I'm a Razorback through and through. I graduated from the University of Arkansas with a degree in agricultural business, and I've spent most of my adult life farming in Northeast Arkansas. I have worked with university researchers, relied on information from Extension, and certainly benefited from the work they do. So, you would think I would have a pretty good understanding of everything happening within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Well, as it turns out, I had a lot to learn!
I recently had the opportunity to sit down with an old friend, Dr. Deacue Fields, who serves as vice president for agriculture for the University of Arkansas System. Deacue and I first met years ago when we served together on a Southern Risk Management Extension Center committee. At the time, he was at Auburn University, and I remember enjoying our conversations about agriculture and the challenges facing farmers. Since then, his career has brought him to Arkansas, first as dean of the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences and now as the leader of the Division of Agriculture.
I wanted to have Deacue on the Field Good Life Podcast for a couple of reasons. First, I wanted listeners to get to know the person behind the title. But I also wanted to learn more about the Division itself. I think most of us involved in agriculture have some idea of what Extension does, and we certainly know about the research being conducted at our agricultural experiment stations. But the Division reaches far beyond the farm gate, touching the lives of Arkansans in ways many of us probably never realize.
And after our conversation, I can tell you there's a whole lot more happening than I knew!
Successful Careers Start on the Farm
One of the things I enjoy most about hosting Field Good Life is learning how people found their way into agriculture. Sometimes they grew up on a farm, sometimes they discovered agriculture later in life, and sometimes their journey takes them in directions they never expected.
For Deacue, agriculture has been part of his life from the beginning. His father was an agricultural teacher before going to work for Farmers Home Administration, and his maternal grandfather raised cotton and soybeans in Louisiana. Agriculture was always around him, and even with the demands of his career today, he and his son still keep a small herd of mama cows and raise show cattle for kids.
I love that. There's something about having your own livestock or crops that keeps you connected to the practical side of agriculture, no matter how much time you spend in meetings or behind a desk.
Deacue's career has taken him through several universities, including Southern University, the University of Missouri, Florida A&M, LSU and Auburn. One experience that really shaped his career was working with small farmers in the Florida Panhandle while he was at Florida A&M. That's where he developed his appreciation for Extension and the role it plays in helping people.
I can certainly appreciate that connection between research and the farmer. When I first returned to our family farm, I spent much of my time in the fields working more as an agronomist than anything else. I relied heavily on university research and Extension specialists to help me make decisions and solve problems. There was so much to learn, and having access to people who had spent their careers studying the very problems I was facing was invaluable.
Over the years, our farm has participated in numerous field research projects. I have always believed there's tremendous value in conducting research in a real-world production environment, where conditions aren't always ideal and the challenges are the same ones farmers face every day. But looking back, I probably learned as much from the researchers themselves as I did from the results of the experiments. Walking through a field, discussing what we were seeing, and hearing about their experiences with similar problems taught me so much more than just the subject of that particular project. Those conversations were an education all their own.
And here's something I wish more people understood. These researchers and Extension specialists aren't just available to a select group of farmers or people affiliated with the university. They are a resource for everyone in Arkansas. Whether you're growing thousands of acres of crops, managing a few acres of pasture, raising a backyard garden, or trying to solve a problem in your community, there's a good chance someone within the Division of Agriculture has the knowledge to help you.
One of my favorite examples of research being put to practical use is something I would be willing to bet has ridden around in just about every Arkansas farmer's pickup truck at one time or another. It's the MP-44, the University of Arkansas's annual herbicide recommendation publication. These days, it may be downloaded on an iPad instead of tucked behind the seat of a truck, but its value hasn't changed.
The MP-44 provides detailed information on herbicides, application rates, and the weeds they're designed to control. One of its most useful features is a chart listing herbicide chemistries along one side and weed species across the top. When you're standing in a field trying to determine the best way to control a particular weed, that chart makes it easy to compare your options. It's a simple, practical tool built on years of research, and I can't begin to tell you how valuable it has been to farmers and agronomists across our state.
That's the beauty of our land-grant university system. Research doesn't do us much good if it stays within the walls of a university. Its real value comes when that knowledge makes its way into the hands of people who can put it to work.
Arkansas Agriculture Has a Bigger Story to Tell
When Deacue first began considering coming to Arkansas, he described our state as something of a hidden gem. I had to smile at that because I think he's right.
Those of us who live and work here know how important agriculture is to Arkansas, but I'm not always sure the rest of the country understands just how much we produce. We grow rice, soybeans, corn, cotton, and wheat. We raise poultry and cattle. We have a tremendous forestry industry, and that's before we even begin talking about the food processing and other businesses that depend on agriculture.
During our conversation, Deacue shared that Arkansas agriculture represents approximately $14 billion, based on the census figures he referenced. That's a pretty impressive number for a state with roughly three million people. He also pointed out that the combined agricultural industries of Louisiana and Alabama wouldn't equal Arkansas.
Now, I spend a lot of time advocating for agriculture, both here at home and in Washington, D.C., and one of the things I've learned is that we can't assume people understand the importance of what we do. We have to keep telling our story. Agriculture isn't just about the farmer growing a crop or raising livestock. It's about the jobs, businesses, communities, and families that depend on a strong agricultural economy.
And the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an important part of that story.
The University of Arkansas is both our state's flagship university and its land-grant university. The Division of Agriculture operates across the state, with Extension headquartered in Little Rock, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station in Fayetteville, and forestry research connected to the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
But what really caught my attention was the size of the organization.
We're talking about approximately 1,200 employees, 13 research and Extension locations, 40,000 acres managed statewide, and around 165 buildings. And through Cooperative Extension, the Division has a presence in every single county in Arkansas.
Think about that for a minute. Whether you live in a large city or a small rural community, the resources of the Division of Agriculture are intended to be available to you.
But what I learned from Deacue is that the work of the Division reaches so much further than the crops growing in my fields.
From Smart Chickens to Blackberries in Your Grocery Cart
I could have spent our entire conversation talking about research. There are so many interesting things happening across Arkansas, and several of them caught me completely by surprise.
Let's start with chickens.
Poultry is one of Arkansas's largest agricultural industries, valued at roughly $7 billion, and researchers in Fayetteville are using some pretty incredible technology to study poultry production. Deacue told me about a smart poultry house that can track just about everything a bird does.
I couldn't help but laugh and ask if these chickens were wearing Apple Watches!
Of course, there's a serious purpose behind all that technology. Understanding how birds behave, move, eat, and respond to their environment can help researchers find ways to improve poultry production. In an industry as large as poultry, even small improvements in efficiency or animal health can make a tremendous difference.
Then we moved on to forestry, and I learned that approximately 57% of Arkansas is covered in forests. That's about 19 million acres! For someone who spends most of her time surrounded by rice and soybean fields in the Delta, that's a good reminder of just how diverse our state's natural resources really are.
We also talked about the new Center for Waterfowl Habitat Management in Monticello. Now, living between the White and Cache Rivers, I certainly understand how important waterfowl and their habitat are to our part of the state. Water, wildlife, agriculture, and conservation are closely connected in the Delta, so I was especially interested to hear about the research happening in this area.
And then there were the blackberries!
Did you know that there's a good chance the blackberries you buy at the grocery store have Arkansas genetics behind them? According to Deacue, the fruit breeding program in Clarksville has been so successful that it generates nearly $4 million annually in royalties.
He also shared that the parents of the Cotton Candy grape are part of that breeding history.
I had no idea!
It's easy to think of university agricultural research as something happening in a laboratory or an experimental field somewhere, far removed from our daily lives. But sometimes the results of that research are sitting right there in the produce section of your grocery store.
And speaking of food, the Division has some exciting plans for its food science program. Deacue explained that the University of Arkansas has long been recognized among the top food science programs in the country, even though the current building dates back to 1959. A new facility, representing an investment of nearly $55 million, will help expand the university's ability to conduct research and prepare students for careers in the food industry.
Naturally, my ears perked up when he mentioned research involving rice-based products for beer.
As a rice farmer, I'm always interested in finding new uses and new markets for the crops we grow. We spend a lot of time talking about how to produce more efficiently, but developing new products and increasing demand for our commodities are just as important to the long-term success of agriculture.
That's another side of university research that deserves more attention. It isn't always about growing a better crop. Sometimes it's about finding new ways to use what we already grow. Today, this is likely one of the most important projects that can be done in our state especially around rice.
It's Not Just About Farmers
One of my biggest takeaways from this conversation was just how many people the Division serves who may never set foot on a farm.
When you hear the words Cooperative Extension, you might immediately think of county agents helping farmers with production questions. And that's certainly an important part of their work. But Extension also serves families, young people, businesses, and communities through programs in family and consumer sciences, 4-H, and community and economic development.
Deacue shared that approximately 120,000 young people across Arkansas participate in 4-H programs.
That's a lot of kids!
I think many of us still associate 4-H with livestock shows, record books, and agricultural projects. Those programs are wonderful, but 4-H has grown into so much more. Students are learning about science, engineering, leadership, and technology. Deacue told me about the SeaPerch program, where students design and build underwater robots, and how Arkansas teams have competed successfully at the international level.
Underwater robots! That's a long way from what many people picture when they think about 4-H.
But isn't that what education and Extension are supposed to do? Give people opportunities to learn something new, develop skills, and discover interests they might not have known they had?
I think about the young people growing up in rural Arkansas communities and how important it is for them to have access to programs like these. Not every child has the same opportunities, and programs that introduce them to new ideas and experiences can make a difference that lasts well beyond childhood.
The Division is also working on issues that affect families and communities every day, including nutrition, food security, health, and economic development. That's a much broader mission than many people realize, and it's one we all benefit from whether we recognize it or not.
The Value of Research and Extension
We also spent some time talking about funding, and while it might not be the most exciting part of our conversation, I think it's an important one.
Deacue explained that the Division receives funding from several sources, including state appropriations, federal funding, and research grants. He also discussed the challenges of keeping salaries competitive, maintaining facilities, and continuing to invest in research when funding doesn't keep pace with rising costs.
As someone who operates a family farm and a grain business, I certainly understand what happens when expenses continue to increase while the dollars coming in don't keep up. He noted that the Division has not had an increase in state funding since 2017 and Arkansas is far behind its bordering states in keeping up with inflation. This was a fact I was certainly unaware of, and I hope that my podcast and blog can shed light on the importance of the work of the Division of Agriculture.
But I also think it's important to look at the return on our investment in agricultural research.
And that return isn't limited to the research happening in our fields. Some of the most valuable information our farm receives comes from the agricultural economists at the university. Their research provides economic data and decision-making tools developed specifically for Arkansas agriculture, and I can't overstate how important that is, especially during difficult economic times like we're experiencing today.
Think about all the financial decisions a farmer has to make before a single seed goes into the ground. Which crop insurance coverage makes the most sense? Which USDA farm program is the best fit for the operation? What will it cost to produce an acre of rice, soybeans, or corn, and what kind of return can we realistically expect? We also have to prepare budgets for our lenders each year, and those budgets need to reflect actual production costs here in Arkansas, not some national average that may have very little to do with our farm.
Our university agricultural economists have already done much of the heavy lifting. They gather the data, develop the budgets, analyze the programs, and create tools that farmers can use to evaluate their own operations. In many cases, we simply plug in our own numbers and go to work. I call that a pretty good deal! And when farm margins are as tight as they are today, having access to credible, Arkansas-specific economic information is more important than ever.
When I think about resources like the MP-44, the economic decision-making tools, and all the conversations I've had with university researchers over the years, it's hard to put a dollar value on what that knowledge has meant to our farm.
Farmers are constantly being asked to do more with less. We're dealing with rising input costs, tighter margins, changing markets, and production challenges that seem to get more complicated every year. We need research that helps us produce food and fiber more efficiently, protect our natural resources, and remain competitive. More importantly, we need that research based in our state with our own interests top of mind.
And we need the people who can take that research and help us apply it.
The benefits don't stop with farmers, either. The same university system that's helping us manage herbicide-resistant weeds is also helping families make healthier food choices, preparing young people for future careers, supporting our forestry industry, and developing products that may create entirely new markets.
The 4-H program alone deserves more recognition and the resources it needs to continue providing experiences for our students across the state. There is nothing better than hands-on learning in a fun environment to challenge the minds and creativity of our young people. With the recent focus on our state's education system, 4-H seems like a natural fit to complement the work being done.
The people of Arkansas already receive a significant benefit from the work throughout the Division of Agriculture. Can you imagine what might be added if the funding were increased simply to match inflation? I encourage you to do your own research into the Division of Agriculture and talk to your state representatives about how they can help maintain or grow the superior system we already have in place.
A Little Field Good Life
As we were wrapping up our conversation, I asked Deacue a question I've started asking my podcast guests: What does a Field Good Life day look like for you?
When I first started sharing my Field Good Life, it was about the things I loved most—life on our family farm, the people I met through agriculture, and the opportunities I had to advocate for an industry that's been such a big part of my life.
But as the podcast has grown, I've realized that Field Good Life means something a little different to everyone. And that's part of what makes it special.
For Deacue, a little Field Good Life includes checking on his cattle, spending time duck hunting with his son, and following his favorite team.
I think that's a pretty good answer!
After all, no matter how busy our schedules get or how many responsibilities we take on, it's often those simple things that make life good.
I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Deacue, and I came away from our conversation with an even greater appreciation for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. As a proud Razorback and an Arkansas farmer, I've always valued the role our university plays in agriculture. But I didn't fully appreciate the breadth of its work or how many people across our state benefit from it every day.
Whether it's helping a farmer solve a production problem, developing a new blackberry variety, improving poultry production, protecting our forests, or introducing a young person to a career they never knew existed, the Division of Agriculture is making a difference in Arkansas.
And that's a story worth telling.
I'll see y'all in the field!