April 4 , 2007 |
1. Lon Mann Cotton Research Station Dedication - Friday
2. Horse Festival Raises Funds for Equine Program
3. OFPA Convention Focuses on Bioenergy
4. Faculty Invited to SEED Program Discussion -- April 10
5. Nick of Time Career Fair - Wednesday
6. Hospitality Students Offer Dinner at Ella's - Mondays and Wednesdays
7. Teachers Night Out - April 6
8. Livestock, Forage and Forestry Field Day - April 17
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1. Lon Mann Cotton Research Station Dedication - Friday
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Architect's drawing of the Dan Felton, Jr. Building and Eastern Arkansas Soil Testing and Research Laboratory. |
A dedication program for the Lonn Mann Cotton Research Station (formerly Cotton Branch Station) in Marianna and the Dan Felton, Jr. Building is set for 1 p.m. on April 6th. The University of Arkansas Board of Trustees will meet in the new building the morning of the 6th.
The Felton Building provides 6,628 square feet for the Station headquarters, attached by a covered breezeway to the existing Soil Testing and Research Laboratory building.
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| Lon Mann Cotton Research Station Director Claude Kennedy is pictured outside the office building that served from 1926, when the Cotton Branch Station was one of the first three permanent branches established for the Arkansas Agricultual Experiment Station. |
Station Director Claude Kennedy said the new building includes a 160-seat auditorium with kitchen in addition to offices, a laboratory and a library/conference room. The design is by Architecture Plus, Inc., of Fort Smith. Triple MC of Monticello was general contractor.
The project was made possible by contributions of more than $500,000 from June Mann and family, Counts M. Felton and family, the Soil Test Review Board, Jim Lindsey, Arkansas Seed Dealers, Stanley and Charlene Reed, Southern Cotton Ginners, Bob and Barbara McGinnis, Dr. Jessamine Gist and Tom Gist, Clyde and Martha Hogan and Larry and Betty Jo McClendon.
The Cotton Branch Experiment Station was established in 1926 as one of the first three permanent branches of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. The Legislature appropriated $7,000 to purchase 160 acres of land and build a brick residence, brick office, mule barn, machine shed, shop and gin building. The original office building and residence are still in use.
The Eastern Arkansas Soil Testing and Research Laboratory was added in 1954 and now provides soil and plant analysis services statewide in addition to a soil fertility research program directed by Dr. Morteza Mozaffari.
The Station today consists of 653 acres and buildings valued at more than $2 million. Recent improvements include land leveling and adding irrigation capacity for a total of 300 acres, a large new equipment shelter and renovation of other facilities.
Research at the Station includes annual evaluation of cotton, soybean, wheat and corn cultivars and breeding lines, as well as studies to determine optimum fertility, irrigation and pest management for these crops.
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2. Horse Festival Raises Funds for Equine Program
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| Animal Science students Kendra Jones and Kari Werner carry American flags during the National Anthem at the opening of the 8th annual University of Arkansas Horse Festival March 31. |
Tickets purchsed by a record crowd at the annual University of Arkansas Horse Festival Saturday at the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Center and the Dorothy E. King Equine Pavilion provided a major financial boost for the UA Equine Program. The performers and other participants all dontate their time to benefit the program, director Nancy Jack said.
The festival began with Cowboy Trades Day displays by equine industry vendors, demonstrations of equine skills, a "meet the breeds show," and other outdoor exhibitions and activities.
Two indoor shows featured live entertainment, including The One Arm Bandit Gang, Boston Mountain Gunslingers, the Mounted Fury Medieval Exhibition and other events. Other events at the festival included carriage rides, performance by the Fayetteville Fiddle Choir and the Kids Corral, featuring story telling and campfire songs and a stick horse parade.
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3. OFPA Convention Focuses on Bioenergy
The theme of the 101st annual convention of the Ozark Food Processors Association March 27-28 at the Holiday Inn Convention Center in Springdale was "Bioenergy: A New Future for Agriculture and Manufacturing."
The convention opened with its 28th annual golf tournament held at Shadow Valley Country Club. Ninety golfers played in the event with proceeds benefiting the OFPA scholarship fund.
The evening's dinner was highlighted by the Keynote Address delivered by Mr. Bob Odom, long-time Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry for the State of Louisiana. Mr. Odom delivered an informative address about partnerships between government and industry needed to develop bioenergy from agriculture and forestry products.
The second day's activities included educational sessions, sponsored by Allen's Inc., followed by a comprehensive regional food processing exposition. After a brief welcoming address by Dr. Mark Cochran, Associate Vice President - Research of the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, a series of speakers addressed the gathering on various aspects of the convention's theme.
Arkansas Speaker of the House Benny Petrus said the State is "positioned pretty well for alternative fuels." He noted the presence of industries such as Potlatch Corp. and International Paper that are able to take advantage of the emerging technologies.
New companies will be able to specialize in the processes, "but as a State we have to get these companies jump started and put the capital into them. We have to figure out safety nets," he said. Petrus predicted that the next federal farm bill will be directed toward energy savings and reinvesting money.
Michael Shook, Chief of Operations for Patriot Biofuels of Stuttgart, echoed Petrus' assertion that Arkansas is well situated for bioenergy development. Ethanol and biodiesel production are best suited to be produced from the state's resources. Nationwide, there are only 15 bioenergy plants under construction, he said.
"It's amazing to me how some of these states are taking renewable energy and running with it. Arkansas has a great opportunity with the conditions we have - the land, the biomass, the soil. But we have to carry it a step further to R and D (research and development)," Shook said. "We need disciplines within the university system working on renewable energy, training professionals for the future in this field."
Most of the help currently available to Arkansas on biodiesel production comes from Germany, Shook said, where it dates back to World War I. He credited the Arkansas agricultural industry for its support of biodiesel during the planting season. "They're putting their money where their mouth is," Shook said. "But after the farming season ends in the fall, the demand basically goes to nothing. This industry cannot survive as a seasonal business. There are too many dollars spent to build plants. The American public has got to start saying, 'I want biodiesel or ethanol.'"
The OFPA Exposition this year attracted 83 exhibitors with over 500 people attending. OFPA scholarship winners, all University of Arkansas (U of A) Food Science students, were recognized at a luncheon sponsored by Tyson Foods, Riceland Foods and Allen's Inc. In 2007, scholarships sponsored by OFPA and its members were awarded to seventeen students.
New officers elected were: President: Earl Wells, Allen's, Inc., Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Vice President: Phillip Bryant, Bryant Preserving Company, Alma, Arkansas; Executive Vice President: Dr. Justin Morris, U of A Division of Agriculture's Institute of Food Science and Engineering (IFSE); Secretary: Dr. Renee Threlfall, U of A Division of Agriculture's IFSE; and Treasurer: Mike Heilman, U of A Division of Agriculture's IFSE.
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4. Faculty Invited to SEED Program Discussion -- April 10
Faculty members are invited to explore project opportunities in the Students Engaged in Economic Development (SEED) program sponsored by the UA Economic Development Institute.
Otto Loewer, UAEDI director, said all interested faculty are invited to a meeting on Tuesday, April 10, at 3:30 p.m., BAEG conference room, ENG 214.
SEED is a service learning program intended to help build a community or region one project at a time. The expectation is that one SEED project builds on another and will lead to another. SEED links students and faculty to the long-term needs of communities, thereby providing a proverbial intellectual talent pipeline that connects communities to higher education and then returns again, creating an upward spiral of prosperity and well-being for all.
During the next academic year, UAEDI will work to greatly expand the SEED program throughout Arkansas. The particular focus will be the Crossroads Coalition, a 10-county regional broad-based (economic, community, education, leadership) development in the Delta within an 80 mile radius of Memphis. The Crossroads Coalition is quickly becoming a state and national model for regional broad-based development in rural communities, and UA SEED projects have played and are playing a significant role.
The April 10 meeting will include discussion of funding for projects and how faculty link with a community or other faculty with similar interests?
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5. Nick of Time Career Fair - Wednesday
Faculty members are urged to encourage students to attend the "Nick of Time Career Fair," Wednesday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Arkansas Union 5th Floor Alltel Ballroom. The event is geared toward all U of A students looking for careers and internships, but especially seniors who realize they are about to graduate in six weeks and will need a job. Students can drop by between classes and visit with forty recruiters who will be present with jobs and internships to offer.
Also on April 4th from 10 am to 2 pm in the Arkansas Union 4th Floor Red Lounge area outside the Multicultural Center is the "Nick of Time Senior Celebration," a drop-in event for U of A 90+ hour seniors with music, free food, information, and a chance to mingle with friends who are also graduating.
A complete listing of organizations attending and majors they are seeking can be found at: http://career.uark.edu/careerfairs.asp
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6. Hospitality Students Offer Dinner at Ella's - Mondays and Wednesdays
Students in the Restaurant and Hospitality concentration of the Food, Human Nutrition and Hospitality major, are planning, preparing and serving dinner each Monday and Wednesday through April 28 at Ella's Restaurant in The Inn at Carnall Hall. Instructor Allen Powell, Chef Josh Byers and Ella's management assists the students in preparing the dinner.
The cost of the dinner is $12 plus tax and will be served at 5 p.m. For reservations, call Nola at 575-3245 or e-mail at nmagee@uark.edu. Reservations will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve availability with limited seating.
Ella's Restaurant is open to the public for breakfast Monday-Sunday 7 a.m.-10 a.m., lunch Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-2 p.m., and dinner Monday-Saturday 5 p.m.-10p.m. Ella's also serves Sunday Brunch from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. The Lambeth Lounge opens daily at 4 p.m.
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7. Teachers Night Out - April 6
Th Alpha Phi Omega service society is hosting a night of activities for the children of local teachers on Friday, April 6, from 5:00 - 10:00 p.m. in the Arkansas Union, 5th floor. There is no charge, but parents must register their children before Friday. To register your child, or if you have any questions or concerns, send an e-mail to teachers.night.out@hotmail.com.
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8. Livestock, Forage and Forestry Field Day - April 17
A Livestock, Forage and Forestry Field Day will be held April 17 at the Livestock and Forestry Branch Station near Batesville.
The program, "Management Based on Research," begins at 9 a.m. It will feature a barbecue lunch and conclude about 3 p.m., according to Don Hubbell, resident director of the station.
The morning sessions are devoted to livestock and forage production, Hubbell said. Topics will include managing weeds in Bermudagrass, feed supplements, grazing options, managing over-seeded pastures and Bermudagrass varieties. The morning will wrap up with "10 things you can take home to use now."
Richard Bell, Arkansas' Secretary of Agriculture, will speak about current agriculture issues in Arkansas.
Afternoon sessions will focus on forestry. Topics will include managing pine stands, harvesting and marketing timber, and basic tree measurements.
The Livestock and Forestry Branch Station is located 10 miles north of Batesville on Hwy. 69. Take Hwy. 106 west two miles to the entrance.
For more information about the field day, call 870-793-7432 or check the Livestock and Forestry Branch Station Website: www.batesvillestation.org.
AAES and Bumpers College Web sites:
http://aaes.uark.edu/
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/