UPCOMING EVENTS

2018 Greene County Aquaculture & Conservation Field Day

Photos courtesy of Chris Willis- NRCS 

Arkansas Agriculture Department Opens
​Organic Certification Cost Share Program

Little Rock, AR. – The Arkansas Agriculture Department (AAD) is now accepting applications from producers for reimbursement under the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Certification Cost Share Program.  Organic certification fees paid between the dates of October 1, 2017 – September 30, 2018 are eligible. Applications for reimbursement are available, here, and are due by November 1, 2018.
 
Reimbursement for 75% of certification costs up to  $750 is available for operators who have been certified by a USDA accredited certifying agent. Certification costs that have already been reimbursed through the USDA-Farm Service Agency or other agencies are not eligible. The AAD administers the USDA National Organic Program Organic Certification Cost Share through funding provided by USDA.
 
“Anything we can do to help offset costs for Arkansas producers is a win for agriculture, which is our state’s top industry,” says Arkansas Agriculture Secretary Wes Ward.  “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the USDA on this program that provides important cost-share assistance to an expanding sector of Arkansas’s agricultural industry,” says Ward.
 
According to the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, Arkansas was home to 64 organically certified farms totaling 4,871 acres in 2016, an increase of 1,500% from 2014.  Of the $39.8 million in reported certified organic sales in Arkansas in 2016, $30.1 million (76%) was from the sale of livestock and poultry products, such as milk, eggs, and wool.  The sale of livestock and poultry accounted for $5.4 million (14%), and $4.3 million (11%) was from the sale of crops.
 
For questions about the application or reimbursement process, contact Mary Elizabeth Lea at 501-225-159 or maryelizabeth.lea@agriculture.arkansas.gov.

The AAD is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation.  Visit www.agriculture.arkansas.gov.
 
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The Arkansas Agriculture Department offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Increase in Beaver Bounty

Thanks to the Greene County Judge Rusty McMillon and the Greene County Quorum Court, we are now able to increase the beaver bounty to $25.00 a tail. Details about our Beaver Bounty Program can be found here: 

High Tunnel Systems:

  • improve plant quality
  • improve soil quality
  • reduce nutrient and pesticide transportation
  • improve air quality through reduced transportation inputs
  • reduce energy use by providing consumers with a local source of fresh produce.
If you want more information on what NRCS can do for you, click on the link below. Many accomplishments were made last year in the state of Arkansas. 
2017_annual_report_final.pdf
File Size: 1127 kb
File Type: pdf
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Father/Son Duo continue the
​Family Farm Conservation Tradition
​in the Upper Cache

Download the link below to read what Rick and Levi Hendrix are doing to conserve water in Greene County. 
arkansas_conservation_news.pdf
File Size: 3005 kb
File Type: pdf
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A conservation plan is the starting point for managing the natural resources on your farm or ranch while maintaining productive capacity and meeting individual objectives or goals. Every farm or ranch has its own unique natural resource concerns. Without the application of proper conservation systems and management, human activities may cause natural resource concerns. Check out this link for the 9 Steps of Conservation Planning:
lnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/Cascade/index.html?appid=28cda7206cb34af598d008778676192a

    Be Kept in the Loop!

Visit your local revenue office to purchase one of these specialty plates. 
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All programs and services of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Greene County Conservation District are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, religion, sex, age, disability, political beliefs and marital or family status.
Photo used under Creative Commons from bobistraveling