The Dale Bumpers Small Farms Research Center was established in Booneville, AR to develop new practices and technologies to help small farms become more profitable and sustainable.
Situated on 2,300 acres in rural Arkansas, the center has been providing quality research for small farms since 1980.
Soil and water greatly affect the productivity of crops and grazing livestock. Our research aims to develop high resolution maps that show soil and soil properties and their variability and water availability to help explain variability in crop and livestock production.
Cattle research aims to address issues related to forage-based cattle production including solutions to mitigate or alleviate tall fescue toxicosis and alternative grazing systems that reduce the reliance on hay and extend the grazing season while maintaining or improving cattle productivity.
Temperate pastures are a significant component of the U.S. beef and small ruminant industries with more than half of the country’s beef supply produced from forage resources in the southeastern region of the country. Research on forage management strategies optimize animal grazing in space and time to capitalize on forage yields and quality and improve animal productivity and health.
Using technology to help optimize farm operations.
On-Farm Precision Management helps small farmers with limited resources to better manage their land, crops, and animals. Precision Agriculture is one of the best approaches to understanding and monitoring these complex systems.
Research has been conducted on the DBSFRC watersheds for over 20 years. The research focuses on nutrient losses for management practices common to the region such as grazing, haying, and litter application. Information from the long-term study is used to develop guidance to help small farms make decisions about implementing these practices on their own farms.
Agroforestry combines agriculture and forestry to create integrated systems that may increase land-use efficiency. Research focuses on how small livestock farms may benefit from the additional revenue streams provided by agroforestry systems, such as timber or pecans from silvopasture.
Sheep research focuses on addressing problems of sheep farmers including alternatives to synthetic anthelmintic, nutrition, and genetic selection for parasite resistant animals.
