The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and 24 Northwest Arkansas organizations are joining together to break down the barriers that prevent access to healthy food. 

• Collab: UAMS founded the Northwest Arkansas Food Insecurity Community of Practice (NWA CoP), which is guided by individuals who are experiencing or who have experienced food insecurity in the past. Those in the NWA CoP are collaborating to solve recurring problems related to food insecurity. 
• Steps: Some solutions that will come through NWA CoP are the increased access to SNAP and WIC benefits, the improvement of equitable and inclusive healthy food access, evolving food recovery and distribution models, and aid for organized responses to rapid changes that lead to food insecurity. 

Read the KNWA story HERE. 

For all you all-things-film lovers out there, the Rogers Short Film Festival is this weekend at the Victory Theatre. 

• Line-up: There will be 33 films total and 4 different categories: Student K-12, Student Postsecondary, Amateur, Professional. The weekend will include a VIP Lounge for the filmmakers and all-access holders, a networking breakfast at Onyx, and an awards afterparty at The 120 Tapas Bar. 
• The occasion: The festival will be Fri-Sun in downtown Rogers and will be full of screenings, networking, food, music, and entertainment. Tickets start at $15. 

See the full schedule and get tickets HERE. 

The Walton Family Foundation is supporting the development of a new 45k SF facility in downtown Springdale that will be a hub for the growth of Northwest Arkansas’ agriculture and food economy. 

• Long life: Market Center of the Ozarks will serve the needs of ‘all who grow, serve, and eat’ in NWA. With space for farmers to process and store fresh produce, the quality and lifespan of local food will increase for everyone who partakes. 
• From the soil: There will be certified kitchens for culinary education and spaces for community gathering at the center as well. With farmers, buyers, chefs, and the community taking part in this new endeavor, NWA is on its way to being a national model for locally grown food. 

Read the full article HERE. 

Are you ever shopping for clothes online and you wish you could try things on before you purchased them? Well, with Walmart’s new acquisition, you can now have access to a virtual fitting room. 

• Representation: Walmart is releasing Zeekit’s virtual fitting room technology to customers and it will be available on the Walmart app soon. The intention is that the digital “Choose My Model” experience will better replicate physical shopping. 
• Shapes & sizes: The new feature will allow customers to pick from 50 models from 5’2” to 6’ and sizes XS-XXXL. Customers will also be able to pick the model that best represents their body shape and skin tone to see how clothes will look on them. 

Learn more HERE.

How many of you are thinking about camping as spring approaches? How does a 60-acre private camping experience sound? 

• A+ camping: Through Explore Eden, a local service that connects campers with private landowners, you can have that exclusive, middle-of-nowhere experience. This 60-acre campsite is called Riverside Hideaway, and it’s right next to the Illinois River under giant oak and ash trees. 
• Look around: On the site, there’s a waterfall, hiking trails, canoes by the river, and plenty more to explore. Make sure to check out “Mini Hawksbill Crag” — a rocky outcropping. You can book Riverside Hideaway through the Explore Eden app on the Android and Apple app stores. 

See more of the exclusive campsites like Riverside Hideaway when you download the app HERE.