The Small Farm Program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) held a meeting in May to showcase marketing and supplier opportunities for small vegetable farmers. Guest speakers included Doug Cahoon, Sam’s Club Produce Merchant, and Quintin Gray, Agriculture Advisor at the 1890 Universities Foundation.
“Our guest speakers met with farmers from northeast, southeast and central Arkansas,” Dr. Henry English, head of the UAPB Small Farm Program, said. “This group of attendees included growers of watermelon and southern peas, as well as farmers who use greenhouses in their operations.”
Cahoon, who buys watermelons for Sam’s Club, spoke to attendees about opportunities for producers of seedless watermelons. He also recommended Walmart/Sam’s Club as a viable option for producers who wish to grow and sell produce other than watermelons.
Gray presented on recent initiatives by the 1890 Universities Foundation. He then participated in a meeting led by Dr. Bruce W. McGowan, interim dean/director of the UAPB School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences, and School faculty.
During the meeting with Dean McGowan, Gray and a cohort of Walmart representatives learned about UAPB’s Sweetpotato Foundation Seed Program, which supplies high-quality, virus-indexed planting materials to farmers. They were then able to sample sweetpotato pies made from sweetpotatoes grown at UAPB and learn about other value-added products made from the crop.
Dr. English said the meeting was part of the UAPB Small Farm Program’s regular educational meetings. The program provides Extension outreach assistance to socially disadvantaged, limited-resource and small producers (those with an income of $250,000 or less). The program is designed to help vegetable and row crops, livestock and forestry producers enhance their operations.
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff offers all its Extension and Research programs and services without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
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