First Ward pantry sets giveaway
First Ward Living Grace Pantry will present its annual Christmas Giveaway from noon to 2 p.m. Dec. 20 at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff football stadium parking lot, 1960 Oliver Road.
The 2025 Bobby Rush Christmas Giveaway is designed to support families in need during the holiday season by providing free food items and toys for children ages 1 to 10. Distribution will be first-come, first-served, while supplies last, according to a news release.
Participants are encouraged to line up and stay in their vehicles upon arrival to ensure an orderly and efficient process.
“Our mission has always been to serve our community with compassion and dignity,” said Debra Strickland Allen, executive director. “We are grateful for the opportunity to help families enjoy a warm and blessed Christmas.”
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
FWLGP extends its appreciation to the donors, volunteers, partners, and community supporters who make this annual event possible. Supporters include Arkansas Food Bank, Saracen Casino Resort, Super 1 Foods, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Pine Bluff Area Community Foundation, Angela Fair Baker, Abraham Carpenter Jr., Central Moloney, and Bill and Sharri Jones, according to a flyer. Details: Debra Strickland Allen at (479) 301-1096 or email firstwardpantry@gmail.com.
Summit band plans concert
The Summit Soundz Celebration Band will present its Christmas Spectacular Concert at 6 p.m. Dec. 20 at Summit Baptist Church, 901 Ridgway Road.
“We will perform many of your favorite Christmas songs, both secular and sacred,” said Lewis Hinkle, the director of Summit Soundz. “This concert is for everyone who loves the music of the season!”
Along with the various instrumental arrangements, the band will feature vocal guests Barry Bates and Bethany Gere, according to a news release.
Summit Soundz is made up of high school and college students as well as adults from Pine Bluff, White Hall, Watson Chapel, Star City and Monticello. The school band directors also participate.
“We want you to bring your family and friends because it’s going to be a true magical, musical moment,” said Scott Jones, Summit’s pastor. “There will be something appealing for every person no matter your age.”
The public is invited to attend. The concert is free, but donations will be accepted for the Band Scholarship Fund that helps students attend summer band camps and assist with college expenses. The scholarship distributions totaled $4,000 last summer.
Bureau names state Farm Family
Jared and Cathren Smith of Dierks were named the 2025 Arkansas Farm Family of the Year on Friday. The Smiths have been farming in Howard County for 17 years. The farm spans 250 acres, with eight poultry houses and a cow-calf operation, according to the news release.
The Smiths are the West Central District Farm Family of the Year.
Other district winners are:
Southeast District: the Hoover family of Monticello (Drew County)
East Central District: the Mitchell family of Des Arc (Prairie County)
North Central District: the Henley family of Evening Shade (Sharp County)
Northeast District: the Dilldine family of Blytheville (Mississippi County)
Northwest District: the Spears family of Fayetteville (Washington County)
Southwest District: the Lockeby family of Ashdown (Little River County)
Western District: the Staton family of Magazine (Logan County.)
Details: www.arfb.com.
Expert: Consumer prices to stay high
American beef cow slaughter fell during the fall quarter by 19% from the same period in 2024, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data released in the wake of the recent federal shutdown.
While that may seem like a significant drop-off, context is important, said James Mitchell, agricultural economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“In 2023, we had a situation where producers were actively culling deep into their herds,” Mitchell said in a news release. “In 2025, there are simply fewer cows to slaughter.”
The January 2025 U.S. beef cow and heifer inventories were lower than they had been since 1961, with approximately 27.9 million head. Mitchell forecasts a slaughter rate of about 42% for the year.
Record-low national beef herd sizes in the United States have been a large part of the record-high market prices producers have enjoyed in 2025. Cattle feeders saw fed cattle prices as high as $242 per cwt over the summer in the Southern Plains, according to USDA.
Culling is a normal part of the beef production business, Mitchell said, with producers typically removing 10-20% of their herds every year, in part because the cattle in question are aging and less productive.
Between Aug. 30 and Nov. 15, U.S. producers slaughtered 543,586 head of cattle, Mitchell said.
“We had strong profitability the last couple of years,” he said. “Acknowledging that input costs are still high, we’ve had a couple of years of really good production and good pastures.”
More than any other segment of agriculture, cattle production is cyclical. However, Mitchell said, consumers shouldn’t look forward to beef herd expansion in the near term.
“We might see some inventory changes in January when the USDA inventory report comes out,” he said. “But market prices are so high, I think a lot of producers are happy with selling cattle.”
None of this spells lower prices for consumers in the near future, Mitchell said, even if options from South American producers have an increased presence in U.S. grocery stores.
“With slaughter down, you have less lean trimmings that you would use to make ground beef,” he said. “And so what we’ve seen this year is higher ground beef prices — and ground has typically been a competitive product.”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, ground chuck cost an average of $6.33 a pound in September 2025, up from $5.19 in September 2023.
“The fact is that consumer prices are high, and they’re probably going to get higher,” Mitchell said.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.