Restaurateur-turned-farmer gets first goods to local farmer’s markets

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station 

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — As farmer's markets reopen for the summer, communities are feeling and tasting the impact of the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food's programs.

FARM TO MARKET — Brian Foster started Sunny Acres Farm with knowledge gained from the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Paden Johnson)

The center, operated through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's research arm, the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, teaches sustainable agriculture and business methods to the next generation of farmers.

Now, program graduates like Brian Foster of Sunny Acres Farms in Fayetteville, are taking the first fruits of their labor to market. Produce grown by Foster and his partner, Becca Davis, can be found at the farmer's markets in Fayetteville and Goshen.

Recipe for success

Before becoming a specialty crop farmer, Foster was in the restaurant business from the age of 15. With instability in the restaurant industry caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Foster switched gears from plans of owning a restaurant to providing food for the community and carrying on his family tradition of gardening.

Foster was one of the first CAFF students to sign up for the program when it launched in 2020 with goals to train the next generation of farmers and strengthen farming and food systems in northwest Arkansas.

"I've been able to work in this area with a lot of very talented local chefs who have helped drive my passion for the food scene," Foster said. "What these creative and inspired people can do and what they can turn ingredients into was always really exciting for me."

In addition to fresh, locally grown produce, patrons of Sunny Acres may also receive recipes to take home from the farmer’s market.

"Food has always been my love language," Foster said. "Farming was the next logical step for me because it involved food, growing food, and I could continue to work with local chefs by providing them the ingredients to make cool dishes."

Foster is a 2021 graduate of CAFF’s Farm School. The 11-month program combines hands-on specialty crop farming with classes in production, business, and legal issues. He went on to work with Morgan Boehm at Middle Fork Farm the winter of 2022-2023 to get experience while building Sunny Acres Farms.

In addition to teaching sustainable and regenerative farming practices, Foster said the Center for Farms and Food taught him how to prepare a business plan better and market the produce. The center, he said, also provided networking opportunities to work with established farmers and learn from their experiences. There are 11 mentor farms cooperating with the center.

Training the next generation

Heather Friedrich, Center for Arkansas Farms and Food assistant director, said the center’s programs were developed to support new farmers and help maintain a secure, safe, and independent food system. Across the United States, farmers are aging. The mean average farmer age in Arkansas is 57 and it’s estimated that 70 percent of America’s farmland will change ownership in the next 20 years, she noted.

CAFF’s programs include the Farm School, which will begin taking applications in July for the 2024 session, and the Farm Apprenticeship program to match established farms with those who want to advance their farming skills in a working-farm setting. Both are 11-month programs beginning in January. Priority placement applications for 2024 Farm Apprentices open on Aug. 1.

CAFF Farm Stand opens in July

Beginning July 12, the CAFF Farm Stand will open at Agri Park on Garland Avenue in Fayetteville. Current students at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food's Farm School will offer fruits and vegetables they have grown at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center.

The CAFF Farm Stand will be open 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Aug. 30.

The farm stand is completely operated by students as a learning experience and is part of the Farm School curriculum, Friedrich noted. Customer service, marketing and quality control are just a few of the many lessons from running the CAFF Farm Stand. It helps Farm School students set up their own operation after completing the program, she added.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Overall farm, ranch numbers have declined in recent years; female and minority ownership up

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

An economic analysis of agricultural credit usage and census data conducted by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture found that the number of farms and ranches across the U.S. dropped by 3% during the last decade and the demographics of primary operators is evolving.

More minorities and women became primary operators of farms and ranches in the past decade, while the number of white male-operated farms decreased by nearly 15% between 2012 and 2017, and proportionately fewer non-Hispanic white males are starting farms and ranches.

White male-operated farms remained the largest demographic segment of established and beginning farmers, and largest user of agricultural credit.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/overall-farm-ranch-numbers-have-declined-in-recent-years-female-and-minority-ownership-up/

Farmers for Tomorrow fundraiser set Oct. 19 to support aspiring farmers

By John Lovett
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will hold a fundraising event 5-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 19 to support the Farmers for Tomorrow fund, a new program to help Farm School and Apprenticeship program graduates start their farm business.

FARMERS FOR TOMORROW — Graduates of The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food's Farm School and Apprenticeship programs can be supported through the new Farmers for Tomorrow fund. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

The event will occur at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 1005 W. Meade St., in Fayetteville. The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF) is a part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. If it rains that evening, the event will be held at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences near the farm at 1371 W. Altheimer Dr.

Farmers for Tomorrow was established to help new farmers who have invested their time in their farm training through CAFF’s Farm School and Apprenticeship programs. The fundraising event will feature canapés from Chef Micah Klasky of The Hive, made with fruits and vegetables grown by CAFF students. The Creek Rocks, featuring musicians Cindy Wolf and Mark Bilyeu, will also perform. Wines from Arkansas wineries, beer from local breweries and a cocktail prepared with Arkansas fruits will also be served. A selection of non-alcoholic drinks will be available.

“Starting a new farm can be very expensive for first-generation farmers whose dream is to work the soil and provide healthy foods for their communities,” Heather Friedrich, program manager for CAFF, said. “Aside from land, the bare start-up essentials for fruit and vegetable production add up quickly.”

Once former CAFF Farm School students or apprentices have acquired farmland in Arkansas and are ready to break ground, they can apply for start-up funds from Farmers for Tomorrow, Friedrich said. The funds are designated for purchasing tools, equipment, irrigation materials and seeds.

“Students who’ve completed the CAFF programs have positioned themselves to succeed in farming,” Friedrich said. “They’ve trained in small farm production and farm entrepreneurship. Once they’ve acquired their farmland, they are well on their way to providing food for Arkansas. Farmers for Tomorrow can give these new farms a boost to launch. Ticket purchases and donations are an investment in our community’s regional food system, the local economy, and food security.”

General admission tickets to the Farmers for Tomorrow fundraiser are $65 per person, or $1,200 for reserved tables of six people. Event tickets include complimentary food and drinks. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the event website, http://farmersfortomorrow.org/.

For those who may be unable to attend but still wish to support Farmers for Tomorrow, please visit the website and click the “Donate to Farmers” button at the top of the screen.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

Farmers encouraged to use potash ‘tool’ amid rising fertilizer prices

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Fertilizer prices have edged slightly downward in recent months, but remain a worrisome aspect of the 2022 growing season for farmers. In addition to supply chain issues relating to the pandemic, China has said it will cut fertilizer exports, which will cause prices to soar higher.

Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station officials caution growers to choose their cuts carefully and are now offering a toolkit to help make those decisions easier and more cost effective.

“Fertilizer prices soared in 2021 and more than doubled in the last 12 to 18 months,” said Trent Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility and testing for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/05/farmers-encouraged-to-use-potash-tool-amid-rising-fertilizer-prices/

Trent Roberts, associate professor of soil fertility and testing for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

Farmers face ‘less than zero’ good news in weed battle

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas farmers have been bracing for record high fertilizer costs in 2022 along with other higher input costs. Now, an old foe is predicted by agriculture scientists to be much worse this growing season than normal.

Tommy Butts, extension weed scientist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said there’s little good news for farmers as planting commences in the Natural State.

Farmers have been battling weeds since organized agriculture began thousands of years ago. Weeds deprive crops of water, nutrients and can limit sunlight from reaching plants, according to Science Daily. Weeds cause billions of dollars in lost profit each year, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. It’s often the top problem faced by farmers.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/04/farmers-face-less-than-zero-good-news-in-weed-battle/