FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will hold a short course on small-scale farming May 3-4.

SHORT COURSE — Mike Popp, professor and agricultural economist, speaks to Center for Arkansas Farms and Food program participants. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

The CAFF Small Farm Short Course titled “Grow Your Farm” provides an intensive two-day workshop with a deep dive into bed building, equipment and transplanting.

“We’ll also cover the basics of record keeping, profitability, branding and marketing,” said CAFF Program Director Heather Friedrich. “The course features both classroom and field study, so wear your work clothes. We’ll demo equipment and tour some local farms, too!”

The course will be held 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 3, and continue 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 4. The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food is located at 1005 Meade Ave., Fayetteville.

The cost of the workshop is $100 thanks to a grant from Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture grants and outreach program. Scholarships are also available. Lunch, refreshments and snacks will be provided. No experience is required, and the course is beginning-farmer-friendly, Friedrich noted. Guest speakers will include local farmers and technical experts.

The deadline to register is April 28 at NWAFarming.org.

This is the second CAFF Small Farm short course of 2024, with the first being held in February. The third and final short course of the year will be Oct. 18-19, focusing on crop planning and budgeting, soil health and equipment care.

CAFF supports local food entrepreneurs and increases small farm viability through experiential learning. Explore courses at LearnToFarm.org and follow on Instagram @caff_ar_farms. CAFF is part of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

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.

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

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — People seeking experience on a working farm will have a chance to meet with farmers at a Center for Arkansas Farms and Food networking event on March 9.

FARM OPPS — Farm School students work the land at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food in Fayetteville. A networking event will be held March 9 at Ozark Natural Foods. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

The Farm Opportunities Mixer will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. that Thursday at Ozark Natural Foods Co-Op’s Taproom, 380 N. College Ave., in Fayetteville.

Heather Friedrich, assistant director for the center, said one major constraint to a small farm’s operations and expansion is labor. The event is intended to bring together farmers who are looking for farm workers and anyone interested in farm employment or experience opportunities, she added.

Complimentary food and drinks will be provided by Ozark Natural Foods.

On March 12, the center will also offer an in-person class on winter maintenance as part of Growers School programming. The class is $10 and will be held at 1005 Meade St. at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville.

Registration for the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food events can be done at NWAFarming.org.

The center’s Beginning Farmer classes are available online to the public for $10 each. They last about two hours. Recordings of the classes are available for those who register at BeginningFarmer.org.

‘Grow Your Farm’ short course coming up in May

Farming opportunity seekers network with farmers March 9 in Fayetteville