The Northwest Arkansas Food Bank broke ground on a new campus in NWA last week and has lots in store. 

• Expanding: The campus in total is 15 acres in Lowell including a new 82,425 sq. ft Center for Hunger Relief. It is scheduled to open by the beginning of 2024 at the latest, with the capacity to serve more than double the number of people the Food Bank can currently. 
• Keep giving: The new center will serve as the central distribution facility that supports all Food Bank operations as well as a hub for community engagement. The campus provides room for future expansion as the “Food for Today. Hope for Tomorrow” capital campaign continues. 

Learn more about the campaign HERE. 

Hogs for the second year in a row finished in the top 10 of the Final Directors Cup standings earning a program record of 7th overall for the 2021-22 athletic season.

• Trophy cabinet: With "nine top-10 NCAA finishes, eight SEC championships" and a number of other athletic accomplishments, the Hogs outdid themselves by moving up one spot from No.8 to No.7. This goes to show Arkansas has one of the best athletic departments in the country.
• Cup of champs: "The Directors’ Cup program has been tracking the success of the nation’s top intercollegiate athletics programs since 1993-94." With a previous best of No.14, Hog fans have been living well for the past two years.

Read more about the standings and qualifications HERE.

Brightwater: A Center for the Study of Food, and an academic department of Northwest Arkansas Community College, is constantly cooking up new opportunities for anyone interested in the food industry. 

• Become a pro: Brightwater has a Certified Sous Chef Apprenticeship program that combines hands-on classroom instruction and on-the-job training. The program is registered through the US Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Programs and the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation, so once you’re finished, you’re a certified pro. 
• Free training: Another program called B Workforce is Brightwater’s free Restaurant Readiness Culinary Bootcamp. It’s a five-week course that will train you to earn an American National Standards Institute-approved Food Handlers Certificate and offers one week of paid on-the-job training. 

Learn more about Brightwater courses HERE.

A new brewery is in the works on the rural eastern edge of Washington County. 

• On the land: Orthodox Farmhouse Brewery will be in the city of Goshen (east of Fayetteville) with the intent for clientele to slow down in the natural beauty of the Ozarks. This has been a long dream for the owners, Jesse and Ashlyn Gagnon.
• Bringing it back: Orthodox will lean into Belgian-influenced beers and have an orthodox approach to brewing by emphasizing “straightforward ingredients and brewing methods.” The space will be harmonious with its surroundings to cultivate peace and presence for those who come for a drink. They hope is to greet customers by the end of this year. 

Read the full Fayetteville Flyer story HERE. 

The Arkansas Department of Labor recently recognized Rockline Industries’ Springdale location for achieving 15 million safe work hours without a loss time accident. 

• Clean and safe: With approximately 650 employees, Rockline Industries in Springdale took 11 1/2 years to achieve its 15M safe work hours. Rockline Industries is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of consumer, healthcare, industrial, and institutional wet wipe products and coffee filters. 
• Rare accomplishment: Since Arkansas began observing workplace safety in 1976, only one other company has achieved the 15M-hour milestone. It only happens with a committed teamwork culture and continual focus on even the most minor details. 

Read the full story and new release HERE.