An Interest in Homesteading Leads to Farming

An Interest in Homesteading Leads to Farming

Gabriel didn’t initially think of becoming a farmer. The idea came to him while he researched his interest in homesteading and self-sufficiency. After seeing YouTube videos and reading stories online about students in the new CAFF Farm School program, he realized that he could go beyond just growing food to feed himself and his family. He could learn to farm for profit as a business.As Gabriel learned more about homesteading and sufficiency, he became increasingly interested in growing his food. Then he ran across the CAFF Farm School and was excited to discover a program in the NWA region teaching people to farm on small pieces of land, one to ten acres, and make a living from it. That’s when things clicked that he could expand his goal to feed others too.

Gabriel researched the CAFF Farm School more, and the stories on the website about students in the program spoke to him. His only hesitation in signing up was that he had never liked school in the past. “It doesn’t feel like school, though,” he says, “I love

Farmer Grows Food for Her Community and the Environment

Farmer Grows Food for Her Community and the Environment

A farm apprenticeship opportunity changed the course of Emma’s life. The Arkansan worked for a small permaculture farm in the New River Valley region of Virginia. She apprenticed in Maine for a year with WWOOF. All of this led to the decision to pursue farming as a life direction and to apply for the CAFF Farm School. Emma most loves the slow lifestyle and fresh food of farm life. She has a deep curiosity about why and when things happen in nature. Her passion is for the protection of people and the planet.

A Farm Dream Delayed, Now a Reality

A Farm Dream Delayed, Now a Reality

The Farm School at The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food is in its second year and already proving that farming appeals to a broad diversity of people. One student entered the adventures of The Farm School in his seventy-sixth year of life. He’s surprised everyone by physically matching his younger fellow students in physical farm work. After meeting J.R., this isn’t so surprising. He is full of life. When asked why he signed up for the CAFF program, he lists concise goals for his piece of Arkansas.

New Farm Grant Program for Surplus Produce

The University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture would like to partner with Northwest Arkansas produce growers for an exciting opportunity to create value-added products from surplus produce.  A grant is now available from the USDA AMS Farmers Market Promotion...

Sustainable Farming Methods at CAFF

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — On an early spring morning, a verdant field is flail mowed at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food. The vegetation growing there is a winter cover crop mix that has blanketed the earth throughout the cold winter months. “This winter cover crop...
A Farm Apprentice Story – Adam M

A Farm Apprentice Story – Adam M

Adam was not born and raised on a farm. He grew up in the big city of Fort Worth, Texas. His first taste of farm life was volunteering on a friend’s urban farm there. The experience inspired a desire to become more self-reliant and to grow food. He learned about sustainable, regenerative, and bio-intensive farming. With no formal agriculture education or farm training, Adam decided that he wanted to be a farmer.