Snow has let up over most of the northern half of Arkansas. Another round of snow and sleet is expected to develop across the southern half of the state, with additional accumulations of 0.5” to 1” possible through this afternoon.
Travel impacts (including hazardous road conditions and reduced visibilities) will be possible where snowfall or sleet occurs, including major throughways, bridges/overpasses, and rural roads.
Bitterly cold temperatures, much below climatological averages, are expected to continue through at least Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning. Temperatures have fallen to single digits to below-zero in portions of northern Arkansas, and daily high temperatures will likely not rise above freezing again until Wednesday afternoon (at the earliest) for most areas of the state.
Morning minimum wind chill values will remain below zero degrees over a large portion of Arkansas, and persist at hazardous levels through at least Wednesday morning due to abundant Arctic air and breezy conditions.
A brief reprieve from below-normal temperatures will resume on Wednesday and Thursday, and another shot of Arctic air is forecast to move into the region by late this week, bringing more belownormal temps through this coming weekend.
Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught
This week, the Arkansas Legislative Council Game and Fish/State Police Subcommittee held a meeting to discuss concealed carry laws in Arkansas.
This meeting was part of a series of meetings held as part of the Arkansas Firearms and Concealed Carry Laws Study. The purpose of the study is to ultimately simplify gun laws in the state and clarify where and when it is legal to carry firearms.
Subcommittee members reviewed a summary of various state statutes addressing concealed carry. There are more than 30 sections of Arkansas Code addressing concealed carry laws.
The Arkansas Attorney General’s office also presented a series of recommendations for future legislation to expand gun rights and clarify several existing laws.
The next meeting of the Arkansas Game and Fish/State Police Subcommittee will be held on Wednesday, January 24 at 1:30 p.m. in the MAC building located behind the State Capitol. The January 24 meeting will specifically address concealed carry regulations as promulgated by Arkansas State Police.
On March 11 and March 18 the subcommittee will focus on possession and open carry.
Later in the year, the subcommittee will hear from law enforcement and other armed officers as well as local governments and the business community.
We’ve posted the schedule for the additional hearings at arkansashouse.org.
The public is welcome to attend the meetings and there will be time for public comment.
The subcommittee will submit a final report to the ALC Executive Subcommittee by October 1, 2024. The Executive Subcommittee will then submit a report and possibly begin drafting legislation by the end of this year.
Winter Storm Warning for Arkansas
Winter weather in the form of snowfall and a few days of brutally cold temperatures will soon be upon us. Make needed preparations immediately and have a way to get the latest weather info. Do not wait until the first snowflakes fall or you feel the temperature is cold enough to be a concern, at that point it is too late to begin thinking about preparing. Act now and be ahead of the storm!
Widespread accumulating snow is expected to overspread the state Sunday through Monday. Over a large part of Arkansas, amounts of 2 to 3 inches or less are expected. There could be a narrow corridor of heavier snow which could produce 4 to 6 plus inches. As it stands now, this band is positioned over east-central Arkansas, but could still shift south with time. There is a chance some of the precipitation over southern Arkansas could mix with sleet, if this scenario plays out, actual amounts will be lower. Changes to forecast snow totals are still possible.
Low temperatures are expected to drop overnight and remain well below average for the next several days. Low temperatures are expected to be in the teens to near zero degrees across the state with wind chills feeling much colder.
...WIND CHILL ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON CST TODAY...
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM
CST MONDAY...
* WHAT...For the Wind Chill Advisory, very cold wind chills
expected. Wind chills as low as 5 below zero. For the Winter
Storm Warning, heavy mixed precipitation expected. Total snow
accumulations of 1 to 2 inches and ice accumulations of a light
glaze with locally higher amounts possible.
* WHERE...Portions of southwest Arkansas and southeast Oklahoma.
* WHEN...For the Wind Chill Advisory, from 9 PM this evening to
noon CST Sunday. For the Winter Storm Warning, from noon
Sunday to 6 PM CST Monday.
* IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. The hazardous
conditions could impact the morning or evening commute. The
cold wind chills could result in hypothermia if precautions
are not taken.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
Use caution while traveling outside. Wear appropriate clothing, a
hat, and gloves.
If you must travel, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in
your vehicle in case of an emergency.
The latest road conditions for the state you are calling from can
be obtained by calling 5 1 1.
Winter storm moving into Arkansas this weekend
The National Weather Service in Little Rock advises:
As colder air moves in this morning, rain will continue transitioning to light snow across west/northwest Arkansas, with less than an inch of accumulation at most locations.
Beginning mid-morning, sustained wind speeds between 25 and 30 mph will be common across the state, with gusts over 45 mph.
Precipitation will exit the state by Friday evening, with winds settling down by late Friday night.
By late Saturday, Arctic air will begin to surge into the region from the northwest. This will result in below to much below average temperatures through early next week. Once cold air is in place, it appears that wintry precipitation will become more likely Sunday night into Monday. There is potential for warning criteria snow (several inches or more). Stay tuned for specifics.
Division of Agriculture has three inductees in the 2024 class of the Agriculture Hall of Fame
By the U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — Three of this year’s inductees to the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame — Fred Bourland, Mark Cochran and Charles Looney — have connections to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“The selection of these three into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame truly attests to the quality and national impact of the people we have working for the Division of Agriculture on behalf of Arkansas’ agriculture industry," said Deacue Fields, vice president-agriculture and head of the Division of Agriculture. “There is no greater honor — not only for these men, but also for those of us who work with them.”
Fred Bourland, Charles Looney and Mark Cochran are all to be inducted into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2024. All have Division of Agriculture connections. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)
Fred Bourland is a legend in the cotton industry. Bourland grew up on a farm in northeastern Arkansas and went to the University of Arkansas to escape. It didn’t work.
With Ph.D. in hand in 1978, Bourland went to work as an assistant professor and cotton breeder at Mississippi State University. In 1988, he came back to Arkansas as a professor to breed cotton varieties and teach at the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. In 1997, Bourland moved to Keiser – roughly 10 miles from his family’s Mississippi County farm – to continue his cotton breeding and research program while serving as director for the Northeast Research and Extension Center. In 2016, he stepped down as director and now focuses on cotton variety development.
His honors include the 2000 Genetics Research Award from the National Cotton Council, the 2010 International Cotton Researcher of the Year from the International Cotton Advisory Committee and the 2015 Cotton Research and Promotion Program Hall of Fame from the Cotton Board and Cotton, Inc., among others.
Mark Cochran spent 40 years working to improve the productivity and profitability of Arkansas farmers and ranchers as a faculty member at the University of Arkansas, including 10 years as vice president of agriculture for the UA System and head of the U of A System Division of Agriculture. He retired in 2021.
Cochran served as chairman of the national Council for Agricultural Science and Technology, from which he earned the President’s Award. One of the most significant accomplishments of Cochran’s career was the creation of the COTMAN program, a computer-based cotton production guide widely used by farmers to help manage costs and improve yield efficiencies.
Cochran also led efforts to obtain funding for the construction of the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville, the Northeast Rice Research and Extension Center in Harrisburg and the expansion of the highly successful Arkansas Discovery Farms program, which now encompasses 13 farms and delivers scientific analysis to help determine the effectiveness of on-farm conservation practices.
Cochran came to Arkansas in 1982 to start his teaching career after earning his master’s and Ph.D. in agricultural economics from Michigan State University. He earned a bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University.
Cattle have been a large part of Charles Looney’s life since he was a young boy in Camden. He is recognized internationally as an expert in cattle genetics and reproductive technologies. He spent 35 years in the industry in Texas before returning to his home state in 2018 as professor of cattle genetics improvement for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. His expertise centers on embryo transfer, in-vitro fertilization, tissue banking for cloning, timed breeding and on-the-farm use of these technologies to improve beef cattle genetics.
Looney has graduate degrees from the University of Arkansas and Louisiana State University. He founded two cattle genetics companies in Texas, namely OvaGenix and Ultimate Genetics, after serving as a scientist and consultant in the field for several years. While he was working for Granada Biosciences, Looney was on the team that produced the first embryo-derived bovine clones. His work at Ultimate Genetics included the world’s first transgenic cloned calves and the first cloned bull.
Looney earned the President’s Award for Outstanding Service from the American Embryo Transfer Association in 2019 and an Award of Distinction from the University of Arkansas in 2014. The Arkansas Cattlemen’s Association presented him with its Producer Education Award in 2022.
“What an amazing group of farmers and those who help our farmers make agriculture Arkansas’ No. 1 business sector,” said Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Chair Debbie Moreland of Roland. “Agriculture is such a critical cultural and economic part of Arkansas. It is what binds so much of our state together."
“These we will induct have made a national impact on rice, soybeans, cattle and cotton and have helped steer the academic and research efforts that underpin Arkansas agriculture."
“I say this often to my friends, and it bears repeating; agriculture is one of the great success stories of our state. The Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame is pleased to bring recognition to these individuals who have impacted our state’s largest industry in such a positive way.”
Class XXXVI induction ceremonies are set for 11:30 a.m. March 1 at the Grand Ballroom of the DoubleTree Hotel in Little Rock. Contact Cindra Jones at 501-228-1609 for ticket information or click here to purchase tickets online.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X 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 X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
CAFF 2024 Beginning Farmer classes start Jan. 18
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will begin its 2024 session of Beginning Farmer classes on Jan. 18 online via Zoom while a series of two-day Small Farm Short Courses will be held in person.
GREEN THUMBS — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will start its 2024 Beginning Farmer classes on Jan. 18 and conduct Small Farm Short Courses three times this year. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)
The online Beginning Farmer classes are held virtually 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of February and focus on building a successful, sustainable market farm. Farmers share their experiences and knowledge as part of the classes. The online classes are $10 each and incorporate learning activities with other local service providers.
“You can expect new knowledge and insights even if you’ve taken the course before,” said Heather Friedrich, Center for Arkansas Farms and Food program manager.
Recordings of the online classes will remain available to registrants through Oct. 31. There will be 13 classes in the 2024 session covering a wide variety of topics that include growing produce, marketing, transitioning to organic, agritourism, and consumer supported agriculture, also known as CSA.
To pay the $10 access fee per course, visit the registration page at www.farmandfoodsystems.uada.edu/classes/. An email will be sent to registrants the day before each class and a follow up email will provide links to resources and a recording of the class
Friedrich noted the benefit of attending the classes virtually, rather than watching the recordings, is having the opportunity to ask questions during the class.
Small Farm Short Courses
New in 2024, CAFF is offering three intensive two-day in-person workshops called Small Farm Short Courses. The two-day, in-person workshops will be offered with seasonally relevant content at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, 1005 Meade, in Fayetteville.
The first workshop is Feb. 2-3 and addresses transplant production, markets, soil health, setting up systems for success, cultivating community in your food system and a spotlight on CSAs. The second workshop will be May 3-4 with topics including field preparation and building beds, equipment demonstrations, record keeping and messaging, and marketing. The third and final workshop will be held Oct. 18-19 and will focus on developing skills for crop planning, equipment maintenance, understanding costs of production, cover cropping and building farm management skills.
The courses will offer classroom and field instruction 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Presenters will include CAFF staff, local farmers and representatives from local organizations that work with farmers and small businesses. Lunch, refreshments and snacks will be provided. Registration fees are $200 for each two-day workshop. Scholarships are available for those with limited resources, and historically underserved people.
For more information on the online classes and short courses, please email Friedrich at heatherf@uark.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.
Hope Baking Co. to expand, add 266 new jobs
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Hope Baking Co. is investing more than $37 million to expand its food manufacturing facility in Hope. The expansion is expected to create 266 new jobs over two years.
“Hope Baking Company is excited to be reinvigorating the operation of the bakery and equipment located in Hope, Arkansas and looks forward to steady expansion of its employment count,” said Dan Serra, owner of Hope Baking Co.
Hope Baking Company is a division of East Baking Company, which acquired Southern Bakeries in March 2023. Since the acquisition, the company has expanded the facility adding a new production line.
Second lawsuit filed against former Arkansas religious boarding school
KUAR | By Josie Lenora
Another lawsuit has been filed against a former Arkansas religious boarding school accused of allowing and fostering sexual and physical abuse.
The Lord's Ranch was a therapeutic facility in Warm Springs, near the Missouri border. The school operated from 1976 to 2016 by family members Ted and Shirley Suhl. They are named as defendants in the lawsuit along with Emmet Alden Presley, a counselor who was the Director of Social Services at The Lords Ranch.
The camp claimed to provide services to students with emotional and behavioral problems. Their website when they were operational said “The Lord's Ranch provides a therapeutic treatment plan tailored to meet the needs of each resident.” It went on to talk about the importance of the Bible in their curriculum.
Second lawsuit filed against former Arkansas religious boarding school
Romanucci & Blandin/Courtesy Photo
Owners of a defunct boarding school known as The Lord's Ranch is facing a second lawsuit.
Arkansas Board of Corrections fires prisons chief in escalating dispute with governor
KUAR | By Hunter Field / Arkansas AdvocateFrom the Arkansas Advocate:
Arkansas’ prison oversight board on Wednesday fired Corrections Secretary Joe Profiri — a week after a judge ruled that Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ cabinet appointee served at the pleasure of the board for now.
Attorney General Tim Griffin has pledged to appeal that ruling, so it isn’t clear if Profiri, who came to Arkansas from Arizona a year ago with Sanders when she took office, will be permanently ousted.
Shortly after the ouster, Sanders announced that she would hire Profiri as a senior advisor, calling his termination a political stunt.
Profiri has had a strained relationship with the Board of Corrections since Sanders gave him a $40,000-a-year pay raise shortly after taking office and without the board’s approval. He was paid an annual salary of $210,000.
Arkansas Board of Corrections fires prisons chief in escalating dispute with governor
John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate
Former Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Corrections Joe Profiri, left, listens as Gov.Sarah Huckabee Sanders talks about criminal justice legislation during a news conference at the State Capitol on March 28, 2023.
Public Health Alum Uses Gardening Expertise to Help Address Arkansas’ Food Access Issues
By Kev' Moye
Entire communities having little — or no — access to fresh, healthy foods is a major issue in Arkansas.
There are a multitude of nonprofits, ministries, corporations and citizens working to solve the problem. Jimmy Parks, Dr.PH, an alum of the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, is part of a network of people who are teaching and learning about how to grow and share food.
“My community and my family are my life,” Parks said. “It’s not about serving groups or populations. It’s just that being part of a community sometimes involves practical activities that look like service.”
Parks is a self-taught farmer who works with people in many backyard gardens and urban farms in central Arkansas.
Public Health Alum Uses Gardening Expertise to Help Address Arkansas’ Food Access Issues
Arctic air means extra care for pets
HARRISBURG, Ark. — When arctic air arrives, pets need extra care, said Craig Allen, Poinsett County extension staff chair for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
The National Weather Service at Little Rock said Wednesday that “by the weekend/early next week, Arctic air will surge into the region from the northwest. This will result in below to much below-average temperatures.”
Lows in Little Rock were expected to fall into the single digits by Monday night, with the forecast high on Tuesday being 27 degrees, the weather service said.
Boston the dog sits in the snow. Taken February 2021. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Kerry Rodtnick)
“Outdoor pets need a sheltered place that is well bedded with dry straw, shavings, blanket strips or other insulating material that traps warm air,” he said. “Check it often and change it whenever it gets wet.
“Be sure to have adequate food and water available. Heated water bowls are handy to have,” Allen said.
Owners need to limit the amount of time indoor pets are exposed to extreme temperatures. Short-haired dog breeds such as greyhounds, Dobermans, boxers, Chihuahuas and miniature breeds “shouldn’t go outside without a sweater or coat, except for short periods to relieve themselves,” Allen said.
Cats, even outdoor cats, will seek warm spots, and sometimes in dangerous ways.
“Cats left outdoors will often crawl into a warm car engine compartment to get warm,” Allen said. “The cat can be seriously injured or killed by the fan blade or fan belt the next time the car is started. Be sure to check for cats or other animals that might have sought out the warmth of your car.”
Schnauzer gets some playtime in the snow in Fayetteville. Taken Jan. 5, 2024. (U of A System Division of Agriculture still courtesy Kwan Seo).
Preparing vehicles for cold weather service can mean adding or changing antifreeze. Pets can be drawn to spilled antifreeze because of its taste, but antifreeze with ethylene glycol is toxic to pets even in very small quantities.
“Promptly clean up any spills,” he said. “Antifreeze is attractive to pets and can be deadly, even in very small amounts.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X 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 X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
EIA: Solar to lead U.S. electricity generation growth through 2025
by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)
Solar electric generation is expected to account for 7% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2025, up from 4% in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA).
On Tuesday (Jan. 9), the EIA released its January Short-Term Energy Outlook that shows almost 80 gigawatts of solar power will start operating in the next two years, increasing U.S. solar generating capacity by 84% and making solar the leading source of growth in U.S. electricity generation through 2025.
“We are experiencing a significant shift in U.S. electric generation, as solar generation grows rapidly, taking market share from coal and tempering the growth in natural gas usage,” said EIA Administrator Joe DeCarolis. “Coal and natural gas remain important to the U.S. electric grid, even as variable renewable resources such as solar and wind grow.”
EIA: Solar to lead U.S. electricity generation growth through 2025
NAACP leader calls stabbing of Conway teen 'hate crime'
KUAR | By Maggie Ryan
The Faulkner County NAACP held a community meeting Monday night in response to a violent altercation that took place in Conway over the weekend.
According to the mother of one victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, a group of teenagers went to Maly’s, an entertainment facility in Conway, Saturday night. Soon after the group arrived, the mother received a phone call from her son who said he’d been stabbed in the face.
She described leaving her home in a rush as soon as she received the call. Once she arrived, she said the police had yet to arrest members of the group responsible for her son's injury.
AG Griffin rejects FOIA initiated acts, education amendment
by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)
A day after rejecting four proposed constitutional amendments affecting the state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Attorney General Tim Griffin on Tuesday (Jan. 9) also rejected four initiated act proposals tied to FOIA as well as a proposed education amendment.
Arkansas Citizens for Transparency, the advocacy group seeking to get the FOIA measures on the November 2024 ballot were stymied again by Griffin, who cited problems with the four proposals.
“Having reviewed the text of your proposed constitutional amendment, as well as your proposed popular name and ballot title, I must reject your popular name and ballot title due to the following problem,” he said.
National Weather Service in Little Rock Weather Briefing
We are monitoring two potentially impactful weather events through early next week. The first, this Thursday and Friday, will bring another round of rain, storms, and winter weather. After a brief lull over much of the weekend, an Arctic front will make its way into the southern states, bringing well-below-average temperatures and potential for snow across much of the state.
The storm system Thursday/Friday will bring a half inch to an inch and a half of rain, with locally more than two inches. The highest rainfall totals are expected from central into northeast sections of the state. Isolated severe storms may occur in central and southern Arkansas. As colder air follows the system on Friday, rain will transition to light snow across the north/west (Ozark and Ouachita Mountains), with less than an inch of accumulation at most locations. Beginning Friday late morning, sustained wind speeds are forecast between 20 and 30 mph with gusts over 40 mph. Precipitation will exit the state by Friday evening, with winds settling down by late Friday night.
By the weekend/early next week, Arctic air will surge into the region from the northwest. This will result in below to much below average temperatures. Once cold air is in place, it appears that wintry precipitation will become more likely Sunday night into Monday. There is a potential for heavy warning criteria snow (several inches). Stay tuned for specifics.
Arkansas medical marijuana sales set record in 2023
by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)
Arkansas medical marijuana sales set a new record in 2023 with a 2.53% increase over 2022, and the number of Arkansans with active marijuana patient cards rose 8.4% in 2023, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).
The DFA report posted Tuesday (Jan. 9) shows that medical marijuana sales totaled $283 million for the year, up from the previous record of $276 million in 2022. The state’s 38 dispensaries sold 62,227 pounds of marijuana in 2023, well above the 50,547 pounds in 2022. The state has licensed eight cultivators to provide products to the dispensaries.
The Arkansas Department of Health reports 97,374 active patient cards as of Jan. 9, up 8.4% from 89,855 at the end of 2022.
New UA ag economist to help farmers assess risk
Andrew Anderson.
Volatile weather patterns, fueled by climate change, geopolitical strife like the Russian invasion of Ukraine, spiraling commodities markets, and other factors impact farmers each season. They have to weigh these risk factors when deciding what crops to grow.
A new economist with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is doing research to help farmers assess those risks.
“Any farmer will tell you that farming is a lot like gambling,” said Andrew Anderson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “To be able to have policies that are created understanding that risky environment is really important.”
Cooperative Extension Service's Grow Your Own Groceries series continues in 2024
By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture
LITTLE ROCK — For people interested in learning to grow healthy, nutritious food at home, the Cooperative Extension Service’s Grow Your Own Groceries webinar series offers monthly Zoom presentations on Arkansas-friendly crops for gardeners of all skill levels.
GROW YOUR OWN IN 2024 — To kick off the new year, the first Grow Your Own Groceries presentation of 2024 will focus on setting up a drip irrigation system. Topics this year will also include potatoes, salad greens, blueberries and more. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)
Krista Quinn, Faulkner County agriculture agent for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the Grow Your Own Groceries series is designed to connect Arkansans with extension agents’ knowledge about growing and preparing nutritious food.
“I think there are a lot of people who are interested in gardening but have very little experience,” Quinn said. “Often, they did not grow up in families that gardened, and they didn’t really know where to start. If they start looking for gardening advice on the internet or even in books, they quickly realize that a lot of that information often doesn’t work in Arkansas. With the Grow Your Own Groceries program, we are giving people information based on experience and research from right here in Arkansas, so participants have the best chance of being successful.”
The series is a collaboration between extension agriculture agents and family and consumer sciences agents. In each presentation, agriculture agents discuss how to grow a specific crop, with information on variety selection, growing methods, soil health and common pests or problems. Family and consumer sciences agents then share how to store the produce and demonstrate recipes.
“Increasing access to fresh, healthy food by teaching people how to grow it and how to use it in their cooking is one of the main goals of this program,” Quinn said. “Gardening and cooking go hand in hand, and the reward for gardening is getting to eat the food you grow. At times, home gardeners may have a bumper crop, and it’s nice if they know a variety of ways to use the crop and how to preserve it so it can be enjoyed later in the year.
“There may be crops that people don’t have a lot of experience cooking with, but after seeing how it can be used in different recipes, they may decide to try growing it,” she said.
In 2023, extension agents hosted 11 Grow Your Own Groceries presentations for more than 5,700 registrants. Topics included spring peas, pruning berries, sweet corn, cucumbers, fall gardening, hydroponics and more. Quinn said 962 people registered for the fall gardening presentation in August, the highest number of registrants in the program’s history.
“I get a lot of emails thanking us for doing the programs,” Quinn said. “People seem to really enjoy them, and they like the ease of watching at home. I’ve had several people say they were encouraged to try growing a new crop that they’d never grown before. Others have told me that they learned about mistakes they were making with certain crops and were looking forward to correcting those mistakes. One person said that after watching our program and implementing some of our recommendations, they had their best crop of onions ever.”
Quinn said it’s important for Grow Your Own Groceries to provide accessible information to participants of all skill levels.
“By focusing on individual crops or techniques in each program, we can provide a lot of quality information that is helpful to both beginners and more advanced gardeners,” Quinn said. “We’re also living in a time of change, with erratic weather patterns, invasive pests and new technologies available. Through this program, we’re able to keep people up to date on current challenges and opportunities we’re seeing in the state.”
The first Grow Your Own Groceries presentation of 2024 is scheduled for noon on Jan. 18, and the topic will be setting up a drip irrigation system. In 2024, Quinn said her team also plans to cover potatoes, salad greens, blueberries, aquaponics and more.
For more information about Grow Your Own Groceries, visit the program’s page on the Cooperative Extension Service website, or contact Krista Quinn at klquinn@uada.edu or 501-329-8344.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X 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 X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
USDA grants $5.6 million for Arkansas food supply chain improvements
KUAR | By Daniel Breen
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is dedicating $5.6 million to help Arkansas farmers and food distributors access new markets.
$4.2 million of the funding from the USDA’s Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure program will go toward a grant program for producers and distributors in the state.
Jenny Lester Moffit, the USDA Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary, made the announcement at the Arkansas Foodbank in Little Rock on Tuesday. She said the grants will help Arkansas farmers access new markets, and hopefully help improve the rate of food insecurity in the state.
USDA grants $5.6 million for Arkansas food supply chain improvements
Daniel Breen/Little Rock Public Radio
Jenny Lester Moffit, Marketing and Regulatory Programs Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, speaks at the Arkansas Foodbank headquarters in Little Rock on Jan. 9, 2024.
Third proposed Arkansas government transparency amendment submitted to AG
KUAR | By Tess Vrbin / Arkansas Advocate
From the Arkansas Advocate:
Proposed ballot language that would make government transparency a constitutional right in Arkansas still lacks clarity and is unfit for a statewide vote, Attorney General Tim Griffin wrote in a Monday opinion.
In response, the nonpartisan Arkansas Citizens for Transparency (ACT) submitted another draft to Griffin’s office Monday evening.
ACT proposed a second iteration of the amendment Dec. 20 after Griffin rejected an earlier attempt. The group submitted four potential ballot titles:
The Arkansas Government Transparency Amendment
The Arkansas Government Openness Amendment
The Arkansas Government Disclosure Amendment
The Open Meetings and Open Records in State and Local Government Amendment
Third proposed Arkansas government transparency amendment submitted to AG
John Sykes/Arkansas Advocate
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin speaks alongside Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders in this file photo.