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How To Prepare Your Hobby Farm for Winter

Resident News Network
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How To Prepare Your Hobby Farm for Winter

If you own a hobby farm, fall means a lot more than colorful leaves and Halloween celebrations. This is the season for preparing for winter. Whether you’re securing your livestock or prepping your garden for next spring, your autumn to-do list is sure to be a mile long. Fortunately, working hard now will pay off when your plants and animals make it safely through the winter, setting you up for success next spring. Take advantage of the last of the nice weather with this guide on how to prepare your hobby farm for winter.

Start Planning for Spring

The more you prepare in the fall, the better your spring will be. Get to work in your garden beds. You can mix compost or other soil solutions into your garden during the fall so that it spends the season breaking down and feeding the soil. This will give you a rich, fertile starting point to plant in the spring. You should also look ahead to what kinds of plants you want next year. Shrubs, perennials, and other long-term plants will be on sale at the end of summer, so now is a great time to purchase and plant.

Prepare Your Animals for Winter

Each type of animal on your hobby farm will come with its own checklist of fall and winter tasks. Make sure you take care of everyone before the cold weather hits. Reinforce chicken coops and fencing, winterize your beehives, and make sure all feeders, waterers, and other equipment is in working order.

By the end of autumn, all your animals should have safe, insulated places to spend the winter. Make sure your structures are secure and able to keep the wind and snow away from your animals. It’s also a good idea to stock up on food and any other supplies you might need—especially if you live far from town or know there’s inclement weather on the way.

Figure Out Storage Solutions

When winter comes, you won’t need a lot of the tools and equipment you used throughout the summer. One of the most important parts of how to prepare your hobby farm for winter is to find secure and adequate storage for your supplies. Keep your tools somewhere safe, dry, and warm so that they don’t end up freezing or buried in snow. Drain any garden hoses, and keep more fragile supplies indoors and away from the cold. It might also be a good idea to check your storage space for holes in the roof, walls, or foundation. This will keep pests and critters away from your supplies, making it much easier to brush off your gear and get to work when spring comes around again.

Paris To Suspend All Volleyball Activities Until October 5

Resident News Network
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Paris To Suspend All Volleyball Activities Until October 5

After further contact tracing in the Paris school district after a confirmed positive COVID case was discovered two days ago, the Paris school district announced today that all volleyball activities are now suspended until October 5 due to two positive cases within the program. Resident Press first broke this story on September 22.

In a statement released today on the district’s website, the district announced, “The safety of our students and staff is always our top priority and we are taking actions recommended by the ADH (Arkansas Department of Health) to mitigate the situation. With the move to virtual school for two days, this press release will deal with athletics. All volleyball activities will be suspended until October 5 which includes grades 7-12. These measures are due to two positive cases within the volleyball program. After conducting contact tracing and following ADH guidelines concerning close contact, the volleyball program couldn’t continue due to multiple student quarantines. Regarding the football program, at this time, all football games will be played as regularly scheduled. The impact of the cases was minimal after conducting the contact tracing. By following the ADH guidelines, the football program is eligible for continuation of activities. We will update our social media and district webpage with any new information. “

Per the statement above from the district, tonight’s junior high football game will be played as scheduled, as well as Friday’s conference opener in Paris against Mayflower.

Resident Press will continue to follow this story as more information is made available.

Sebastian County Conservation District Director Receives Outstanding Award

Tammy Teague
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Sebastian County Conservation District Director Receives Outstanding Award

Sebastian County Conservation District Director Conaly Bedell was awarded the Outstanding District Director for the month of September by the Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts.

Arkansas Association of Conservation Districts recognized Bedell as one of two District Directors being recognized in September. Bedell, Director for Sebastian County Conservation District, has been instrumental in reclaiming Sebastian County Conservation District and ARC&D. Both had been faltering for three to four years.

Bedell has directed both Sebastian County Conservation District and Arkansas Resource Conservation and Development Councils to be viable, functioning entities financially, technologically and professionally.

Sebastian County Conservation District was voted the Most Outstanding Conservation District in 2019, in great part to his leadership and direction. Bedell is constantly moving Sebastian County Conservation District, Crawford County Conservation District and Poteau River Conservation District to work together to enhance the effectiveness and long term benefits of all three districts.

Arkansas Association of Conservation District appreciates Conaly Bedell’s leadership and dedication in recognizing what could be done if individuals dedicate themselves to a greater purpose.

Dardanelle Shows Off Big Bass

Tammy Teague
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Dardanelle Shows Off Big Bass

Lake Dardanelle hosted two major national fishing events the past two weeks, giving the lake a chance to show off its population of black bass. The fishing was often hard, as early September can be as the weather is changing and bass are transitioning to fall patterns. Still, some major bass were pulled in (and released, too, so they are still out there). From the Hobie Kayak Bass Open Series on Sept. 12-13, 112 anglers caught 693 largemouth and Kentucky bass over the two days (1,111 pounds total). Drew Gregory (top left) edged Eric Siddiqi (top right) in a tie-breaker to claim the championship. The tournament was scored by inches of bass caught, rather than pounds, and both anglers caught 171 inches of fish. But Gregory had the one fish he had caught on Saturday that was 21 inches and proved to be the tie-breaker. Those shown in the photo are a couple of the nice ones reeled in by the top two anglers, both from Ohio. The top weighing fish in the event was 5.51 pounds.

Jason Baumgartner, our reporter from Lake Dardanelle and the park aquarist at the state park, said that the FLW Toyota Series, which was held there last week, Sept. 17-19, featured 121 boats and 242 anglers who caught 1,004 fish weighing 2,054 pounds over the three days. The Big Bass weighed 5.44 pounds. Conway’s Jason Lieblong, who won the event here in 2015, outlasted the rest of the field last weekend, pulling in more than 15 pounds of fish on the last day to win the event with 40 pounds, 9 ounces.

Baumgartner said the FLW anglers reported the bite was tough, which is typical for the fall transition. They used a wide range of lures, including plastics, spinners and Rat-L-Traps. Many anglers fished shallow and on hydrilla or water willow. The FLW website reported that shallow power-fishing techniques prevailed, and if you are interested in more fishing information from the pros, such as how to fish Lake Dardanelle and how Lieblong approaches it, you can find it here.

Check out Baumgartner’s report this week from Dardanelle, and many other reports if you’re looking for that big bass or some other species around the state. There’s a big fish waiting.

AGFC Offering Free Tests For Deer Disease

Tammy Teague
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AGFC Offering Free Tests For Deer Disease

By Randy Zellers Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Help the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission by having this year’s harvested deer tested for chronic wasting disease at one of more than 100 free testing locations throughout The Natural State this season. 

“This is not a food safety test, and there’s no confirmed evidence of a human ever getting CWD from eating venison, but we still want to offer our hunters this free test to keep them enjoying the sport of deer hunting,” said A.J. Riggs, wildlife health biologist in the AGFC’s Research, Evaluation and Compliance Division. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/index.html) strongly recommend all hunters who are hunting in areas where CWD is known to be present have their deer tested and to not consume any animal known to be sick of any disease. Our testing sites give hunters the ability to make that decision.” 

This year the AGFC will have 100 CWD drop-off containers placed throughout the state to take samples from any hunter who wants to submit a sample. Riggs says the AGFC has worked hard to supply at least one test site in every county, with counties in the known CWD Management Zone having multiple options. Visit www.agfc.com/cwd for testing locations.

“We want to help hunters test their harvested deer, and we want them to help us collect this valuable data,” Riggs said. “We have focused efforts around the CWD Management Zone, but with the new cases developing in some of our neighboring states, it’s important to keep our guard up in each county of the state.”

With Jackson and Independence counties being added to the CWD Management Zone this year, Riggs says they definitely would like to see more voluntary samples coming from that area to gauge disease prevalence and spatial distribution in those counties.

To submit a test at one of the containers, a hunter simply removes the deer’s head with at least 4inches of neck still attached at its base, removes any antlers, places the head in a bag that’s provided at the freezer and places it inside with contact information. The stub from their contact information will guide them to find their test results.  

“If we receive a positive result, AGFC staff will contact the hunter directly by the phone number provided with the sample,” Riggs said. “We will then make arrangements with the hunter to pick up any meat they no longer want and can provide an additional deer tag to harvest a doe to make up for the lost meat.”

Riggs says test results are usually available within 2-3 weeks. The AGFC has partnered with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Little Rock to help complete the testing in a timely manner.

“Individual result times may speed up a little, depending on when the sample is placed and what day our staff is able to get to a container site for pick up,” Riggs said. “Samples then have to be thawed and collected before sending to the diagnostic lab, so hunters still should plan to store the animal for a couple of weeks before they get their results.”

In addition to “self-serve” drop-off locations, the AGFC has a network of taxidermists who will collect and submit CWD samples for free. While most of the animals they see are mature bucks, many will pull a sample from deer they are not mounting for hunters who want the help.

“We have a lot of the state’s taxidermists onboard with the program, but if a person’s favorite taxidermist doesn’t participate, they can still bring the animal to an AGFC regional office and have a sample collected after their taxidermist removes the cape.”

Riggs notes that hunters should remember not to move intact deer carcasses harvested inside the CWD Management Zone outside of that zone, even for testing purposes.

“We have many testing options within Arkansas’s CWD Management Zone, so it should not be an issue to find one,” Riggs said. “It’s all coordinated online after that, so they don’t have to feel like they should use one close to home. Whichever site is the most convenient and prevents them from crossing out of the CWD Management Zone will work.”

Deboned meat can be taken outside of the zone, as well as taxidermied heads, cleaned skull plates, antlers and capes. 

“It just takes a little extra effort to help us slow the spread of this disease in Arkansas.”

Visit www.agfc.com/cwd to find a free testing location and learn more about CWD in Arkansas.

UAFS Fraternity Buys First Responders Lunch

Tammy Teague
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UAFS Fraternity Buys First Responders Lunch

The members of the Omicron-Tau chapter of Kappa Sigma Fraternity at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith took time from their studies to give back to the Fort Smith community this month, delivering nearly 100 pizzas to first responders in the River Valley.

Sixty pizzas were delivered to the Fort Smith Fire Department, Fort Smith Police Department and Sebastian County Sheriff’s Department on Friday, Sept. 11, in honor and remembrance of the lives lost following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the first responders who risked their lives to save others.

“We’ve done this every year since I became a Kappa Sigma, and I just love being able to give back to the people who work tirelessly to keep our communities safe. It also feels humbling to be able to memorialize those who gave their all to save the lives of so many people 19 years ago,” said Michael Edgar, a class of 2021 Biology major.

The following week an additional 30 pizzas were delivered across the city. More than 30 donors contributed $598 to purchase the pizzas.

Obituary- Jimmy Charles Hudgens (1941 – 2020)

Tammy Teague
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Obituary- Jimmy Charles Hudgens (1941 – 2020)

Jimmy Charles Hudgens, 79, of Waldron, Arkansas went to be with the Lord, September 21, 2020. Jimmy was born July 14, 1941, in Nella, Arkansas, to his parents Charlie W, Hudgens and Shirley Marie (Blalock) Hudgens.

He served Waldron & Scott County through his work at the U.S. Forest Service, EMT Driver, Director of the Scott County Office of Emergency Services, Waldron Fire Department Chief, and Scott County Coroner. He was an avid hunter. His greatest joy was his family.

Jimmy leaves behind to cherish his memory, his children, Sammye Hudgens (Sheryl) of Millington, Tennessee, Sherrill Jones (Dennis), Shannon Hudgens, and Sheldon Hudgens (Nicole), of Waldron, Arkansas, eight grandchildren: Chrissy Tramp (Donald), Hannah Owens (Jerod), Ashley Ball (Joe), Shauna White (Matt), Jessica Ball (Bryan), Casey O’Hara (John-Michael), Maggie Hudgens, Sydney Hudgens, and eight great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn, his parents, Shirley and Charlie, sisters Lea Stringer and Sharon Owens, brother-in-laws Freddie Stringer and Worman Owens.

Jimmy’s life celebration will be at 10:00 a.m., Friday September 25, 2020, at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Waldron, Arkansas with Rev. Pat Ray Biggs officiating. Arrangements are being entrusted to the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home in Waldron, Arkansas.

Jimmy’s visitation will be Thursday, September 24, 2020 from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Memorial Funeral Home.

During these trying and difficult times, we must limit public gatherings in our funeral home and do our part to stop the spread of the Coronavirus. Family and friends are welcome to attend the service but everyone must wear a mask and maintain social distancing. Jimmy’s life celebration will be live streamed on the link by Services on his webpage.

Design to House Center for Arkansas Farms and Food Wins National Architectural Award

Tammy Teague
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Design to House Center for Arkansas Farms and Food Wins National Architectural Award

An architectural design to house the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food by the University of Arkansas Community Design Center received top honor in The PLAN Awards 2020. The international design awards program is sponsored by The Plan magazine.

The Center for Farm and Food System Entrepreneurship design (http://bit.ly/CAFFdesign) won the Education category for future projects. The PLAN Awards highlight projects in urban design and planning, landscape architecture, architecture, interior design, product design and transportation engineering.

Center for Arkansas Farms and Food

CAFF is a service center of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. It uses division research and outreach to support local food entrepreneurs and increase small farm viability, said Heather Friedrich, program manager in the division’s department of horticulture.

Division of Agriculture faculty and staff manage CAFF programs in partnership with Northwest Arkansas Food Systems. “We envision a vibrant and diverse farm and food economy statewide,” Friedrich said.

Two cornerstone CAFF programs are the Farm School, which begins its inaugural class in January 2021, and the Farm Apprenticeship program, Friedrich said. The apprenticeship program begins its second season in the spring.

The programs focus on small and mid-sized farms, specialty crop production and local markets in northwest Arkansas, Friedrich said. Both programs are open to anyone from any area of Arkansas.

Registration is underway for both programs, Friedrich said. Registration ends for Farm School on Oct. 30 and for the Farm Apprenticeship Program on Dec. 15.

“Our goal is to increase the number of farmers and farms in Arkansas, improve farm viability and support our local food systems,” Friedrich said. “The objective is to get local foods on local plates. That’s good for farmers, and it’s good for consumers.”

Visit https://caff.uark.edu for more details.

Winning design

More than 1,000 project entries from more than 460 architecture and design studios from around the world were submitted across 21 main categories in this year’s PLAN contest. Winning projects and other honors were determined by a 10-member international jury.

The Community Design Center is an outreach program of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design. Steve Luoni, who directs the center, is also a Distinguished Professor and the Steven L. Anderson Chair in Architecture and Urban Studies at the university.

The center’s winning project was designed to house CAFF’s immersive farmer training program that models new concepts and technologies in farming, Luoni said. Located on the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, it will also be a public facility for hosting gatherings that support and celebrate value-added food products.

“The Center for Farm and Food System Entrepreneurship will enhance farmer education in a state where the average age of a farmer is 58, while helping to create a larger value-added food economy alongside the state’s commodity food supply chains,” Luoni said.

“The center will be the public face of agriculture where farmers and the public meet,” Luoni said.

“The Community Design Center design is a beautiful space with the aesthetic of a traditional Ozark barn yet meeting the multifunctional needs of a modern training center,” Friedrich said. “The facility was designed to accommodate our field production needs with post-harvest processing and storage as well as our training and outreach needs with a classroom, meeting and event spaces.

“We look forward to one day building the facility as a landmark and home for the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food,” Friedrich said.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uark.edu. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch and Instagram at ArkAgResearch.

About the Division of Agriculture

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.

The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.

The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.

Mansfield Sends Eureka Springs Packing On Senior Night

Megan Hecox
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Mansfield Sends Eureka Springs Packing On Senior Night

When talking about one of the biggest if not THE biggest game of the Mansfield Sr Lady Tigers volleyball season, it was magic you would have to see to believe. Last week, the Sr Lady Tigers strapped on their shoes, took a deep breath, and stepped onto the 5A Alma Lady Airedales volleyball court. With Mansfield playing in the 2A conference this season, this match-up was the equivalent of an ant taking on a turtle. But as the Lady Tigers secured the first set 25-12, the, confused as to what just happened Lady Airedales, decided to fire back.

With Alma earning the second and third sets 19-25 and 24-26, Mansfield dug deep down from beyond their comfort level and mustered up the strength to steal the last two sets 25-20 and 15-6. The Lady Tigers left Alma on cloud nine with their 3-2 victory and the unstoppable feeling that they could move mountains. On Tuesday, September 22, still over the moon from the prior week, the Sr Lady Tigers entered their match against the Eureka Springs Lady Highlanders with an ain’t no stoppin’ us now attitude.

Doubling as Senior Night as well as the fact that Mansfield had already defeated the Lady Highlanders earlier in the season, the Lady Tigers were fairly confident that they had this one in the bag. And after three, over-so-fast-that-if-you-blinked-you-would-miss-it sets, the Lady Tigers again took the win 3-0. Leading the pack in kills was Skylynn Harris with 13 and Brooke Wright with 12. Kiara Thomas and Sadie Roberts added 5 each to the tally. And Alayna Turner and Brooklyn Adams put up 3 apiece.

Earning a total of 24 aces was Adams with 8, Thomas, Turner, and Haylee Helms with 4, Wright with 3, and Harris with 1. Wright added the only 2 blocks of the night. Helms was on top with 13 digs followed by Harris with 5, and Turner and Wright with 3 each. And out of 36 assists, Adams secured 25 with Thomas delivering 11. The Mansfield Lady Tigers hold three seniors on their volleyball roster. Brooke Wright, Chloe Creekmore, and Amber Elmore who was unable to attend. For the seniors being celebrated as well as the entire teams’ victory, there was much to be excited for. Now the Sr Lady Tigers will go into their match against the Sr Golden Lady Arrows on Thursday, September 24 at Lavaca with a 10-0 total play record and 8-0 in conference play. Vouchers will be required for entry.

Senior Brooke Wright

Paris Football and Volleyball Teams to Resume Play as Scheduled

Resident News Network
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Paris Football and Volleyball Teams to Resume Play as Scheduled

After a positive COVID-19 case that forced the cancellation of last night’s volleyball match between Paris and Charleston, the Paris school district is conducting point of contact investigations into the possible exposure within the district. The Resident Press first reported this story in last night’s edition of RP sports.

Dr. Wayne Fawcett, superintendent of schools for the Paris school district, responded to RP’s inquiry of what impact the positive test will have on its volleyball and football games scheduled for the remainder of this week. You may recall that several districts around the River Valley and across Arkansas have had to make modifications or cancellations in football schedules due to COVID positive tests in their districts.

Dr. Fawcett told the Resident Press, “Our POC (point of contact tracer) has determined that no HS (high school) students will have to be quarantined and at this time all VB (volleyball) matches will continue. There has been no effect on FB (football) and both JR (junior high) and SR (senior high) games are still scheduled to be played. If new information were to come to light we will then determine any effect.”

The COVID crisis has forced all schools and athletic departments to look at schedules on almost a day-by-day basis as the entire effect of the pandemic on both schools and athletics has created a fluid situation and problem for all school districts. Schools are doing their best to balance the health of their students and the general public with trying to maintain as much normality as possible.

Resident Press will continue to update our readers as more information is made available.

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