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Happy Holidays from the LRSF Team!

2024 Produce Saftey Grower Trainings

Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo

Farm Food Safety Expenses Assistance

Bringing the BAAND Together

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Happy Holidays from Our Team!

Wishing You and Yours the Best this Season ✨

We wish each and all of our subscribers a holiday season filled with joy, rest, and precious moments with those you love. Our team takes this time to recharge and prepare our minds and bodies for the year ahead. And just as we are committed to growing and developing a healthy, robust, safe, and sustainable food system for Arkansas, we appreciate your dedication to this endevor, too, and for following us on this journey. Thank you!

Please note that the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and State Extension Office will be CLOSED from FRIDAY, DECEMBER 22nd thru MONDAY, JANUARY 1st.

We look forward to 2024!

Save the Date for Our 2024 Trainings!

Registration Coming Soon

We are pleased to announce our 2024 Produce Safety Grower Training schedule! Be sure to save these dates now and keep an eye out for registration information closer to each training.

For more information, contact Rip Weaver at rweaver@uada.edu.

Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo is Back!

Registration Now Open

The much-anticipated Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo returns for a second year January 25-27, 2024 at the Hot Springs Convention Center! Last year saw over 450 in attendance - don' miss out!

This annual gathering is open to all parties interested in Arkansas agriculture, the state’s largest industry, and focuses on the farmers and producers who grow for our local food system.The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is collaborating with eight Arkansas associations to host general sessions and workshops on many topics that are important to our farmers in the local food system. The Hot Springs Convention Center Exhibit Hall offers a large space for sponsors and vendors to display products and network with new and existing customers.

Through the Food Safety Certification for Specialty Crops (FSCSC) program, specialty crop growers are eligible for financial assistance to cover 2023 costs related to food safety certification. Applicable costs are:

• Developing a food safety plan for first-time food safety certification; 
• Maintaining or updating an existing food safety plan; 
• Food safety certification;
• Certification upload fees; 
• Microbiological testing for products, soil amendments and water; and
• Training.

Producers can apply for assistance on their calendar year 2023 expenses through Jan. 31, 2024. For more information, please read this news realease.

Bringing the BAAND Together

Extension Hosts AR Food System Project Kickoff Meeting

On December 12, 2023, our team kicked off the Building an Arkansas Agriculture Network Development (BAAND) project with a day-long planning meeting at the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service State Office in Little Rock. Dr. Amanda Philyaw Perez shared her vision and goals for the planning grant over the next two years and beyond and how project partners can play a vital role.

🎤🎸🎶

CLICK EACH PARTNER BELOW TO LEARN MORE:

Local, Regional & Safe Foods UA Extension

University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

UADA Extension Service & County Agents

UA Horticulture Department

University of Arkansas System

Center for Arkansas Farms and Food

Arkansas Master Gardener Program

UADA Community, Professional & Economic Development

UALR Campus Garden

St. Joseph Center of Arkansas

National Women in Ag - Arkansas Chapter

Urbana Farmstead

Healthy Flavors AR

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

Arkansas Natural Resources Conservation Service

And others!

Shout out to The Root Cafe for some delicious, local foods catering! 🥕

Thanks to our funders, U.S. Department of Agriculture Agriculture Marketing Service, for this opportunity to develop Arkansas’s food system.

We look forward to working with this bright, passionate group these next couple of years! 🌱