UADA Clark County Agriculture - Amy Simpson

09/03/2026

Producers, be sure to enter your report on the drought conditions of your farm each month. Take pictures of your pastures, hay fields, ponds, dying trees and add them to the report. This will help the accuracy of the drought monitor!

08/19/2026

Ever thought about becoming a Master Gardener? It's a great way to learn more about gardening, attend fun and informative seminars and conferences, and give back to Clark County!

To become a Master Gardener, you must attend a 40 hour training and then commit to 40 hours of community service and 20 hours of continuing education your first year after training. After the first year, the community service requirement goes down to 20 hours per year and the continuing education requirement remains at 20 hours per year. Meanwhile, several Master Gardener-exclusive events and trainings are opened up to you around the state.

Clark County Master Gardeners meet monthly, and some of their projects include the Arkadelphia Library, the Teaching Garden at Central Park, the courthouse, and horticulture check-in at the county fair.

For the upcoming year, we have 3 options for you to choose from for training:
🌼In-person every Thursday from January 28-February 25, 2027 at the Garland County Fairgrounds. Fee for this is still TBD, but lunches and snacks will be provided each day.
🌼Self-paced online from October 6 - December 11, 2026. Fee = $140.
🌼Zoom every Wednesday from October 21 - November 18, 2026 at the Clark County Extension Service. Fee = $90.

Fees cover your Master Gardener manual and name tag. They will also cover lunches and snacks at the in-person training in Garland County.

Deadline to apply for the online and Zoom options is September 18th. The deadline to apply for the in-person is also TBD.

Please reach out to me at [email protected] if you are interested or have questions.

08/13/2026

Effective this evening, County Judge Troy Tucker has declared a burn ban for Clark County until further notice.

08/13/2026

Yesterday for their monthly meeting, the Clark County Master Gardeners met at the Teaching Garden/Farmer’s Market Pavilion and learned lots about the history and growing of basil from MG Erica Hughes while enjoying delicious caprese salad and fresh homemade pesto from her garden. The group also enjoyed lemon basil simple syrups with their drinks.
The group then viewed the Basil Variety Demo and the Lavender Variety Demo while I pointed out the different varieties and how they have performed so far.
It’s time now to apply to become a Master Gardener! If you would like to join this group and give back to your community, email me at [email protected] for more information about the training and requirements. Applications are due September 18th.

08/13/2026

Check out this upcoming workshop:

🐂 BEEF CATTLE REPRODUCTION WORKSHOP — HOPE, AR 🐂
Want to improve reproductive efficiency and fertility in your beef cattle operation? Join us for a hands-on Beef Cattle Reproduction.
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

📅 Friday, September 25, 2026
⏰ 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 SWREC – 362 Highway 174 North, Hope, AR, 71801
💲 $40 — Lunch included
👥 Only 15 spots available!

Come learn, practice, and take your beef cattle reproduction program to the next level!

👉 REGISTER NOW:
https://uada.formstack.com/forms/beef_cattle

08/07/2026

Today was our 20th or 21st (I can’t quite remember) annual Registered Forester Training at Hempstead Hall on the campus of UAHT-Hope. Today 135 foresters got their required 8 hours of continuing education. It’s also a great day for networking and visiting with old friends.
County Agents from Hempstead, Nevada, Pike, and Clark Counties serve on the planning committee for this training. We’re looking forward to doing it again next year!

07/30/2026

Yesterday, Arkansas Extension Forages and I did a demonstration check at Love Creek Nursery to check the Little Bluestem demo. Little bluestem is a grass native to Arkansas that can be beneficial in a grazing program.
On March 16 of this year we planted seeds from 5 different geographic locations:
📍 Okolona, AR
📍 East End, AR
📍 Carroll County, VA
📍 Drew County, AR
📍 Centreville, IN

Five buckets for each location were planted. Now I do monthly checks to compare the growth and hardiness of each type.

A few of the types did not germinate well, and some germinated really well.

I will harvest the buckets in a month to be nutritionally analyzed.

Results will be posted when available.

06/12/2026

Don't forget about our upcoming Welcome Reception for Clark County's new FCS agent!

We are excited to officially announce that Clark County's new FCS agent, Jequetta Berry, has joined the team!!

Please make plans to join us at a welcome reception in her honor!

06/01/2026

We are so excited to welcome Ms. Jequetta Berry to the Clark County Extension office as our Family and Consumer Sciences Agent! We invite you to come meet her at the reception on June 15th!

We are excited to officially announce that Clark County's new FCS agent, Jequetta Berry, has joined the team!!

Please make plans to join us at a welcome reception in her honor!

05/12/2026

Join us tonight! If you've often wondered how to keep your trees in your lawn healthy or have experienced problems with your trees' health, come join us to learn more.
🌳What: Urban Tree Health Seminar
🪾Who: Krista Quinn, Faulkner County Extension Horticulture Agent and Certified Arborist
🌿When: Tuesday, May 12th at 6:00 PM
🍁Where: Clark County Fair Grounds Youth Building, 1201 Hwy 67 S., Arkadelphia, AR
💵 $5 fee at the door

Hosted by the Clark County Master Gardeners