Front Porch - Summer 2014

Porch Front

SUMMER 2014

Cool summer travel destinations Scenes, trails and unique places

Moms on the farm

A visit to see where food comes from

Grow your own

The joy of fresh eggs

Born to be a farmer

Taking on the farming challenge

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Exclusive $500 Member Private Offer is Available at any Arkansas Chevy, GMC or Buick Dealer.

Offer valid toward the lease or purchase of new 2013 and 2014 Chevrolet, GMC and Buick models. This offer is not available with some other offers, including private offers (for example, Owner Loyalty). Offer is available with GM Business Choice. Not valid on prior purchases. Valid FB Membership Verification Certificate must be presented to dealer prior to delivery of

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Holly

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Farm Bureau members can get a $5001 private offer toward the purchase or lease of most new GM vehicles,including the Chevrolet Silverado 2500hD and 3500hD lineup. Visit fbverify.com for more details. They get tough jobs done with a maximum payload of up to 6,635 lbs.2 and a conventional towing capacity of up to 17,000 lbs.3And through the GM Business Choice Program,4 business owners receive even more when purchasing or leasing an eligible Chevrolet or GMC truck or van for business use. Visit gmbusinesschoice. com for details.

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In This Issue

Farm Bureau Matters Randy Veach | Page 3

Thinking Out Loud

Rodney Baker | Page 5

Cool Summer Travel Destinations

Gregg Patterson and Keith Sutton | Page 8

Do It Yourself

Jerusalem Greer | Page 20

Taste Arkansas

Sarah Shotts | Page 22

Garden Home Design P. Allen Smith | Page 26

Land & People

Gregg Patterson | Page 28

Health & Safety

Jennifer Victory | Page 32

In the Kitchen

Heather Disarro | Page 34

Delta Child

Talya Tate Boerner | Page 36

On the Cover

Little Missouri Falls is one of the state’s most beautiful places to visit.

Photo by Keith Sutton

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Farm Bureau Matters

by Randy Veach | President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

The endangered farmer It’s tough to stay in business when something has its hands around your throat.

Today’s tug of war involves the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services’ overprotection of two aquatic species – the Neosho mucket and the rabbitsfoot mussel – that threatens to severely clamp down on Arkansas’ farmers and ranchers.

Congressman Rick Crawford recently hosted a field hearing in Batesville of the House Natural Resources Committee to consider the impact of the USFWS’s proposed critical habitat designations for these two species.

I was fortunate to be among those representing landowner concerns, along with poultry farmer Gene Pharr, a member of Arkansas Farm Bureau’s state board, Joe Fox of the Arkansas Forestry Commission and Marcus Creasy, who spoke on behalf of the Arkansas Cattleman’s Association. We also heard from economic development, municipal and small-business voices. All raised concern for this proposed regulation, citing possible impact on county roads and bridges, economic activities in these areas and government overreach.

There are nearly 770 miles of streams and rivers in our state connected to this proposed critical habitat designation, and 31 counties in Arkansas that could be affected.

Last year, the USFWS issued a short-sighted rule that allows it to consider just the direct costs to government agencies when evaluating the economic impact of critical habitat designations. This allows USFWS to ignore the impact to other stakeholders, i.e., our citizens.

A recent analysis from the Association of Arkansas Counties estimated the cost of the habitat designation in Arkansas would exceed $20 million (five times the impact calculated by USFWS for the 12 impacted states). We, quite

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frankly, expect that figure to be significantly higher as the full impact of changes to best-management practices, unrealized opportunities and additional regulatory costs are included.

There are nearly 770 miles of streams and rivers in our state connected to this proposed critical habitat designation, and 31 counties in Arkansas that could be affected. Roughly 90 percent of these river miles pass through private property, a disproportionate impact on productive land. If fully implemented, they would affect nearly 42 percent of the state’s geographical area. Designating that much critical habitat without considering the full economic consequences on the area is reckless.

In this proposed area are 21,000 family farms, 7.4 million acres of farmland, 8.6 million acres of forestland and $2.9 billion of agricultural income. Farmers in these areas produce 78 million broiler chickens, 6 million laying hens, cattle by the tens of thousands, 600,000 acres of rice and 780,000 acres of soybeans.

Farm Bureau supports Crawford’s bill, HR 4319, and a comparable bill proposed by Sen. Mark Pryor. These proposals amend the Endangered Species Act to require government agencies to perform a full analysis of the economic impact that such a designation will have on an area.

Farm Bureau has challenged Congress to take control of this issue. The men and women of Congress passed the Endangered Species Act. In my view, the implementation of the act by the USFWS amounts to rewriting the law and implementing it in a way not consistent with Congress’ intent.

Farm Bureau supports the Endangered Species Act for the necessary protection (and 31 counties go far beyond ‘necessary protection’) of legitimately threatened and endangered species. However, the implementation of critical habitat designation shouldn’t go without considering the impacts of a quickly disappearing breed, the U.S. farmer and rancher. Somehow, and at some point, Congress needs to infuse the law of common sense!

God bless you and your families. God bless our farmers and ranchers. And God bless Arkansas Farm Bureau.

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Download your MOBILE Agent today!

• Visit app store on iPhoneTM or AndroidTM • Search for Farm Bureau Mobile Agent • Download Free App • Register for online account by selecting Register in the upper left corner of page

Official membership publication of Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation mailed to more than 192,000 member-families.

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Included in membership dues Arkansas Farm Bureau Officers:

President • Randy Veach, Manila Vice President • Rich Hillman, Carlisle Secretary/Treasurer • Joe Christian, Jonesboro Executive Vice President • Rodney Baker, Little Rock Directors:

Troy Buck, Alpine Jon Carroll, Moro Terry Dabbs, Stuttgart Sherry Felts, Joiner Mike Freeze, England Bruce Jackson, Lockesburg Tom Jones, Pottsville Johnny Loftin, El Dorado Gene Pharr, Lincoln Rusty Smith, Des Arc Allen Stewart, Mena Leo Sutterfield, Mountain View Joe Thrash, Conway

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Ex Officio

• Login using either your member number and password or your registered e-mail address and password

Josh Cureton, Jonesboro Brent Lassiter, Newport Janice Marsh, McCrory Peggy Miller, Lake Village Executive Editor • Steve Eddington Editor • Gregg Patterson Contributing Writers • Ken Moore, Keith Sutton Research Assistant • Mollie Dykes ADVERTISING

Contact David Brown at Publishing Concepts for advertising rates dbrown@pcipublishing.com (501) 221-9986 Fax (501) 225-3735 Front Porch (USPS 019-879) is published quarterly by the Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation 10720 Kanis Rd., Little Rock, AR 72211 Periodicals Postage paid at Little Rock, AR POSTMASTER Send address changes to Rhonda Whitley at rhonda.whitley@arfb.com Front Porch • P.O. Box 31 • Little Rock, AR 72203 Please provide membership number

Real Service. Real People.

Issue #92 Publisher assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is prohibited.

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The Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation reserves the right to accept or reject all advertising requests.

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Thinking Out Loud

by Rodney Baker | Executive Vice President, Arkansas Farm Bureau Federation

Something new, staying engaged, supporting communities Though Arkansas Farm Bureau is in its 79th year, there’s always something new happening. That’s how we’ve remained a viable organization that is active in the lives of Arkansans for almost eight decades. As you look at this issue of Front Porch, you should notice the magazine’s new look. We’ve expanded the number of pages to bring you more information and useful articles. The magazine’s design has changed to give it a fresher look. What hasn’t changed is the excellent writing and photography you’ve come to expect, almost entirely from writers and photographers from Arkansas or with significant Arkansas ties who know this state best. That local flavor celebrates Arkansas and its unique places and people. We hope you enjoy the new look.

The magazine’s design has changed to give it a fresher look. What hasn’t changed is the excellent writing and photography you’ve come to expect, almost entirely from writers and photographers from Arkansas or with significant Arkansas ties who know this state best.

In my column in the last issue of Front Porch, I tipped you off about another new item that was soon to be available to Arkansas Farm Bureau members; that being our SavingsPlus program. That money saving program is now up and running, and I hope you’ve taken the opportunity to sign up for it (go to arfb.com and click on the SavingsPlus link) and/or downloaded the app from the Apple App Store or Google play on your smartphone and those of your family members. Discounts from businesses statewide will easily offset the entire cost of your annual Arkansas Farm Bureau membership. Make sure you

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have your membership number available when you sign up.

New member programs can now also save you $200-$300 off select Polaris vehicles, up to 20 percent off Wyndham group hotels and up to 25 percent off Avis rentals.

Within the context of the new are several tried and true programs Arkansas Farm Bureau engages in to influence public debate statewide and to help individuals and families at the community level. Our recent Officers & Leaders conference featured speakers and workshops encouraging and showing members how to be engaged in telling the agriculture story and introducing farmers and livestock growers to some of the latest technology available to efficiently manage their operations.

Food and its production is such an integral part of public discourse now. Think of the mental conversations you have with yourself every time you go to the grocery store about your buying choices. There are a myriad of groups out there trying to influence your decisions and, unfortunately, not always in a truthful manner. Who better than farmers to tell their stories with the public concerning how food is raised?

Our farmers are some of the best in the country, and Arkansas Farm Bureau recently trekked some 1,600 miles throughout Arkansas visiting farms and helping our partner organizations judge the eight district winners to determine which one will win the Arkansas Farm Family of the Year. The program is one of the longest running of its kind nationally and is in its 68th year. Visiting those farms was a testament to the excellent and caring way our farmers care for the land and the livestock they raise.

Finally, our community involvement was on display as the Arkansas Farm Bureau Scholarship Foundation awarded ten $2,125 scholarships to college juniors and seniors in a state-accredited university pursuing an agriculture-related degree. Arkansas Farm Bureau and county Farm Bureau organizations have awarded more than $1 million to assist more than 2,000 students pay for a portion of their college expenses.

Whether it’s a new program or an old tried-and-trueprogram, Arkansas Farm Bureau is always working for you.

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tap youR

fEEt to

lIvE southErn MountaIn

MusIc a

Kathy Matte

isten to live performances of acoustic Southern mountain music. Visit with artisans creating handcrafted heirloom treasures.

AUGUST 9: Women of Mountain Music 9-10: Fiber Frenzy Weekend 15-17: Mountains, Music & Motorcycles 16: Betse Ellis and Violet Hensley 22-23: String Band Camp 26-September 1: Arkansas State Park’s Legacy Week; Hands-on in the Park 29: Doyle Dykes 29-30: A Tribute to Grandpa Jones 30: Celebrity Concert: Kathy Mattea SEPTEMBER 5-6: Folk Dance Days 13: Dutch Oven Cooking Classes 19-20: Old Time Fiddle Weekend 26-27: Sourdough Slim 26-27: Cowboy Weekend

OCTOBER 2: Sumptuous Herb Harvest Supper 3-4: Herb Harvest Festival 4: A Tribute to Jimmy Driftwood 11: Farmstead Cheese Making 11: Celebrity Concert: Ricky Skaggs 17-18: Jerron Paxton 18: Sheep to Shawl Demonstration 18: Handwoven Fashion Show 24-25: Beanfest 25: Last Regular Evening Music Program 31: After Dark in the Park

Meander through the beauty of the ever-changing herb gardens. Enjoy the home-style fare at the Skillet Restaurant.

Relax in comfort in one of the Cabins at Dry Creek. Experience the adventure and challenge of Loco Ropes.

Visit OzarkFolkCenter.com today and begin your Ozark Adventure.

M O U N T A I N V I E W, A R K A N S A S

Cabin Reservations: 800-264-3655 • Information: 870-269-3851 • OzarkFolkCenter.com Front Porch | Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014 7

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Summer Travel

tinations Scenes, trails and unique places Compiled by Gregg Patterson and Keith Sutton

Ah ... summertime. It’s the laid back time of year when our thoughts drift to bucket list vacations that most of us can’t afford or will never go on anyway. That’s ok. There still are plenty of excursions right here in Arkansas that are interesting day trips or can provide weekend fun. Here’s a list of some favorites.

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Little Missouri River Falls

This one is certainly a day trip special, a place that typifies old timey swimming hole summer fun. It’s a place of great beauty and worth the effort to get there. Pack a picnic lunch, and head to the Little Missouri Falls Recreation Area (day use only, no overnight camping or parking) in the Ouachita National Forest. You can access the gravel road to the falls by taking Highway 369 for 6 miles just north of Langley by way of the Albert Pike Recreation Area. Then follow the signs to Little Missouri Falls. There’s no fast way to get there, so enjoy the ride.

You’ll get to see a lot of spectacular forest and rock formations as you parallel the Little Missouri River to the falls. And keep a keen eye out for wildlife. Squirrels, white-tailed deer and a variety of birds are normal sights for those paying attention.

The falls are a panoramic series of stair-step drops, huge rock ledges creating ample places of refuge for those exploring the river, enjoying a swim or looking for a seat to contemplate the surrounding beauty or just wanting to listen to the soothing sounds of the river’s water song. A nearby picnic area at the falls parking lot provides a place to relax and refuel yourself after a swim or a hike.

For more adventuresome souls, hiking the Little Missouri Trail provides a two-day excursion or part of the trail for a vigorous day hike. The trail covers 16 miles mostly along the Little Missouri River. The trailhead is located on Forest Service Road 25. It crosses the river and its tributaries a few times, so pay attention to water levels and the weather forecast as the river can rise quickly during intense rainfall events. GPS: N34.3369872 W93.5626280

Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail

In a way, it’s Cooperstown South. Hot Springs, a place where more than 100 present members of the Baseball Hall of Fame – located in that quaint New York village of Cooperstown – and their teams came to get in shape for the upcoming regular big league season. Hot Springs is in many ways, the collective birthplace of Major League baseball spring training. It began in 1886, when Cap Anson brought his Chicago White Stockings (the present-day Chicago Cubs) to the Spa City’s famous bathhouses to “boil out the alcoholic microbes” of an offseason of hard drinking. For the next several decades, teams and most of the best individual players in baseball made Hot Springs an annual spring pilgrimage in an effort to get in shape, soak in its healing waters and enjoy some of the other recreational pleasures and distractions the town offered.

The town’s baseball trail is an auto/walking tour that features some of the most important historical locations of this bygone baseball era. Elegant metal plaques are scattered about town, each with a description of the

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The town’s baseball trail is an auto/ walking tour that features some of the most important historical locations of this bygone baseball era. Elegant metal plaques are scattered about town, each with a description of the highlighted baseball past of the present day site. highlighted baseball past of the present day site.

Navigating the trail map elicits the feeling of a modernday scavenger hunt complete with a sense of excitement of finding the site and learning about what happened there. A QR code on each plaque allows those with smartphones and the downloaded baseball trail app to access an audio/visual component of the trail that adds to the experience. Or just dial 501-545-2036 to listen to the audio description of the trail.

The larger-than-life persona of Babe Ruth, a regular visitor to Hot Springs for some two decades, is featured prominently along the trail. Two sites on the trail, one featuring home plate where Ruth, in 1918, launched a mammoth home run against the Brooklyn Robins (now the present-day Los Angeles Dodgers), and the other plaque site just outside the Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo where the ball landed, verify what tape measure home run baseball expert Bill Jenkinson believes to be the first 500-ft. plus, on-the-fly home run ever hit.

(For the price of admission, you can go inside the alligator farm and see Pond #2 where the ball landed – 573 feet away from home plate – and its present-day population of ‘gators.) In business since 1902, the alligator farm was a popular destination for the early ballplayers. The funky, quirky animal park is itself, a throwback to those bygone times and worth the money to step back in time. No one knows what happened to that home run ball.

For more information, contact 1-888-SPA-CITY or go online to www.HotSpringsBaseballTrail.com. The alligator farm is located at 847 Whittington Ave. in Hot Springs. For more information, contact 1-800-750-7891 or go online to www.arkansasalligatorfarm.com.

Mississippi River levees

You might say it’s the South’s version of the Great Wall of China, but the Mississippi River levee system, which runs through portions of Arkansas, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi and Tennessee, wasn’t

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The Historic Baseball Trail in Hot Springs is a must see for fans of the game.

The dapper-dressed Dizzy Dean is part of a collection of old photos at the Hot Springs Convention Center depicting a time when big league baseball players like Babe Ruth frequented the Spa City.

Photos by Keith Sutton

built to stave off barbarian invasions. It was designed to protect nearby cities and farmlands from flooding.

Together, the 24- to 50-foot-high levees stretch more than 3,500 miles, extending on the west bank from Allenville, Mo., to Venice, La., and on the east bank from Hickman, Ky., to Venice. Building this levee system, the world’s largest, is recognized as one of the most incredible engineering feats in history. And much of it was done with mules.

If you’ve never seen this incredible structure, you should.

The west-bank levee stretches along Arkansas’ entire eastern border, and a road map will help you find plenty of points where you can access the levee and drive on top of it for miles. You hardly ever see the river from the road, but the levee is always nearby, a great green serpent running

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through woods, swamps and farms, with towns nestling close to its slopes.

You can learn even more about the levee system by joining the interpreter at Lake Chicot State Park near Lake Village for one of the regular guided tours. There’s lots of wildlife to be seen, so visitors are encouraged to bring field guides and binoculars. Seating is limited, and there is a fee.

Contact the park at 870-265-5480 to make reservations.

Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge

At the little town of Ethel in Arkansas County, a gravel road off Highway 17 leads to several oxbow lakes in the heart of Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife

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Refuge. Our state contains many beautiful places, but in summer, none are more gorgeous than this 200,000-acre piece of verdant river-bottom real estate.

The cypress trees in the refuge’s many natural lakes make it so. These primeval giants (some are 1,000 years old) live with their feet in the water and their knees in the air. Their broad, craggy buttresses are like whimsical sculptures shaped by nature’s hand. Their feathery leaves, greener than green this season, adorn long, horizontal branches that spread over each lake like cooling canopies.

A map available from the refuge headquarters in St. Charles will show roads leading past many of these gorgeous waters. As you travel them, you can stop now and then to photograph the ancient trees and incredible scenery, or enjoy bank fishing for bass, catfish, bream and

crappie. If you go early or late in the day, you’re likely to see a wide variety of wildlife, including deer, raccoons, otters, squirrels and dozens of species of birds.

Of special interest is the biggest cypress tree in Arkansas, which just so happens to be the largest tree in Arkansas and the largest living thing in Arkansas! It can be found at the end of Champion Tree Trail near Lower White Lake using directions you can get at the refuge visitor center. For more information, call 870-282-8200 or visit www.fws.gov/ refuge/white_river/.

Winona Scenic Drive

A good way to experience the true beauty of the Ouachita Mountains is to traverse 27-mile-long Winona Scenic Drive between Highway 7 (37 miles north of Hot

Goose Lake, Dale Bumpers, White River National Wildlife Refuge Photo by Keith Sutton

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Flatside Pinnacle Mountain overlooking Flatside Wilderness Area Photo by Keith Sutton

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Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery Photo by Keith Sutton

Springs) and Highway 9 (13.5 miles south of Perryville).

Signs mark the turn-offs from both highways.

The gravel road that comprises the drive is rough in places as it takes you through the interior of Winona Wildlife Management Area within the vast Ouachita National Forest. But if the weather is not too rainy, you can use your family vehicle to take you to several scenic vistas that are sure to take your breath away, including views of Oak Mountain, Forked Mountain, Nancy Mountain, North Fork Pinnacle, Lake Winona and Lake Sylvia.

Be sure to take the 2.9-mile side trip on Forest Road 94, which leads to Flatside Pinnacle. A short trail from the parking area leads to the top of this 1,550-foot-tall rock formation. The path is easy to follow and not too rough on your calves as it switchbacks up the slope about a half mile to the top. What you see from the precipice you will never forget – a seemingly never-ending view of 9,507-acre Flatside Wilderness Area and miles of forested ridge tops.

Photographer Tim Ernst says, “I believe this to be the finest view in all of the Ouachitas, and one of the very best in this part of the country.”

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Don’t leave without first downloading the superb mile-bymile guide, Winona Auto Tour. You’ll find it at www.fs.usda. gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsm9_039496.pdf.

Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery

Since 1965, the Greers Ferry National Fish Hatchery in Heber Springs has been producing rainbow and brook trout – around 1 million annually – for stocking public fishing waters in Arkansas and Oklahoma. The facility below Greers Ferry Dam is open for self-guided tours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day except Thanksgiving and Christmas, and in a world where nearly everything costs something, a visit here is absolutely free. Inside the hatchery building, you can see tanks crowded with dark, swirling schools of brilliantly colored juvenile fish – thousands upon thousands of them.

The biggest surprise awaits you outdoors, however, in the long concrete raceways where trout are fed and cared for until they reach 9-inch stocking size. Some of the bigger trout you’ll see are as long as a person’s leg! We can only dream what it must be like to catch a fish like that.

For more information, visit www.fws.gov/greersferry/.

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A Leader For Every Season

Arkansas Farm Bureau, The Voice of Agriculture, Congratulates the Recognition of Randy Veach as the Burlsworth Foundation 2014 Legends Honoree 2014 Legends Dinner, Aug. 7 Front Porch

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Arkansas Fa

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S DICKEY-STEP ELLS OUT HENS PARK

Tuesday, June 24th – Before a sold-out Dicke of more than 9, y-Stephens Pa 000, the North rk crowd D iv ision chalked up a score of 3-1. Th the “W” for 2014 is year’s 78th An with nual Texas Leag sponsored by Ar ue All Star Gam kansas Farm Bu e, re au Insurance, w played in Centra as the first to be l Arkansas sinc e the 2006 even the former hom t at Ray Winder Fiel e of the Arkans d, as Travelers. B for the game is ei ng ch osen as the pa an honor for ci rk ties throughout facilities at Dic the region. The key-Stephens un excellent do ub tedly made the Travelers playin choice easier. g for the North Division includ Michael Roth, ed: Cam Bedro Orangel Arenas sian, , David Carpen Brian Hernand ter, Carmine Gi ez, Alex Yarbro ar di na, ugh, and Adam The crowd got Melker. their money’s w orth and more. at 4 p.m. with liv The pregame be e entertainmen gan t, player autograp and a Home Ru hs, a jersey auct n Derby that w ion as won by Rya Riders with 16 n Rua of the Fr combined hom is co Ro ugh e runs in the fir event ended w st and second ith an outstand ro un ds . The ing fireworks di splay.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

“SEA MINERALS” “Let’s Do It Natures Way” “Do The Math”

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

17

Farm and Ranch Families Provide...

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• Safe affordable food • 27% of Arkansas jobs • 75% of wildlife habitat 18

growingarkansas.org Front Porch

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Make a difference in the lives of children and families.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

19

Do It Yourself

All bottled up Simple beauty to decorate your home

by Jerusalem Greer

W

hen my husband and I were married 17 years ago – you know, during those oldfashioned days of the 1990s – we received the usual allotment of proper Southern Lady style housekeeping items including a whole host of elaborate vases of glass, ceramic, porcelain, silver and the like.

Being a good Southern bride, I tried each gift, giving each vase its turn in the middle of our humble, but new-to-us dining table, filling the vases with an assortment of grocery store bouquets.

As the years passed, I grew in self-confidence and in my sense of style. And I learned a few things about what I did and didn’t like. I preferred cabbage roses to stem roses, farmers market sunflowers to hot-house lilies, and wild zinnias to any sort of alstroemeria. I also learned my favorite sort of vase is of the dime or thrift store variety. I’m older, but my style is fresher than ever.

Instead of silver and porcelain, there are glass jars, vintage milk jugs and stoneware pitchers filled with wildflowers, daffodils and flowering branches. There’s also simple, colorful, graphic, soda bottles placed around the house, sometimes in a group, sometimes by themselves. They’re by the bathroom sink, on the coffee table, by the stove, on the porch and by our bed – filled with simple, colorful, stems picked from the garden or purchased at the market.

I just love how simple, friendly and clean they look. I even use them for dinner parties – indoors and out. One stem, in a single, simple bottle makes a lovely accent at each place setting and can also double as a party-favor for the guest. (Now that’s something you could never do with a fancy fine-china vase.)

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Tips for making fresh flowers last Fresh garden flowers never last as long indoors as store-bought ones do. This is just the truth. They aren’t bred for it. But there are a few tricks to help preserve their beauty longer.

1. Make sure your bottle or vase is well sterilized with hot water. Then let cool.

Don’t use too much soap.

2. Fill vessel with tepid water ¾ full. Add ½ teaspoon of bleach per 32 oz. of water.

3. Before putting stems in water, make sure they’re cut at an angle where the stem is still crisp but not floppy and place immediately into your vase. (If the stem has hardened and turned brown or is mushy, cut it down to where it’s crisp again.)

4. Make sure to remove all leaves or shoots from the portion of the stem that will be immersed. Failing to do this results in cloudy, smelly, awful water and causes the flowers to fade faster.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

21

Ta s t e A r k a n s a s

Moms on the Farm tour

by Sarah Shotts

The next time you enjoy a cold glass of milk or a juicy steak from the grill, think about the farmers who make it all possible!

Photo by Sarah Shotts

I

t’s not that I’m a city girl, but the farms I grew up around were like distant planets to me. I knew they were there, but didn’t know much else about them. Always up for a new adventure, when Arkansas Women Bloggers were invited to attend the Moms on the Farm tour, I jumped at the opportunity.

Before the tour, I imagined we’d visit some small family farms with one or two animals and see a demonstration of how to milk a cow by hand. I didn’t realize we would be touring the large commercial farms that supply the meat and dairy products we buy at the supermarket.

22

We visited three farms: a dairy farm, a poultry farm and a beef cattle ranch. My favorite of the day was the dairy farm; probably because those calves were so darn photogenic.

Susan Anglin of Anglin Dairy Farms was our first guide. She showed us into the milking parlor with the automated milking machines. She explained some of the differences between organic and regular milk. Did you know each have the same nutrients? I also learned the reason organic milk has a longer shelf life is because it’s ultra-pasteurized which means it’s pasteurized at a higher temperature.

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Then we saw the feed barn where the cows eat. The hay is on one side of the barrier and the floor beneath the animals is metal to easily gather the manure for fertilizer. This is one reason Susan described cows as “the great recyclers.”

Next, we saw the calves. We learned the first of a mother cow’s milk is always saved in a canister. Susan uses this to bottle feed the calves. The love she has for the animals really showed throughout the tour.

The poultry farm was next. It’s there I learned chickens grow so quickly because of selective breeding and not growth hormones (which are illegal in the United States).

We finished the Moms on the Farm tour at a cattle ranch where the conversation revolved around what they were fed and how it impacts the taste of the meat. All cattle begin eating grass and then some move toward eating grain when the good grass season is over.

We returned to the Cooperative Extension Service office where we were treated to a deluxe roast beef sandwich sponsored by the Arkansas CattleWomen while they presented cooking demonstrations for us. Everything they made was delicious.

The next time you enjoy a cold glass of milk or a juicy steak from the grill, think about the farmers who make it all possible!

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

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25

Garden Home Design

Me and My Farm The joy of fresh eggs

by P. Allen Smith

Everywhere a chick, chick

Buff Orpington chickens Photo by Mark Fonville

I

don’t know about you, but home-grown eggs are one of the things I look forward to this time of year. I’m fortunate to be able to walk out my door at Moss Mountain Farm to gather my own every day. This past winter we finished up a barn for our various breeds of heritage chickens. Heritage breeds are original breeds and strains of domestic fowl that were developed and/or recognized in the late 19th or 20th centuries, and they are defined by a specific set of criteria as determined by the American Poultry Association. Our new facility will allow visitors to the farm to see the heritage poultry in a gallery-like setting – one breeding pen set against another.

The functional design of the building is based on facilities I’ve seen through the years, but the aesthetics are consistent with the other working buildings on the farm. We’re

26

currently conserving the strains of 17 breeds of large fowl chickens. The rarest among these include foundational breeds such as Dorkings, white-faced black Spanish and Dark Brahmas, as well as Andalusians and Cornish chickens.

If you’re looking for a great breed for backyard egg production, a few come to mind. White Leghorn chickens are a popular choice. They are great layers, known for being friendly and are generally calm. I’m also partial to Buff Orpingtons, which are what many people call to mind as the quintessential chicken with their beige (or “buff”) feathers.

Buff Orpingtons are also dual-purpose birds, meaning they are raised for both eggs and meat. Finally, Andalusians – which I mentioned as a part of my farm’s flock – are also great egg producers.

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All of these breeds are a lot to keep track of but rewarding when we get to taste their eggs or simply enjoy the beauty of the animals. As we’ve gone into the summer months the number of daylight hours increased, and therefore we’re experiencing a surge in egg production. Hens typically lay an egg every 24 to 26 hours. When light conditions are right, the production process begins, and thus about a day later an egg is made. Thanks to extended hours of sunlight during spring and summer, this process speeds up meaning more eggs in our henhouses. In winter, limited daylight hours slow production and many chickens will not produce, choosing instead to take the winter months off. But no need for alarm in your coop, just wait until the cycle begins again in spring and you’ll have plenty of eggs.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Like every other creature, hens also experience a life cycle. Some claim that chickens are typically only good layers for two years. However, free-range farm chickens tend to have a much longer life cycle and can continue to produce as long as you want to keep them. And if the production stops, you can still enjoy the company of a beautiful backyard pet.

When your chickens are laying, you’ll want to make sure you gather the eggs as soon as you can. This is really the first step in preserving them. It may sound strange but after gathering your eggs, you shouldn’t wash them before storing.

There’s a natural barrier, or bloom, around the shell that protects the egg from bacteria and disease, and washing could break this. If you don’t plan to eat the eggs within the next couple of days,

I suggest refrigerating them. One day on a countertop is equivalent to about a week in the refrigerator when it comes to the life of an egg. Keep in mind that store-bought eggs can be up to six weeks old by the time you purchase them, so home-grown eggs will keep for at least a couple of months if they’re refrigerated and unwashed. Always store them with the pointed side down.

This helps to keep moisture inside the egg.

When it’s time to crack them open for an omelet or cake, remember to wash before you use them.

The eggs produced at Moss Mountain Farm are available for purchase at Terry’s Finer Foods in Little Rock, and the processed birds are sold to local chefs. So, if you don’t have chickens of your own yet and live in central Arkansas, you can enjoy the eggs from my Moss Mountain Farm fowl.

Ready to start your own coop?

Come out to my next poultry workshop at the farm Sept. 27. Learn from the experts about how to get a flock started. To purchase tickets, call 501-519-5793 or email us at gardenhome@pallensmith.com.

Pass or fail: the fresh egg test Wondering if your eggs are fresh?

There’s a simple, old-as-time test that provides a quick answer. All you’ll need is a glass of tap water and the egg in question. When you’re ready to get scientific, drop the egg into the glass of water and follow the chart below for an accurate reading on your egg.

Fresh egg Lies on the bottom of the glass.

Two-three weeks old egg Begins to tilt or “stand up” in the glass.

Two months old “Stands up” on its pointed end, but still maintains contact with the bottom of the glass.

Bad egg Floats off the bottom of the glass.

Toss this egg. It’s past its prime.

Photo by Hortus

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

27

La n d & P e o p l e

Born to be a farmer Taking on the farming challenge

by Gregg Patterson

E

“

veryone is born to be something, and I was born to be a farmer.” So says Chris Meador, 35, a poultry grower and cattle rancher in Green Forest. Meador farms 443 acres with his wife, Alechia, 34, who keeps the books and manages the couple’s four boys: Mason, Jace, Cole and newborn Blaze.

“My family did not have an operating farm, but we did live in the country,” Chris recalled.

“When I was 14 years old, I purchased six pairs of cows. There was a program which offered a no-interest loan to youth involved in 4H programs.” He got a $5,000 loan to buy the cows and raised them in his parent’s field until he graduated from high school.

Oh yeah, he also married his high school sweetheart. Though not from a farming family, Chris says Alechia “. . . had the same love for farming . . .” he did. She’d even purchased two cows with her savings during high school. The “herds” were merged soon after they graduated from high school.

The Meador’s have moved up a bit from their small high school herd. They now have 100 head in their cow/calf operation and six chicken houses. They also sell chicken litter for fertilizer and remove litter from other’s poultry houses. All of this hard work is in addition to each working fulltime jobs, Chris working in the field for Tyson Foods and Alechia running her own business as a certified public accountant. One of their goals is to be able to make their living solely from the farm.

“Expansion and efficiency would be the key to making this happen,” Chris said. “Efficiency is very important to us. It allows us to be profitable and accomplish many jobs.”

Juggling a down economy, major drought, upgrading outdated poultry facilities, animal health, properly timing the expansion of their

28

Farm-erger

High-school sweethearts Chris and Alechia Meador merged their cattle “herds” when they got married.

Now, they raise cattle, poultry and four boys on their Green Forest farm.

Photo by Keith Sutton

facilities and land base, and wisely managing debt all have made the first 10 years of farming challenging.

“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that if you’re afraid of having problems, then you shouldn’t be a farmer,” Chris said.

However, he’s undeterred. “We’re living our dream.”

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Alechia and Chris are active in their community as well as Farm Bureau where they have served on numerous county committees for the better part of a decade and the state YF&R committee, 2010-2012.

They won the YF&R Excellence in Agriculture Award in 2010. They both are graduates of the College of the Ozarks.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

POULTRY WORKSHOP

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Space is limited. Visit www.PAllenSmith.com, email gardenhome@pallensmith.com Front Porchor| call ArkansasJoyce Farm Bureau 2014 at• SUMMER 501.519.5793 to make your reservation!

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

31

health & safety

Save a Million Hearts Join the fight against heart disease and stroke

by Jennifer Victory

H

eart disease and stroke are two of the leading causes of death in Arkansas and the United States. In 2011, heart disease was the leading cause of death in Arkansas, accounting for almost one fourth (23.1 percent) of all deaths, while stroke was the fourth-leading cause.

The good news is many of the major risk factors for these conditions can be prevented and controlled.

Arkansas Farm Bureau is partnering with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) to bring awareness to the prevalence of these conditions and is offering ways to help prevent and control them through Save A Million Hearts, a national initiative with the goal of preventing 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017. It brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies and private sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.

“Our team is working with the Million Hearts initiative to encourage preventative screening in rural areas,” said Dr. Jennifer Conner, quality specialist at AFMC. “We partnered with the Arkansas Department of Health to place free blood pressure stations in libraries, churches and community centers.

These monitors have proven effective in the short time they’ve been available.”

AFMC is seeking partnerships with county Farm Bureau boards to aid in obtaining these blood pressure stations, as well as to assist with coordination of education and outreach.

Education and outreach efforts will be in collaboration with the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (CES). The CES has an innovative strategy, the Wellness Ambassador Program, which encourages

32

Don’t be a lonely heart

ATTENTION:

The Million Hearts initiative is looking to save a million lives nationwide from heart attack and stroke.

FARM BUREAU MEMB County Farm Bureau boards are raising money to place blood pressure machines in public buildings, so 20-25% Actual Savi people can self check their blood pressure.

Photo by Keith Sutton

projects like the placement of community blood pressure stations and teaches program participants how to improve their own health and the health of those around them.

“The ultimate goal of the new Extension Wellness Ambassador Program is to improve health in Arkansas,” said CES health specialist Dr. Lisa Washburn. “Our approach is to provide training for volunteers on health issues like heart disease and stroke prevention and help them plan and implement health improvement projects in their communities.

The outreach goals of the ambassador program are a good fit with the Million Hearts initiative. We’re able to engage

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Farm Bureau Membe Statewide network of Free Hearing Test & volunteers to use their knowledge in service 100% Guaranteed Cu Year FREE Supply to others. And that service extends to 1the

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Activate your FR A partnership with AFMC and CES on the(888)4 Million Hearts initiative provides Arkansas www.clear Farm Bureau with the opportunity to continue its commitment to improving the health of rural communities. By placing monitors in community facilities, individuals who otherwise wouldn’t have access to preventative screening will be reached.

For further details and contact information for AFMC, please contact Jennifer Victory at 501-228-1269 or jennifer.victory@arfb.com.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

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33

in the kitchen

Simple summer supper When the living should be easy

by Heather Disarro

W

e’re all about simple suppers during the hot summer months in Arkansas. I use my slow cooker a couple of times a week. We grill out as often as possible. And I only use my stove for quick and easy meals like this delicious vegetarian quesadilla.

Also, let’s talk about beans for a minute.

Who here is a from-scratch bean maker? And who loves the canned variety? I have one foot in both camps; the canned are just so easy and still delicious. But the from-scratch has a ton of flavor (because you flavor them however you want) and make you feel like Homemaker of the Year.

For this particular recipe, because the ingredients are so simple and earthy, try making your beans from scratch, simmering

them in water with a halved onion, salt and pepper. Freeze whatever you don’t use for future soups and stews or use what’s left for a meal later in the week.

I’m breaking the rules of quesadilla making by not buttering or oiling my tortillas. I love the texture of the truly toasted tortilla. And while I’m certainly a fan of butter, there’s cheese and creamy avocado in this recipe, so you won’t be lacking in the richness department.

I made this quesadilla for lunch about eight days in a row. I stopped only because I left town for more than a week. This makes a super easy and delicious any-meal option, great for children and adults alike. Serve it with your favorite salsa and a side salad for a great flavorful meal.

Toasted Black Bean and Avocado Quesadillas Ingredients • 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas • 1⅓ cups shredded cheddar cheese • cup drained black beans • whole ripe avocado • teaspoon of chili powder • teaspoon garlic powder • ½ teaspoon cumin powder

Directions 1. Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.

2. Build each quesadilla with the following method: 1 flour tortilla, 1/6 cup of shredded cheese, ¼ cup of black beans, a sprinkle of chili powder, garlic powder and cumin powder, then the top tortilla.

3. Place the quesadillas in the hot pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side until the tortilla is golden brown and crisp.

4. Immediately open the quesadilla and sprinkle ¼ of the cubed avocado inside, then close it again.

5. Cut into quarters and serve.

Heather Disarro is a food-centric lifestyle blogger who lives in central Arkansas with her family. Her blog is heathersdish. com where she revels in the opportunity to bring the love of cooking to the world as a way to love others well.

Cool beans

Easy to prepare Avocado and Black Bean Quesadillas is a quick, easy summertime meal.

Photo by Heather Disarro

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Owned and operated by Farmers working to help the American Farmer

Red Iron Buildings All Steel Structures All Bolt-Up Structures Engineered Buildings

866-479-7870

Over 22 years of Service

Gravette, AR

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1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

35

Delta

Child

by Talya Tate Boerner

T

he dirt beckoned me into the August afternoon. Barefoot, I ran through the backyard leading to the shallow ditch filled with tiny wildflowers, the color of Momma’s persimmon jelly.

Whatever water once stood in the ditch had evaporated long ago. The heavens over northeast Arkansas held the rain overhead, unwilling to share even a sprinkling on Daddy’s cotton.

Walking along the dusty turn row, I kept my head down and stared at my toes, careful of each step. Barefoot was always best for waking up the dirt and mind, but biting cockleburs were a serious threat.

Kicking up puffs of dirt, I studied each rock and pebble hoping to find an arrowhead.

Hoping to find anything interesting … All I found was a stick.

The stick was solid and as smooth as driftwood marred only with a small knothole perfect for my thumb. The sharp end appeared whittled to a pencil point. I scanned the field to the ditch bank where the closest trees stood in a line, undisturbed by Daddy and Papa Creecy before him. I wasn’t sure how the stick traveled such a distance but stuck it in my pocket and kept walking.

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Photo by Keith Sutton

Heat radiated through the soles of my bare feet, sending me into the field where the ground was cooler, shaded by cotton stalks already waist high. The field heaved with green bolls, still dense and as firm as baseballs with segments sewn shut. Soon the bolls would burst into a flush of pale pink blossoms, but not yet. Strolling between rows, I ran my hands along the leaves. I disturbed a giant grasshopper. He sprung and tried to hitch a ride on my arm but settled on a plant nearby.

Near mid-field, a long Johnson grass plant teased and waved, towering over the field, a paler shade of green. I waded through the field to the offending weed then pulled and tugged, finally freeing its stubborn roots and all. I tumbled backward onto the firm ground.

The scent of rich soil and fresh life filtered through the summer air – the smell of history ... My past. My future.

In the far corner of the field, the earth was split into giant puzzle pieces separated by cracks wide enough to swallow my fingertips. With my sturdy stick, I pried and lifted an entire section in one unbroken piece. Underneath the crusty surface, the soil was damp enough to form into a soft ball. I worked and molded the ball in the palm of my hand like Play-Doh, then smeared a

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Walking home, I paused to carve my name in the dirt making loopy cursive letters in my best hand. I left my stick in the middle of the road beside my name and wondered if it would still be there tomorrow. fistful across my pie piece making a swirl of dirty frosting. Bleached sand sprinkled on top sparkled against the dark icing. Within a tangle of weeds near the ditch bank, I hid my mud pie from cotton chopper hoses and tractor plows ... an offering to the rain gods.

Heat floated from the turn row in ribbons as the sun lowered in the sky over Keiser.

Mosquitoes would soon claim what was left of the day. Walking home, I paused to carve my name in the dirt making loopy cursive letters in my best hand. I left my stick in the middle of the road beside my name and wondered if it would still be there tomorrow.

It was the perfect stick.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Right there with you.

Updated phone & tablet apps allow you to take our farm friendly resources practically anywhere.

z News

z Member Benefits

With access to farm and food news from around the world, being an informed Arkansas Farm Bureau member is easier than ever.

Handy access to ID numbers and everything else you need to take advantage of our ValuePlus savings.

NEW!

z Government z Weather

The latest developments on policy debates that affect our nation’s food security.

Coming soon: A legislator and agency database with quick-contact functionality.

Location-specific weather reporting from Telvent DTN contains all the agro-meteorological metrics a farmer could need, plus five-day forecast and radar.

z Quotes Commodity futures and cash market prices updated every 10 minutes. Our unique interface allows you to customize which quotes you get.

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NEW!

z Food Facts Accurate information about your food and the people who grow it.

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Arkansas Farm Bureau • SUMMER 2014

Get it on

1

WE MAKE FUN AFFORDABLE NOW OFFERING

60 MONTH TERM

5.79 % APR*

ON 2009 OR NEWER

Let your Farm Bureau membership help you take advantage of member-priced loans and competitive protection plans on new or used boats, motor homes, and travel trailers. Enjoy your next vacation with a Farm Bureau Bank recreational vehicle loan!

CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ARKANSAS FARM BUREAU AGENT! Existing Farm Bureau Bank vehicle loans are excluded from this offer. * Rates disclosed as Annual Percentage Rate (APR) and are based on excellent credit and acquiring Guaranteed Asset Protection (GAP). The advertised APR of 5.79% is effective as of June 3, 2014. Final APR may differ from the loan interest rate due to additional fees (such as a loan documentation fee, which may be applicable). For a $25,050 recreational vehicle loan with a term of 60 months, a 45 day first payment date and a 5.79% APR, the monthly payment will be $481.84. To qualify for the disclosed rate, customer must be a Farm Bureau member. Non-member rates may be 1-3% higher than posted rates and may vary. Rates may vary based on the amount financed, term and first payment date. Finance charges accrue from origination date of the loan.

Some restrictions apply based on the make and model of recreational vehicle offered as collateral. All loans are subject to credit approval, verification, and collateral evaluation. Other rates and financing options are available. This offer is not available in all states and rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Rates and financing are limited to recreational vehicle models 2009 and newer and subject to change. Farm Bureau Bank does not finance totaled, rebuilt or salvaged vehicles. Banking services provided by Farm Bureau Bank, FSB. Farm Bureau, FB, and the FB National Logo are registered service marks owned by, and used by Farm Bureau Bank FSB under license from, the American Farm Bureau Federation.