University District Partnership

We aren't just cultivating vegetables in the garden. We're also using our relaxing space to cultivate peace through movement. This Saturday (May 16) during the University District Farmers' Market, we will be hosting a donation-based garden yoga class led by Arkansas Yoga Collective instructor Logan German. There will be two, 30-minute sessions. The first session runs from 9-9:30 a.m. and the second session runs from 11-11:30 a.m.

We hope you'll join us this Saturday!

We are loving the beets from the garden this year. You can find some nice bunches at the University District Farmers' Market this Saturday, May 9, from 8 a.m. until 12 noon at Oak Forest Community Garden (2600 S. Monroe St., Little Rock, AR 72204).

Our small neighborhood farmers' market runs from 8 a.m. until 12 noon every Saturday from now until Oct. 10 under the pavilion at Oak Forest Community Garden. Come see us and support the garden and locally grown produce!

Are you ready for some facts about beets? First, pretty unique in the flowering plant world - beets contain alternating layers of vascular tissue which makes that ringed pattern you see inside of them. Each ring in a beet functions independently, creating its own vascular cambium - with xylem cells towards the inside (transporting water) and phloem cells towards the outside (transporting sugars).

Some people either love or hate that "earthy" flavor of beets. That flavor is because beets contain a compound called geosmin (jee-OZ-min). Geosmin is an organic compound produced mainly by Streptomyces bacteria which produces a strong earthy odor. And human noses are pretty sensitive to it. You know the smell of rain on dry soil? It comes from the same compound.

Here's what we will have for sale this Saturday at the market:
(FYI, we have a limited number of some items, so things might sell out fast. The early bird gets the best stuff).

Kale Mix (1/2lb bag) - $4
Swiss Chard (1/2lb bag) - $4
Collard Greens (1lb bunch) - $2
Turnip Greens (3/4lb bag) - $2
Red Mustard Greens (1lb bunch) - $2
Romaine Lettuce Mix (1/2lb bag) - $2
Strawberries (1 pint, roughly 3/4lb) - $4
Radishes (1 bunch, about 9 radishes w/ leaves) - $2
Beets (1 bunch, 4 nice sized beets w/ leaves) - $3
Kohlrabi (each) - $3
Dill (3oz bag) - $1
Mint (1oz bag) - $1
Honey from the Garden (3oz jar, $5; 5.6oz jar, $10; 13.5oz jar, $20)
Snap Peas (1 pint, roughly 1/4lb) - $4

The University District Farmers' Market also accepts SNAP for all qualifying items and we operate our own Double Up program, meaning SNAP users are able to purchase double the amount (up to $20) of fresh fruit and vegetables for no added cost when they use their SNAP card.

The Mobile Market May calendar is ready!

Have you ever tried kohlrabi? Well, you can this Saturday (May 2) at the University District Farmers' Market from 8 a.m. - 12 noon at Oak Forest Community Garden (2600 S. Monroe St., Little Rock). This is our first market of the season and we have some wonderful Spring produce to share with you!

Our small neighborhood farmers' market runs from 8 a.m. until 12 noon every Saturday from May 2-Oct. 10 under the pavilion at Oak Forest Community Garden. Pay us a visit and support the garden and locally grown produce!

Now, more about that kohlrabi. The word itself is a compound of Kohl (German for "cabbage") and Rabi (Swiss German for "turnip"), which is an appropriate description of this vegetable because of its big turnip-shaped stem. However, once you peel off the skin, the inside tastes much more like cabbage. You can eat it raw, steam it, roast it, grill it, pickle it, and even boil it and make something akin to mashed potatoes! The leaves are edible as well. For sale at the market, we strip off the leaves because the kohlrabi will last much longer in the refrigerator without them.

Here's what we will have for sale this Saturday at the market:
(FYI, we have a limited number of some items, so things might sell out fast. The early bird gets the best stuff).

Kale Mix (1/2lb bag) - $4
Swiss Chard (1/2lb bag) - $4
Collard Greens (1lb bunch) - $2
Red Mustard Greens (1lb bunch) - $2
Romaine Lettuce Mix (1/2lb bag) - $2
Strawberries (1 pint, roughly 3/4lb) - $4
Radishes (1 bunch, about 12 small radishes w/ leaves) - $2
Beets (1 bunch, 4 nice sized beets w/ leaves) - $3
Kohlrabi (each) - $3
Dill (3oz bag) - $1
Mint (1oz bag) - $1
Honey from the Garden (3oz jar, $5; 5.6oz jar, $10; 13.5oz jar, $20)
Snap Peas (1 pint, roughly 1/4lb) - $4

The University District Farmers' Market also accepts SNAP for all qualifying items and we operate our own Double Up program, meaning SNAP users are able to purchase double the amount (up to $20) of fresh fruit and vegetables for no added cost when they use their SNAP card.

Join us today for the Oak Forest Community Garden Annual Meeting 🌱

We’re coming together to share updates, talk about what’s ahead, and continue building something real right here in our community. If you’ve ever been curious about the garden or want to get more involved, this is a good place to start.

Come through, bring a friend, and be part of the work.

Oak Forest Community Garden 💚

Our friends at University District Development Corporation are once again sponsoring the annual Oak Forest Community Garden - Little Rock plant sale. We were informed there are a variety of plants available for purchase. Hands down this one of the best plant deals in Little Rock. Where else can you buy one plant for $3 or five plants for $10? There is a price drop to $2 per plant after purchasing five plants!

Stop by and see Mark Nelson, Oak Forest Community Garden Manager, and his team at 2600 South Monroe. They are open until 2pm.

We're at it again this Saturday! If you missed us last week, we are having another edition of the Oak Forest Community Garden 5th annual plant sale this Saturday, April 11, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Oak Forest Community Garden (2600 S. Monroe St.) in Little Rock.

We still have a wide variety of vegetables, flowers, and some herbs to browse and all proceeds go directly back to the garden. Our prices remain the same as previous years: individual plants are $3 each, or you can buy 5 plants for $10 (a better deal).

Additionally, starting at 11 a.m., Central Arkansas Library System staff will present a demo for starting an herb garden, and participants can take home some starter pots! As a part of their NEA Big Read celebration, CALS also will give away free copies of the poetry collection "Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude" by Ross Gay while supplies last.

We look forward to seeing you at the garden on Saturday!