In this issue:

Food Business Mentoring Program Deadline Extension

Produce Safety Spotlight

Local Foods Open Space Community Discussion

CFAP Applications Open
Boosting Rural Economies Through Food Innovation Startup with Mentored Entrepreneurial Support

Deadline Extension

If you participated in the Creating Your Small Food Business at the Share Grounds Certified Kitchen webinar last week, you are eligible to apply for the one-on-one mentored start-up assistance program. Applications are now due by close of business on Thursday, June 4th . In order to be eligible to apply, you must have attended or watched the recording of the webinar. For more information, contact Angela Gardner at agardner@uaex.edu or Julia Fryer at jfryer@uaex.edu.
Produce Safety Spotlight

Temporary Policy During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Regarding the Qualified Exemption from the Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption

"FDA recognizes that the ability of farms to shift food sales to available buyers during the COVID19 public health emergency has the potential to help reduce food shortages and food waste and to help support both farms and the U.S. economy. In order to support affected farms in selling food to all available buyers during the COVID-19 public health emergency, under the circumstances described in section III FDA does not intend to enforce the criteria for sales to qualified end-users when determining eligibility for the qualified exemption under the Produce Safety Rule, for the duration of the public health emergency."
Local Foods Open Space Community Discussion

Join us for a bi-weekly open space discussion with the local foods community. We invite farms, food stands, farmers markets, CSA's, small grocers, cottage food businesses, farm-to-school programs, restaurants, pop-up food shops, and other food businesses to attend. Registration is free!
Local Food Access and School Nutrition
June 8 | 2:30-4:30 pm

Sarah Lane, Farm to School & Early Childhood Education Program Coordinator with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture, will provide updates on the Arkansas COVID-19 Food Access Map, school meals and farm to school programming for Arkansas.

Ally Mrachek, Child Nutrition Director for Fayetteville Public Schools, will discuss how they have adapted and continued to serve meals to students amid COVID-19.
Have you missed an Open Space Community Discussion? Check out the recordings on our website!
Coronavirus Food Assistance Program Applications Open

Farmers who have experienced a price decline of 5% or more due to COVID-19 and face significant marketing costs are eligible to apply for direct assistance provided by the CFAP. Applications are being accepted through August 28. See the full list of covered crops here . For more information on the program, who is eligible and how to apply, join the CFAP Direct Farmer Aid Webinar from NSAC on May 29 at 12 pm.
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