UADA Hot Spring County Agriculture

09/30/2026

The 2026 Arkansas Ballot Issues Voter Guide is now online and hard copies are available in Hot Spring County for Arkansans to read over the three proposed constitutional amendments and bond issue on their Nov. 3 ballot.

View your guide at uaex.uada.edu/ballot

Help spread the word by sharing with friends & family.

What’s Inside?
- Q&A’s explaining the four statewide ballot issues.
- A checklist for you to mark how you want to vote on the issues.
- A sample of what supporters and opponents say.
- The wording of the ballot titles you’ll see on Election Day

A limited number of printed copies will be available for pickup at the Extension Office, Chamber of Commerce, Library, and more.

Early voting starts Oct. 19. Election Day is Nov. 3.

The Public Policy Center at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture has published neutral, research-based fact sheets on all statewide ballot measures since 2004 to provide voters a better understanding of what is being asked of them.

09/22/2026

We invite everyone out to the 4-H Center tonight at 6pm to hear more on managing your forage program through winter annuals!

The Hot Spring County Cattlemen's Association will meet tonight at 6pm at the 4-H Center with UADA Hot Spring County Agriculture Agent Jerry Clemons bringing the program on Winter Annuals.

BBQ is on the menu, and we hope to see you there!

After the meeting, we encourage all of our members to go next door to the Hot Spring County Fairgrounds and take a walk through the cattle barn!

09/10/2026

🚨 Be on the Lookout! Ergot in Dallisgrass 🚨

This week county agents found ergot infections in dallisgrass across central and south Arkansas, with confirmed cases in Pulaski and Clark counties.

👉 Ergot is a poisonous fungus that develops in the seed heads of dallisgrass, often after a wet period.
👉 If livestock eat enough infected seed heads, it can lead to toxicosis known as Dallisgrass Staggers.

Symptoms include:
Early stages: trembling of muscles after exercise
Progression: uncoordinated movement, shaking limbs, nodding head

⚠️ Dallisgrass staggers are more of a concern with grazing than with haying.

Be on the lookout for hard, dark, or orange seed heads in your pastures.

📄 For more details, check out this fact sheet:
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/FSA-3144.pdf

If you are concerned about your dallisgrass, please contact your local county agent for guidance.

09/08/2026

🌾 DROUGHT MANAGEMENT TIP 🌾

Scout for toxic plants before turning livestock into rented land, new pastures, or previously ungrazed areas.

Hungry cattle or animals introduced to a new field may consume plants they would normally avoid. Common toxic plants found in Arkansas pastures include Perilla mint and Poison hemlock, while Johnsongrass can pose additional risks under certain drought and regrowth conditions.

Taking time to inspect pastures can help prevent costly livestock losses.

🌱 Know what's growing before cattle start grazing.

Learn more: UAEX MP530 – Drought Management & Recovery for Livestock Systems
https://www.uaex.uada.edu/publications/pdf/mp530.pdf

09/04/2026

The Hot Spring County Extension Office will be closed Monday, September 7th in celebration of Labor Day.

08/25/2026

Several people have seen the most recent announcements about beef imports and have several questions.

Dr. James Mitchell, University of Arkansas Assistant Professor and Economist took a deeper look into how that will affect cattle producers.

"At best, this announcement could delay the beginning and/or limit the pace of U.S. herd rebuilding. At worst, if the resulting price pressure and uncertainty are large or persistent enough, it could cause producers to abandon expansion plans and create longer-lasting damage to rebuilding efforts."

Read the full article here- https://southernagtoday.org/2026/08/18/thats-a-lot-of-beef/

You can also join us tonight at the Hot Spring County Cattlemen's Association meeting at 6pm at the 4-H Center with more questions!

08/21/2026

There are so many opportunities for Extension to engage with our community, we want to make sure we are meeting your needs.

Please take a few minutes to click https://bit.ly/HSCExtension26 and let us know how we can better serve Hot Spring County!

08/21/2026

The Extension Office is open today, but only through the front entrance (which faces the Court House).

We recommend parking in the Court House parking lot, while storm damage is being removed behind our building.

Thank you!

07/28/2026

If you have ever thought about joining Hot Spring County Master Gardeners, now is the time!

New Master Gardeners receive 40 hours of training in botany, soil science, plant propagation, pest management, pesticide and herbicide usage, vegetable and ornamental plant gardening, and w**d identification, pruning and other horticulture related subjects. In exchange, Master Gardeners donate back to the community by maintaining a few garden projects, answering questions, researching specific problems, planting educational and therapeutic gardens, providing public speakers, and much more.

If you have a love for gardening, like to share your knowledge with people in the community, and have time to commit to the training as well as the required volunteer service, you would make a good Master Gardener.

Considering becoming a Master Gardener in 2026? Now is the time! Applications are available at the Cooperative Extension Office at 220 Olive Street, Malvern AR 72104.

Hot Spring County Master Gardener will conduct two different training options this fall.

Option One will be a Zoom training, that starts on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, with the continuing training days on October 28, November 4, November 11, and November 18, the trainings start at 8:00 A.M. and end at 4:30 P.M. each day. The training will be in person at one location to view class presentations on Zoom. Application deadline is September 9, 2026. The cost of this year’s class is $75.00.

Option two will be an On-line training that you will do at your own pace, so you must have access to a computer. The classes must be completed between October 6 and December 11, 2026. So, you can do this training at your own home, around your schedule. Application deadline is September 9, 2026. The cost of this training is $125.00

07/10/2026

This week Rachel and Jerry are attending the NACAA - National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting and Professional Improvement Conference in Denver.

This is a great opportunity to network with agents from across the country and bring back new ideas for county programs.

What new programs would you like to see in Hot Spring County?