• By Mary Hightower •
A rise in COVID-19 cases has prompted the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture to cancel in-person field days, with some morphing into online formats.
The Division of Agriculture had four in-person field days on the calendar, all planned when vaccinations were offered and COVID case numbers were low.
• July 30 — Cotton Sustainability Field Day at Judd Hill has been canceled.
• Aug. 6 — Rice Field Day at Stuttgart is canceled but will be produced as a recorded online event and posted later.
• Aug. 12 — Rice College at Colt is canceled. Organizers will attempt to offer CEUs through the virtual Rice Field Day event.
• Aug. 19 — Hops Field Day at Clarksville will become a webinar to be held on the evening of Aug. 19.
Dates of the online versions will be announced in future news releases.
“Knowing how easily the Delta variant can be transmitted and the rise in cases we believe this is the most prudent course. We are disappointed because we were all looking forward to seeing everyone in person again,” said Jean-Francois Meullenet, director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and senior associate vice president for the Division of Agriculture.
Mary Hightower is University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture communications director. She may be reached at mhightower@uaex.edu.