Prison transfer board to meet
The Arkansas Post Prison Transfer Board (formerly the Arkansas Parole Board) will hold its regular meetings at 9 a.m. Jan. 11 and Jan. 25 in the Richard Lee Richardson Auditorium, 1302 Pike Ave., Suite B149 in North Little Rock.
The board will receive victim input at 9 a.m. Jan. 3, Jan. 17, and Jan. 31. However, victim input meetings are closed to the public.
The full calendar of hearings and meetings slated for and by the Arkansas Post Prison Transfer Board can be found on the agency’s website under Meeting Information and Hearings & Board Schedule, according to a news release.
4 crop insurance workshops set
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The Cooperative Extension Service will host four workshops addressing federal crop insurance. Two are in southeast Arkansas.
The workshops will be held Jan. 19 in Batesville, Jan. 22 in Pine Bluff, Jan. 30 in Forrest City and Feb. 20 in Monticello. The workshops are free to attend. Interested parties can register online, according to a news release.
Hunter Biram, agricultural economist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the workshops will provide attendees with detailed information of many aspects of crop insurance programs.
“Participants can expect to receive information from agricultural economics faculty and USDA-RMA Navigators covering a wide array of federal crop insurance topics,” Biram said. “Presentations will be given that describe how to apply for crop insurance with a local crop insurance agent and describe various products such as pasture insurance, whole-farm insurance, and yield and revenue insurance.
“There is a topic relevant for any operation regardless of whether a producer raises cattle, grows cash crops or produces fruits and vegetables,” he said. “Workbooks covering all these topics and more will be provided for registrants.”
The first three workshops will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The final workshop, scheduled for Feb. 20, will run from 3-7 p.m.
Each workshop includes lunch or dinner. The workshops are supported by funding from USDA-NIFA, the Southern Risk Management Education Center, and the Fryar Price Risk Management Center of Excellence, Biram said.
Each workshop will include presentations from Biram and other Cooperative Extension specialists, including livestock economist James Mitchell, RMA Navigator Project Specialist LaGrand Elliott, agricultural economist Ryan Loy.
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.
USDA accepts online loan applications
The U.S. Department of Agriculture launched an online application for Direct Loan customers.
More than 26,000 customers who submit a Direct Loan application each year can now use an online, interactive, guided application, according to a news release.
The application is paperless and provides helpful features including an electronic signature option, the ability to attach supporting documents such as tax returns, complete a balance sheet and build a farm operating plan.
This tool is part of a broader effort by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) to streamline its processes, improve customer service, and expand credit access. Details: https://lat.fpac.usda.gov/.