23 minute read
One STOP Shop Forestry Division Program Provides Shade and Education One Tree at a Time
One STOP Shop
Forestry Division Program Provides Shade and Education One Tree at a Time
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When you think about the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division, you may think of wildfire response and multi-acre forests. However, the Division’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) Program works on a much smaller scale.
“Our Urban and Community Forestry Program does amazing work at the county, city, and community levels,” said Arkansas State Forester and Forestry Division Director Joe Fox. “One tree at a time, our team is teaching the importance and value of trees to each community in our great state.”
One way the UCF program spreads this message is through its annual Shade Trees on Playgrounds (STOP) program, which aims to help lower adult skin cancer risk by reducing childhood exposure to direct sunlight on playgrounds. The program targets schools with little to no shade on their playgrounds and provides five native shade trees, mulch, watering supplies, and planting guidelines to selected schools. Funding for the program comes from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry grant.
In 2022, the STOP program celebrated its 20-year anniversary by expanding its number of selected schools from 10 schools to 20. This was made possible by additional funding from the Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives campaign, a regional grant-funded campaign that promotes prioritizing healthy tree canopy cover in communities and the health benefits it provides.
In addition to providing trees, the STOP program loops in curriculum for schools to teach students the dangers of UV rays and the benefits of trees. “This program not only provides much needed protection from UV rays, but it also teaches kids to appreciate trees for that protection,” said UCF Coordinator Kristine Kimbro.
Selected schools must involve students in tree-related projects that culminate with a school-wide tree planting ceremony. However, she said the education reaches beyond the classroom.
“Giving these trees to kids and having them help plant and maintain them gives them a sense of ownership,” said Kimbro. “It helps them grow into environmentally conscious adults and cultivates a love for trees.”
Kimbro said each year she’s surprised at the new ways students connect to their trees and the STOP program.
“The kids always find a way to make the trees their own and have fun at the planting ceremony,” she said. “I’ve seen a boys versus girls planting competition and classes voting on names for the trees. If it’s a kindergarten through 5th grade school, each grade typically gets their own tree. Or, if it’s a small school, each classroom gets their own tree, and that’s just another way we try to encourage that sense of ownership for them.”
Although the program’s overarching goal is teaching the benefits and importance of trees to community health, there are some unexpected advantages as well. Kimbro said it gives them a chance to teach kids about forestry as a career.
“A lot of these kids have never met a forester before,” she said. “Helping these kids plant trees and showing them that they can do this for a living can also serve as a recruitment tool for us and for the forestry community as a whole.”
Applications for the STOP program open each fall to any public or private Arkansas school serving kindergarten through 12th grade, or non-traditional educational facilities such as juvenile detention centers, residential childcare institutions, or longterm care facilities that have a playground in need of more shaded areas. Learn more at agriculture. arkansas.gov.
Abandoned Pesticides Program
Safely Disposing of Pesticides Since 2005
For agricultural producers, properly disposing of old, outdated, or unwanted pesticides can be costly. To help ease that financial burden and keep pesticides out of groundwater, Act 1174 of 1999 created the Agricultural Abandoned Pesticide Program. Since then, the program has overseen the collection of 5.4 million pounds of unwanted pesticides in counties across Arkansas.
“There was a need for producers and applicators to dispose of pesticides safely,” said Brandi Reynolds, program manager for the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Plant Industries Division. “It’s a very costly process and a lot of people in the state did not have the capacity or the means to do it properly.”
The Abandoned Pesticides Program works in conjunction with the Abandoned Pesticide Advisory Board, which includes representatives from the Arkansas State Plant Board, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service, Arkansas Farm Bureau, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Division, and the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality.
Each year, the board selects ten counties across the state to hold collection events. Although the board targets high agricultural areas, the overarching goal was to hold a collection event in every county, according to Reynolds.
“We can say now that every county has had access to a pesticide collection,” said Reynolds. “Staff looks for a central location in the county, and in areas with not as much agricultural production, we coordinate what we call joint collections. We host them in a centralized area that allows multiple counties to participate.”
To properly dispose of the collected pesticides, the Plant Industries Division hires an agricultural waste contractor. Most of the collected pesticides are incinerated according to federal regulation and what cannot be incinerated, such as heavy metals, is disposed of in a hazardous waste facility approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These services are paid for by fees charged to pesticide manufacturers through the pesticide registration program.
Since its inception, the Cooperative Extension Service and Arkansas Farm Bureau have been vital to the success of the Abandoned Pesticides Program among agricultural producers in the state.
“The extension service and Farm Bureau have always been extremely helpful in getting the word out about our collection events,” said Reynolds. “In the beginning, many were skeptical and hesitant to bring their outdated pesticides to an event overseen by a regulatory agency, so we leaned on county extension agents and local Farm Bureau agents and their positive relationships with producers.”
The skepticism didn’t last long. Once producers saw that the program was truly anonymous, interest and trust started to grow, according to Ples Spradley, a pesticide assessment specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“When people went, they saw that it really was anonymous,” he said. “You just pulled up, you didn’t have to get out of your vehicle or answer any questions. If anyone asked you anything, they asked how you were doing. After one tour of the state, people saw how great the program was.”
Now, after almost 10 years, the program and collection events are a success twice a year.
“It’s a well-oiled machine at this point,” said Spradley. “It’s such a good program that it just takes care of itself.”
Learn more about the Abandoned Pesticide Program at agriculture.arkansas.gov.
The Miracle Bean
Checkoff’s Legacy of Research Creates New Value for Soybean Producers
For nearly a century, soybeans have played a pivotal role in Arkansas agriculture, serving as the complete nutritional package for livestock and poultry. Packed with protein, high in energy, and rich with amino acids, the state’s top row crop provides a plentiful and locally sourced feedstuff that has helped underpin the proliferation of the Arkansas poultry industry. In an exciting new development, research scientists at the University of Arkansas are beginning to understand the unique healing and restorative properties of soybeans that could potentially help to holistically improve herd health and add yet another reason for cattle producers to consider supplementing their feed rations with soybeans.
“Soy products have been used in cattle diets for decades,” said Dr. Beth Kegley, professor of animal science with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (UADA). “If soybean meal or soy oil is giving this additional benefit that we haven’t detected, that could make it more valuable to use in these diets when the cattle are stressed.”
Dr. Kegley is leading this project investigating the impact of soy products in cattle nutrition. Preliminary research by her team suggests that the use of soybean meal or soy oil in mixing cattle feed can potentially have positive effects in the health and performance of cattle by benefitting their growth and improving their inflammatory response as well as their ability to deal with environmental stresses. If her team’s hypothesis is correct, this study could benefit both the cattle and the soybean industries by reducing the impact of bovine respiratory disease in the beef supply chain and by adding new value to soybeans.
Research like this is one of the primary reasons the soybean industry in Arkansas has been so successful. It is a prime example of how producers’ checkoff investments support the industry and create new value through research funding. Research has remained a top priority for the Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board since it was formally established in 1971. Fifty years later, that legacy continues to benefit the producers who support the Arkansas Soybean Checkoff in a variety of ways. In addition to improving production practices, market opportunities, and producers’ bottom lines, the checkoff’s support for soybean research is also helping develop the industry’s next generation of leaders who will ensure the
success of the industry in the future. The checkoff is accomplishing this by funding a program administered by UADA called the Soybean Science Challenge which encourages junior and high school students in Arkansas to learn about soybeans as well as current soil, water, seed, disease, and insect issues that impact production outcomes and agricultural sustainability.
“This is an opportunity for students to not only win some money but to view agriculture as a science they can be interested in,” said Julie Robinson, administer of the Soybean Science Challenge and UADA associate professor. “They discover that you don’t have to be a farmer in order to work in agriculture. There are tons of research opportunities available to them.”
Thirteen students were named Soybean Scholars in 2022 after their projects won the Soybean Science Challenge at district and state science fairs. The projects covered plant science, earth and environmental science, energy and transportation, and plant systems.
By funding these and other research projects, the checkoff brings new discoveries and continued relevancy to the soybean industry. Therefore, the industry is able to expand and benefit more people and more agricultural sectors, demonstrating its value to producers and consumers. This work could not be done without the support of soybean producers who understand the industry’s importance to Arkansas.
Photography credit Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board.
The Mental Health Epidemic in Agriculture
Speech Prepared by Carley Tapley, Southside Bee Branch FFA First Place Winner in Arkansas FFA Prepared Public Speaking and Top 16 in National FFA Prepared Public Speaking
Mental health issues are becoming more prominent in the world that we know today. With one in every five individuals suffering from mental illnesses, society as a whole is struggling to end this epidemic. Comparatively, the rate of mental illnesses in farmers is “3.5 times that of the general population,” according to USA Today News. So with an increasing rate of mental illnesses and suicide rates within agriculture, why is no one speaking up and ending the strident stigma on mental health? Our friends, family, and the future of agriculture as a whole are suffering in silence and struggling to keep fighting for their life; therefore, it is our job as the leaders of FFA to normalize reaching out for help. This fight for our nation, our friends, and our future needs to start here, today, at our Leadership Development Competition. Picture this: we are in the year 2030, and we are struggling to find food. Why? Because all of our farmers are too depressed to get out of bed, suffering from suicidal thoughts, and ultimately taking their own lives. So now what do we do? Farmers provide America with food which in turn provides for hundreds of lives. This is not just a picture from my imagination, but rather a real
struggle we will have to face if we do not get this mental health epidemic under control. In the 1980s, farmland value dropped dangerously due to policies put in place by the Federal Reserve, causing “the suicide rate among farmers and ranchers to increase dramatically," according to Rural Health. Farm Progress reported that several individuals state they remembered “farmers taking their own lives, even taking the lives of bankers.” While that was in the 1980s, the “...the rate of mental illnesses same concept in farmers is 3.5 times that of still applies the general population...” today. We do not want to see the same ripple effects because no one stepped up to help the very same farmers that provide for us every day. The American Psychological Association states that the “fear of losing farm and financial issues cause 88 percent of farmers to struggle with mental health.” Now you may be asking why this affects me, or how do random farmers and their feelings concern me? But the real answer to that question is that, honestly, it should affect you in every single way humanly possible. At the end of the day, farmers are human, and every single human being deserves basic respect. As an individual, we should feel morally obligated to want to save our fellow human beings. Equally important, farmers provide food and basic necessities
to citizens all over the world; therefore, if mental health causes a shortage of farmers sequentially, we will have a shortage in all basic human necessities. Mental health is physical health, emotional health, and overall health. If farmers and agriculturalists are sick due to mental illness, they will not be able to physically do their jobs. Trying to cope and struggling to find the motivation to do basic human functions, farmers are self-medicating resulting in addiction. Grinnell Mutual states, “the strong link between excessive alcohol consumption and depression is well documented, and self-medication- whether with alcohol or drugs can be coping for struggling farmers.” This reiterates the basic need for awareness when it comes to farmers' mental health.
Although the need to end this epidemic is apparent, the solution can be approached in many different ways. With mental illnesses varying and not every individual has the same symptoms, eliminating mental illnesses completely is nearly impossible; however, ending the stigmas surrounding mental illnesses is a step in the right direction. Reaching out for help can seem almost impossible when you are stuck in the middle of the ongoing cycle related to mental health issues. Two years ago, I entered high school as a ninth-grade student who had absolutely no idea why she was still living, consumed by a world that so desperately seemed better off without me. Reaching out for help seemed impossible. When I entered my 10th-grade year, I fully believed I would not live to see my junior year. That is what makes mental health so incredibly gut-wrenching; when you are stuck in the middle of it, there seems like there is absolutely no way out. This makes the need for outreach so important. So what can we do as an FFA organization? We can reach out to our friends, our families, and especially our farmers. Did you know that according to the American Psychological Association “87% of farmers agree the cost of treatment (for mental illnesses) would be an obstacle to receiving help?” So why does a big organization like FFA not create a fund where we can
The Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network
The Arkansas Department of Agriculture currently administers funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network – State Departments of Agriculture Program (FRSAN-SDA). Funding from this program has been used to initiate, expand, and sustain programs in Arkansas that address mental and behavioral health in rural and agricultural families and communities.
The three Arkansas FRSAN-SDA grantees are the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, the Agri Health Network, and Arkansas PBS. The Division of Agriculture offers a face-to-face training by local county agents that increases awareness of rural stress, explores key issues, and identifies coping mechanisms. The Agri Health Network encourages and provides resources for groups to create a network within agricultural communities to handle stress. Arkansas PBS has launched The Growing Season, a monthly agricultural podcast that focuses on the stressors and struggles that come with each season.
Learn more about the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s efforts and find resources at agriculture.arkansas.
gov/farm-stress-mental-health-in-
agriculture.
help farmers who are in dire need of assistance? We need to raise awareness for these farmers. We need to show them resources that are available for them and encourage them to reach out when they are hurting. We need to educate ourselves to be aware of the signs and to approach situations involving mental health in a delicate way. FFA as a whole can use our platform to speak up because although this is a national fight, it’s also a fight for our farmers, our students, and our agriculture family. It is a fight for our future. FFA can set up local support groups where our farmers can speak about their struggles openly with friendly and familiar faces. We can utilize places like Pruitt’s Mid-State stockyards, a place that these farmers trust and feel comfortable, to show them that they are not alone in their fight to better their mental health. Allowing FFA, such a large organization, to speak openly about mental illnesses and show that struggling with mental health is actually very common helps end the stigma around mental health.
While some individuals feel that mental health concerns are irrelevant to agriculture and should not be addressed due to the persona that farmers are supposed to put on, it does not change the fact that mental health should be one of the most pressing concerns within this industry. So many people view farmers as men and women who are supposed to be “tough” and never speak about emotions; however, this could not be further from the truth. The persona with which individuals view farmers and agriculturalists is one of the many reasons our agricultural family is suffering in silence. Speaking up about your feelings and expressing when you need help is an attribute that should be seen as something that makes you stronger. If farmers do not feel comfortable speaking on concerns that are weighing them down, then they will continue to struggle with mental illnesses; therefore, this reveals, again, the dire need for a platform for mental illnesses within agriculture. To conclude, the stigma that surrounds mental health within agriculture should be torn down and rebuilt as a platform that reaches out to individuals who are hurting. My local FFA chapter has allowed me to be able to advocate for others who might feel how I was during my 9th-grade year. My advisors have constantly pushed me to be the best version of myself that I could possibly be, and my fellow FFA members have stood by my side and inspired me through all of my hard journeys. If my small 120-member chapter helped cause this much change within one person, imagine what a whole community of FFA members and alumni could do. Today, I chose to use my voice within my chapter to uplift my fellow members and encourage them to always fight for their mental health. Thank you for your time, and never forget that even on the days you feel you are at your weakest you are strong, you are loved, and you are valued!
Resources cited are available upon request.
Arkansas Legislators Impacting 2023 Farm Bill
Since the first farm bill was enacted in the 1930s, the bipartisan package of legislation has stayed true to its original goals: ensuring an adequate and affordable food supply and protecting and sustaining the country’s vital natural resources. topics ranging from safety nets to the needs of rural communities and families.
The farm bill expires every five years, with the most recent farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, set to expire September 2023. The U.S. House and Senate Agriculture Committees have begun the research and outreach needed to sculpt the 2023 farm bill, and the story of Arkansas agriculture is being heard.
One of Arkansas’s largest advocates for agriculture in Washington, D.C. is Senator John Boozman (R-AR), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. Senator Boozman said that aiding rural America in the face of recent hardships is among his top priorities for this farm bill. “The Jonesboro hearing offered a unique opportunity to share the story of agriculture in the Natural State – what it means to us, what its future holds, and how Washington can help,” said Senator Boozman. “The insights shared, and the concerns voiced, at our Jonesboro hearing will heavily inform the committee’s efforts to improve existing farm bill programs and fill gaps in the safety net.”
“Americans have been through a lot since we drafted the last farm bill. The pandemic, record-high inflation, breakdowns in the supply chain, the war in Ukraine, droughts, tornados, hurricanes, and wildfires tested all of us,” said Senator Boozman. “Rural Arkansas was not shielded from any of these challenges. In fact, in many ways, the impact in our rural communities was greater.”
One topic that weighed heavy on many Arkansans who testified was the lack of broadband access in rural communities. Representative Rick “Americans have been through Crawford (R-AR), a lot since we drafted the last a member of the farm bill. ...” House Committee on Agriculture, said he anticipates the expansion of rural broadband will continue with the 2023 Farm Bill. “During the pandemic we saw large gaps in broadband access for rural areas and how it left these communities behind as everything moved online,” said Representative Crawford. “Rural broadband development is critical for the economic viability and future of rural towns.” While passing a vital piece of legislation like the farm bill is an extensive process, after working on several farm bills over the years, Senator Boozman explained the key to success: teamwork.
To address concerns from his home state, Senator Boozman and U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, held a field hearing in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Senator Boozman described the field hearing as a chance for Arkansans to discuss “We all have to work together to arrive at a final product that puts producers first and is fair to the needs of each region and each commodity,” said Senator Boozman. “The good news is that the Senate agriculture committee has a long and storied history of doing just that.”
AGRICULTURE STRESS RELIEF
A Partnership For Farmers, About Farmers
Arkansas PBS has teamed up with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture and the USDA to bring attention to the mental health needs of farmers and farm families across the state. As a part of this partnership, Arkansas PBS is working with farmers, mental healthcare professionals, financial experts and many others to highlight the overlooked stressors and struggles of modern farm life.
The Growing Season
“The Growing Season” is a monthly podcast featuring interviews with a handful of Arkansas farmers as they work through a year in their operations. From largescale, row cropping to cattle ranches and two-acre vegetable farms, “The Growing Season” takes a long, honest look at the many things “farming” means to Arkansans, and the many hurdles that come with that way of life. Available wherever podcasts are found.
myarpbs.org/thegrowingseason
Growing Hope: Combating Stress in Agriculture
The deterioration of the mental health of the American farmer is a silent and overlooked crisis. Most rural communities view farming as a fact of life, while most urbanites never give it a second thought. However, with skyrocketing suicide rates, the way of life is dying at its own hand. Arkansas isn’t immune. “Growing Hope: Combating Stress in Agriculture” looks at both sides of the mental health crisis facing famers.
myarpbs.org/growinghope
Good Roots
“Good Roots” seeks to shine a light on Arkansas’s rich rural culture and communities. Segments focus on the real stories of rural life, while addressing relevant topics like agriculture, health care, the economy, technology, policy and more. Recent segments have focused on the stresses hanging over farmers. The segment airs the second Friday of each month during “Arkansas Week.”
myarpbs.org/goodroots
Scan to check out our Agriculture in Arkansas playlist, including extras from “The Growing Season” and our special “Growing Hope: Combating Stress in Agriculture.”
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myarkansaspbs.org
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RKANSAS DE PARTMENT O F •
“The Growing Season” podcast, “Growing Hope: Combating Stress in Agriculture” and upcoming “Good Roots” episodes are funded through a Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network Grant provided by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.
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Simmons Arkansas State University Arkansas Farm Bureau The Arkansas 4-H Foundation Farm Voice The Poultry Federation Delta Solar Arkansas Timber Producers Association Arkansas Beef Council Arkansas Women in Agriculture Arkansas Soybean Promotion Board Simmons Bank Farmers & Merchants Bank Arkansas Forestry Association Arkansas Cattlemen's Association Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts Farm Stress Management & Resilience Project Arkansas Corn & Grain Sorghum Board The Communications Group Arkansas FFA Foundation Cross, Gunter, Witherspoon & Galchus, P.C. Agri Health Network Arkansas CAPS/Don't Move Firewood Catfish Farmers of Arkansas Agricultural Council of Arkansas Natural Resources Division Arkansas Grown Conference Arkansas PBS Southern United States Trade Association Arkansas Peanut Growers Association Arkansas Rice Council Farm Credit Associations of Arkansas
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