Whether he is talking about armyworms, fescue or hostas, Allen Bates, 62, seems right at home in his role as a Garland County Cooperative Extension Service agent for agriculture. What his job description does not say is that he oversees the Master Gardener program, but he does that, too.
“Interestingly enough, my job description does not even mention the Master Gardeners,” he said, smiling. “It calls for me to spend 75 percent of my time on agriculture duties and 25 percent on 4-H activities, but I am also the adviser to the Master Gardeners.”
It is his attention to the Master Gardener program that earned him recognition at the Arkansas Master Gardner Convention, held in June in Eureka Springs. Bates was named Master Gardener Agent of the Year.
“I had not registered to attend the state Master Gardener conference,” Bates said. “Eureka Springs is a bit far from here, and I had decided not to attend.
“Janet Carson, [state coordinator for the Arkansas Master Gardener program], called me and said, ‘Allen, we don’t have your registration yet. We need you to go.’
“And she told me that I would be receiving this award,” he said, adding that he and wife, Linda, did make the weekend trip to Eureka Springs. Linda Bates is the 4-H agent at the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service, which is part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
“I was honored, and surprised, I won the award,” Allen Bates said. “It was possible because of the dedication and work by all of the Garland County Master Gardeners.”
During her introductory remarks at the state conference, Carson said this about Bates:
“Since Allen’s first year on the job in 2011, he has been a fixture of the Garland County Master Gardeners program, taking the lead and organizing and teaching the basic MG training class, which consists of five counties, and conducting educational programming for MGs and for the public in Garland County.
“He has been a guest speaker at various garden clubs, civic groups, Garvan Gardens, the Garland County Library and several local schools,” Carson said.
“While we know that Allen has many other duties assigned to him as an agricultural agent, he is always willing to share his time and talent with the MG program,” Carson said. “During his time with Extension, he has overseen the new Langston Memorial Project. For the past three years, he has attended the Master Gardener State Conference and the [Master Gardeners Plant-Nurture-Grow] Leadership Conference.
“Allen is very active with the Garland County Master Gardeners Program, directing them in acceptable policies and supporting their advancement each year, and he always does it with a smile on his face,” Carson said.
Bates has been with the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service for five years.
“As an agriculture agent, I have been able to specialize in horticulture,” he said. “When I became involved with the Master Gardeners five years ago, we had 180 members. We now have 225 members.
“We are a very strong group,” he said. “For the past two years, we have had the Master Gardener of the Year in the state.”
Bates said the local Master Gardeners work on approximately 30 projects, including making and installing the hanging baskets downtown, working at the city greenhouse, and working at Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs and at the Garland County Fair. The group sponsors a Habitat for Humanity project, in which members do the landscaping for the houses after they are completed. During the summer months, members set up an information booth at the farmers market in downtown Hot Springs.
“A new project that I was involved with was setting up a horticulture program for inmates about to be released from the new detention center,” Bates said. “We hope to expand that next year. We are looking at ideas to develop a pumpkin patch for children of inmates. … That’s on the radar.”
Bates also set up horticulture classes at the Shalom Women’s Center, a faith-based rehabilitation program for women with life-controlling problems who wish to renew and transform their lives.
“I helped install raised beds for the women and children to manage,” he said. “That was very rewarding.”
The local Master Gardeners also hold fundraising activities, such as their annual plant sale, with proceeds funding scholarships for local students.
Bates said the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service offers a 40-hour training program for new Master Gardeners in January of each year. The program includes one eight-hour day per week for five weeks. There is a cost for the program. At the end of the training period, the new Master Gardeners are expected to complete 40 hours of project time and 20 hours of educational time in the ensuing year to qualify as certified Master Gardeners.
The class is open to residents of Garland, Montgomery, Saline, Hot Spring and Grant counties. Those who are interested in taking the class may contact Bates at the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service, 236 Woodbine St., (501) 623-6841 or abates@uaex.edu.
Bates was born in Hot Springs, the son of the late Leon and Joann Bates. He graduated from Fountain Lake High School in 1972. He competed in calf-roping events all over the state and won the all-around cowboy title at the National High School Rodeo Association’s rodeo in Denver, Colorado, in 1972.
He attended Arkansas State University on a rodeo scholarship. He graduated a few years later, in 1980, with a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture.
Bates taught vocational agriculture at Lake Hamilton High School for four years. He worked for Anthony Timberlands for 25 years in production forestry prior to coming to work at the Extension Service.
During most of his life, Bates said, he tried to work as a professional cowboy.
“I was a calf-roper,” he said. “Most of my family was involved in rodeo, … Dad, Mom, a sister, brother, nephews, me and my wife.
“My wife, Linda, was a barrel racer and did breakaway roping,” he said. “She is from Cherry
Valley. Her father was in the construction business and came to Garland County to help build Hot Springs Village. That is how we met.
“We have a 100-acre farm off Arkansas 7 near Hot Springs Village,” he said. “I still have a few horses.”
Prior to going to work at the Garland County Cooperative Extension Service, Linda Bates taught school. She taught first in public school, but she taught for 17 years at Christian Ministries Academy, which is operated by Christian Ministries Church, where Allen and Linda Bates are members.
Allen and Linda, who have been married 40 years, have one son, Tyce. Tyce and his wife, Holly, and their daughter, Adaline, 1 1/2, live next door to Allen and Linda. Tyce, who does not participate in rodeo, is a landscaper and has a tree service. Allen Bates has one brother, Jeff Bates, whose wife, Brenda, is a sister to Allen’s wife, Linda. Jeff and Brenda Bates live next door to Allen and Linda. Jeff works for Anthony Timberlands.
Bates’ sister, Leann Thomas, lives with her husband, Jim, on a 600-acre farm in Benton. They own Thomas Real Estate and Insurance. They have two sons, Jason and Sean, who both participate in rodeo.
As far as future plans, Allen Bates said he has no plans to retire anytime soon.
“I think I rodeoed a little too long to think about retiring anytime soon,” he said, smiling. “I plan to work as long as I am healthy enough.”