Harvest of the Season promotional program announced

LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is pleased to announce the Harvest of the Season promotional program, a free educational campaign that includes materials for schools to feature locally grown products in their cafeterias.

The goal of the Harvest

Season program is to teach children about foods grown in Arkansas. The program makes available local and seasonal food posters, materials featuring Arkansas farmers and distributors and social media resources highlighting local Arkansas fruits, vegetables, proteins, grains and dairy products. Program materials are offered at no cost to public and private K-12 schools, early childhood education facilities, and alternative learning environments.

Harvest of the Season was developed using funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Specialty Crop Block Grant Program to increase the production and consumption of specialty crops in schools. Specialty crops, as defined by the USDA, are fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops.

“The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is proud to partner with USDA on this program to provide children in Arkansas free resources on local agriculture and nutrition,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “The lessons learned from this program can have a lasting impact on children, their families and entire communities.”

The Harvest of the Season promotional program materials can be found at: arfarmtoschool.org/cafeteria/harvest-of-the-season/

For more information on Harvest of the Season, contact Shannon Newerth-Henson, State Local Procurement Manager, at shannon.henson@agriculture.arkansas.gov.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is dedicated to the development and implementation of policies and programs for Arkansas agriculture and forestry to keep its farmers and ranchers competitive in national and international markets while ensuring safe food, fiber, and forest products for the citizens of the state and nation. Visit agriculture. arkansas.gov/.