Research underway for forest biochar, poultry waste

By Lon Tegels
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

MONTICELLO, Ark. — In rural Arkansas, researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are exploring the potential of biochar to replace synthetic fertilizers in hay production — especially when combined with poultry litter.

IN THE FIELD — In rural Arkansas, researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture are exploring the potential of biochar to replace synthetic fertilizers in hay production — especially when combined with poultry litter. (Division of Agriculture video.)

Biochar is produced when timber waste is exposed to high heat and no oxygen.

The implications of the research could be significant. A positive outcome could provide the forest industry with a new eco-friendly byproduct for wood mill residues and provide farmers in southeast Arkansas with a cheaper alternative to synthetic fertilizers. While chicken litter is a valuable source of fertilizer that has been used for decades, it has become harder to acquire and both transportation and application have become more expensive.

Furthermore, biochar has been found to sequester carbon in soil, an important factor in reducing greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

Kathleen Bridges, assistant professor of agronomy for the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and Scott Hayes, Drew County extension agent for the Division of Agriculture, are leading the project. They each said the potential research outcomes are unknown at this point.

"We don't know if it will be good or bad,” said Bridges, who is jointly employed by both the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the Cooperative Extension Service, specializing in soils and crop sciences. “It could be a negative thing, but hopefully science will reveal that."

"This research is somewhat new,” said Hayes. “Most of our producers in this area use chicken litter as a fertilizer for their hay pastures. By mixing this with the biochar, we hope to see better soil health through microbial activity."

Hayes and Bridges launched their project in June with 20 plots, each measuring nine square meters, in a hayfield near the UAM Agriculture Building in Monticello. A local company donated the biochar, while an acquaintance of Hayes supplied the chicken waste.

Hayes and Bridges mixed the two sources and then hand-spread the chicken litter mix, and let nature take its course. The plot produced its second cutting of hay in September — somewhat ahead of schedule, due to the high summer heat.

"We are trying to measure the biomass of our forage production,” Bridges said.

The research team is using a tool known as a quadrat, which subdivides each plot — the quadrat in this experiment dividing the plots into squares measuring 25 by 25 centimeters — and shears for taking forage samples. The treatments include different rates of biochar and chicken litter. By weighing the samples collected, Bridges will be able to calculate the amount of forage production on a per-acre basis.

"We are recording forage weights and tonnage per acre,” Hayes said. “She's also collecting soil samples and keeping up with those because this will be a long-term project. Soil doesn't just change overnight; it will take years and be a good project."

Carbon storage potential
Biochar is high in carbon. When it’s applied to the soil, it can be sequestered there for many years, potentially increasing the number of microorganisms in the soil. Those microorganisms play a very important role in plant growth.

Bridges said there is a lot of biochar research across the state, including projects that involve mixing biochar with fertilizers for row crops such as corn and rice.

"They are also looking at using biochar in the chicken houses with the chicken litter, or with the bedding in the chicken houses, to see if it will help with reducing ammonia production,” she said. Exposure to ammonia can injure chickens, Bridges explained.

Hayes said the biochar product they used was light, and his part in this project is to try to make it easy for producers to incorporate biochar into their fertilizer program without needing any specialty equipment. Mixing the biochar with chicken litter, which farm producers already use, will be heavier and can be put into a spreader, where it will be mixed and applied on pastures or cropland evenly.

Potential for future funding
Much of the Division of Agriculture’s research, including that conducted by the University of Monticello, is grant-funded. The biochar project, however, has proceeded thus far without any such funding. Bridges and Hayes said that if successful, their work could lead to larger, grant-funded research that further helps farmers and the forest products industry.

"At the beginning of the summer, Scott came to me and said, ‘We've got access to the biochar; we got access to chicken litter, and we got access to a pasture. So, let's go ahead and do this,’” Bridges said. “And I said, OK."

Bridges said the team is presently processing samples and collecting data.

"We're just seeing what we can do to keep the agriculture alive here in Southeast Arkansas and make it good for our livestock and forestry guys,” Hayes said.

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.

About the Arkansas Center for Forest Business

Established in 2021, the Arkansas Center for Forest Business is part of the University of Arkansas, College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources. The Center provides technical assistance for market-based solutions to forest resource challenges, programs for degree and post-baccalaureate education, and information on timber supply, forest products markets and operational efficiency. The Center for Forest Business will provide market-based economic solutions to forest resource issues, improving business practices for forest enterprises, and enhancing economic competitiveness.

About the College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center

The College of Forestry, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Arkansas Forest Resources Center, a University of Arkansas System Center of Excellence, bring together interdisciplinary expertise through a partnership between the University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The College and Center are headquartered at the University of Arkansas at Monticello campus, but their programs range statewide with the mission of developing and delivering teaching, research, and extension programs that enhance and ensure the sustainability and productivity of forest-based natural resources and agricultural systems. Academic programs are delivered by the College of Forestry, Agriculture, and Natural Resources through the University of Arkansas at Monticello. Through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, research is administered by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and extension and outreach activities are coordinated by the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

The University of Arkansas at Monticello and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offer all of their programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers.

Arkansas professor wins national award for cultural competency research, programs

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture professor has been recognized by a national organization for her research to measure advancement in intercultural relations, and her work to improve opportunities for those who have been historically excluded.

DEI AWARD — Jacquelyn Mosley accepts the 2023 National Experiment Station Section Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Tuesday during agInnovation's fall meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan. (Courtesy photo)

Jacquelyn Mosley, professor of human development and family sciences in the School of Human Environmental Sciences, was presented the 2023 National Experiment Station Section Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award on Sept. 26 at the agInnovation fall meeting in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Diversity in agriculture

Formerly known as the Experiment Station Section of the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities, agInnovation represents agricultural experiment stations at land-grant universities across the United States. A land-grant university is an institution designated by its state legislature to receive the benefits of the Morrill Acts of 1862, 1890 and 1994. As a land-grant institution in the University of Arkansas System, the mission of the Division of Agriculture is “to strengthen agriculture, communities and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices.”

“At their core, the land-grant mission and diversity, equity and inclusion are helping all citizens, careers, and communities thrive,” Mosley said. “What makes the field of agriculture so wonderful is how diverse it really is, and my goal is to continue celebrating the diversity in agriculture and creating better relationships with, and for, our communities.”

Mosley is assistant dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. She has a research appointment with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture, and teaches classes on multicultural families and cultural competence for Bumpers College. She performs outreach through the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

“I often get confused looks when I say I work for the Division of Agriculture and teach in an agricultural college, since I study families and communities, but I believe the very heart and core of agriculture are families and communities,” Mosley said. “I am from Iowa and come from a seventh-generation farm. I like to say I come from a land-grant family. Almost my entire family majored in some type of agriculture field or attended a land-grant institution. And that is what diversity, equity and inclusion is to me — fulfilling the land-grant mission.”

Mosley said the interconnected values for diversity, equity and inclusion, and land-grant institutions include “providing individuals the ability to shape their own destiny, and the destiny of their communities and states.”

Cultural competency at work

Her cultural competency research program, AR CommUniversity, connects multiple university and community partners, including the experiment station, Bumpers College, Discovery Farms and organizations such as the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and Tyson Foods. The program provides the framework and assessment of the Intercultural Development Inventory to assess diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives.

AR CommUniversity also creates agricultural STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — curriculum and outreach programs such as the Arkansas Lighthouse Summer Enrichment Academy to increase the number of underrepresented students pursuing agricultural degrees and entering the agricultural workforce in Arkansas. Mosley’s research indicated that after attending the three-day Arkansas Lighthouse summer program, 94 percent of the students left knowing a “great deal or a lot” about Bumpers College, and more than half of the students indicated they were interested in a career in agricultural sciences.

Mosley serves as the faculty adviser for the University of Arkansas Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences, also known as MANRRS. And through AR CommUniversity, she partnered with Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools to create the first Junior MANRRS chapter in Arkansas. It is one of 35 Junior MANRRS chapters in the nation and has Wendell Scales Jr., director of innovation for the Arkansas Lighthouse Charter Schools, as its adviser. The Junior MANRRS program aims to provide an opportunity to increase historically underrepresented students’ exposure to a land-grant university and agricultural sciences.

This year, Mosley is co-leading efforts with the Division of Agriculture in cultural competency assessment and training for all 1,100 employees of the experiment station and cooperative extension service. Arkansas is the first state to implement statewide Intercultural Development Inventory trainings across its entire land-grant agriculture division, to help elevate cultural competency, Mosley said. For this project, she works with Ron Rainey, assistant vice president of the Division of Agriculture. The trainings are based on Mosley’s research, using empirical assessments of the Intercultural Development Inventory and other similar assessments. She said the program indicates “the positive impact of growing cultural competence skills in the workplace.”

Well-earned recognition

“Dr. Mosley’s programs embrace the historical land-grant mission of supporting people in all walks of life, including serving youth, families and communities,” said Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and senior associate vice president for agriculture-research. “Her research has become a valuable tool for us to measure our successes, and her work helps position Arkansas in a leading role for cultural competency efforts. We congratulate Dr. Mosley for this national recognition from agInnovation.” 

Gary Thompson, executive director of the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, said AR CommUniversity positively impacts underrepresented students getting degrees in agriculture through the Division of Agriculture. The Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors represents Southern region experiment station for agInnovation.

“This national award is a significant recognition of her valuable work in supporting underserved communities within the state and serves as a model for others throughout the Southern region and across the nation,” Thompson said.

Last year, Mosley was the Association of Public Land-Grant University’s recipient of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Excellence in College and University Teaching Awards for Food and Agricultural Sciences. It was a first for Bumpers College and the state of Arkansas. Her previous awards include a national Cognella Innovation Teaching Award in Family Science in 2019, the University of Arkansas Teaching Academy New Fellow in 2020, and the Jack G. Justus Award in the Bumpers College in 2021.

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. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Arkansas attorney general tosses ballot title for initiative to repeal state ‘tampon tax’

KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas Advocate

Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin on Monday rejected proposed ballot language for an initiative to exempt feminine hygiene products from state sales tax.

Griffin opined that the initiative’s definition for exempted products was “ambiguous,” potentially causing a conflict for Arkansas’ membership in an interstate compact on sales tax uniformity.

The sponsor of the ballot initiative said Griffin’s denial constituted an abuse of the ballot title and popular name review process.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-09-26/arkansas-attorney-general-tosses-ballot-title-for-initiative-to-repeal-state-tampon-tax

Dana Marlowe

Tampons sit on a shelf a Bed Bath & Beyond in Rockville, Md.

Researchers test nanotechnology concept against herbicide ‘drift’

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

One of the most controversial issues in Arkansas agriculture is the use of the herbicide dicamba. It is one of the few herbicides that is still effective against pigweed, a pervasive weed that impacts many row crop fields in the Delta.

The problem with dicamba is that it is prone to drift onto adjacent fields and can cause serious damage to crops that haven’t been genetically modified to use the herbicide. Scientists in the Natural State are researching a new solution to this generations-long problem.

The startup CelluDot will receive a nearly $1 million National Science Foundation grant to optimize a nanotechnology product developed by the scientists of the company when they were doctoral students. The goal is to mitigate herbicide drift, and the ongoing research will be done in partnership with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/researchers-test-nanotechnology-concept-against-herbicide-drift/

UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative, CALS Present ‘Vaccine Update for Older Adults’ on Oct. 17

By News Staff

Sept. 26, 2023 | LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative (AGEC) and the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) are collaborating to present a program “Vaccine Update for Older Adults” on Oct. 17, at Noon. The guest speaker will be Jennifer Dillaha, M.D., director and state health officer of the Arkansas Department of Health.

The program will be held in person at Dee Brown Library, at 6325 Baseline Road in Little Rock. A remote attendance option will be available via Zoom; visit agec.uams.edu/community-events for that link.

The program is organized and supported by AGEC at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the Central Arkansas Library System. AGEC and CALS use these education sessions to provide social support, activities and conversation for older adults.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/09/26/uams-arkansas-geriatric-education-collaborative-cals-present-vaccine-update-for-older-adults-on-oct-17/

Join the UAMS Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative and Central Arkansas Library System at “Vaccine Update for Older Adults” on Oct. 17.

UAMS Otolaryngologist Patrick Fraley, M.D., Recognized for Expertise in Sleep Apnea Implant

By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — Patrick Fraley, M.D., a board-certified otolaryngologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has been recognized as an Inspire Physician of Excellence.

He is the only physician in Arkansas and one of only 50 surgeons nationwide to receive the designation by Inspire Medical Systems, Inc., the maker of a small implantable device by the same name. It serves as an alternative for people with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea who can’t find relief with a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine.

CPAP machines use a hose connected to a mask or a nosepiece to deliver constant and steady air pressure, keeping users’ breathing airways open while they sleep. But some patients find the apparatus too bulky and uncomfortable, while others complain of skin irritation, sores, congestion, headaches, runny nose, dry mouth, nosebleeds or infections.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/09/25/uams-otolaryngologist-patrick-fraley-m-d-recognized-for-expertise-in-sleep-apnea-implant/

Patrick Fraley, M.D.

Conference brings muscadine, bunch-grape researchers to Arkansas on Oct. 3-5

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Muscadine and bunch-grape growers and researchers have tended to move in their own circles. Until now.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will host the North American Grape Breeders and Vitis-Muscadine Alliance Conference on Oct. 3-5 at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Science, 1371 W. Altheimer Drive, in Fayetteville.

Fruit breeder Margaret Worthington holds "clamshell" containers of muscadines during a tour of the Fruit Research Station in Clarksville in 2021. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo)

“To my knowledge, the conference is one of the first national attempts at a collaboration of people working with Vitis and Muscadinia,” said Renee Threlfall, a research scientist, enology and viticulture for the division’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, and director of the Arkansas Quality Wine program. “Muscadines are very ‘regional’ so many U.S. consumers have never heard of them, never mind having tasted a muscadine grape or a product made from muscadines.”

“Vitis” is the genus that encompasses all grapes, whether they’re grown for food or wine. Bunch grapes — which include those used for wines, raisins and eating fresh — and muscadines, each belong to a separate subgenus. And that’s where things get interesting.

Muscadines, with their distinct flavor and thick skins, have 20 chromosomes, one more than bunch grapes. However, researchers see benefits in creating a hybrid of the two. That decades-long quest is driven by several factors such as being able to lend some of the muscadine’s disease resistance to the table grapes.

“Breeding efforts between these genera have already begun, resulting in new grape cultivars, some with attributes like Vitis, some like Muscadinia, but also many with attributes of both,” Worthington said. “This project is important because we believe there is much more to be gained in future collaborations, bringing the best of two powerhouse grape species together.”

The conference is the culmination of work conducted under a Specialty Crop Research Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, or NIFA. Threlfall and Margaret Worthington, associate professor and fruit breeder for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, obtained the grant in 2022.

The event is comprised of the North American Grape Breeders Meeting on Oct. 3. The following day includes a tour of the Division of Agriculture’s research vineyards and wineries. Oct. 5 is the Vitus-Muscadina Alliance Conference.

The conference will include discussions of breeding, production, marketing and economics. Threlfall also said the results of a survey on consumer preferences for fresh-market grapes will be revealed at the conference.

“We conducted an online survey of more than 900 consumers from all U.S. regions, asking their preferences for fresh-market grape options,” Threlfall said. “These preferences will be used to inform future breeding efforts.”

Attendance is by invitation. For more information, contact Renee Threlfall at rthrelf@uark.edu.

Learn about the Division of Agriculture’s grape-breeding program.

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 us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Effects of government shutdown would ripple through agriculture to consumers

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — A  government shutdown could remove price and revenue safety nets for farmers and mean higher food prices for consumers, said Ryan Loy, extension economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Funding for the federal government runs out Sept. 30 unless Congress passes a continuing resolution or finds some other means to keep funds flowing. If the government shuts down, so too would progress toward the next Farm Bill. The Farm Bill has provisions with two sets of expiration dates: Sept. 30, and Dec. 31.

Economist Ryan Loy provides insights into the effects on agriculture of a federal government shutdown. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“When a government shutdown happens, non-essential activity just goes out the window,” Loy said. “If there’s a shutdown, then that includes the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Rural Development Centers.

“If you’re a farmer trying to sign up for programs, those agencies are not going to hold sign-ups,” he said.

Another effect is that two key agencies, Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Agricultural Statistics Service, will also be closed and won’t be collecting statistics. That spells trouble in several ways. Without updated information from the BLS, the Federal Reserve can’t take informed action.

If NASS isn’t “going to do acreage reporting, that means they’re not going to give you payments, because nobody's going to be there to work,” Loy said. The shutdown would halt funding for  Agriculture Risk and Price Loss Coverage programs, known as ARC and PLC. These programs provide protection to farmers in the event of substantial revenue or commodity price drops. No funding means no payments to farmers.

SNAP, Crop insurance protected
If the government shuts down, participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and those who have crop insurance, won’t be affected. SNAP includes WIC, the Women, Infants and Children program.

“SNAP was authorized under the 2008 Food and Nutrition Act so lack of a Farm Bill won’t affect it,” Loy said, “Crop insurance was subsidized through the Federal Crop Insurance Act, so the crop insurance folks are going to be OK.”

Back to 1938 and 1949
Should the Farm Bill not go forward, farm commodity programs would lapse back to what’s referred to as “permanent law,” comprised of provisions from the 1938 and 1949 farm bills that never expire. Farm Bills passed since then have language that suspends the outdated provisions.

According to the Congressional Research Service, “permanent law would support dairy, wheat, rice, cotton, and corn but would not support soybeans, peanuts, and sugar, among other commodities. If the permanent law suspension were to expire, the U.S. Department of Agriculture would be required to implement permanent law, which is likely more expensive to the government and consumers than the current farm bill.”

“The big commodities that it will affect are cotton, milk and wheat,” Loy said, “So food prices will skyrocket in stores.”

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 us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

National Cold War Center to host ‘Cold War Party’

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The National Cold War Center (NCWC) will host its first annual Cold War Party on November 4.

Previously called The National Cold War Center Gala, the Cold War Party is NCWC’s largest fundraising event of the year. As in previous years, the event will take place at Hangar 207 at the Arkansas Aeroplex in Blytheville.

“The Cold War Party will be a ‘can’t miss’ annual event for anyone who is passionate about The National Cold War Center and the development of Northeast Arkansas into a worldwide destination,” said Katie Thomason, Event Chair of the Cold War Party. “As we evolve the tradition that we have started with the gala in recent years, we look forward to coming together with our many generous patrons once again to celebrate The National Cold War Center and promote its future.”

The dress code for the event is cocktail attire.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/national-cold-war-center-to-host-cold-war-party/

GTL Americas hires contractor for $3.5 billion industrial project near Pine Bluff

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

A company that intends to produce 1.7 million gallons of environmentally-friendlier motor fuel has selected a contractor to build a massive facility 13 miles north of Pine Bluff in Jefferson County. GTL Americas (GTLA) has entered into an agreement with Hyundai ENG America, Inc. (Hyundai), to start work on the design and construction of the facility which will sit on an 1,800-acre swath.

Construction on the project could begin within 18 months and the four-phase project could be completed sometime in 2029. The original price of the facility, which will employ 225 workers, was $3.5 billion, making it the largest industrial project in Arkansas’ history. Company officials believe the cost could grow in the coming years.

“Our vision is to create a center for excellence for GTL and, in turn, a sustainable economic driver for the state,” said Leon Codron, GTLA president. “This facility will make Arkansas our nation’s leading producer of ultra-clean, high-grade diesel, naphtha and, ultimately, jet fuel.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/gtl-americas-hires-contractor-for-3-5-billion-industrial-project-near-pine-bluff/

State to receive more than $10 million to strengthen grid

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Arkansas will receive $10.3 million to enhance the state’s electrical grid and prevent power outages, according to a Wednesday (Sept. 20) news release from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). The money comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act or Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Funding from the law supports the Grid Enhancement Grant Program (GRID) or Preventing Outages and Enhancing the Resilience of the Electric Grid/Hazard Hardening. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide $2.5 billion in grants to strengthen the U.S. electrical grid. Arkansas will receive $5.16 million in the first year and $5.14 million in the second year.

The Grid Enhancement Grant Program aims to strengthen and modernize the U.S. power grid against wildfires, extreme weather and other natural disasters. Grant money for 2024 through 2026 has yet to be announced.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/state-to-receive-more-than-10-million-to-strengthen-grid/

Arkansas rice industry donates 240,000 pounds to Arkansas Foodbank

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas rice industry donated 240,000 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Foodbank in honor of National Rice Month on Wednesday (Sept. 20). The donation from ten mills will provide nearly 1.8 million servings of rice to help feed families, children, and seniors across the state.

Participating rice mills are Anheuser Busch of Jonesboro, Arkansas River Rice of Pine Bluff, Isbell Farms of Humnoke, Poinsett Rice & Grain of Jonesboro, Producers Rice Mill of Stuttgart, Ralston Family Farms of Atkins, Riceland Foods, Inc. of Stuttgart, Riviana Foods of Carlisle, Specialty Rice, Inc. of Brinkley, and Windmill Rice Co. of Jonesboro.

“Arkansas rice farmers grow over 50% of the nation’s total crop and will produce rice on 1.4 million acres this year in over 40 counties, all of which are served by the food banks of Arkansas,” said Arkansas Rice Executive Director Kelly Robbins. “As rice harvest continues, our growers, try to be good stewards by giving a portion of their crop to hunger relief efforts in our state.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/arkansas-rice-industry-donates-240000-pounds-to-arkansas-foodbank/

Over $217 million allocated for Arkansas water and wastewater projects

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

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Commission on Wednesday (Sept. 20) approved $217,767,302 in financial assistance for 16 water and wastewater projects serving more than 622,472 Arkansans.

Three of the projects include:

• The City of Arkadelphia, Clark County, received a $4,250,000 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund to complete all work required to bring the city into compliance with federal requirements. The current customer base for this project is 10,380.

• The City of Ashdown, Little River County, received a $12,510,650 loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund for water distribution improvements. The current customer base for this project is 4,261.

• The City of Texarkana, Miller County, received three loans totaling $8,324,000 from the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund for three separate projects. The city received a $3,551,000 loan to replace failing mainline pipe, a $1,533,000 loan to replace water mains along East Street, and a $3,240,000 loan to construct and install an elevated storage tank. The current customer base for these projects is 29,387.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/over-217-million-allocated-for-arkansas-water-and-wastewater-projects/

UA Cossatot Collegiate FFA receives Living to Serve Grant from National FFA Organization

INDIANAPOLIS (September 21, 2023/National FFA Organization) – The UA Cossatot Collegiate FFA chapter in De Queen, Arkansas has been awarded a Fall Semester-Long Living to Serve Grant in the amount of $1200. The nationwide program provides grant money to local FFA chapters to support semester-long service-learning projects that address needs related to community safety; environmental responsibility; hunger, health and nutrition; and community engagement during the fall semester. 

UA Cossatot Collegiate FFA plans to use grant funds for education and outreach about alternative therapies, such as laser and red light therapy, for horses, livestock, and pets. Agriculture faculty, Kelli Harris, and students will provide no-cost educational demonstrations to the public about these therapies and how they can benefit animals. They will also be partnering with Running WJ Ranch in Texarkana, Texas to provide free services for their horses. 

Red light and laser therapy is a safe and effective treatment for a variety of conditions in animals, including pain relief, inflammation, wound healing, and skin conditions. It works by stimulating cellular activity and increasing blood flow to the treated area. 

The program provided over $75,000 to FFA chapters in 28 states. The 2023 Fall Semester-Long Living to Serve Grants are sponsored by Tractor Supply Company and Cargill. For more information and a complete listing of sponsors, visit FFA.org/livingtoserve. 

The National FFA Organization is a school-based national youth leadership development organization of more than 850,000 student members as part of 8,995 local FFA chapters in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Arkansas unemployed numbers up in August, jobless rate ticks higher to 2.7%

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

An increase in the number of jobless between July and August was partially responsible for Arkansas’ jobless rate rising from 2.6% in July to 2.7% in August. But the rate was lower than the 3.4% in August 2022, with a 2.13% year-over-year gain in new jobs.

The number of employed in Arkansas during August was an estimated 1,352,265, up 28,229 jobs, or 2.13%, compared with August 2022, and just above 1,351,370 in July, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report posted Tuesday (Sept. 19). The August numbers are preliminary and subject to revision.

Arkansas’ labor force, the number of people eligible to work, in August was 1,389,550, up 1.4% from 1,370,846 in August 2022 and above 1,386,944 in July.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/arkansas-unemployed-numbers-up-in-august-jobless-rate-ticks-higher-to-2-7/

Arkansas Attorney General provides $250,000 grant to U.S. Marshals Museum

by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Attorney General’s office has committed to a $250,000 grant to the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, the USMM Foundation announced Tuesday (Sept. 19). The money brings the capital campaign to just under $2 million of the initial $50 million goal.

The grant will go toward funding the campaign of the museum exhibits, said Susan Neyman, chief development officer and president of the foundation.

“Whether it’s through a literary icon like Rooster Cogburn or a real-life hero like Bass Reeves, Fort Smith will always be connected with the U.S. Marshals,” Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin said. “I am delighted to approve this grant for the U.S. Marshals Museum, and I urge all Arkansans to visit this important collection of our state’s and nation’s history.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/09/arkansas-attorney-general-provides-250000-grant-to-u-s-marshals-museum/

Governor’s working group issues suggestions to improve Arkansas’ foster care system

KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate

A working group of more than 130 Arkansans with experience in child welfare and foster care released a list of 11 recommendations on Monday to improve the state’s foster system, which has long suffered from staffing and home shortages.

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders created the working group by executive order in February. The group included the secretaries of education and public safety, mental health professionals and Every Child Arkansas, a statewide network of organizations that recruit and support foster families.

The group split into three subcommittees that each came up with recommendations, according to Monday’s report:

• Prevention and mental health services

• Foster care safety and permanency

• Foster home recruitment and retention

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-09-19/governors-working-group-issues-suggestions-to-improve-arkansas-foster-care-system

KATV-TV

The office of the Arkansas Department of Human Service in Little Rock.

Muenich: Agriculture offers engineers opportunities to improve sustainability

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Agriculture is a good field for an engineer looking to have an impact on environmental sustainability, says Becca Muenich, associate professor of engineering for the University of Arkansas System.

AG ENGINEERING — Becca Muenich joined the biological and agricultural engineering department as an associate professor in August 2023. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

Muenich is a northwest Arkansas native, so she knew a little about agriculture already. But following her bachelor’s in biological engineering from the University of Arkansas in 2009, she completed her master’s and doctorate in agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University.

“I never thought I’d learn so much about ag,” Muenich said. “I tell my students all the time, if you want to make an impact, ag is a place to work on because it is the biggest water user and has the biggest land footprint. And I see all of that as an opportunity as an engineer to make this system we all rely on more sustainable.”

Muenich returns to Arkansas from Arizona State University, where she was an assistant professor in the School for Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. She has more than 15 years of experience researching how environmental factors control water supplies and water quality in agricultural, urban and integrated systems.

In August, Muenich joined the biological and agricultural engineering department in the University of Arkansas College of Engineering and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

“Dr. Muenich’s hire by the University of Arkansas is a rare opportunity, a coup for us, to have someone who not only has an amazing reputation in her field but also cares deeply about being in the area,” said Terry Howell, head of the biological and agricultural engineering department. “Our students will be enriched by the depth of experiences she brings to the classroom and her research. She will be able to relate to our students in a unique way as an alumna of the department, and the variety of experiences outside of Arkansas will allow her to bring fresh ideas to our department as well. I could not be happier to have her join us.”

Muenich is currently teaching the sustainable watershed engineering course for the biological and agricultural engineering department. She is also continuing research on projects carried over from Arizona State that are funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering with Nature program, and the National Science Foundation’s Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability program.

Most of her work is stakeholder driven with specific goals to enhance the long-term sustainability of agricultural and urban systems. For example, a research project she worked on looking at water quality in 16 states showed how clustering of smaller animal feeding operations was an important predictor for water quality outcomes at a watershed scale. Their paper, titled “The spatial organization of CAFOs and its relationship to water quality in the United States,” showed that a cluster of smaller, unregulated operations has as much of an impact on the environment as the larger, regulated operations.

“This might make intuitive sense, that if you have a lot in a small amount of space, you end up overapplying manure in that space, but that’s not really how the operations are regulated or incentivized to pay for conservation,” Muenich said.

Conservation programs, she noted, are conducted voluntarily, and regulation is on an individual basis with a focus on animal numbers at a single site rather than an area within a watershed. Muenich’s research helped provide insight on “the interconnectedness within the watersheds,” she said, “which is going to be really important for the future of how we manage water quality.”

In the future, Muenich aims to collaborate on research with several University of Arkansas and Division of Agriculture faculty members and teach a graduate-level course on water quality modeling. She also intends to develop a data science class for students of any discipline interested in environmental data.

Muenich completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan Graham Sustainability Institute prior to her post at Arizona State. She earned her doctorate in agricultural and biological engineering from Purdue University in 2015. Muenich also served as a research scientist with the Sustainable Phosphorus Alliance and is an award-winning member of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. She was inducted into the Arkansas Academy of Agricultural and Biological Engineers in 2020 and given an Early Career Alumni Award from the University of Arkansas in 2022 after receiving the Arizona State University Faculty Women’s Association’s Outstanding Faculty Mentor Award in 2021.

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. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Trustees praise agreement between UA-Fayetteville, Division of Agriculture

By Mary Hightower
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Members of the Board of Trustees on Friday praised an agreement between the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture as a milestone.

Since the Board of Trustees created the Division of Agriculture in 1959, there have been long-standing differences between the Fayetteville campus and the division. For example, faculty with appointments in both institutions had to navigate different processes for tenure, as well as finances and facilities.

Charles Robinson (left), chancellor of the University of Arkansas, Jean-François Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and interim dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences, and Deacue Fields, VP of Agriculture for the University of Arkansas System, present during the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees meeting on Sept. 15, 2023, in Fayetteville. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

The agreement maps out processes and defines roles and responsibilities related to finance and human resources operations, services, benefits, facilities and space allocation, and management of joint faculty and staff appointments.

Land grant history

The University of Arkansas was established at Fayetteville as a land grant university, initially hosting all three land grant missions: agricultural teaching, research and extension, or outreach. In 1959, the Division of Agriculture held the research and extension functions through the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service. The teaching part was left with UAF, in what is now the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

At their meeting on Friday at the Fayetteville campus, the trustees heard from Deacue Fields head of the Division of Agriculture; Charles Robinson, chancellor of the University of Arkansas; and Jean-François Meullenet, interim dean of the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences for UAF and head of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station for the division.

‘Do what they say can’t be done’

When it came to the effort to reach an agreement Fields offered a line from the “Smokey and the Bandit” theme song, saying they were going to “do what can’t be done.”

“We wanted to make sure this was shaping the trajectory of this relationship in perpetuity,” Fields said after the meeting. “We want this to follow behind us and set the tone for the new relationship we expect to happen from now on.”

Tearing down the wall

“We’ve torn down this wall,” Robinson said. “Now we’re building a culture together because we believe in the same things, and chief of them is helping Arkansas be the best state it could be.”

Meullenet, as interim leader at the Bumpers College and head of the Agricultural Experiment Station, is among those with a foot in each institution and expressed that faculty were fully invested in both.

“I think that with this agreement, we are showing that we work seamlessly toward maximizing our impact on the state and on our mission,” Meullenet said. “I want to convey — from a faculty standing — the faculty in Bumpers College, whether they are majority division or the University of Arkansas, are really fully integrated on this campus. They are as much a part of this campus as any other faculty.”

‘A major milestone’

Trustee Jeremy Wilson, who is a member of the Board of Trustees’ agricultural subcommittee, offered his congratulations.

“Thank you for all the hard work it took to accomplish this,” he said. “It’s a major milestone and I knew this was going to be a great presentation as soon as you said, ‘Smokey and the Bandit.”

Trustee Morril Harrian also gave his encouragement. He noted over the years the contentious relationship between the two institutions. 

This is “absolutely a great day,” he said. “I commend each of you for working this agreement out and look forward to actually hearing one praise the other.”

 Robinson and Fields exchanged Razorback and Division of Agriculture logo pins to mark the occasion.

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 us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Sept. 29 Center for Food Animal Wellbeing symposium offers virtual and in-person attendance

By Jessica Wesson
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Center for Food Animal Wellbeing will host its ninth annual symposium on Sept. 29 with a focus on sustainability and animal-human interactions.

2023 SYMPOSIUM — Shawna Weimer, director of the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, will host the centers 2023 symposium both virtually and in-person on Sept. 29. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

Shawna Weimer, director of the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, said the event aims to target a variety of professionals in animal welfare. Participants can choose ­to attend online or in-person at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences, 1371 W. Altheimer Drive, in Fayetteville.

“This year, we are focusing on multidisciplinary approaches to sustaining positive relationships with agricultural animals in our lives,” Weimer said. “From both industry and academia, speakers will delve deeper into their perspectives and dedicated efforts in the area of animal welfare research innovations and assurance, with a specific focus on advancements in the United States.”

The center’s mission is to disseminate science-based information and drive innovation towards practices and technologies that cultivate animal welfare for ethical and sustainable food systems. The Center for Food Animal Wellbeing is a unit of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

The center’s team works closely with the Division of Agriculture’s Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and department of poultry science, the department of animal science and the National Agricultural Law Center.

Five speakers will address topics on beef cattle, equine and poultry welfare. The speakers for the event and their presentations include:

• Courtney Daigle, associate professor at Texas A&M University: “You’re not operating in a vacuum: Assessing how the structure of the beef industry impacts cattle welfare.”

• Nichole Anderson, associate professor of animal behavior and welfare at Texas Tech University: “Gotta’ walk before you can trot: What we currently know about equine welfare.”

• Marisa Erasmus, associate professor at Purdue University: “‘Gaitway’ to sustainability: How the environment shapes the walking ability and welfare of meat poultry”

• Karen Christensen, senior director of animal welfare for Tyson Foods: “Light gradient promotes freedom of choice.”

• Elizabeth Rumley, senior staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center: “Farming by referendum? Ballot initiatives in the United States.”

“We will wrap up the symposium by bringing speakers from a diverse spectrum of expertise to engage in a roundtable discussion to exchange ideas with the audience,” Weimer said.

Event organizers encourage anyone with an interest in animal welfare to attend the free event, either in person or online.

To register for this event, visit https://bit.ly/cfawsymposium.

Event organizers are still seeking sponsors for this event. Sponsor logos will be displayed at the event to recognize their donations. To sponsor this event, visit https://bit.ly/cfaw-symposium-2023-sponsorship.

Learn more about the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing.

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. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.