Arkansas Grown program heating up for summer

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Arkansas Grown program has a lot on its plate this summer, said Karen Reynolds, grants and program manager.

Arkansas Grown was implemented to promote Arkansas fruits and vegetables and support the farmers who grow them, Reynolds said. It also works to “identify gaps between farmers and buyers and help them overcome issues that prevent getting [their products] from farm to table.”

Arkansas Grown tackles its mission in a number of ways.

Activities planned include an advertising campaign to promote Arkansas fruits and vegetables that launched June 1, Reynolds said, and June 11-17 will be Arkansas Farmers Market Week, which will recognize the efforts of local growers and markets.

Perhaps the biggest undertaking of Arkansas Grown is the Arkansas Grown Conference & Expo, created for farmers in the local food system.

The first conference held in Little Rock in January was an overwhelming success, Reynolds said. Organizers planned for 120 attendees and hoped for 150, she said, but more than 450 people signed up.

“We had to close registration two weeks before the event because we had reached capacity,” she said.

Reynolds said the event “was a huge momentum-builder for the industry.”

“A lot of connections were made, and a lot of relationships were built,” she said.

Seventy vendors were on hand this year, and there were farm tours, dinners that showcased Arkansas Grown products and even Arkansas Grown wine-tasting and Arkansas blackberry craft beer. The conference received great media coverage, Reynolds added.

Next year’s conference, set for Jan. 25-27, will be scheduled at a larger venue to accommodate more visitors, she said.

Arkansas Grown membership is free to Arkansas farmers, ranchers and producers.