YEAREND: Avian influenza, inflation drive up poultry prices; faculty additions allow for more specialized research

By Jessica Wesson
Center of Excellence for Poultry Science
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE Ark. — The worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States disrupted production and led to increased poultry prices in 2022.

AVIAN INFLUENZA — Arkansas' poultry industry dodged a bullet this spring when highly pathogenic avian influenza ravaged other states and Canadian provinces. This file photo of a commercial poultry house at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station's Savoy Research Complex shows 21-day-old broiler chickens. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)

While the disease ravaged other states and Canadian provinces starting in spring, Arkansas dodged a bullet. However, the state’s luck ran out in October, with detection of its first 2022 case in Madison County. As of Dec. 7, three flocks were found to have the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, or HPAI.

The disease has been found in commercial and backyard flocks in 46 states and in wild birds in 47 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. As of Dec. 7, 52.87 million birds have been affected, making this the most significant outbreak in U.S. history in terms of number of birds affected.

“Arguably, it wasn’t the best year for poultry production in general in the U.S.,” said Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Thompson said Avian influenza caused serious logistical and marketing challenges for Arkansas producers.

“Farms that were in control areas had limited movements on and off farm, which leads to disruptions in normal business, causes stress and may lead to financial losses related to productivity or timing of processing,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the increased demand for replacement birds resulting from HPAI also contributed to supply chain challenges.

“HPAI was a lot more concentrated in turkey layer farms, because they are more susceptible to it than broilers,” she said. HPAI spreads more easily in turkeys and older birds like turkeys and layers who spend more time on the farm than broilers.

While HPAI was a challenge for both broiler and turkey producers alike, there was an increase in hatchings, she said.

“We did see an increase in hatching for broilers and a slight increase for turkeys,” Thompson said. “Producers started putting eggs in incubators to try to adjust for HPAI.”

2022 vs 2015

This industry’s response in 2022 differed from 2015, which had been the worst avian influenza year until 2022.

“When we first had HPAI in 2015, we were a little behind trying to figure out what was happening,” Thompson said. “This year had a lot of proactive measures that were taken to try to address supply shortages and to mitigate them as much as possible.”

Other challenges, along with HPAI, caused the price of poultry products to increase for consumers.

“We also saw a hike with inflation, which added to the supply chain disruptions,” Thompson said. “Fertilizer has gotten expensive, which makes producing corn more expensive. That makes feeding birds more expensive.”

Broiler prices have gone up 47 percent over the last year, according to Thompson. Turkey prices went up approximately 27 percent in 2022.

As HPAI lingers in late 2022, Thompson said that surveillance and monitoring for HPAI will likely continue into 2023.

“I think there will likely be some adjustment in the number of birds to try to offset the potential losses in 2023,” she said. “There are still a lot of unknowns which both help or hurt the poultry markets.

“I would like to be hopeful that the industry’s preemptive measures will help reduce the spread of HPAI and can adjust to the market conditions quickly to maintain their business continuity for producers and help ease some of the pressures on consumers,” Thompson said.

Protecting flocks

The Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service performed outreach with commercial and backyard poultry growers to strengthen biosecurity in an effort to protect flocks. The disease surveillance effort got a boost in November when the Division of Agriculture’s Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Lab was added to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN, as a branch to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

Bolstering research

The Division of Agriculture conducts research and outreach to aid the poultry industry and the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences produces graduates prepared to enter the industry.

There were several new additions to the poultry science department and Center of Excellence for Poultry Science in 2022. Shawna Weimer was hired in January of this year to serve as the director for the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, part of the Division of Agriculture.

In her role, Weimer is responsible for applying research to educate the public about animal welfare. She hosted the first Center for Food Animal Wellbeing symposium since 2017, and it focused on poultry welfare challenges.

“In one way or another all presenters spoke to the need for advanced poultry welfare research, the importance of team-oriented approaches and how humans are the most influential piece of the puzzle to improve the lives of poultry,” Weimer said.

Another addition to the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is focusing her research on avian intestinal health. Danielle Graham, assistant professor, joined the center in July.

Graham said her long-term research goal is to utilize the existing knowledge base on parasitic diseases to investigate commercially applicable tools to enhance immunological protection in poultry.

Tomi Obe, assistant professor, joined the center in September to research foodborne pathogen control. She plans to improve control methods to benefit the poultry industry.

“Our goal is to use the information from our research to develop techniques to quickly identify virulent foodborne pathogens and establish targeted control strategies,” Obe said.

Obe also has a research appointment with the department of food science, making her the second faculty member having appointments in both poultry science and food science. Kristen Gibson, professor of food safety and microbiology with the food science department, was named director of the Center for Food Safety this year. In this role, Gibson has a partial appointment with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

Smart farming research facility

The Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility, under construction at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, is expected to be completed in 2023.

“The facility will be equipped with the most technologically advanced, commercially relevant environmental control and rearing equipment available in the commercial industry today,” said David Caldwell, director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and head of the department of poultry science.

The facility will also be used to teach students about poultry production.

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 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 the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Division of Agriculture part of grant-funded effort to bridge small farms, regional food supply chains through data-driven agriculture

By the U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars to the University of Arkansas’ Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research. The institute, referred to as I³R, is a cross-disciplinary team of consultants, startup companies and university researchers, including those with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

CONVERGED — The National Science Foundation has awarded a grant of nearly three-quarters of a million dollars to the University of Arkansas’ Institute for Integrative and Innovative Research. The institute, referred to as I³R, is a cross-disciplinary team of consultants, startup companies and university researchers, including those with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. (Graphic courtesy National Science Foundation.)

The National Science Foundation Convergence Accelerator grant will fund a project designed to connect regional farmers with institutional buyers and ultimately expand access to healthy and nutritious food.

The project, “Data-driven Agriculture to Bridge Small Farms to Regional Food Supply Chains,” brings Division of Agriculture researchers together with colleagues from the University of Arkansas, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and University of Florida. The team also includes two startups, Cureate and Junction AI Inc., as well as several consultants. The project’s stated goal is to tackle challenges such as food insecurity while offering novel business solutions. 

NSF’s Convergence Accelerator was launched in 2019 to build upon basic research and accelerate solutions toward societal impact through convergence — the integration of ideas and approaches across research sectors. I³R is one of 16 multidisciplinary teams awarded under the NSF Convergence Accelerator’s Track J: Food & Nutrition Security.

Meredith Adkins, director of the University of Arkansas’ NWA Industry and Community Engagement within the Division of Economic Development, said the project will help open markets and resources to both producers and consumers.

“We’re excited to bring this team of experts and innovators together to empower regional food producers with data insights that could enable access to new markets,” Adkins said. “By leveraging our collective expertise and engaging in an extensive planning and user discovery process to deeply understand the needs of producers, buyers and other stakeholders, we have the opportunity to make both a positive societal and economic impact, particularly here in Arkansas.”

Adkins will be transitioning from her current role within the university to become an assistant research professor at I³R.

The overall objective of this project is to empower regional food producers to understand the economic value of specialty crop assortment and food animals on their farms in comparison to market demand for institutional sales and intervening factors such as food safety considerations.

The project team ultimately will create a scalable technology platform that provides market insights to small farmers via the convergence of multiple scientific research fields and modern technological innovations such as robotics, artificial intelligence and machine learning. 

Deacue Fields, University of Arkansas Vice President for Agriculture, said the project falls directly in line with much of the Division of Agriculture’s ongoing mission.

“It is encouraging to see this partnership with the Division of Agriculture, University of Arkansas and University of Arkansas Pine Bluff,” Fields said. “This project speaks to our mission of strengthening agriculture, communities and families.” 

The project will engage students, including those underrepresented in fields such as food science and computer engineering, in convergence research and in human-centered design across the three Arkansas land-grant institutions.

The investigators will lead outreach with small farmers in Northwest Arkansas, as well as the underserved regions of the central Arkansas Delta and the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma through the U of A School of Law’s Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, a grant collaborator. 

Erin Parker, executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative, said the project will help work to make meeting food production and availability needs on tribal lands a more regularly considered part of the overall market equation.

“IFAI is excited to collaborate on this cross-disciplinary effort to support our region’s Indigenous food producers,” Parker said. “Supporting economic development through tribally-led agricultural investment in Indian Country is a key part of our mission, and we look forward to the opportunities this work will open up for Tribal producers.”

The grant totals $743,651 and will support market research, hiring of graduate assistants, development of the technology platform and other initiatives. Co-investigators include Chase Rainwater, professor of industrial engineering, U of A; Kristen Gibson, professor of food science, U of A System Division of Agriculture and U of A; Thi Hoang Ngan Le, assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering, U of A; and Yasser Sanad, assistant professor of food safety, University of Arkansas Pine Bluff. Multiple distinguished faculty and consultants serve as senior personnel and will advise on the project. 

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. 

YEAREND: War, weather drive 2022 ag rollercoaster

By Mary Hightower

LITTLE ROCK — Markets seeking stability after a year of COVID found new turbulence in 2022 as war erupted in the Ukraine and Mid-South farmers found themselves on a weather rollercoaster ride.

WEATHER — Widespread drought and a rainy planting season took farmers on a rollercoaster ride in 2022.

A spring with too much rain, followed by a summer of too much drought, overshadowed any market optimism going into planting time.

“As farmers were in the field preparing to plant their crop, Russia invaded Ukraine fueling uncertainty across the world and in agricultural input markets,” said Hunter Biram, extension economist for the University of Arkansas. “We saw prices paid for chemicals, fertilizer, and fuels increase by about 10 to15 percent over 2021 after there was a 30 percent increase in the prices paid for chemicals, 60 percent increase in prices paid for fertilizer, and 50 percent  increase in the prices paid for fuels relative to 2020

“Any potential relief the high commodity prices provided was essentially eliminated by these increases in input prices,” Biram said.     

According to the 2023 Division of Agriculture crop enterprise budgets, nitrogen fertilizer is projected to be about 6 percent lower relative to 2022 but still 14 percent higher relative to 2021. Phosphate and potash are projected to be up some over 2022 at around 1.6 percent and 0.5 percent higher, respectively. Diammonium phosphate, known as DAP, and defoliant, key inputs used in cotton production, are projected to be up 7 percent and 10 percent respectively over 2022. Insecticides and fungicides, which are key inputs used in rice production are projected to be up 98 percent and 18 percent, respectively, over 2022.  

Spring rains came — lots of it — as farmers were getting crops in the ground, slowing progress and worse, “causing a great deal of yield loss. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency,  of the $1.4 billion in rain-related losses across the U.S., $0.4 billion were primarily in the Mid-South states,” Biram said. "In Arkansas, we saw $171 million in losses account for half of the total coverage purchased in 2022. Prevented planting claims were the primary driver of losses with 81 percent of the losses directly attributed to prevented planting." 

Economist Hunter Biram

Too much water turned to too little as summer began. Farmers in Arkansas had to make some tough choices.

“Drought struck the entire United States which resulted in significant crop losses in Texas, Oklahoma, and parts of the east coast,” Biram said. “Of the $3.9 billion in total drought-related losses across the U.S., $2.4 billion were in the Southeast.”

Arkansas weathered the drought better than other states, thanks to irrigation. Arkansas ranks third nationally in terms of acres under irrigation. However, the drought would find another way to hit farmers in Arkansas and elsewhere, as it dropped the Mississippi River to historically low levels. The levels were so low, the river was closed to traffic between Osecola and Greenville, Mississippi. Elevator prices followed the river levels.

“These price losses at the local grain elevator came in the form of extremely weak basis during arguably the most unfortunate time: harvest,” Biram said. “During the usual harvest window, basis or the local cash price less the relevant futures price, fell from about 40 cents over to 125 under at Helena, Arkansas.

“Once the river levels increased, basis strengthened to about 50 over and has stayed relatively consistent at this level even though most new crop delivery from the 2022 harvest is finished,” he said.

According to the November estimates from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Arkansas corn was expected to yield 176 bushels per acre, down from 184 bushels per acre in 2021. Cotton was forecast to yield 1,166 pounds per acre in 2022, compared to the record-setting 1,248 pounds per acre in the previous year. Peanuts were expected to yield 5,000 pounds per acre, same as 2021. All rice was expected to yield 7,450 hundredweight per acre in 2022, down from 7,630 the previous year. Soybeans were expected to improve on 2021, rising to 53 bushels per acre — which would be a new state record average yield — up from 52 bushels the previous year.

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.

Hallie Shoffner returns to her roots; pushes for environmentally friendly farm practices

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Hallie Shoffner grew up on a farm near the township of Shoffner, named for her family in rural Jackson County. When she left to attend college at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn., she decided to study one of her passions, literature.

After graduating, she received a master’s degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and went to work at a nonprofit in North Little Rock that focused on the local Hispanic community. She loved her job, but the row crop fields in the Arkansas Delta kept calling her home, she told Talk Business & Politics.

Her parents, John and Wendy Shoffner, started SFR Seed in 1988, a soybean and rice research farm. Among other things, the company specializes in new seed plot trials. Shoffner decided to return to the family business in 2016, which included a 1,500-acre farm.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/12/hallie-shoffner-returns-to-her-roots-pushes-for-environmentally-friendly-farm-practices/

Applications now open for 2023 F2OCUS: Future of Food undergrad summer program

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Opening the realms of possibility in food science is the goal behind the Future of Food: Opportunities and Careers for Undergraduate Students (F2OCUS) Fellowship Program. 

FIRST FELLOWS — The inaugural class of the Future of Food: Opportunities and Careers for Undergraduate Students (F2OCUS) Fellowship Program in 2022 included Maya Henderson, left, Amanda Stuber, Natalie Blake, Derek Mullins, Luke Norman, Sarkis Kalajyan and Addie Gerstner. Application deadline for the 2023 summer fellowship program is Jan. 13, 2023. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

Applications will be accepted until Jan. 13, 2023, for the paid, summer program, which is open to undergraduates in degree programs that can be complementary to food science, like physics, biology, chemistry, animal science, consumer sciences, psychology and agricultural studies like horticulture.

Kristen Gibson, professor of food safety and microbiology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is the F2OCUS Fellowship Program director. The program was created in 2022 with a $730,000 Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to increase understanding of food supply safety, quality and security. The grant supports the program for five years. 

“We are looking forward to having the second cohort of F2OCUS Fellows on campus in summer 2023,” Gibson said. “We are hoping to select from another great pool of applicants.”

Gibson, who is also director of the Center for Food Safety, is joined by food science faculty members Jennifer Acuff, assistant professor of food microbiology and safety, and Jamie Baum, associate professor of nutrition, as fellowship project directors. Jill Rucker, associate professor of agricultural education, communications and technology for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, is also a project director and fellowship mentor.

In addition to the four project directors, 10 collaborating mentors with extensive mentoring experience have been chosen to assist with the fellowship program. Industry partners, many of whom are University of Arkansas graduates and serve as adjunct faculty, will also participate in the fellowship program.

F2OCUS Fellow experiences include the 4-H ExCEL Leadership Program at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock, which features a high-ropes course and zipline. Gibson said there will also be numerous food industry visits in northwest Arkansas, such as the Tyson Discovery Center and Newly Weds Foods, as well as a visit to the annual Blackberry Field Day at the experiment station’s Fruit Research Station near Clarksville.

Hands-on learning activities with professors as mentors are expected to result in the development of technical skills in food science research. Participants will take part in the creation of a novel food product with a team of F2OCUS Fellows and engage in externships with food industry and cooperative extension partners. 

 While scientific research is a significant part of the fellowship, there is also a heavy emphasis on team building, leadership development, and communications skills, Gibson said.

The 2023 summer F2OCUS fellowship program runs for 10 weeks from May 22 through July 28. Each student awarded a fellowship will receive a $5,000 stipend, in addition to room and board. Additional financial support for necessary travel is also possible. 

Eight undergraduates who are not enrolled in a food science program will be chosen to spend the summer in Fayetteville, Gibson said.

For more information and to apply, please visit the F2OCUS Program website at https://future-food-reeu.uada.edu.

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.

New Sevier County Medical Center Aerial Views

Photos provided by Monte Bartek of Bartek Recon

Weather Briefing from the National Weather Service in Little Rock

Confidence continues to increase on a severe weather event for most of the southeastern half of the state beginning Tuesday afternoon/evening and potentially persisting into the early morning hours of Wednesday.

The Day 3 Storm Prediction Center Convective Outlook brought an expansion of the Enhanced Risk area into much of eastern and northeastern Arkansas. Specific timing details will become more evident in the next day or so, however additional changes to the forecast risk area are still possible within the next few days.

Drones in agriculture research propels multistate award

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Unmanned aircraft flying over farms, forests and plant nurseries are not such an unusual sight these days. A lot of research has gone into making the drones more economically beneficial in agriculture, from taking inventory at plant nurseries to spotting early signs of crop stress.

DRONE TECH — Collaborative research across many states within the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities has helped adapt drone technology as an agricultural tool. (U of A System Division of Ag photo by Fred Miller)

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s research and extension arms were among the institutions recently recognized for drone research and outreach with the National Excellence in Multistate Research Award from the Experiment Station Section of the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Commission on Food, Environment, and Renewable Resources.

The award recognizes experiment station scientists who are conducting “exemplary research and outreach efforts across multiple states” for unmanned aircraft system applications in U.S. agriculture and natural resources. Scientists from 23 institutions across the nation share the award for their contributions to the project titled, “Research and Extension for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Applications in U.S. Agriculture and Natural Resources.”

The project is supported by the State Agricultural Experiment Stations from the Hatch Multistate Research Fund provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture.

Jim Robbins (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

Jim Robbins, a recently retired horticulture professor and extension specialist with the Division of Agriculture, was among the authors of agricultural drone research projects recognized in the award. He took part in studies that measured the accuracy and efficiency of drone-based systems for inventory in nurseries using RFID (radio frequency identification), as well as using cloud-based artificial intelligence software like IBM Watson Visual Recognition to identify early indicators of water stress in row crops.

Robbins conducted outreach work for the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and research for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Randy Raper, administrative adviser for the multistate drone research program, said collaboration between researchers across the country has been key to adapting the new technology to agricultural uses. Raper also serves as assistant vice president of facilities for Oklahoma State University and assistant director of OSU Ag Research.

“One thing we saw with this committee is that we have people very versed in different areas,” Raper said. “We have people who are astute in flying the UAVs and then others who are interested in sensors, and others who apply the research. Every institution can’t have experts in every area, so collaboration has been very important to shepherding this technology.”

He compares the emerging technologies and applications of UAVs to the RTK-GPS tractor guidance systems that emerged in the early 2000s and have now become universally adopted. Satellite imagery was also being used to analyze crop production before UAV systems gave advantages to researchers, he said.

“Satellite images can be problematic because of cloud coverage, and what we are looking at is time sensitive,” Raper said. “UAVs and UAS technology allow you to have more control. You can collect the data and make rapid decisions on how you want to treat it. This naturally fits into the management we recognize.”

Numerous researchers working together have enabled the committee to get the technology to where it is today, Raper said. Annual meetings between researchers across the country allowed for the exchange of ideas and experiences using the UAVs to open potential for further applications. For example, he said researchers in the Northwest experimented with using UAVs for spot pesticide application in orchards. This inspired researchers from other parts of the country to explore related applications in other crops.

Gary Thompson, executive director of the Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors, noted that this southern region multistate project has direct impacts for agricultural producers.

“Landscape-level management decisions are increasingly reliant on obtaining accurate and reliable data that can be analyzed in real-time,” Thompson said. “Remote sensing with drones provides a versatile means of getting high-resolution information to agricultural managers. I am excited about the work of this group of researchers and congratulate them on this well-deserved recognition.”

Thompson said that the association administers this ongoing southern region project, which focuses on challenges in the southern region while being open to participation from institutions across the nation.

The “Research and Extension for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Applications in U.S. Agriculture and Natural Resources” multistate project committee is made up of scientists in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

“Over the past five years, this project has evaluated and identified reliable, cost-effective, and user-friendly drone platforms and sensors for monitoring and managing stressors in agriculture and natural resources,” the Experiment Station Section award noted. “To maximize the accuracy of the data collected, project members have developed hardware, software, and detailed protocols for calibrating and using drones. New drone-based strategies are helping address many different issues in agriculture.”

The Southern Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors represents 15 agricultural research centers at land-grant universities in the southern U.S., where scientists collaborate to conduct research and outreach focused on conserving the region’s natural resources and sustainably feeding a growing global population.

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.

UAMS Signs Pledge, Joining Group Committed to Decarbonizing Health Care Sector

By Ben Boulden

Nov. 22, 2022 | The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently joined more than 100 health care organizations nationwide in pledging to take action to decarbonize the health care sector and make their facilities more resilient to the effects of climate change.

In taking the White House/Department of Health and Human Services Health Sector Climate Pledge, UAMS formally has committed to pursuing the goal of reducing emissions by 50% by 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The university already is well on the way to achieving that with a $150 million energy project, which has and will continue to reduce carbon emissions by reducing energy use. The project launched in November 2019 and is now progressing into its final phase.

Signing the pledge were 102 prominent health care organizations and companies in the U.S., including partners representing 837 hospitals as well as leading health centers, suppliers, insurance companies, group purchasing organizations, pharmaceutical companies and more. Federal health care systems combining efforts with these organizations means that more than 1,080 federal and private sector hospitals have made such commitments, together representing more than 15% of U.S. hospitals.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/11/22/uams-signs-pledge-joining-group-committed-to-decarbonizing-health-care-sector/

Chancellor Cam Patterson, right, shares a thumbs-up moment with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. after the mayor turned on one of the generators in the new power plant at the conclusion of the formal opening of the facility. Image by Evan Lewis

Abortion, healthcare on the agenda for 2023 Arkansas legislative session

KUAR | By Daniel Breen

With the midterms officially over, and a newly-expanded Republican supermajority in the state House and Senate, state lawmakers have begun filing bills for the upcoming general session of the Arkansas General Assembly.

Lawmakers will return to the state Capitol in Little Rock on Jan. 9, 2023, to begin considering bills touching on a wide variety of topics. GOP leaders have said they plan to focus on education and tax reform, including Governor-elect Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ plan to phase out the state’s individual income tax.

As of Monday, 12 pieces of legislation have been proposed since the bill filing period opened last week. The first two were filed by Sen. Ben Gilmore, R-Crossett, and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould. The so-called “shell bills” are identical and more or less serve as a placeholder, but their titles suggest they’ll deal with parole and sentencing guidelines.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-11-22/abortion-healthcare-on-the-agenda-for-2023-arkansas-legislative-session

Jacob Kauffman/KUAR

Lawmakers will return to the Arkansas State Capitol on Jan. 9, 2023 for a legislative session.

Environmental, advanced energy execs talk solar, regulatory issues

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Conservation and advanced energy executives recently highlighted industry-related concerns, economic drivers and focus areas during the 7th annual Arkansas Environmental Policy Summit in Little Rock, hosted by Audubon Delta and multiple Arkansas environmental organizations.

Ted Thomas, former chairman of the Arkansas Public Service Commission, spoke about the high price of natural gas and how solar can be an economic driver. He cited Entergy Arkansas’ 250-megawatt solar farm that’s expected to provide electricity for the U.S. Steel Corp. plant in Mississippi County.

Thomas, who recently established a consulting company and started to collaborate with utility software firm Recurve, also noted the challenges the commission has faced to establish policies when some electric utilities and cooperatives pack the commission’s agenda with items that take precedence. As a result, the decisions on whether to approve new policies go to the back burner, such as demand response.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/11/environmental-advanced-energy-execs-talk-solar-regulatory-issues/

Riceland Foods reports $1.2 billion in revenues

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Riceland Foods reported more than $1.2 billion in revenue to its members, staff and guests in attendance at the cooperative’s annual membership meeting on Nov. 17 at the Grand Prairie Center in Stuttgart.

Riceland’s Chairman of the Board Roger Pohlner introduced Jason Brancel, Riceland’s new president and chief executive officer, and shared the latest news.

“The single most important duty of Riceland’s Board of Directors is to make sure we have the best leadership possible in the position that heads up our cooperative,” Pohlner said. “The board put in a lot of hours and hard work to find that right person for the open CEO position, and I am very proud of their efforts and the person selected to lead our cooperative into the future.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/11/riceland-foods-reports-1-2-billion-in-revenues/

Lyon College approved to offer doctoral degrees in dentistry, veterinary medicine

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas is one step closer to having its first dental and veterinarian schools. Lyon received official notification Friday (Nov. 18) from the Higher Learning Commission Institutional Actions Council (IAC) approved a total of seven changes at Lyon College, including requests to offer the doctor of medical dentistry and the doctor of veterinary medicine professional degrees.

The IAC also approved a request to open a branch campus in Little Rock to house the dentistry and veterinary medicine programs at the Lyon College Institute for Health Sciences.

“Achieving the approval of our regional accreditor for these schools is a major milestone for us,” said Dr. Melissa P. Taverner, Lyon College president. “We now can complete and submit our initial applications for professional accreditation to the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) of the American Dental Association and the Council on Education (COE) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). We plan to submit these applications in early 2023. Work on the dental and veterinary programs continues to move forward, and Lyon College will provide updates as subsequent steps in developing the Institute of Health Sciences are achieved.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/11/lyon-college-approved-to-offer-doctoral-degrees-in-dentistry-veterinary-medicine/

AG Alert: Fake Charity Scams Can Bring the Chill

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge warns Arkansans of the opportunity for false charity scams to pop up during the holiday season, especially during the popular Giving Tuesday. While the holiday season can bring out the best in Arkansans, there are many bad actors trying to take advantage and scam others out of money. These scams can target those with a heart for veterans, children in need, or even those serving in their local food pantry. 

“As we approach the giving season, remember that there are con artists using fake scams to steal hard-earned money from Arkansans," said Attorney General Rutledge. "Know the signs and how best to protect yourself from these bad actors. If you suspect a scam, call my office and let us do the fighting for you."

Attorney General Rutledge released the following tips to help consumers give to only legitimate charities:

1. Do not fall prey to high-pressure sales tactics as they are often the first sign of an unscrupulous and fraudulent charity.

2. Before getting out a checkbook or credit card in response to a phone solicitation, make attempts to determine the validity of the organization by conducting research.

3. Get the organization's name, address, website, and phone number. Make sure the nonprofit organization is registered with the Arkansas Secretary of State.

4. If in doubt about the organization’s credibility, discontinue the communications until you can verify whether it is a reputable charity.

5. Use GuideStar.org to compare nonprofit organizations and to get more information.

6. Ask the organization how it will use the funds from your donation.

7. Watch out for similar but different organization names as some con artists will use names similar to those of existing, reputable nonprofits in order to trick consumers.

8. Do not give out financial or personal information over the phone or through email to an unknown entity. This information could fall into the wrong hands, or the scammers could use it to steal your money or identity.

9. Never send cash. Make check or credit card payments for increased security and tax purposes.

10. If donating via text message, verify the organization’s number prior to sending information.

For more information about other common scams and consumer-related issues, please call the Arkansas Attorney General’s office at (800) 482-8982 or visit ArkansasAG.gov.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

When you choose to shop at a small business you are choosing to invest in your community. It is estimated that for every $100 spent in a local business, $68 recirculates and remains in the local economy.

Local businesses are owned by people who live in your community. They donate to local causes and employ local people. In fact, 47.2% of employees in Arkansas work for a small business.

Saturday, November 26, 2022, is Small Business Saturday. It’s a day to celebrate and support small businesses and all they do for their communities. There are more than 260,000 small businesses in Arkansas. These businesses employ close to 500,000 Arkansans.

More than 43% of small businesses in Arkansas are owned by women. Veterans own 9.1% of small businesses and minorities 13% of small businesses in the state.

These owners took a chance on their dreams. As a result, the employees are more likely to be personally invested in the products or services they are selling. That often means they can provide more specific product expertise and a personalized shopping experience.

Whether it’s handcrafted jewelry or vintage furniture, locally-owned businesses are also more likely to offer unique merchandise.

The Arkansas General Assembly continually reviews proposals to make it easier to open and sustain small businesses. In recent years, we’ve reduced the red tape on licensing procedures, lowered taxes, and improved infrastructure. As we approach the 2023 Regular Session, supporting our small businesses will continue to be a priority.

Your small purchase this holiday season can make a big difference. Our small business owners are still emerging from a challenging economic time in our history. We encourage you to shop local throughout this holiday season.

HOLIDAYS: How to safely cook the Thanksgiving turkey

By Jessica Wesson
Center of Excellence for Poultry Science
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The traditional Thanksgiving meal revolves around the turkey, and food safety is a must to make sure holiday celebrations go off without a hitch.

BIRD’S THE WORD — On Thanksgiving, the day revolves around the turkey. Food safety should be a high priority. (U of A System Division of Agriculture file photo.)

Kristen Gibson, director of the Center for Food Safety, part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, weighed in with some basic tips to keep the Thanksgiving feast safe. Her first piece of advice was to avoid washing the turkey.

“Once your turkey is thawed, most people want to get rid of the slimy feeling on the turkey by rinsing it in the sink,” Gibson said. “By doing that, you’re creating a really great situation for potential cross-contamination. Not only are you potentially spreading pathogens in your sink, but a lot of water can splash out that you don’t see.”

Gloving up

She recommends dabbing the turkey with paper towels to dry the skin and properly disposing of the paper towels in the trash can. Gibson also warned about the dangers of handling the turkey while preparing other foods for the holiday meal.

“You want to be sure your hands are properly cleaned before and after you touch the raw turkey,” Gibson said. “Wearing gloves may help further protect against potential cross-contamination, but you still need to wash your hands before putting gloves on.”

Be sure to change gloves and dispose of dirty pairs in between contact with the raw turkey.

Cooking by the numbers

Once the turkey is cooking, the most important thing to remember is temperature, Gibson said.

“The breast should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit, and dark meat should reach 170 degrees Fahrenheit,” Gibson said. “You want to make sure you temp it in several spots and do it correctly. Most experts recommend going in at an angle rather than straight down to get into the meat instead of the cavity.”

She said simply cutting the turkey open and eyeballing the meat to determine whether it is fully cooked isn’t a reliable method because looks can be deceiving.

Storing leftovers

After the meal has been eaten and cleanup commences, do not forget about the turkey.

“Don’t leave the turkey on the counter for several hours so people can pick on it throughout the day,” Gibson said. “Put it in the fridge so that it’s stored at the correct temperature.”

For more tips on Thanksgiving food safety, check out this blog post    from White County Family Consumer Science agent Katie Cullum.

The Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station is the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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.

Extension’s Ford receives Lifetime Achievement Award for forestry contributions

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Victor L. Ford, associate vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ouachita Society of American Foresters for his 40-year career in forestry.

A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT — Victor L. Ford, associate vice president for agriculture and natural resources for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Ouachita Society of American Foresters for his 40-year career in forestry. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

The award, presented Nov. 10 at the society’s banquet in Oklahoma, honors a person who has made considerable contributions to the forestry industry and to the Ouachita Society of American Foresters. The Ouachita Society of American Foresters includes foresters from Arkansas and Oklahoma and is part of the Society of American Foresters, the professional organization for foresters.

“It has been a labor of love over the past 40 years to give back to my profession,” Ford said. “I came to Arkansas and attended meetings with foresters who managed the virgin pine forests. These pioneers gave me a sense of history and along with others in my career were treasured mentors. I hope that I can give that sense of our place in history to the next generation of foresters.”

Ford has been a member of the society since 1982. He was named Forestry Educator of the Year for the Ouachita Society of American Foresters in 2013 and named Fellow of the Society of American Foresters in 2014.

He has held numerous positions within the organization, serving as secretary, vice chair and chair of the Silviculture Working Group. He served on the Ethics Committee, which he chaired for two years, and he co-chaired the Certification Review Board, which oversees professional credentialing. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Society of American Foresters and is the first Arkansan to serve in this capacity.

Ford’s career has always involved forestry — 20 years in private industry and another 20 with the Cooperative Extension Service. Before becoming associate vice president for agriculture and natural resources in the Division of Agriculture, Ford worked five years as an extension forester at the Southwest Research and Extension Center in Hope and later served as director of the center for eight years.

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.

Arkansas ag econ professor awarded by Food Distribution Research Society

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Trey Malone, assistant professor in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, was recently awarded the 2022 Presidential Award for Excellence in Research and Communication from the Food Distribution Research Society.

RESEARCH AWARD —Trey Malone was recently awarded for his work on a Journal of Food Distribution Research article. (Photo courtesy Caroline Kraft Malone)

He was selected for his work on a Journal of Food Distribution Research article titled “The Changing Role of Fat Perceptions in Fluid Milk Labeling: Would the Dairy Industry Sell More if 2% Milk Was Called 98% Fat Free?” Malone’s co-authors and fellow award recipients include Oishi Kazi and Steven Miller from Michigan State University and Christopher Wolf from Cornell University. Malone conducts research for the experiment station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, and teaches in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

“This is certainly a well-deserved award,” said John Anderson, head of the agricultural economics and agribusiness department. “Dr. Malone has an exceptional ability to identify relevant problems, to conceptualize those problems in ways that provide unique insights, and to apply appropriate methods to address researchable questions.”

Anderson, who is also director of the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, said the project Malone was awarded for is an example of how “effective and impactful his approach to research can be.”

The milk marketing study explored how perceptions of fat content may have changed over the past few decades. Malone said these changes are particularly relevant for the dairy industry as fluid milk is marketed with several fat content options. The article explored the consequences of how fat is described on the fluid milk label. Their research indicated that consumers would pay less for 2 percent fat milk if labeled “98% fat-free milk.”

“At the end of the day, even though people have different beliefs about milk fat, there is no evidence that changing the label would lead to a positive nudge in consumer willingness to pay,” Malone said.

In the research article, Malone and his co-authors note the scientific consensus regarding the link between fat and health risks has changed relative to prior decades. Studies that influenced government recommendations in the 1970s and 80s on dietary fat and cholesterol, for example, were turned on their head by 2015 when dietary guidelines from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services dropped “fat” as a “nutrient of concern” and imposed no upper limit on total fat consumption but recommended keeping saturated fat intake within less than 10 percent of total calorie intake. The article pointed to studies that found inconsistent evidence of an association between whole-fat dairy and cardiovascular disease, obesity, and diabetes.

Total sales of fluid milk, compared to cheese and butter, have continued a downward trend over the past 50 years, but not all varieties of fluid milk are in decline, the journal article noted. Between 2010 and 2015, trends in whole milk, 2 percent (reduced fat) milk, and skim milk sales seem to have reversed compared to prior years. Skim milk sales peaked in 1998 and have decreased to 1975 levels. Meanwhile, following decades of decline, aggregate whole milk consumption has increased each year since 2013 with 2019 being 17 percent higher than six years earlier. In 2018, whole milk passed 2 percent (reduced fat) milk as the largest milkfat category consumed.

“This article was fun to write, as it showcases the importance of cognitive processes for consumer decision-making in the agri-food industry,” Malone said.

Malone, a former professor at Michigan State who joined the experiment station in 2022, will teach a food and agricultural marketing undergraduate course at the University of Arkansas in the spring of 2023.

“I’m excited to start teaching students in the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. I’d like to think that my approach to food and agricultural marketing is like a behavioral supply chain logistics course.”

“We are excited to have him bringing his practical, problem-solving perspective to food marketing into the classroom in the agricultural economics and agribusiness department,” Anderson said.

Malone will also teach an agribusiness entrepreneurship course in the spring of 2023.

Malone has conducted studies to assist stakeholders in many agricultural value chains, including dairy, beef, eggs, hops, hemp and morel mushrooms.

In addition to preparing grant proposals and advising Ph.D. students, Malone is working on a new tool for business owners called the Food and Agriculture Systems Sentiment Index in collaboration with Brandon McFadden, Tyson Endowed Chair in Food Policy Economics for the experiment station. The index is in review and expected to be available for use by the public early next year. Malone was also recently appointed as a mentor for the Venture Mentor Service with the University of Arkansas Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

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.

Fire ant quarantine expands to include seven new Arkansas counties

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded an Imported Fire Ant quarantine in Arkansas to include seven new counties, bringing the quarantined area in the state to 50 counties.

NORTHWARD MARCH — The U.S. Department of Agriculture has expanded an Imported Fire Ant quarantine in Arkansas to include seven new counties, bringing the number of quarantined counties in the state to 50. (Image courtesy Arkansas Dept. of Agriculture.)

The quarantine, issued through USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, confirms the presence of the invasive species in Cross, Franklin, Johnson, Lee, Monroe, St. Francis and Woodruff counties. The new quarantine area essentially includes the southern two-thirds of Arkansas.

Kelly Loftin, extension entomologist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said that the ants have been introduced northward over the decades through the movement of plant nursery items, grass sod, soil and baled hay. But that doesn’t mean business owners in these industries must shut down.

“If you’re running a nursery or sod farm, it’s just a matter of entering a compliance agreement with the Arkansas State Plant Board, agreeing to certain procedures that will help enforce the quarantine,” Loftin said. “It means you have to follow certain, very specific treatment programs to make sure that product is free of fire ants.”

Loftin said the red imported fire ant was first confirmed in Arkansas in Union County in 1958, having first crossed the southern border of the United States in the 1930s. Previous efforts to eradicate them in Arkansas have failed.

“That was tried decades ago, and it was unsuccessful,” Loftin said. “And that was at a time when you had products with a lot of residual presence — you also had products that weren’t as restricted, in terms of where they were used. So, if it didn’t work then, when the products were longer lasting, it sure won’t work now.”

Paul Shell, head of the Arkansas State Plant Board’s plant inspection and quarantine efforts, said the insect’s progress northward is primarily limited by cold seasonal temperatures.

“They are suppressed by sustained cold weather,” Shell said. “There’s a northern limit to where they’re going to be perennial.”

Shell said the fire ants will often overwinter near asphalt sidewalks or in parking lots, where the artificial surfaces help to radiate heat into the ground, helping the ants to survive longer.

Within the quarantine area, homeowners who encounter the red imported fire ants on their property should refer to the Cooperative Extension Service publication FSA7036, “Fire Ant Control in Two Easy Steps,” available here.

If an individual outside of the quarantined area in Arkansas suspects an infestation of the imported fire ants, Loftin said he or she should contact their local Cooperative Extension Service agent about collecting sample insects for identification. A directory of county agents can be found here.

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.

UAMS Invests Susan S. Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., in Arkansas Medical Society Distinguished Dean’s Chair

By Andrew Vogler

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine invested Susan S. Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., UAMS executive vice chancellor and College of Medicine dean, in the Arkansas Medical Society Distinguished Dean’s Chair during a Nov. 9 ceremony.

“Serving as the Dean of the College of Medicine is an incredible honor, and today I am privileged to be invested in the Arkansas Medical Society Distinguished Dean’s Chair,” said Smyth. “I am particularly appreciative of the confidence that the chancellor and provost placed in me and the opportunity to further the vision of UAMS to make Arkansas a healthier state in partnership with eminent organizations such as the Arkansas Medical Society.”

Smyth is a nationally known cardiologist and translational scientist who brings extensive experience in educational, clinical and research program leadership. Since joining UAMS in June 2021, Smyth has launched and expanded numerous initiatives to improve health in Arkansas while also increasing the College of Medicine’s national standings in primary care and other aspects of education, research and clinical care. She has made the pursuit of health equity, diversity and inclusion a top priority for the college.

Attached photo: Susan S. Smyth flanked by Stephanie Gardner, Cam Patterson and members of the Arkansas Medical Society. Image by Evan Lewis