Researchers in Arkansas searching for fertilizer alternatives

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Fertilizer costs have exploded in the last two years due to inflation, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other factors. Farmers across the country and in Arkansas may have to find alternatives to traditional fertilizers to minimize input costs.

One substance that could be of use is struvite.

Struvite, the same substance that makes up kidney stones and irritates sewage plant operators, could be an effective alternative to using a limited supply of mined phosphate for crop fertilizer.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/researchers-in-arkansas-searching-for-fertilizer-alternatives/

Social media photo ID bill passes Arkansas committee

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A bill pushed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders to regulate children on social media passed an Arkansas legislative committee Tuesday.

The Social Media Safety Act would require Arkansans to show a photo ID before setting up a new account. If the bill becomes law, minors would also need express consent from their parents to set up a social media account.

Republican Sen. Tyler Dees explained it like this. “The process would be a third-party verifier that the social media site would contract with. They would verify the age and then they would dump that data. At that point, they would be able to give consent for a new profile to be created.”

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-03-29/social-media-photo-id-bill-passes-arkansas-committee

Jacob Kauffman/KUAR

A bill to regulate when children can set up social media accounts made it out of a Senate committee Tuesday.

Arkansas House committee changes controversial public bathroom bill

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

The Arkansas House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday approved an amended version of a bill that initially would have criminalized entering and remaining in bathrooms and locker rooms that do not match an adult’s gender assigned at birth if children are present.

Senate Bill 270 now limits potential misdemeanor charges and prosecutions to adults present “for the purpose of arousing or gratifying a sexual desire of himself or herself or any other person.”

The amendment and the bill both passed on unanimous voice votes after five cumulative hours of frequently emotional testimony from 40 witnesses against the bill. Almost half identified themselves as transgender, including three minors, and several more said they are the parents, spouses or loved ones of transgender Arkansans.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-03-29/arkansas-house-committee-changes-controversial-public-bathroom-bill

Tess Vrbin/Arkansas Advocate

Aaron Jennen (right), a father of a transgender teenager from Fayetteville, speaks against Senate Bill 270 before the House Judiciary Committee on March 28, 2023. Sen. John Payton (R-Wilburn, left) is the bill’s sponsor.

Student Research Day Continues to Grow with Inclusion of Northwest Campus

UAMS students, researchers and staff recently presented their research projects at Student Research Day. Image by Evan Lewis

By Andrew Vogler

Graduate and professional students, postdoctoral researchers, medical staff and fellows presented their research at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Student Research Day, a university-wide event hosted by the Division of Research and Innovation, Academic Affairs, the Graduate School, the Northwest Regional Campus and Academic Senate.

Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health, was present to view projects at Student Research Day.Andrew Vogler

This year’s event was the first in which the Northwest Regional Campus facilitated participation for its students. Participants at the Fayetteville campus and those unable to attend the event in person were able to view the event’s activities remotely.

“Student Research Day has always been one of my favorite events over the years — it not only provides a showcase for our students to let everyone see the work that they have been pursuing but also highlights the remarkable faculty who mentor them,” said Robert E. McGehee Jr., Ph.D., dean of the Graduate School and distinguished professor in the Department of Pediatrics. “The breadth of the projects is also amazing, literally from the frontlines of community-based research projects to the most minute changes in genetic signaling.”

https://news.uams.edu/2023/03/27/student-research-day-continues-to-grow-with-inclusion-of-northwest-campus/

April 5 webinar to focus on National Ag Law Center’s partner and outreach expansion efforts

By Drew Viguet
National Agricultural Law Center
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — An April 5 webinar will be all about the future for a one-of-a-kind institution that has served public, private, legal and other agricultural and food industry professionals for nearly 40 years.

Congress established the National Agricultural Law Center in 1987 to serve as a nonpartisan, objective resource for the nation’s agricultural community. Today, it is the only institution of its kind in the United States with partners throughout the country, serving stakeholders at all levels of the agriculture and food supply chain.

NALC Director Harrison Pittman will discuss the future of the NALC in a webinar on Wednesday, April 5. The webinar, “Expanding Partners and Outreach: Strategic Update on the Future of the National Agricultural Law Center,” will begin at 11 a.m. CDT. Registration is free of charge online.

Harrison Pittman will talk about the future of the National Agricultural Law Center in an April 5, 2023, webinar. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo).

“The NALC has grown considerably in recent years, with a key strategic goal of expanding public and private sector partnerships and outreach throughout the United States,” Pittman said.

Pittman will discuss the NALC’s recent expansion efforts including the inaugural Western Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference, establishment of regional advisory boards such as the newly formed Western Ag Industry Advisory Board, establishment of agricultural law scholarships and student-focused efforts such as the NALC Bridges Initiative.

“The purpose of this webinar is to provide a strategic update on the NALC and invite state agriculture departments, commodity and trade organizations, Cooperative Extension Service professionals, student organizations, law firms, law schools and other interested individuals and entities to collaborate and partner with us,” Pittman said. “As the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information, it is a tremendous priority for the NALC to continue expanding its partners and outreach.”

The webinar is an opportunity for longstanding supporters of the NALC’s mission to not only hear about recent developments and initiatives, but also help those not as familiar with the NALC learn about its objectives and growth.

“There is much to be excited about with the future of the NALC,” Pittman said. “We are in a time of exponential growth and look forward to sharing this update on what’s in store for the future.”

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on Twitter. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

A risk of severe weather for Arkansas on Friday

A strong storm system will be in the central United States on Friday. Ahead of the system, a strong south wind will bring warm temperatures and increasing moisture, and the potential of strong to severe thunderstorms. 

There is some question as to how much warmth/moisture (instability) will be in place as thunderstorms develop. Also, the system/associated energy will be well north of the state, and this may limit the amount of severe weather that occurs. The situation will be monitored closely. 

Quarter to three quarter inch precipitation totals are in the forecast. This will not be enough to make existing high water issues (elevated rivers/saturated soil) worse.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders signed bills

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – On Thursday, March 16, 2023, the Governor signed into law: 

SB254, an act to eliminate write-in candidates in elections; to amend election procedures; and to amend the law concerning election.

SB280, to amend the law concerning the creation and duties of the Arkansas ethics commission; and to amend portions of initiated act 1 of 1990 and initiated act 1 of 1996. 

SB293, to amend the law concerning the correction of errors on ballots; to amend the law concerning election procedures; and to create a procedure for candidate review of ballots.
 

SB307, to create a monument to the unborn; to create a monument on state capitol grounds; and to amend the law concerning the duties of the secretary of state.
 

SB343, to repeal the law concerning a written report on costs savings by cabinet-level departments.
 

HB1405, to amend the definition of election media; and to amend the definition under election law.
 

HB1461, to require legislative review of new federal election guidance; and to amend the duties of the secretary of state.
 

HB1464, to amend the law concerning complaints of election law violations; and to amend the law concerning the state board of election commissioners.
 

HB1510, to amend the law concerning special elections on measures and questions.
 

SB251, concerning the administrative office of the keep Arkansas beautiful commission; and to amend the duties of the state parks division.
 

HB1394, to update the law on spendthrift trusts; and to allow for the creation of a domestic asset protection. trust.
 

HB1431, to amend the Arkansas trust code to allow for the decanting of trusts.
 

SB91, to establish the audiology and speech-language pathology interstate compact in Arkansas.
 

SB112, to authorize physician assistants to be identified as a treating provider for insurance billing and claims and to bill and receive payment for provided healthcare services.
 

SB323, to permit the secretary of the department of labor and licensing to designate a person to serve on his or her behalf on the elevator safety board.
 

SB344, to require posting of a written notice that attacking a healthcare professional is a felony; and to allow a healthcare professional to use a work address when reporting certain offenses.
 

SB267, to transfer the criminal detention facility review committees, and the office of criminal detention facilities review coordinator to the department of public safety; and to declare an emergency.
 

HB1328, to repeal the annual reporting requirement by the arkansas geographic information systems board concerning the arkansas spatial data infrastructure.
 

HB1338, to amend the Arkansas video service act; and to provide clarity concerning the use of a public right of way.
 

HB1389, to require a service industry license for certain persons or entities related to casino gaming; and to require background checks for service industry licensees employed by a franchise holder or casino licensee. 
 

HB1483, to amend the law concerning retention of criminal background checks.

SB94, to modify the Arkansas pharmacy benefits manager licensure act.

SB297, to amend the Arkansas underground facilities damage prevention act; and to declare an emergency.

HB1482, to amend Arkansas law concerning the membership of the delta cultural center policy advisory board. 

HB1484, to amend the law concerning the operation of bank facilities. 

HB1497, to amend the formula rate review act; and to modify the term of a formula rate review approved by the arkansas public service commission.
 

HB1065, an act for the department of transformation and shared services – division of information systems appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
 

HB1075, an act for the department of finance and administration – child support enforcement appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. 
 

HB1079, an act for the department of commerce – state securities department appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
 

HB1080, an act for the department of health – tobacco prevention and cessation programs appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
 

HB1081, an act for the department of commerce – arkansas rehabilitation services appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. 
 

HB1106, an act for the department of the military appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
 

HB1134, an act for the department of corrections – division of community correction appropriation for the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
 

HCR1008, to recognize the Fouke High School panther marching band for winning class 3a state championships and to recognize the Fouke High School and Paulette Smith Middle School concert bands for being named 2022 class 3a state honor bands.
 

HCR1010, to recognize Lieutenant Colonel Harold Chaffin for his dedication and sacrifices made on behalf of the United States.
 

HB1315, to create the seizure safe schools act. 
 

HB1393, to create mental health awareness week in public schools. 

SB250, to amend the law concerning paper ballots; to amend the law concerning marking and counting paper ballots; to amend the law concerning the declaration of election results; and to declare an emergency.

Severe weather risk for the ArkLaTex Friday

Showers and thunderstorms this morning will decrease in coverage before redevelopment later this afternoon. A squall line is then expected to sweep across the state.with the possibility of strong tornadoes with the best chances over the southeast. 

In addition to the severe threat, flooding is a concern. Several inches of rain fell across parts of northwest Arkansas last night with additional widespread rain expected. The precipitation is expected to exit the state late this evening.

LEARNS Act pays for teacher salary mandates, but districts must adjust schedules

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Gov. Sarah Sanders’ LEARNS Act will increase beginning teacher salaries in the Bryant School District by $7,500 and give all teachers above $50,000 a raise of $2,000, but the district will have to adjust its current salary schedule.

The legislation’s sponsor says the act’s mandated raises will be funded and that school districts can create salary schedules that meet their needs.

Signed into law March 8, the LEARNS Act increases the state’s minimum teacher salary from $36,000 to $50,000 and guarantees all teachers at least a $2,000 raise.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/learns-act-pays-for-teacher-salary-mandates-but-districts-must-adjust-schedules/

Producers Rice Mill to erect largest solar storage microgrid in the state

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Producers Rice Mill will have a new solar storage microgrid developed by Scenic Hill Solar and it will be a record-breaking.

The groups announced the project on Tuesday (March 21), but a timetable to complete the microgrid and price tag were not released.

The Producers’ project is the largest commercial and industrial solar project in Arkansas history and one of the largest microgrid projects in the U.S., the companies said. Since 1943, the Producers Rice Mill cooperative’s members – now including more than 2,000 U.S. farmers — have relied on the Producers’ facility in Stuttgart, to process, store, and ship their harvest around the world. The facility mills more than 40 million bushels of rice every year.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/producers-rice-mill-to-erect-largest-solar-storage-microgrid-in-the-state/

Bill seeks to ease workforce barriers for Arkansans with disabilities

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

A new bill in the Arkansas Legislature seeks to make it easier for Arkansans with intellectual and developmental disabilities to enter the workforce.

Senate Bill 443, sponsored by Sen. Greg Leding, D-Fayetteville, would create a new state “Office of Employment First” and an advisory committee composed of disability rights advocates and officials from state government and the private sector.

Jonathan Taylor, executive director of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, said another goal is to partner with businesses across the state to hire more Arkansans living with disabilities.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-03-23/bill-seeks-to-ease-workforce-barriers-for-arkansans-with-disabilities

Daniel Breen/KUAR News

The Arkansas State Capitol building is seen in this file photo from February 2023.

Arkansas legislators file two bills related to abortion during Spring Break

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas legislators filed two bills Wednesday morning pertaining to abortion, which is all but illegal in the state.

Arkansas has one of the nation’s strictest abortion bans, Act 180 of 2019, with the sole exception “to save the life of a pregnant woman in a medical emergency.” The act went into effect in June 2022, the same day the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and left abortion access up to individual states.

House Bill 1684, filed by Rep. Denise Garner (D-Fayetteville), would add the health of the mother as an additional exception to Act 180, broadening the definition of a “medical emergency.” The bill was filed a day after Oklahoma’s Supreme Court loosened that state’s near-total abortion ban by allowing exceptions for the health of the mother.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-03-23/arkansas-legislators-file-two-bills-related-to-abortion-during-spring-break

Charlie Neibergall/AP

Bottles of the abortion-inducing drug RU-486, which is used to medically induce abortions in a two-step process. Women take mifepristone (left), and days later, they take misoprostol.

Texas federal court grants WOTUS injunction for two states; two more requests pending

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A federal court has halted implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s new rule defining waters of the United States, and two more injunction requests are pending in cases involving 25 states, including Arkansas, said Brigit Rollins, National Agricultural Law Center staff attorney.

The new rule went into effect on Monday. The U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Texas issued the injunction Sunday night in Texas vs. EPA. The case halts implementation of the new EPA rule in both Texas and Idaho.

An injunction granted by a federal court judge is only the beginning for three cases challenging EPA's new rule that defines waters of the U.S., or WOTUS, according to Brigit Rollins of the National Agricultural Law Center. (U of A System Division of Agriuclture image)

There are two other cases pending — Kentucky Chamber of Commerce vs. EPA, which involves only Kentucky, and State of West Virginia vs. EPA, which involves 24 states, including Arkansas. Following the Texas action, attorneys in the two other cases filed additional briefs Sunday noting the injunction.

The injunction is “not the end of the road. That’s just sort of the first step in the lawsuit,” Rollins said. “The arguments and the claims are still lingering” and need to be heard.

“Should the judges in those other two lawsuits issue injunctions, there are a couple of things that are going to happen right away: Once the judge issues the injunction, the current WOTUS rule will no longer be in legal effect,” Rollins said. “What that means is that EPA is going to be applying the previous WOTUS rule that was in place.”

At issue in all three cases is how EPA defines “waters of the U.S.,” known as WOTUS. That definition is critical to enforcement of the Clean Water Act.

Muddying the waters

The legal vortex surrounding WOTUS means the waters may get muddier before clarity is achieved. Rollins said the situation harkens back to EPA’s 2015 rule redefining WOTUS and the resulting lawsuits.

“What ultimately ended up happening was that more than 50 percent of the states had an injunction on that 2015 rule,” she said. “What it meant for those states is that they were applying a different WOTUS rule than in the states that had not joined the suits.

“It’s not impossible that we could see that again,” Rollins said.

“It creates confusion for landowners, members of agricultural communities, and members of industrial communities. I would imagine it would be particularly challenging for anyone who is operating in multiple states,” she said. “You might be subject to different requirements in different states.

“There is the potential for issues to arise with pending Clean Water Act permits that are sort of stuck between those different rules,” Rollins said. “And at the moment it's going to be hard to say what that means for those permits.”

The National Agricultural Law Center has a page dedicated to WOTUS updates.

For updates on WOTUS and other agricultural law developments, subscribe free of charge to The Feed, the NALC’s twice-monthly newsletter highlighting recent legal developments facing agriculture.

For information about the National Agricultural Law Center, visit nationalaglawcenter.org or follow @Nataglaw on Twitter. The National Agricultural Law Center is also on Facebook and LinkedIn.

About the National Agricultural Law Center

The National Agricultural Law Center serves as the nation’s leading source of agricultural and food law research and information. The NALC works with producers, state and federal policymakers, Congressional staffers, attorneys, land grant universities, and many others to provide objective, nonpartisan agricultural and food law research and information to the nation’s agricultural community.

The NALC is a unit of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and works in close partnership with the USDA Agricultural Research Service, National Agricultural Library.

UAMS Holds Second Girlology Puberty Event

UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology physicians Laura Hollenbach, M.D., Nirvana Manning, M.D., and Kathryn Stambough, M.D., taught girls ages 8-14 at the second Girlology puberty event. Image by Bryan Clifton

By Yavonda Chase

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) welcomed more than 230 preteen and teen girls and their mothers, fathers or caregivers to the second Girlology puberty event.

Girlology participants raise their hands to ask questions during the event.Bryan Clifton

Held March 12 in the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Girlology aimed to help girls face puberty with greater confidence. Girls ages 8-14 attended the 2.5-hour course, accompanied by a parent or other caregiver.

During Girlology, attendees learned about such topics as growth and development; bras and bra shopping; hygiene and hair management; nutrition and growth; menstruation and menstrual hygiene; respect for self and others; moods and emotions; and internet safety and curiosity.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/03/20/uams-holds-second-girlology-puberty-event/

UAMS Hosts United States Telecommunication Training Institute (USTTI) for Digital Health Training Program

By Benjamin Waldrum

Representatives from the United States Telecommunication Training Institute (USTTI) visited the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Institute for Digital Health & Innovation (IDHI) as part of a three-day digital health training course held March 7-9.

Thirteen international health and technology professionals converged on the UAMS Little Rock campus to learn more about applying digital health practices in their countries.

Several visitors look at a live, virtual display from an otoscope.Benjamin Waldrum

“It has been a privilege for the USTTI to partner with UAMS to provide world class training for 13 international officials,” said James O’Connor, USTTI chairman and CEO. “The participants from Costa Rica, Ghana, Hungary, Namibia, Nepal, Paraguay, Rwanda, Thailand, Uganda and Vietnam are leading digital health initiatives in their countries. The information they gained this week along with the technologies and techniques they have been exposed to will be incorporated into their work and used to save lives when they return home.”

https://news.uams.edu/2023/03/13/uams-hosts-united-states-telecommunication-training-institute-ustti-for-digital-health-training-program/

Representatives from USTTI speak with Terri Imus, RN (foreground right) as a virtual EKG display is passed around. The three-day event showcased various aspects of digital health technologies at UAMS. Image by Benjamin Waldrum

Arkansas native elected next president of Southern Agricultural Economics Association

By Lauren Sutherland
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Starting next year, John Anderson will be in a position to provide strategic guidance to the Southern Agriculture Economics Association, an organization he says has helped shape him professionally for more than two decades.

Anderson, a native of Timbo in Stone County, is head of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences.

John Anderson was elected president of the Southern Agriucltural Economics Assocation. (U of A System Division of Agriculture image by Fred Miller)

In February, Anderson was elected to be the next president of the Southern Agricultural Economics Association for 2024.

“It is an honor for me to have this opportunity to give back to an organization that has done so much for me,” Anderson said. “I am looking forward to working closely with them and the rest of the SAEA Executive Council over the coming year.”

Anderson has been a member of the SAEA since he was a graduate student in the late 1990s. His participation and involvement in the organization have helped shaped his professional outlook and provided him with countless opportunities.

“I have made lifelong friendships among my SAEA colleagues,” said Anderson. “I have known the current president, Marco Palma at Texas A&M, and past president, Rodney Holcomb at Oklahoma State, for many years and have the utmost respect for them both.”

The SAEA is a non-profit association comprised of economists striving to understand and explain the values and impacts of factors related to agricultural production, agribusiness, rural development, and natural resources management in the Southern United States.

“John is a very respected leader throughout the land-grant system,” said Deacue Fields, head of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and a past president of SAEA. “He will do a great job implementing programs for the SAEA. This is a great recognition of John’s leadership that will provide tremendous visibility for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.”

Encouraged to run

Rodney Holcomb, professor of agricultural economics at Oklahoma State University, encouraged Anderson to stand for election.

“I’m a big fan of John Anderson. He’s an outstanding agricultural economist who is greatly respected by peers in both academia and industry,” said Holcomb. “He’s also a strategic thinker with excellent people skills, which is why he’s a good department head. That combination of talents is exactly what the SAEA needs, and that’s why I encouraged him to run for the office.”

Anderson was elected by a vote of the membership that includes 400 members of SAEA. The organization has a three-year rotation for the president's office where the candidate-elect will serve as president-elect for one year, president for the second year, and past president for the third year.

For that three-year period, Anderson will sit on the SAEA Executive Council to help provide strategic leadership to the organization and assist in managing the association’s functions, the primary functions being the organization and execution of the annual meeting and management of the SAEA’s peer-reviewed journal, the Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics.

For more than 20 years, John has worked as a professional agricultural economist in both academic and industry positions. His work has involved describing and assessing the farm- and sector-level impacts of policy, regulatory, and market developments across a wide variety of agricultural commodities and markets. John has served as a faculty member, with primary appointments in extension, at the University of Kentucky and Mississippi State University. He received his Bachelor’s in Agribusiness from College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri, a Master of Agriculture at Arkansas State University, and his Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from Oklahoma State University.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Save money and avoid food waste during No Waste Week

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Throwing out wasted food can quickly add up, both in the garbage can and the wallet. During No Waste Week from March 20-24, save money and cut down on food waste by planning meals, safely storing food and getting creative with leftovers.

NO WASTE WEEK — From March 20-24, join Katie Cullum, White County extension family and consumer sciences agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, in reducing food waste and saving money by planning meals in advance. Checking the pantry, fridge and freezer before shopping, sticking to a grocery list, and storing food where it can easily be seen can also help households cut down on their food waste. (Dreamstime photo.) 

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an estimated 30 to 40 percent of the food supply at the retail and consumer levels is wasted in the United States. This corresponds to approximately 133 billion pounds and $161 billion dollars of food.

Katie Cullum, White County extension family and consumer sciences agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said there are “many reasons why we waste food at home.”

“From schedule changes, to pickiness, to not planning, it’s not just a matter of your food dollars wasted — throwing your money down the trash,” Cullum said. “It also affects the environment. Organic waste, mostly food, is the second biggest component of landfills. Not to mention the waste of valuable resources, such as water, energy and land.”

One of the best ways to reduce food waste and to save money on the grocery bill is to plan meals ahead, Cullum said.

“Plan your meals for the week, and plan how to use the extra ingredients that you buy, especially produce,” she said. “Check your pantry, refrigerator and freezer before making a shopping list to see what you already have and what might need to be used up. And then stick to the list while shopping or use an app to keep track.”

Cullum suggested downloading the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodKeeper app, which helps consumers keep food safe and not waste it. The app has an “add to calendar” feature that allows users to log certain foods and receive reminders to use products before they spoil. It also offers cooking tips, information on food safety recalls, and a function to search storage guidelines for specific foods.

Cullum said it’s important to only purchase what you can eat in a week and be realistic about how excess food will be used. “If you find a great deal on bagged salad, can you eat it all? Prep a few lunches with it so you can finish the bag,” she said.

To ensure leftovers and extra food don’t go to waste, plan a leftovers night and get creative about what that meal — or meals — may look like.

“Make a habit of using up whatever you have one night a week,” Cullum said. “Everyone may eat something different, but that’s OK. Go through all the places you store food to see what needs to be eaten. Half a pepper? Small zucchini? Green onions? Think about what you can make with those, such as an omelet or a pasta dish.”

After food is purchased, storing it safely is critical to both personal health and reducing waste. Cullum said the temperature setting of a refrigerator should be below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, and freezers should be zero degrees Fahrenheit.

It’s also helpful to store food where it can be easily seen. Keep the fridge clean and use clear containers to avoid mystery leftovers.  

“Keep produce or other foods you want to use in plain sight,” Cullum said. “Make it easy to find foods by keeping your fridge cleaned out. If you have more leftovers than you need, freeze them or use them for lunches, which also saves you money by not eating out.”

To read more about food safety and food waste, visit Cullum’s Small Steps to Healthy Habits blog. For more information about nutrition, meal planning and recipe tips, contact your county Family and Consumer Sciences agent.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Ballot referendum to undo LEARNS Act faces high hurdles

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Opponents of Gov. Sarah Sanders’ LEARNS education plan are discussing potential litigation to undo the measure, and a possible citizens’ referendum could also delay enactment or even reverse the new law. That path, however, would be difficult.

The LEARNS bill, SB294, was signed into law on March 8th by Gov. Sanders and has been touted by her administration as “the biggest, boldest, most conservative education reforms” in the state’s history and the nation.

The law sets a new minimum starting teacher salary of $50,000, provides raises of $2,000 to current teachers, outlines initiatives for pre-K, literacy improvement and workforce training, and provides money for public school safety and transportation. The most controversial aspect of LEARNS centers on a voucher program called “education freedom accounts,” which will eventually allow public school funding to follow students to their choice of K-12 education, including charter, parochial and private schools as well as homeschooling.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/ballot-referendum-to-undo-learns-act-faces-high-hurdles/

Arkansas Game & Fish Foundation launches corporate partnership program with Greenway, Fiocchi

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), through its nonprofit foundation, announced Thursday (March 16) a new corporate partnership program designed for Arkansas companies to support long-term conservation efforts in the state.

The first two corporate partners to participate are Greenway Equipment, a John Deere equipment supplier with locations across Arkansas and southeast Missouri, and Fiocchi Ammunition, which has two ammo manufacturing plants in the Little Rock Port.

“Arkansas is blessed with not only fantastic natural resources, but we also are home to some of the most conservation-minded people and businesses in the country,” AGFC Director Austin Booth said. “Conservation is in the fabric of what makes us Arkansans, and this initiative will enable the many businesses who recognize that importance to contribute to the valuable work of conserving our natural resources for the next generation of Arkansans.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/arkansas-game-fish-foundation-launches-corporate-partnership-program-with-greenway-fiocchi/

ABF Freight hit with $535K penalty for clean water violations

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

ABF Freight, the less-than-truckload (LTL) subsidiary of Fort Smith-based ArcBest, has agreed to pay a $535,000 penalty to resolve allegations that the company violated requirements of the Clean Water Act (CWA).

The settlement was detailed in a press release Monday (March 20) from the U.S. Department of Justice.

According to the release, in April 2015, ABF voluntarily disclosed to the US Environmental Protection Agency that it failed to obtain industrial stormwater permit coverage at multiple facilities. The company discovered additional areas of noncompliance with the CWA through internal compliance audits, which were conducted at nearly all its facilities during 2013 and 2014.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/abf-freight-hit-with-535k-penalty-for-clean-water-violations/