Scholarship Opportunities Available for Students Studying Veterinary Medicine | |
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is now accepting applications for the 2024 Arkansas Rural Veterinary Scholarship program. Applications will be accepted through July 1, 2024.
“The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is pleased to administer Act 706 which was sponsored by Senator Ricky Hill, Senator Missy Irvin, Senator Greg Leding, and Representative Deann Vaught during the 2023 legislative session and will provide scholarship funding for students seeking veterinary careers in Arkansas,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward.
Recipients of the rural veterinary scholarship may receive up to $15,000 per year for up to four years. Applicants must be enrolled in or entering a post-graduate degree program in veterinary medicine at an institution of higher education. Applicants must agree to work full-time upon graduation in rural Arkansas or for a licensed veterinary practice with at least 50 percent of the practice being food animals.
Selections will be based on academic achievement, character, leadership, career plans, and financial need.
Please contact Amy Lyman at amy.lyman@agriculture.arkansas.gov with questions.
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Over 13,000 Trees Given Away During Free Tree Fridays Campaign | |
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s fourth annual Free Tree Fridays campaign resulted in the distribution of 13,400 trees during 27 events held across the state each Friday from March 22 through April 26. The events were hosted by the Forestry Division in the weeks between Arkansas Arbor Day, proclaimed in March by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and National Arbor Day, celebrated on the last Friday in April.
“This program is an excellent way to provide access to trees for people who may never have planted a tree, and to residents in areas like Little Rock and Wynne who lost trees in the March 2023 tornadoes,” said Kristine Kimbro, Urban and Community Forestry Coordinator. “Arbor Day celebrates trees, and through Free Tree Fridays, we are able to promote proper planting techniques for bare root and potted trees, as well as the importance of planting native species.”
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Arkansas Department of Agriculture Releases 2023 Groundwater Protection and Management Report | |
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division has released the 2023 Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Report pursuant to the Arkansas Groundwater Protection and Management Act of 1991, Arkansas Code Annotated 15-22-906. This report provides a summary of the groundwater monitoring efforts, current water levels, protection and conservation programs, and water use reporting during the 2023 calendar year.
“Balancing the conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water is critical to meeting the water demands of the state and is one of the key focus areas in the 2024 update of the Arkansas Water Plan,” said Natural Resources Division Director Chris Colclasure. “This report serves as an important resource to help guide the management of the state’s groundwater and will be utilized along with the Arkansas Water Plan for conservation and protection programs.”
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2024 County Farm Families of the Year Announced | |
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The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has announced its 2024 County Farm Families of the Year.
Since 1947, the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year program has helped to recognize outstanding farm families throughout the state. Selection criteria for the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year includes efficiency of production, conservation of energy and resources, leadership in agricultural and community affairs, home and farm improvement, and home and farm management.
The families will be visited by a set of judges to determine eight District Farm Families of the Year, which will be announced June 17. The Arkansas Farm Family of the Year will be announced in December at the Farm Family of the Year luncheon. The family will represent Arkansas at the Southeastern Expo Farmer of the Year event in Georgia.
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Join Us in Celebrating Arkansas Farmers Market Week | |
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Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has proclaimed June 9-15 as Arkansas Farmers Market Week. The Arkansas Department of Agriculture will host an event celebrating farmers markets and the value they provide to Arkansas agriculture.
Date: Thursday, June 6, 2024
Time: 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Location: Dunbar Garden, 1800 South Chester Street, Little Rock, Arkansas
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Since January 1, firefighters with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Forestry Division have responded to over 475 wildfires across the state that burned over 12,100 acres. Additionally, state agencies have conducted over 165 prescribed burns throughout the state that burned over 26,000 acres. | |
The Arkansas Beef Council met at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture on May 29. During the meeting, members heard reports from various state and national organizations and heard proposals for research and promotional projects. | |
Crews with the Department's Forestry Division assisted in cleanup efforts following multiple tornados that impacted parts of northern Arkansas on May 26. Utilizing eight bulldozers, 23 personnel from District 6 (Northwest Arkansas) and District 8 (North Central Arkansas) worked to open roadways and provide access for first responders. | |
Secretary Ward hosted a group from Global Ties Arkansas on May 24 at the Arkansas Department of Agriculture. The visitors were from the Philippines, Myanmar, and Azerbaijan. Rachel Nattin from the Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders also participated in the meeting. | |
The Department's Farm to School and Early Childhood Education Program hosted a series of Connection Events throughout the state this month. Events were held in North Little Rock, Hope, Batesville, and Fayetteville and provided an opportunity for school nutrition staff to meet with producers from their area to network, connect, and gather resources. | |
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Over 500 students and instructors from 26 states convened in Russellville for the 2024 Arkansas River Valley Wildland Fire Academy on May 13-24. The academy is hosted in collaboration by the Department's Forestry Division, the U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Tech University, and several state and federal agencies.
Learn more about the academy here.
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Photo credit: U.S. Forest Service - Ozark St. Francis National Forests | |
On May 6-10, the Department's Natural Resources Division hosted a series of location-specific public meetings to discuss the update of the Arkansas Water Plan. Topics discussed included water infrastructure, drinking water supply, industrial water supply and mineral extraction, agricultural water supply, and environmental quality and recreation. | |
Honey is the 2024 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame's Food of the Year! Secretary Ward joined Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism Secretary Shea Lewis and Arkansas Heritage Director Marty Ryall on May 13 for the announcement. Find fresh, Arkansas-grown honey near you here. | |
The Department's Forestry Division hosted a walk test and refresher course in District 8 earlier this month. The refresher course included a fire weather update from Justin Condry with the National Weather Service, fire shelter training, communication, and maintenance. District Forester Nikki Davis took the opportunity to recognize her staff with awards. | |
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Students at Emerson Elementary School visited Poison Springs State Forest on May 7. Staff with the Department's Forestry Division led discussions on forest management and erosion at the Little Grand Canyon, a unique sandstone formation located within the state forest. Students also got to sit in a dozer and operate a fire pump while learning about wildland firefighting.
Photo credit: Emerson Elementary School
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Arkansas Beef, Egg, and Strawberry Month was celebrated on May 1! Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders presented proclamations alongside Secretary Ward at an event in Little Rock to recognize Arkansas's beef, egg, and strawberry producers.
More than 200 agriculture industry stakeholders and partners attended the event. Special appreciation goes to the Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association, Cal-Maine, Mid-States Specialty Eggs, and Natural State Beef for providing lunch; Milford Track restaurant for preparing dessert made with strawberries from Holland Bottom Farm; Barnhill Orchards for supplying fresh strawberries; Calico Trailers for providing the backdrop for the event; and the Arkansas Beef Council and the Department’s Egg and Poultry Section for sponsoring the event.
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New Resources, Trainings, & Opportunities | |
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Updates from the National Agricultural Law Center
Upcoming Conferences:
Upcoming Webinars:
Recent Blog Posts:
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2024 Blackberry Field Tour Scheduled for June 12 | |
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The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA) will host the annual Blackberry Research Tour on June 12. The event starts at 1 p.m. and will feature a blackberry tasting, field tour, and more. The cost to attend the event is $20, payable at the door. Organizers ask that individuals who plan to attend pre-register online to ensure an accurate head count for the field tour and dinner.
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Entries are being accepted for the annual Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest, sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas. Applicants may be any school, early childhood education facility, or alternative learning environment that had a school garden during the 2023-2024 school year or is planning to start a garden in the 2024-2025 school year.
Contact Jessica Chapman at jessica.chapman@agriculture.arkansas.gov for more information.
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Foresters for the Future Scholarship Application Period Open through June 14 | |
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division and the University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) are pleased to announce that applications for the Foresters for the Future scholarship are now being accepted. The scholarship will provide $4,000 per semester, for four years, to an incoming freshman pursuing a forestry degree at UAM’s College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources. Applications will be accepted through June 14.
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Final Public Meetings for Illinois River Watershed Management Plan Set for June | |
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division, in partnership with the Oklahoma Conservation Commission (OCC), has scheduled the final public meetings to update the watershed-based management plan for the Illinois River Watershed. The meetings will be held June 25, 2024, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma and June 26, 2024 in Cave Springs, Arkansas.
The meeting set for June 25, 2024, will be held from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Armory Municipal Center, 100 North Water Avenue, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The June 26, 2024, meeting will be held from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Illinois River Watershed Partnership Watershed Sanctuary, 221 South Main Street, in Cave Springs, Arkansas.
For more information about the meetings, contact tate.wentz@agriculture.arkansas.gov. Comments regarding the Illinois Watershed Management Plan may also be submitted to info@agriculture.arkansas.gov.
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Rice Disease Training Scheduled for July 9 | |
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The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host a rice disease training on July 9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. The event will include both classroom and field practical work. There is no cost to attend, but participants are asked to register in advance so organizers can get a headcount for food and materials. Registration is online.
| Pictured: Camila Nicolli discussing her rice pathology program. During the 2023 Rice Field Day at the Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart. (University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture photo by Mary Hightower) | Arkansas Agriculture, Forests, and Water Conference Set for July 16-18 | |
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The Arkansas Water Resources Center will host the Arkansas Agriculture, Forests, and Water Conference on July 16-18 in Fayetteville. The event will focus on Arkansas's agriculture, forests, and water resources and will cover multiple topics of interests to stakeholders statewide. Session themes include water myths and disinformation; science behind water stories; state, program, and watershed updates; source water protection; conservation efforts, floodplains, and forests; groundwater; and stakeholder perceptions of groundwater risks and their value.
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USDA Invests $250 Million to Reduce Wildfire Risk to Communities Across State, Private, and Tribal Lands | |
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On March 14, the United States Department of Agriculture announced $250 million to help at-risk communities protect their homes, businesses, and infrastructure from catastrophic wildfire.
The announcement, through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program will fund 158 projects to help communities in 31 states, two territories, and 11 tribes develop community wildfire protection plans and remove overgrown vegetation that can fuel fires that threaten lives, livelihoods, and resources.
101 Gamaliel Fire Protection District in Baxter County, Arkansas was among those selected and will use the funds to develop a community wildfire protection plan to reduce wildfire risk and build resiliency to the impacts of wildfires.
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is Hiring! | |
Are you passionate about Arkansas agriculture? With many new and exciting career opportunities, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture is looking for highly motivated individuals to bring their passion for the Arkansas agriculture industry to the workplace. | |
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Weekly Market Summary
Each Friday, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture publishes a comprehensive Weekly Market Summary, which includes the Arkansas Weekly Livestock Auction Summary and Related Individual Market Sale Summaries, National Weekly Rice Summary, Memphis Weekly Feed Report, Weekly Rice, Grain, Cotton, and Feed Futures Trends, Weekly Livestock and Milk Futures Trends, Bid Prices to Farmers, Arkansas Daily Grain Report, Heading Links for Historical Data, and news.
The summary is available on the Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Market Reports webpage, as well as each Division's webpage and Facebook page. Sign-up to receive the summary by email here.
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Arkansas Ag Facts: Beef, Egg, Strawberry | |
Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders proclaimed May as Arkansas Beef, Egg, and Strawberry Month. Learn more about these industries and the value they provide to Arkansas below. | |
Arkansas Beef Industry:
- Arkansas has cattle production in each of Arkansas’s 75 counties.
- Arkansas has 847,000 head of beef cows and 1,570,000 head of cattle and calves.
- Arkansas has 19,467 farms with beef cows and 20,924 farms with cattle and calves.
- Arkansas ranks 11th in the nation in beef cow inventory and 17th in the nation in cattle and calves inventory.
- Cattle and calves consistently rank among Arkansas’s top eight agricultural commodities in cash receipts, valued at more than $602 million.
- Arkansas exports beef and beef products totaling more than $82 million dollars to trading partners around the world.
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Arkansas Egg Industry:
- Egg production ranks among Arkansas’s top five agricultural commodities in cash receipts, valued at $693 million annually.
- Arkansas produces more than 1.59 billion shell eggs annually and ranks 8th in the nation for egg production and 1st in the nation for egg exports.
- Arkansas has seven egg processing facilities in Central and Northwest Arkansas committed to providing premium eggs and egg products.
- The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Livestock and Poultry Division has 11 shell egg inspectors that provide more than 14,000 man-hours each year to ensure the highest egg quality standards are met at egg processing facilities, restaurants, farmers markets, retail stores, and other points of sale.
- The Livestock and Poultry Division annually issues more than 252 egg handling permits for the sale and distribution of eggs within the state to entities meeting the United States Department of Agriculture’s health, safety, and quality standards.
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Arkansas Strawberry Industry:
- The economic value of the Arkansas strawberry industry generates an estimated $2.1 million annually.
- Arkansas has more than 35 farms that grow 268 acres of strawberries.
- The strawberry industry contributes to the diversification practices of many Arkansas farmers, providing employment and supplemental income for many Arkansans.
- Strawberries are grown in all regions of the states and distributed through local markets such as farmers markets, grocery stores, and U-Pick farms.
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Upcoming Agriculture Events | |
- Arkansas State Plant Board Meeting, June 6
- Mid-South Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, June 6-7
- National Black Growers Council Field Day, June 7
- Arkansas Municipal League Conference, June 12-14
- Webinar - Groundwater Recharge: Legal and Strategic Considerations of Project Development, June 19
- Illinois River Watershed Management Plan Meeting (Tahlequah, Oklahoma), June 25
- Illinois River Watershed Management Plan Meeting (Cave Springs, Arkansas), June 26
- Arkansas Natural Resources Commission Meeting, July 17
- World Summit on Nutrition and Dietetics, July 29
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The Arkansas Department of Agriculture offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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