Local, Regional & Safe Foods UA Extension

🍓Another great opportunity to share our work at the 2026 International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting! 🍓

" I was honored to present "Preserving Arkansas Partnership: Supporting New and Established Cottage Food Producers in Food Preservation, Safety, and Regulatory Compliance" with Terrie James, Quad Whitton, Dr. Lida Araghi, David Hill, Christie Wagley, Chef Margie Raimondo, owner of Urbana Farmstead, and our partners at the Ferndale Farmers Market.

It was especially rewarding to hear a presentation form North Carolina highlighting similar findings on the expansion of the cottage food industry. Both presentations reinforced the growing need for food safety education, technical assistance, and regulatory guidance for home- based, cottage, and small- scale food manufacturers.

As local food businesses continue to expand, Extension has an important role in supporting entrepreneurs through science- based education and technical assistance. While Extension systems include outstanding Agriculture and Family & Consumer Sciences agents, relatively few have specialized backgrounds in food safety, food manufacturing, or public and environmental health. As a result, many states face limited capacity to provide the technical information needed by this rapidly growing sector. Strengthening Extension's food safety expertise will be essential to helping food entrepreneurs produce safe, compliant products while supporting resilient local and regional food systems.

Thank you to everyone who attended, shared ideas, and contributed to the discussion. I look forward to continuing this work with our partners to strengthen Arkansas's cottage food and small food business community."

Uark Horticulture Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Urbana Farmstead

🎉 Our Produce Safety Training in Springdale is officially FULL! 🎉

Thank you for the overwhelming interest in our upcoming Produce Safety Training. Registration has now closed as all available seats have been filled.

Didn't make it into this session? Don't worry! We have more Produce Safety Trainings and other exciting Local, Regional, and Safe Foods initiatives planned for the spring and fall.

📬 Stay in the know by signing up for our newsletter to receive updates on upcoming trainings, events, resources, and opportunities.

🔗 Newsletter Sign-Up: https://tinyurl.com/3a8ad84d

🌾 USDA Grant Opportunity Now Available!

The USDA Value-Added Producer Grant Program is offering up to $250,000 to support farmers, ranchers, agricultural producers, and cooperatives looking to expand their businesses through product development, processing, marketing, and branding.

✅ Funding available for eligible producers and cooperatives.

Learn more and apply through ResearchJobsHub: https://lnkd.in/d6mgif5F

🍎 Strong Partnerships, Stronger Produce Safety: Arkansas at IAFP 🍎

A great start to this year's International Association for Food Protection (IAFP) Annual Meeting!

Dr. Amanda Philyaw Perez provided an update on Arkansas's Produce Safety Program and enjoyed connecting with produce safety partners from across the United States. Even better, there was encouraging news that most state funding is returning, supporting the continuation of important produce safety initiatives and program delivery!

The Southern Center poster also showcased the outstanding Extension outreach efforts conducted in partnership with Southern land-grant universities.

Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas Uark Horticulture International Association for Food Protection

Produce Safety Grower Training – Register Now! 🌱

Join us in person for an informative Produce Safety Grower Training designed for fruit and vegetable producers! Learn about:

✅ Produce safety regulations
✅ Good agricultural practices (GAPs)
✅ Agricultural water & soil amendments
✅ Worker health & hygiene
✅ Wildlife management
✅ Postharvest handling & food safety plans

This training meets the FDA FSMA Produce Safety Rule training requirement for covered farms and can be used for audits. Small and beginning farms and established operations will benefit from attending.

📆 When: September 1, 2026 | 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
📍 Where: Market Center of the Ozarks
821 E. Emma Ave. Springdale, AR 72764
💵 Cost: FREE (Includes coffee, lunch, snacks, and materials)
👉 Registration is required

⚠️ Important Details:
✅ Must attend all modules to receive certification
❌ Walk-ins will NOT be accepted
⚠️ Late registrations (❤ days before) may not be accepted
👥 Limited to 20 participants
⏳ Registration Deadline: August 28, 2026
📌 Absentee sign-ups will not transfer to future trainings

The FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) focuses on preventing food safety issues before they happen—protecting both farmers and the public food supply. 🌽🥕

➡️ Register here: https: https://tinyurl.com/2s3cb7c8
We look forward to seeing you there! 🌱

Arkansas Department of Agriculture Market Center of the Ozarks Uark Horticulture Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service Spring Creek Food Hub

📅 SAVE THE DATE!

The Arkansas Farm to ECE Coalition has announced its next In-Person Coalition Meeting.

This in-person meeting will bring participants together to network, collaborate, celebrate accomplishments from the past year, and help shape the coalition's vision.

Whether you're already involved with Farm to ECE or would like to learn more about this important work, this event may be a great opportunity to connect with others across the state.

💚 Additional details will be shared by the Arkansas Farm to ECE Coalition soon. Arkansas Farm-to-Early Childhood Education

📢 Save the Date! 🌾🍎

We're excited to announce the After the Harvest Conference!

📅 November 2026
📍 Arkansas 4-H Center
1 Four H Way, Little Rock, AR

Join farmers, food entrepreneurs, educators, and advocates from across Arkansas for this two-day conference focused on what happens to local food after it leaves the field. Together, we'll explore the systems, partnerships, and innovations that help local food move from farm to market and beyond.

Topics will include:
✅ Aggregation & Distribution
✅ Marketing & Market Access
✅ Food Safety
✅ Retail Innovation
✅ Building Stronger Local Food Systems

Whether you're growing food, selling it, supporting it, or educating others about it, this conference is an opportunity to connect, learn, and strengthen Arkansas's local food economy.

🔔 Stay tuned! More details, speaker announcements, registration information, and the full agenda will be coming soon.

Produce Safety Grower Training 🌽

Yesterday, our team hosted an in-person Produce Safety Grower Training in Forrest City, Arkansas. The session was led by Dr. Perez alongside team members Sarah Bakker and Danielle Dozier.

The training covered key topics related to produce safety regulations and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) for fruit and vegetable producers. Participants engaged in discussions on agricultural water, soil amendments, worker health and hygiene, wildlife management, postharvest handling, and developing food safety plans. This training fulfills the FSMA Produce Safety Rule (PSR) requirement for covered farms and may be used for audit purposes.

If you missed this event, we encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about future training opportunities: https://tinyurl.com/53tzm26e

A special thank you to all who attended and contributed to a successful event. We look forward to continuing to support local and regional producers and advancing safe food practices!

Community Event Share:
Farm, Faith, and Food Security Field Day! ✨🌱

Come experience a powerful day of learning and hands-on farming at the FREE community event!

📅 Saturday, June 20th
⏰ 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM
📍 Meet at McAlmont Church of Christ at 8:45 AM

🚜 Event Highlights:
🌿 9:15 AM – Tour the Urban Farmhouse (109 Blendon Drive, North Little Rock)
🌱 10:30 AM – Visit the McAlmont Church of Christ Farm (1824 E 46th St)
• Seed & seedling planting
• Explore a 20-acre working farm
• Hands-on conservation demonstration
• Educational workshop led by Certified TSP & Conservation Professionals
🥗 Lunch will be served at 12:00 PM

This hands-on field day is perfect for anyone interested in:
✅ Urban farming & conservation practices
✅ Growing your own food
✅ Organic transitioning
✅ Improving nutrition security & reducing food-related diseases

👢 Be prepared!
Please wear clothes and gear suitable for outdoor farm activities (boots, hats, etc.).

If you have local food, garden, farm, food business, or food safety educational events, please send to us to share out.

This Food Safety School Training is great for small farms or food businesses currently making value-added products looking to improve your system. The PCQI training is best for food manufacturers needing regulatory training.