the fixins" has been released, so we talked to Dr. John Newton, AFBF director of market intelligence about the survey findings and why U.S. food prices remain so affordable.

A group of 55 teenagers from around the state recently participated in a three-day Arkansas 4-H Veterinary Science Camp at the University of Arkansas. They took part in a variety of hands-on sessions with veterinarians including honeybees, horses and cattle. Veterinarian Lloyd Keck of West Fork participated in the camp and shared his thoughts on the value of the camp and need for more large animal veterinarians.

Steve Morgan, his son Mark and their families own and operate Peach Pickin’ Paradise near Clarksville, Ark. They attended Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Specialty Crops Summer Division Meeting June 14. In this conversation they discuss issues facing the fruit and vegetable industry in the state, the quality of their crop this year and when their U-Pick operation will open to the public.

The Federal Risk Management Agency distributed updated "practical to replant" guidance in response to questions from farmers whose crops were destroyed by recent flooding, particularly rice farmers. In our latest podcast, Brandy Carroll, ArFB assistant director of commodity activities and market information, explains what this guidance could mean for Arkansas farmers.

An interview with Vernon Caviness, an agriculture aviator/cropduster pilot for Bell Ag Service in Des Arc, and photos of Caviness and other aviators in action. Caviness discusses how the recent river flooding affected business, the challenges flight services face and more.

Some are saying the effects of the recent flood in Arkansas could rival that of a similar event in 2011 that caused an estimated $500 million in losses to agriculture. While the full effects of this storm will not be known for several weeks, Dr. Eric Wailes, Distinguished Professor of Ag Economics at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, offers an early assessment of the magnitude of the recent flood and its impact on rural communities and agriculture.

Craig Wilson of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement updated members of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s Rural Health and Safety committee on a number of health-related issues, including proposed revisions to the state insurance program and the need and prospects for reform.

In our latest podcast, we close out Autism Awareness Month with a discussion about Ag For Autism, a nonprofit organization established in 2012 to help provide education, therapy and support for families with autistic children in rural parts of Arkansas. Nathan Waldrip of Armor Seed in Jonesboro, president of Ag for Autism, explains the program and the need for more support.

The 2017 crop planting season is underway and the USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Service has released its planting intentions report. Listen to Matt King, ArFB director of market information and economics, discuss the report, what it says about Arkansas and what to expect this year.

About 60 Louisiana Farm Bureau cattle ranchers spent three days in Arkansas recently, touring livestock operations, research facilities and networking with their Natural State counterparts. In this conversation, Marty Wooldridge, a Louisiana Farm Bureau state board member and chair of the livestock advisory committee, talks about the tour and why it’s important for their producers to learn how things are being done in other states.

A recent poll asked almost 2,000 registered voters their opinions on agriculture and sustainability. According to the survey, almost all respondents - no matter the political affiliation - supported sustainability, by one definition or another, and most believe agriculture and farming to be among the nation’s most sustainable sectors. In this conversation, Mace Thornton, executive director of Communications for American Farm Bureau, discusses the survey results and why it’s good news for farmers and ranchers.

More young farm women are voluntarily giving their time to Arkansas Farm Bureau on the state and county level. Peggy Miller chairs the Arkansas Farm Bureau state women’s committee and Donna Bemis serves as vice-chairwoman. The annual state women’s conference was held recently and they took time to discuss the committee’s projects and why it’s important to get more farm women involved in advocating for agriculture.

Fighting hunger in Arkansas has become a priority for Arkansas Farm Bureau. The organization’s Young Farmers and Ranchers and Women’s Committees have adopted the “Pack Shack” and Backpack programs as their way of addressing the need to alleviate hunger in the state. In this conversation, Trent Dabbs, former chair of the state YF&R committee and Melanie Brown, a former elementary school teacher in Lonoke County, discuss these efforts and the need for young farmers and ranchers to get involved in their local communities.