Bob Scott succeeded Rick Cartwright, who retired as director of the Cooperative Extension Service on June 30.
Scott grew up on a family farm in Oklahoma and joined the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture as an extension weed scientist in 2002. He also worked at the Arkansas Experiment Station. In 2013, he was named director of the Newport and Lonoke Extension Centers, then in April 2018 he was appointed director of the Rice Research & Extension Center near Stuttgart.
Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy and a master’s in weed science from Oklahoma State University, as well as a doctorate in weed science from Mississippi State University.
How has the role of the Extension Service changed over the years? Has anything changed as a direct result of the coronavirus?
The scope of extension has expanded exponentially in the past century, from having a rural focus to reaching into every corner of Arkansas. What has not changed is our basic mission that grew out of the land-grant universities: education, research and extension service.
Extension comes into play as we provide — or extend — research-based information to help Arkansas farmers, families and communities make informed decisions. COVID-19 has definitely been a game changer, but fortunately not a game stopper. Farmers, by nature, are pros when it comes to socially distancing. We continue to make on-site visits to consult with growers and producers.
For other programs and services, we’ve been able to pivot quickly. Technology has played a big role — from sharing information through webinars and virtual field tours to providing online 4-H camps.
What services do you offer that you wish the public knew more about or used more?
There are so many!
I think most folks are familiar with 4-H, our youth development program, and Master Gardeners, as well as the free soil testing we offer. We also provide several opportunities for business, community and economic development.
Our Public Policy Center researches ballot issues and publishes fact sheets so that Arkansans can better understand the implementations of proposed laws before they vote. Our statewide LeadAR program has been training community leaders for more than 30 years and is open to Arkansans working in any sector. Our Arkansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center helps business owners find and compete for government contracts. And we provide assistance and space for food entrepreneurs at our Share Grounds kitchen incubator and aggregation development project.
Every county in Arkansas has an extension office with agents who specialize in agriculture and family and consumer sciences. Our services are free, and I want people to know we are here to serve them.
What concerns challenge agriculture in Arkansas, and what development is most promising?
I feel good about the future of agriculture in Arkansas. We have threats from low prices and rising production costs. Other things, like water availability and urban encroachment, also concern me, but after being raised by a farmer back in Oklahoma and working with farmers across the Midsouth for most of my career, the one thing I know is that farmers are some of the most resilient folks around. There is good support in this state for agriculture. We are still an ag-based economy for the most part, and I do not see that changing anytime soon.
What’s the most important thing you’ve learned from the pandemic, personally or professionally?
Professionally, I’ve learned that our organization can weather a storm and continue to achieve great things when we pull together. COVID-19 has reinforced that it is never too early to act when a threat like this arises. Personally, I’ve learned not to take things for granted, like face-to-face meetings, going to church and getting paper products. I will probably enjoy those things a little more once this pandemic ends.
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