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Meet our Veggie-to-Value Clients!

FREE Food Entrepreneur Workshop

October Produce Safety Grower Training

Food System Resources & Opportunities

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Veggie-to-Value Food Entrepreneur Bootcamp

Meet our Clients & Attend our FREE Workshop!

Three Arkansas food entrepreneurs have been working this summer with our team in the Share Grounds kitchen at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds (Rison, AR) to develop, scale-up, and test their recipes as part of our Veggie-to-Value bootcamp.

Click a client's profile below to view 🔎

Join us for a FREE in-person workshop to learn about how you can grow and develop your home food business in Arkansas! We'll discuss home-based food processing, value-added foods, the Arkansas Food Freedom Act, and projects & programs such as the Share Grounds innovation kitchen and Veggie-to-Value Food Entrepreneur Bootcamp.

ATTEND OUR FREE WORKSHOP!

September 12th | 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Arkansas Extension State Office

2301 S. University Avenue, Little Rock AR 72204

For questions, contact Dr. Amanda Perez here.

We are excited to offer these opportunities through the USDA AMS Specialty Crop Block Grant 2021-SCBGP21SCBPAR1100-00

and thank the Arkansas Department of Agriculture for their support.

Produce Safety Grower Training Registration Now Open

LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE!

Who should attend

Anyone who grows, harvests, packs and handles fresh fruits and vegetables.

Why you should attend

On-farm food safety practices are vital in the produce industry. Many farms are now required to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule. This training will educate growers on that Rule.

What you receive

Upon completion of this training, participants receive a certificate satisfying the requirement 112.22(c) in the Produce Safety Rule. Attendance of entire training required for receipt.

REGISTRATION CLOSES OCTOBER 23rd

Lunch, snacks, training manual, & materials provided

Questions?

Contact Rip Weaver here.

Food System Resources & Opportunities

VIDEO 🎥

Out with the Old And In with the Liner:

Improving Watermelon Harvest Buses

A University of Maryland and University of Delaware research study provided preliminary evidence for improving watermelon harvest buses with a change in the food contact surfaces. By using vinyl liners and rubber floor mats that can be cleaned and sanitized, microbial loads were reduced compared to the industry standard of used carpet. The liners and mats also provided cushioning that protected watermelon surfaces against damage during harvest. Watch the video to learn more!

VIDEO 🎥

Fruit and Vegetable Food Safety Training Video for Field Employees

This video was developed by the Produce Safety Alliance to support fresh produce growers as they implement employee training to reduce risks during fruit and vegetable production. It is intended for all farm employees, but especially focused on those employees that work in the field harvesting and packing fresh produce. One of the requirements of the Produce Safety Rule is that those working with fresh produce must receive annual training on food safety practices, so this video was created just for them!

2023 Arkansas Agriculture Survey

Extension agriculture agents from all 75 Arkansas counties want to know how their constituents use the livestock, forage and gardening resources of the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and have opened a survey for feedback.

The Cooperative Extension Service is the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Its aim is to share research-based knowledge about a wide range of topics including farming, gardening and raising livestock.

The nine-question survey should take only a few minutes to complete and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 15.

For more information, contact Rachel Hale here.

Interested in our work?

Then join our team!

The Food Systems and Food Safety Program Associate provides outreach, education and technical assistance to Arkansas produce growers, community stakeholders and county extension agents for the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule and for local food system development.