Summer crops are slowing, days are getting shorter, and we have a lot of local food news to share!

Our team has been busy as ever, traveling the state to provide our hardworking growers support in keeping their produce safety programs in tip-top shape and networking to help create local food supply chains.

USDA Regional Food Business Centers

The USDA Regional Food Business Centers (RFBCs) aim to create a resilient, diverse, and more competitive food system by assisting local producers and food businesses to better access regional supply chains. They provide technical assistance to connect producers with wholesalers and distributors, reach new markets, and tap into federal, state, and local resources. A special focus is given to assisting small and mid-sized producers, particularly those from underserved communities.

Arkansas Farms, Food Businesses, and Nonprofits:

Arkansas will be supported by two different Regional Food Business Centers: the Heartland RFBC and the Delta RFBC.

The Heartland RFBC will support Benton, Carrol, Boone, Washington, Madison, Newton, Crawford, Franklin, and Johnson counties while the Delta RFBC will support the rest of the state.

Each RFBC will soon offer Business Builder Grants to assist with post-harvest activities, excluding production-related expenses. For updates on these grants, visit the Regional Food Business Center Business Builder webpage.

Financial Assistance Opportunity

The Heartland RFBC has opened the

Business Builder Subaward grant applications!

Eligible to apply: small food and farm businesses or non-profit organizations in Benton, Carrol, Boone, Washington, Madison, Newton, Crawford, Franklin, and Johnson counties.

See the FAQ page for more info.

Spring Creek Food Hub is hosting a

Business Builder Grant Workshop and Q&A on September 16th from 9:30 - 11:30

in Springdale to discuss all the details of this grant. Register online to ensure you have a seat!

The Delta RFBC has **NOT YET** opened the

Business Builder Subaward grant applications! Stay tuned!

See the Delta RFBC page for more info.

Field Days

Growing Urban Farmers is a USDA-NRCS grant-funded program at St. Joseph's Center of Arkansas, aimed at increasing local food production by assisting those interested in becoming urban farmers or starting an urban agriculture business. St. Joseph's Growing Urban Farmers Program is offering several upcoming FREE field days. Located at: 6800 Camp Robinson Rd, N. Little Rock, AR 72118.

• Sept. 12th @ 5pm - 6:30pm "How to Get a Farm Number"
• Oct. 9th @ 5pm - 6:30pm "Growing Year-Round in a High Tunnel"
• Nov. 20th @ 10am - 3pm "High Tunnel Construction"

Farmer Meetups

St. Joseph's Center of Arkansas is hosting a series of Farmer Meetups. Farmer Meetups are for local farmers and aspiring farmers to connect, share experiences, and tackle challenges together. Located at: 6800 Camp Robinson Rd, N. Little Rock, AR 72118

• Oct. 2nd @ 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
• Nov. 20th @5:30 pm - 7:00pm

What is Produce Safety?

Produce safety is a set of Good Agricultural Practices that helps growers manage the risk of growing, harvesting, packing, and holding fresh produce from farm to table. The LRSF team offers outreach, training, and technical assistance to farms building a new food safety program, preparing for a USDA GAP Audit or FDA Produce Safety Rule Inspection. Growers of all scales of production should be trained on Produce Safety at least every three years and some growers will need to be audited or inspected. Join us for an upcoming training to learn more.

⚠️ Last Grower Training of 2024! ⚠️

The last Grower Training of 2024 will be held at the Little Rock State Extension Office on September 26th from 8:00am to 5:00pm. The cost is $25.00 per person, and this includes lunch, coffee, snacks, and training materials.

Deadline to register is September 23rd, don't miss it!

What is Value-Added Food Processing?

Value-added food processing is when a raw agricultural product undergoes a change in the physical state or form of the product to preserve, manufacture, or differentiate it in the marketplace. Value-added food processing may occur on the individual scale through home-based food preservation techniques, home-based food manufacturing, or commercial food manufacturing.

Our program will help those interested in creating manufactured foods to understand the best management practices and the state and federal regulations for taking agricultural products and turning them into value-added foods. Those interested in individual food preservation techniques (not for sale) should visit the Family and Consumer Science (FCS) Extension page.

Can I Sell Homemade Value-Added Foods?

You can sell manufactured value-added food made at home. You must consult the Arkansas Homemade Food Production Guidelines. This publication is provided by the Arkansas Department of Health and provides guidance on what foods can be produced and sold from a home kitchen. It also provides guidance on labeling, how the food can be sold, delivered, and any necessary record keep requirements. Some products must be tested for food safety, please reach out if you need assistance. Read more about this here.

Ready for the Next Step?

Have you been creating your own Value-Added products already and are considering scaling them up for a potential food business endeavor? Check out these resources for getting started with a Value-Added Business! Arkansas Department of Health has additional resources available for manufactured foods, and you can find those resources here.

Arkansas Stories: Connecting Local Leaders and Elevating Successes and Needs

Arkansas has a broad and diverse agricultural community: farming at large and small scale, row crops, fruits and vegetables, and livestock. Too often, these voices and their stories go unheard by decision-makers in Washington, DC.

This year is a key time for Arkansas folks to be heard: Congress is considering a new 2024 Farm Bill that will have a big impact on the state’s food and agriculture sectors and every community across the state. This is an opportunity for us to build resilient local and regional food systems, take action on climate change, and ensure the economic success of farmers and ranchers.

The Arkansas Stories project aims to increase the economic vitality and sustainability of farms in Arkansas and build stronger connections across food and farm organizations statewide.

We do this through:

• Sharing the stories of Arkansas growers with decision makers to help lift up innovative solutions and important needs
• Connecting Arkansas-focused organizations to share regular updates and opportunities to collaborate

How Can I Get Involved?

• Are you a farmer? Have you used Federal programs (for example: EQIP, CSP, LFPA, VAPG, etc.) to assist or help support your agricultural operation? We would love to hear your story, including what is working well and where programs could use more resources or improvement! We might be able to feature you in the press, on social media, or connect you with opportunities to share why the farm bill is important to you directly.
• Do you work with a nonprofit or organization serving farmers or folks involved in the food and farm system?

We would love to learn more about who you are, the people you serve, and your needs. Collectively we can tell a better story and support each other – and we’re starting by offering to connect folks to regular opportunities to hear about policy updates, events in-state, and more.

Contact Information:

Jeremy Adams, arkansassustainableagriculture@gmail.com 

Arkansas Stories is a collaboration between the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and the Wallace Center.