|
In late January, our team had the privilege to participate in the inaugural Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo held in Little Rock. WOW! What a wonderful gathering of the state's local food and agriculture community!
From producers & farmers to industry & regulators to academia & small business owners, this conference spanned the broad range of individuals and organizations working to grow and develop Arkansas's food system. With workshops, guest speakers, a vendor tradeshow, farm and local business tours, wine-tastings, and even a delightful meal prepared by students at Pulaski Tech's culinary program, attendees were treated to four days of education, information, collaboration, networking, and fellowship.
Our team conducted seven workshops on produce safey and value-added food processing, and we also shared resources at our vendor booth. We visited with growers and food business owners throughout the conference, including during off-site visits to Barnhill Orchards and The Nurserie. And we had the oppotunity to highlight our Share Grounds kitchen at the food tasting event on the final night of the conference at Pulaski Tech.
We are proud of what our state has accomplished; excited to have seen so many of our colleagues, community members, and friends attend; and grateful for the opportunity to share our work.
Thank you to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture for their leadership on this gathering, and we look forward to next year!
| 
