Support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and KUER FM 89.

Hello again everyone.

Thanks very much for joining us in a moment.

The first in a series of special monthly segments on rural Life and Agriculture in Arkansas and we'll speak with the host who helped produce its first report.

Now another first beginning with this edition, the leading candidates for major Arkansas offices in next year's elections.

Governor Hutchinson is term limited.

You may know and the race to succeed him already is taking shape.

Joining us now, Attorney General Leslie Rutledge, who is seeking, of course, the Republican gubernatorial nomination.

General thanks very much for being with us.

You have some company, well, you have some compositional.

I'm sorry we're talking over each other.

And I apologize for that is sort of a satellite thing or a zoom glitch, but at any rate you have some competition.

Another fairly well known name in Arkansas politics.

Are you committed to this race all the way through?

I absolutely am committed to this race.

Not only through May of 2022, but most importantly through November of 2022, we are going to have the resources needed to win this race to get my message of making Arkansas first out to the voters of Arkansas.

My record of the last six and a half to 7 years as the attorney General is a proven record of accomplishment fighting for our conservative values.

And so whether we're talking about our Second Amendment rights, our First Amendment, religious Liberty rights.

Whether we're talking about being the most pro-life state in America, the reason why we are the most pro-life state in America is because of the work that we have accomplished in the Attorney General's office defending our pro-life statutes.

We're also pushing back against Joe Biden, his out of control liberal left policies.

I'm sued President buying already on the greenhouse gas emissions on not being able to have tax cuts because of the stimulus funds, and because of the Keystone Pipeline.

All of these things are important to hardworking Arkansans.

Being famous and having a lot of money doesn't make you a leader.

It makes you famous with a lot of money, but makes you a leader is a proven record of accomplishment and that's what I have is the attorney general for the last 6 1/2 years?

Well, the issues that you have just cited are the same.

I think said identical issues that Miss Huckabee will say her name that Miss Sanders excuse me, Miss Sanders is emphasizing and she does have quite a bit of money but she also has something else.

She has an endorsement for Mr. For Mr Trump you've been you have.

Align yourself very closely with Mr. Trump.

Over the years, but does that give Miss Sanders the edge here?

I certainly supported Donald Trump's policies when he was President, United States.

However, I'm running to be the Governor of Arkansas.

I'm not running to be the mayor of Mar Lago.

I'm running to be the Governor of Arkansas and I'm going to use again my 6 1/2 years experience making decisions on behalf of 3,000,000 Arkansans every single day.

Steve, that's what this race is about.

It's about being the CEO of a billions and billions of dollars industry, which is the state of Arkansas and who can deliver results and have a proven record of delivering results.

There and I have known each other for a number of years.

I worked for her dad twice and so yes, this is a intra party fight to enter a family fight, but there's a vast difference between myself and my opponent.

I have been not just on the plane, I have been the pilot of the plane and when you fly in a plane you realize there's two important jobs.

There's the pilot and the flight attendant who do you want landing the plane?

You want the pilot landing the plane?

The person who is sat and made decision and has done that every single day for seven years.

So I'm going to have the resources necessary to win every single day I'm out traveling across the state of Arkansas, meeting with contractors, meeting with Pipeliners, meeting with job creators, talking to nurses and teachers.

You know, I'm not simply running a race from behind the Twitter account.

I'm out shaking hands, meeting people and working on their behalf every single day.

And I'm doing so as a full time attorney general in the middle of the legislative session with a very large staff and a large responsibility.

Being the mom to an incredible 2 1/2 year old baby girl.

And the wife to death row crop farmer who you know we know what it's like to earn a dollar.

We know what it's like to have to fight back against out of control policies because our livelihood depends on it.

My family's livelihood depends on it.

It's not just magic words.

For me, it's amount a matter of actions.

Well, it's been noted Miss Sanders appearances.

Those thus far have been largely limited to to out of state functions.

You use the furries a moment ago, hiding behind a Twitter account.

We are a reference to Miss Sanders.

Well, I think it's a reference to you know any leaders are right now.

People who are wanting to be elected to office.

That yes, we want people to voice their concerns and questions on Twitter on Facebook.

On these forms of social media.

But rather than just making statements on those, I'm actually leading the charge in our own state Capitol to push back against Big Tex censorship of Conservatives.

I'm not simply sending out a fund raising email about it, which we very well may use those methods, but I'm.

Taking action as the attorney General, I'm not simply saying that job out Biden is a bad president and he's hurting Arkansans.

I'm taking action to protect Arkansans to protect Arkansas jobs like our pipeliners when the Keystone Pipeline got cancelled, their jobs got cancelled, the jobs for the folks here in Welspun got cancelled and for the rest of us Steve it's an increase and what we're going to pay at the pumps.

It's an increase in what we're going to have to pay to buy groceries, so that's what being governor is about.

Being governor is not about simply.

By using magic words, it's about having actual leadership and actual experience, and I've got a proven record as the attorney general that I'm going to use to make Arkansas first.

First in education, first in tax reform, 1st and having new jobs and particularly manufacturing jobs, and having workforce development at our education opportunities for young students.

So that way when they come out of high school, they can go directly into the workforce.

We've got to have Prison Reform to make sure that people are going.

From prison into a job so they can take care of their families, we can't simply keep doing what we've been doing.

We've got to do more, and the only way that we can do more is to elect someone who has a proven record of experience.

And I'm the only one running for Governor who has a proven record of experience of getting things done.

You have described yourself in this interview and in earlier appearances, or or remarks as having piloted the plane for or being a pilot.

Actually, it was Mr. Hutchinson was it not who was in the left seat?

And as the chief legal officer, well, I mean it was Mr. Hutchinson who actually was responsible for executive authority.

I mean, what about being attorney general?

Specifically?

General qualifies you for the chief executive's job in the state.

Well, sure, stay van as you well know that I am in an independently elected constitutional officer.

I'm the attorney general for the State of Arkansas.

I was not hired by ASA Hutchinson except as a voter.

You know, he was one of several 100,000 voters that voted in my election.

So I make their decisions every single day as the attorney general.

Oftentimes, I consult with my client Governor ASA Hutchinson, but I make the decision of whether or not we're going to Sue Barack Obama over the waters of the US ruler, so-called clean power plant.

The Department of Labor's overtime rule I make the decision of whether or not we're going to push forward to ensure that criminals were held accountable and that we carried out those executions and we fought for those in court.

I make the decision every single day on behalf of millions of Arkansans.

So yes, I have been the pilot in in the pilot seat, perhaps not on who's going to be the Secretary of Agriculture, who's going to be Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

But I can assure you, as the Attorney general of the State of Arkansas, I make decisions every single day on behalf.

Of millions of people as a Republican yourself, do you have any reason to question Governor Hutchinson's credentials as a Republican?

Mr. Trump described him just the other day as a Republican in name only a rhino.

But I think the the term Republican in name only is being overused that we need to look at people's actions.

And I know that I had taken very conservative steps in my time as the attorney general and in my entire life and working for Republican candidates, we have finally gotten to a place in Arkansas politics where most of our elections are going to be decided at the Republican primary.

And so rather than tearing one another's credentials down and using a loose term such as right now, I think that we need to look at people's actual.

At what they have actually done, it actually accomplished.

I have worked very closely and supported Governor Hutchinson's policies, and I've worked very closely and supported President former President Trump's policies, and I've done so as the Attorney General of Arkansas.

What I'm focused on in my race for governor is not whether or not we are name calling someone a a Republican in name only, but rather whether they have the experience and whether they have a proven record.

An I'm focused on that as the Attorney general an.

Hopefully as the next governor of the Great State of Arkansas, but specifically Governor Hutchinson's credentials.

Any question in your mind?

Is he a certifiable Republic?

Is he a good Republican?

I think it's actually laughable that we're having this conversation because I don't know ASA Hutchinson for decades.

I remember when he was the chairman of the Republican Party and so I, I think that it is laughable that we're having this conversation.

I think that Governor Hutchinson's decisions are his decisions, and he's made those as governor.

At the decision in particular that is in question is one that, quite frankly, the legislature quickly overrode that decision, and we as a state are moving past that.

I do not believe that we need to be discussing whether or not our current governor his GOP credentials, because, again, I've known the governor's work in Republican politics for decades, and I think it speaks volumes of who he is.

We have worked closely together, but again, I've supported Governor Hutchinson's policies and defended his decisions when he?

Took Planned Parenthood off the taxpayer payrolls.

He asked me at the Attorney General's office to make sure that we successfully defended that and we did.

When we have taken a number of steps that were good conservative Republican policies, I have worked with him on that.

And again, when President Trump made good conservative policies, I defended his decisions.

That's what I've done as the attorney general, so I don't think that we need to spend time name calling.

Others rhinos are that that is not helpful.

To government and that is not helpful to how we hope to be as a state of Arkansas.

We want to have the best people that are the most qualified with the best experience leading the state of Arkansas.

So I guess I gather your answer is yes, that him he is the governor is a good Republican.

I mean.

I think I've answered that a number of times.

Steve, I think ASA Hutchinson has been a Republican and his for decades and decades and decades and decades.

There will be people now in the Republican Party who do not agree with some of his decisions, just as there are people who do not agree with Donald Trump's decisions.

When he was president, just as there are people who do not agree with Leslie religious decisions at times that that's part of being a leader is that Europe had to withstand people questioning decisions that you make.

And I have been making decisions for the last 6 1/2 years as the Attorney general an I have been applauded and criticized for some of those decisions, but again, that's the difference in my race for governor is that I have sat behind the desk making decisions.

I haven't simply stood behind the podium answering questions about someone elses decisions and you have to be able to answer questions about your own decisions and know that you have made those decisions with the best information.

Talking to the experts.

Involve including people around you that are preparing you to lead the state of Arkansas, and that's what I've done over the last 6 1/2 years.

That's the sort of people I surround myself with and that we work hard every single day on behalf of the people of Arkansas governor.

There's legislation moving in the General Assembly as we speak and also in at least one County that would declare the state or one instance.

The County rejet kind of indemnify or Inter posing itself its sovereignty against.

Firearms legislation that one or another public official considered Violet if of the 10th Amendment, infringing on the 10th Amendment is that defensible in your estimation?

Could you defend that law?

Well, certainly as we review all at 1500 to 2000 bills that are moving through the legislature, we look as to whether or not those bills can be upheld in courts.

We have conversations with legislators.

I usually we're having conversations with them outside of the committees because I believe that that committee time is best used.

Sometimes we have attorneys testify as to the constitutionality, but it's best used for experts who don't have the opportunity to meet and to.

For legislators to hear from them, and so we're reviewing all of those issues, including this potential legislation right now.

General, thanks very much.

We're simply out of time.

I wish we had more, but would you come back anytime?

Steve, I'm always happy to do an interview with Arkansas Local media.

I appreciate you taking the time to cover these issues.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Ann will be right back.

As we mentioned at the top of the broadcast, we began a new monthly segment in Arkansas, Week one devoted to rural life and agriculture in Arkansas School.

Good roots, and in our first installment, a look at an innovative approach to sustainability.

It's called regenerative farming our host this week is no stranger to Arkansas agriculture.

Here's Logan Duvall.

I'm Logan involved and this is good roots long identified as pickle capital.

Atkins AR has always been a crossroads of sorts.

A city that grew up along a railroad served as a hub for River traffic and currently sits right off Interstate 40.

And just on the outskirts of town, in the shadow of Petitjean Mountain, a ten generation family farm is paving a new way of farming.

I'm standing in a soon to be planted rice field at Ralston family farms.

May be wondering Rice field in the spring?

What is there to see?

Well, I'm not here today to harvest Russ, but rather talk about farming practices, specifically regenerative farming.

Whether it's labeled as regenerative, sustainable or organic, they describe farming and grazing practices that reverse climate change by rebuilding organic matter in the soil and restoring degraded soil biodiversity resulting in both carbon drawdown and improving the water cycle.

In this rich soil is just one of the many beneficial results.

Tim Ralston, my wife.

Robin and I own and operate Ralston family.

Farms were located in Arkansas River Valley.

Here near Atkins we farmed out 5800 acres little over half that's dedicated to rice production.

We also grow soybeans and corn and we've got a cow herd of about 120 Mama cows.

We practice regenerative agriculture and this is important because it helps us to give back to the land and make sure that it's going to be there for future generations.

We have two little girls and we're getting to raise them on the farm and I'm super excited about that and just the the opportunities that they have to interact with farm life and writing and tractors all the time and it's just going to be a great learning opportunity for them.

Sustainable practices the Ralston's are using help prevent erosion and water pollution.

These practices include no till planting with equipment outfitted with tracks instead of tires.

To minimize running using renewable surface water irrigation and precision level fields.

But utilizes 100% surface water and all of that water comes out of the Arkansas River by using surface water and we're not depleting the aquifer and it allows us to take advantage of the opportunity to use that surface water.

It's also a key component of the surface waters.

It's warmer and so when we apply that to the crops, the crops don't have any kind of set back or anything from the cold water.

The interesting thing about this project is when you use zero grade farming then you do not have the water run off.

Which when you have water runoff that erodes the soil and the nutrients and also the nutrients that are used to grow, the plants are used completely in the soil instead of eroding into the streams.

So this is the epitome of conserving our resources.

When you use zero grade farming, zero grade fields are designed to give the farmer more efficient control of the water levels required for us to develop.

The zero slope allows water to travel faster and the flood to be more uniform.

Across the field, virtually eliminate ING the need to build levees Antill, saving money and burning less fossil fuel to pump water.

This was the main plume coming from Arkansas River them right now.

This pump takes care of 250 acres at lays right right down in this area and we typically farm that in rice and across the road here and we've got another 125 acres that is currently using three pumps, one electric and two diesels.

So what we're going to do is we're going to eliminate those three pumps and tie it into this system.

This pump was put in with the help of the NRC, S5, or six years ago and is capable of pumping 5000 gallons per minute.

When we pump that water into the rice field, we just hold it like kind of putting water in the bathtub, and the crop utilizes it to its full extent an whatever water we do return at the end of the crop, it goes back to the River crystal clear.

To me, I think it all starts with being profitable and being profitable over the long term.

Mike Sullivan is with the USDA National Resource Conservation Services for more than 80 years, that NRCS has worked in close partnership with farmers, ranchers and government agencies to maintain healthy and productive working landscapes.

Or farmers, if they can do things with their cropping systems to build soil organic matter, making sure that you're not losing soil, but you're building the soil, helping it to be productive so that you can continue to grow crops years into the future.

Where can somebody learn to apply it or get more resources?

We have local conservation districts where we have staff and most every County, and it really starts with a conversation.

And the best thing to do is work with your local conservationists.

An ask for conservation plan on how you can continue to be profitable, but at the same time address all of your natural resource concerns.

If you can minimize the amount of fuel you use button crop in being minimize of trips across that field, you know that's good business, but it just so happens that it's good for the environment as well.

You learn through the years when you're farming that if you take care of the soul, the soul will take care of you.

In Atkins AR, I'm Logan Duvall and this is good Bruce.

Major funding for Good Roots is provided by Arkansas Farm Bureau, Arkansas Farm Bureau advocating the interests of Arkansas's largest industry for more than 80 years.

Arkansas counts on agriculture, agriculture counts on Farm Bureau at look who's here.

It's Logan of all host of that first installment of Good Roots.

You've traveled the state to meet a lot of Arkansas farmers, and as your Co owner now.

Of me and McGee market, right?

Right?

That is right.

Got to see a lot of farmers and a lot of different methods that they use.

Do you've got a pretty good working relationship with a lot of them?

What we heard a lot.

We have heard over the over the years a lot about sustainable agriculture.

Where you're talking here about regenerative?

What's the difference is there?

And if it is there a real different well?

One of the things about about all that is the different names it you kind of get caught up in the weeds sometimes, but regenerative.

The biggest thing is about making it better.

It's we're generating.

So over time we've kind of degraded the soil in a lot of ways, and with this regenerative model we're trying to overcome.

That degradation, well, you losing topsoil, I said, sure.

Top soil nutrients.

Just the organic material that's in there and So what?

Like The Rolling Stones are doing is putting it back well either in this form or in the whole context of regenerative farming is is there a movement back to more organic?

Do you see a time when we can use far fewer pesticides then we're using now?

Or we are going to have to live with pesticide?

I do.

I think that there's probably going to be a happy medium and a transition period for sure, but we.

The Regenerant movements a whole lot like how we are great grandparents farming.

How are they doing things?

They're rotating cattle?

They were planting cover crops.

They were doing things more naturally and not using it, maybe more as a biology class than a chemistry class in the sense that, well I mean crop rotation though is as old as.

A fish helping to grow corn, right?

I mean, right right?

A lot of this is not new.

I mean we give up this.

I did what did we move away from that that pattern we did?

We moved away from it around the time of World War Two.

So we went into a much more of a factories were going into the petroleum based chemicals and stuff.

And so we started having a overabundance of that and access and that was a outlet that people used.

Was using the fertilizers and stuff made from those factories, how applicable this particular farmers was drawing a lot of water, if not most of its water from the Arkansas River and subsequently according to your piece, returning it to the River.

Is that concept Apple couple say in the Grand Prairie?

It it can, I mean, so different climates are conducive to different types of vegetation, right?

So some are going to need a lot less water than, say, ruscas rice.

You've got to have a ton of water intense.

Rot is very very water intensive whereas another is not.

When you get into the let's say wait or another grass type, when you have a regenerative practice and you've built that so it's a lot more tolerant to drought and even flooding.

So when you have that increase of soil organic material, think of it like a sponge like a kitchen sponge.

The water hits that soil and it just soaks in there and it stays until you squeeze it out.

Or OK, now take the same same sponge and put a rehard layer of something on there like they even say close play something.

Well now it's going to hit.

It's not going to soak in there.

It's going to run off.

Well, that's the problem.

That's what we're trying to get away from is we want to create the best sponge possible.

So when you have a lot of rain, it infiltrates down in there.

It stays in the soil.

Then when you have a period of drought, it's still in the soil because that.

Organic sponge is holding it.

Fascinating stuff.

Thank you in a fascinating report.

Good roots second Tuesday of our second week of every month here on Arkansas Week.

Logan, thanks very much Steve.

I will see you next week.

Support for Arkansas Week provided by the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The Arkansas Times and KUER FM 89.