Free business webinar set
Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center will host a virtual Meet the Lenders panel discussion and question and answer session from 3-4:30 p.m. Sept. 17. The event is free to attend.
“If you are considering getting a loan to start, expand, or better manage your business, this opportunity is perfect for you,” according to a news release. “You will be able to ask questions directly to our group of panelists as they explain the ins and outs of business financing.”
Panelists will be David Marks, Arvest Bank, Jarrod Norwood, Regions Bank, Lantanyua Robinson, FORGE Fund and Randy Williamson, Arkansas Federal Credit Union. To register to attend, visit https://asbtdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/70372203.
Area Agency plans menu
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas is serving lunches from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the senior centers. Next week’s menu includes:
Sept. 9 — Chicken and broccoli quiche, salad with low fat dressing, Hawaiian fruit, bread stick, and milk.
Sept. 10 — Open face roast beef with gravy on wheat bread, mashed potatoes, green beans, dump cake, and milk.
Sept. 11 — Chef salad with low fat dressing, fruit, crackers, brownie, and milk.
Sept. 12 — Smothered pork tip with noodles, Brussels sprouts, bread, pineapples, and milk.
Sept. 13 — Marinated chicken breast, pea and cheese salad, marinated tomato and cucumber, cream sickle pie, and milk. Details: Strachota Senior Center, (870) 543-6323.
Webinar eyes right to fix equipment
Can farmers legally repair their own equipment?
Ross Pifer, director of the Penn State Center for Agricultural and Shale Law, will discuss the status of the right-to-repair movement at 11 a.m. Sept. 18 during a webinar, “Right to Repair and Agriculture.”
The webinar is free to attend, but registration is required. Interested participants can register and find more details on the National Agricultural Law Center’s website at https://nationalaglawcenter.org/webinars/right-to-repair-2/.
“The right to repair is a critical issue that affects every farmer’s ability to manage and maintain their equipment,” according to NALC Director Harrison Pittman. “We’re excited to have Ross guide us through the legal landscape and practical challenges surrounding this important topic. This webinar is a must for anyone invested in the future of agriculture.”
With continued technological advancements, companies that manufacture farming equipment may use sophisticated and proprietary technology and software which only the manufacturer has the ability and permission to repair, according to a news release.
Such was the case with John Deere, which eventually entered into a memorandum of understanding with the American Farm Bureau Federation in January 2023 allowing farmers access to tools and diagnostic equipment for repairs. The MOU is one example of the outcome of conversations surrounding the “right to repair.”
More information on the American Farm Bureau Federation MOU and the right to repair is available online from the NALC. Details: nationalaglawcenter.org.