Jackson County Extension Center
The Jackson County Extension Center is one of the three Cooperative Extension Service (CES) owned/managed properties. Other locations include the Lonoke Extension Center and the Little Rock State Office.
This center is one of the few stations found directly on a 4 Lane Divided US Highway (US 67 Future I-57).
Extension Focus
Applied Research
Production
Adult & Youth Education
Primary crops grown at station:
- corn
- grain sorghum
- soybeans
- wheat
Weed Science, Plant Pathology, Soybean Agronomy, and Peanut Agronomy program leaders all have applied research projects on site.
The center consists of approximately 450 acres of ground with 350 acres tillable. Some of the larger projects include work with the Harrington and Redekop Integrated Seed Destruction System, sprayer automation using drone imagery, and applied peanut research including both plant pathology and weed science.
Research Farm
- 450 acres
- 350 tillable acres
- 100 acres research
- 9-10 PI’s each year
- Crops: Corn, Soybeans, Peanuts, Rice, Wheat
- Research: Agronomics, Diseases, Fertility, and Weed Control
- Field Days: Soybean College and Herbicide Symptomology
Take a Virtual Tour
What does the Jackson County Extension Center have to offer?
The center provides training opportunities for both the public and private industry in agriculture, family consumer science, 4h youth development, and community economic development.
- 170 acres of row and pivot irrigated precision leveled ground.
- A diverse portfolio of industry and public research projects.
- The ability to work with industry partners to help supply a location for trials.
- High-Speed Fiber Internet capability across farm.
Programs and Events
- Soybean College every other year
- Herbicide Symptomology training yearly
- Primary location of applied peanut research for Arkansas production recommendations
Want to learn more about our services?
Staff
- Center Director
- Center Staff
- County Staff
- Faculty
- Cotton/Peanut Specialist- To Be Hired
History
Fast facts:
- Former World War II Air Force Training Base
- Beef Cattle Sub-Station for Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station (AAES) thru 1993
- Leased Farm ~1994-2004
- Became the Jackson County Extension Office in 2007
- Managed by the Pine Tree Research Station until 2012 when then Weed Scientist Dr. Bob Scott took possession for CES to do pigweed research trials
The land was the site of Erwin Auxiliary Army Airfield, built in 1942 and used for training and military exercises during World War II. Erwin Auxiliary Army Airfield was deactivated in 1949. The X-shaped runways and taxiways still exist. The land was deeded to the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees in October 1959 and was formerly known as the Beef Substation. The substation was closed in 1993 and reopened in 2005.
In 2005, the University of Arkansas Pine Tree Research Station through AAES maintained and managed operations for the Newport Research Station. In 2007 then Staff Chair Randy Chlapecka moved the County Extension Office from the Jackson County Courthouse to the bottom floor of the Newport Research Station main building,
In 2012, The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (CES) took possession of the station from AAES. The station became part of the CES portfolio. Before 2012, the farm was already utilized by several Extension Specialist for applied research in corn, peanut, and soybean. The name was then changed to the Jackson County Extension Center under the first director Dr. Bob Scott.
During 2016/2017, early discussion began on developing a center to help modernize the station. There was an opportunity and need for new offices and a meeting area that could be used for field days, extension programming, and public/private partnerships. This vision would take 5 more years to become a reality.
This was the first major new construction project the Cooperative Extension Service completed in several years. Dr. Rick Cartwright former Senior Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Extension played a critical role to promote the project and obtain necessary budget approvals in 2019. In 2020, incoming Senior Associate Vice President for Agriculture – Extension Dr. Bob Scott successfully navigated the transition and facilitated the construction of several improvements including the new meeting facility.
In 2021, Jackson County Quorum Court asked the name to be changed from the Jackson County Extension Center to the Jackson County Extension Center. The name change was part of an agreement to help the community understand the importance of the center not only to Newport, but Jackson County as a whole. In the fall of 2021 after years of working and budget proposals, the ground was officially broken on the Jackson County Extension Center new facility. The county offices and station staff began moving to the new facility in February of 2023.
In March 2023, the new facility was renamed to the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Producers Building after a $250,000 donation from Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Producers Board in support of finishing out the building and honoring the long-standing corn and grain sorghum work being done on the center.
The Jackson County Extension Center has a bright future that will continue to grow and become a larger part of supporting agricultural communities of Northeast Arkansas.
We hope you enjoyed learning about us. We are glad to help our community.