"The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, the field is the classroom. It’s where the center trains new farmers and supports existing ones through a tiered offering of hands-on coursework, local apprenticeships and advanced extension programming."

• Info - The goal is to continue Arkansas’ legacy of farmers (fruit, vegetable and livestock production) by preparing the next generation to carry on these traditional.
• "The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food is a regional partner of Northwest Arkansas Food Systems, an effort by the Walton Family Foundation to grow more local food and get it into the hands of local people." WFF
• Deep Dive - The full article can be found HERE

Last week, the City of Fayetteville via the Fayetteville Board of Health urged the University of Arkansas to pause in-person classes and go remote following Thanksgiving break

• Info - The letter, which can be found HERE, points to the number of cases and large outbreak within the region, state and surrounding states. More specifically, the Board of Health cites a untick in hospital visits for COVID related cases
• Deep Dive - The letter can be found HERE

The Rogers-Lowell Area Chamber of Commerce, Visit Rogers, and Downtown Rogers Inc. encourage you to #ShopNWA this November and December.

• Info - Shop NWA, supported by the Rogers Lowell Chamber of Commerce, is designed for "small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofit organizations and provides best practices and resources designed to help business professionals" - Shop NWA

• According to a recent Civic Economics Study, over two-thirds of the money spent at locally owned businesses stay in the community and other studies have shown that local businesses donate at a higher rate to local causes and nonprofits. Local businesses create jobs in our community.
• Deep Dive - More information to shop or participate in the event can be found HERE

Local food systems need extra support this year as the number of food insecure people in the region has doubled over the past year

• Info - "Thanksgiving is a little over a week away and local food pantries are doing their best to meet this year’s demand.
  It is a holiday that in normal years causes more people to reach out for help but this year the cases of food insecure people have nearly doubled." - KNWA
• Ways to Give - Since volunteering may not be the safest form of participation this year, Director of Marketing and Communications for NWA Food Bank, Julie Damer recommends giving monetarily
• Deep Dive - Ways to give along with more information about the NWA Food Bank can be found HERE