Host PJ Haynie surveys the crowd at last week's NBGC Model Farm Field Day
Jul 24, 2023
ALTHEIMER, AR – Last week, more than 300 growers and industry representatives ventured onto Haynie Farms here, about 21 miles southwest of Stuttgart for the Arkansas stop of the National Black Growers Council’s (NBGC) Model Farm Field Days series for 2023.
Farmer PJ Haynie welcomed the attendees to his family farm and thanked the many sponsors for helping the NBGC achieve their mission to “improve the efficiency, productivity, and sustainability of Black row crop farmers.”
With triple digit temperatures threatening, the crowd was appreciative of the cloud cover that lasted almost the entire morning through the field and technology demonstrations.
The first stop was soybean variety trials with presenters from Syngenta, FMC, and Indigo AG discussing their systems and solutions for farmers, including the Section 18 Emergency Exception for Syngenta’s Endigo ZCX for rice stinkbug control that the Arkansas Department of Agriculture recently granted.
Representatives from John Deere showcased many pieces of cutting-edge technology, including a 600 Series Sprayer with their new See & Spray precision ag system, one of only about 75 in the field today. According to the company, the technology promises to significantly improve protectant efficiency and reduce costs by maybe as much as 60 percent. Then a demonstration of high-speed precision planting impressed attendees who did have to dodge the dust cloud being kicked up.
The next stop was some of Haynie’s row rice fields where he explained the polypipe system he uses to improve water use efficiency. The pumps were actually running, so visitors got to see the precision technique in action.
Attendees returned to the cover of the large shed as the sun finally burned through the clouds to hear updates on several programs, including the Climate Smart Commodity grants that have brought NBGC, USA Rice, and Ducks Unlimited together.
Dr. Dewayne Goldmon, senior advisor for racial equity to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, was on hand, as was USDA FAS Administrator Daniel Whitley. Both men introduced members of their respective teams who were present and reminded the crowd that the government has many programs designed to help farmers, whether through technical, financial, or marketing assistance, and encouraged attendees to take advantage of the resources.
There followed an update on work being done at Land Grant Universities before lunch was served.
“We had a great crowd today, and I’m particularly happy to see our community grow,” said Haynie who also serves as the chair of the NBGC and is a current member of The Rice Foundation’s Rice Leadership Development Class. “The technologies and equipment we were looking at here can make such a difference for farmers and their productivity, but not everyone even knows they exist. NBGC is dedicated to changing that – bringing our members together with the tools and resources they need to help enhance our mission to make Black farmers more successful.”