Arkansas Cattle Business: Arkansas Cattlemen's Association Magazine, Podcast and Staff
Profile updated November 2026
Arkansas Cattle Business magazine is the member publication of the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association (ACA), the Little Rock group that represents beef producers in what the association calls the Natural State. The brand now spans print and audio, with the Arkansas Cattle Business Podcast carrying the same mix of policy, production and people.
| Publisher | Arkansas Cattlemen's Association |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Little Rock, Arkansas |
| Companion media | Arkansas Cattle Business Podcast |
| Executive Vice President | Michelle Bufkin Horton, since January 2024 |
| Annual convention | 68th held in 2026 |
| Federal tax exemption | Granted December 1968 |
| Official website | Arkansas Cattle Business Podcast |
History of Arkansas Cattle Business
The Arkansas Cattlemen's Association, which works through county cattlemen's associations, held its 68th annual convention in 2026. Its federal tax exemption dates to December 1968. The association focuses on legislation, education, advocacy and development for cattle producers, and it represents members before lawmakers and regulators on issues that affect beef.
Leadership has passed through several well-known figures in Arkansas agriculture. Adam McClung served as executive vice president until his sudden death in 2017. In January 2024 Michelle Bufkin Horton became the first woman to hold the post. She had served as the ACA's membership and communications director from 2018 to 2022, holds agricultural communications degrees from Auburn and Texas Tech, and studied consumer perceptions of beef cattle farm tours in her graduate research.
After three decades at one address, the association moved into a mid-century modern office in downtown Little Rock. The ACA honors long service with the Aubrey Blackmon Lifetime Service Achievement Award, named in 2023 for a former state president.
Arkansas Cattle Business Today
Arkansas Cattle Business remains the association's printed link to members, and the podcast extends it. Recent episodes in late 2026 covered fall forage management on drought-stressed pastures, cattle genetics with Donnell Brown of R.A. Brown Ranch, mental health in agriculture with the University of Arkansas Farm Stress Program, ranch horse education, and a recap of the 68th annual convention with a Hats on the Hill legislative update.
What Arkansas Cattle Business Is Publishing Now
Hats on the Hill
Legislative and regulatory updates from Little Rock and Washington, a running feature of both the magazine and the podcast.
Production and forage
Pasture, hay and drought management, herd health and genetics, often with University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture specialists.
Members and leadership
Convention coverage, county association news, the association's ACLC program and producer profiles.
Arkansas Cattle Business Editors and Staff
Association filings, announcements and the publisher's contact listings name:
- Michelle Bufkin Horton - Executive Vice President and podcast host
- Maggie Malson - Editorial contact, Arkansas Cattle Business
- Scott Sullivan - ACA President (FY2024 filing)
- Adam McClung - Former Executive Vice President, died 2017
Who Reads Arkansas Cattle Business
Readers are cow-calf producers, stocker operators and allied businesses across Arkansas, where cattle are concentrated on pasture farms in the Ozarks, the Ouachitas and the river valleys. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service tracks the state herd closely: in its review of the January 2022 inventory, extension economist James Mitchell reported that Arkansas cattle numbers fell more than 5%, about 90,000 head, the third straight annual decline, while beef cow numbers dropped 2%. Such swings in herd size and prices are the core business news of the magazine.
Arkansas cattle producers know that a podcast is the perfect companion for a long drive to the sale barn. When the policy talk is done, farm.FM is ready with farm satire, farm humor and ranch humor built for the Natural State. Its farm jokes pair nicely with a truck cab, a thermos and a load of steers.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
Arkansas Cattle Business Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Arkansas Cattle Business Podcast - episodes from the association.
- Arkansas Ag: ACA welcomes Michelle Bufkin Horton - the 2024 leadership change.
- University of Arkansas Extension: Cattle inventory report - state herd trends.
- USDA NASS Quick Stats - Arkansas cattle inventory statistics.
- USDA ERS: Cattle and calf receipts - national cattle economics.
Arkansas Cattle Business FAQ
Who publishes Arkansas Cattle Business magazine?
The Arkansas Cattlemen's Association in Little Rock.
Is there an Arkansas Cattle Business podcast?
Yes. The Arkansas Cattle Business Podcast covers legislation, education, advocacy and production topics for Arkansas producers.
Who leads the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association?
Michelle Bufkin Horton has been executive vice president since January 2024.
What is Hats on the Hill?
The association's legislative update feature on policy work in Little Rock and Washington.
In print and in the truck cab, Arkansas Cattle Business magazine keeps Arkansas cattle producers informed on markets, policy and pasture.