Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Working to preserve the family farm tradition in Northwest Arkansas
As we celebrate our history and heritage with the induction of 32 additional Arkansas family farms into the Arkansas Century Farm Program, it is important to acknowledge that the actual number of family farms and farmed acreage in Arkansas has been decreasing. Fortunately, concerned organizations in Northwest Arkansas led by the Walton Family Foundation and including the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture along with others are stepping forward to address the issue.
“The family farm is rarely passed down as it once was generationto-generation,” said Susan Koehler, Farmland Preservation Manager for the NWA Land Trust. “Many existing farmers are farming through their retirement for several reasons. They may not have heirs who want to farm, they may not have the finances to fund retirement, and they can be reluctant to let go of a lifestyle they have grown to love.”
And then you have the new farmers, many of whom are first generation who are not inheriting land much less an established farming business. “Many new and beginning farmers have the passion to farm, but they are struggling with the knowledge, experience and access to capital that challenge their success in farming,” said Heather Friedrich, assistant director for the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food. “The modern small family farm needs to be close to communities so they can sell to a variety of markets, however land in these areas is also desirable to commercial developers, which often makes it too costly to purchase and support a farm business.”
Today, Northwest Arkansas is known for its livestock production dedicated to raising cattle, chicken and hogs. But not too long ago, the area was also known for its orchards, nuts and other specialty crops. With the recent success and popularity of the Farmers Markets in our area, fruit and vegetable production has increased, yet there is still unmet demand for more of these crops at a wholesale scale. Many new, younger farmers are interested in going in that direction.
To help address the issues, a feasibility study funded by the Walton Family Foundation was conducted in 2017 to find out what the barriers were to growing more fruits and vegetables, and what would it take to overcome those barriers. It also looked into how it could be profitable for local farmers in the long run.
As a result of the findings, the Walton Family Foundation established an NWA Food Systems initiative. It is a multifaceted program designed to address the issues and bring different partners together to help grow more farmers and more local food.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture created the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF), which offers the Farm School and Apprentice Programs. These programs provide experiential learning opportunities for those wanting to learn how to create their farm business by growing fruits and vegetables for local and regional markets. Established farmers also benefit with apprentices who address labor needs by working on their farms as part of their education. It’s a win/win for the farmer mentor and the aspiring farmer. CAFF also partners with local Cooperative Extension offices to support established farmers in their fruit and vegetable production needs
Another critical piece was market opportunities. Farmers said that they would be happy to grow more fruits and vegetables if they had the markets to sell them. And this means creating additional markets beyond the local farmers markets. This is where The Food Conservancy NWA came in led by Kansas native, Diana Endicott. Diana and her family raise livestock and operate greenhouses at Good Natured Family Farms. She has had notable success strengthening local and regional food systems in Kansas and Missouri.
Through The Food Conservancy NWA, she and her team support more than 50 farmers currently, and they are looking to add more farmers to aggregate their products.
Diana is leaving no stone unturned reaching out to partner with schools, restaurants, produce distributors as well as grocery stores. A big breakthrough was getting Harps to come on board. These organizations buying more of the local food is starting to give farmers the incentive to grow more fruits and vegetables, because they know it will not be wasted, and the farmer will be paid fairly.
Just recently, it was announced that the Walton Family Foundation will establish the Market Center of the Ozarks, to be completed by 2024. The 45,000 square foot facility will include commercial kitchens, washrooms, cold and dry storage, loading docks, office space and coworking spaces. Farmers and food entrepreneurs can use the center to aggregate and process crops for wholesale, as well as access resources for “value-added processing,” such as jarring products.
The role of the NWA Land Trust is around farmland preservation, access and support for farmers, including oversight of NWA Farm-Link, a free service and website where both farm seekers and farmland owners can connect as well as get help with their goals. NWALT will also manage a Lease-to-Own farmland program still under development to help farmers ready to grow fruits and/or vegetables on their own, but who may need more time to finalize a farm purchase. “The overarching 10-year goal is to have 1,000 more acres dedicated to growing fruits and vegetables in Northwest Arkansas’ four main counties,” said Susan.
NWALT is encouraging established farmland owners to contact them to learn more and get connected to the network they are building.
Regarding aspiring farmers, Susan says CAFF would perhaps be the best place to start to enhance and develop their skill set. “Farm seekers with more experience ready to grow and looking for land to purchase may be eligible to receive compensation for creating a conservation easement on their future farm,” she noted. “Through the grant, we have established the Farmland Access Fund to help farmers interested in fruit and vegetable production to get growing on farmland at a reduced cost.”