About
The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food was developed to strengthen and expand our food and farming system by providing new opportunities to shape our current and future farmers, food entrepreneurs and food system leaders. CAFF is a program of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station through the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.
Through experiential learning, our programs train farmers and food entrepreneurs with the production and business skills and resources necessary to develop resilient businesses that sustain our ecosystem, our land and our communities.
Both Farm and Food Entrepreneur programs are based at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station’s Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research & Extension Center in Fayetteville, AR, just 2 miles north of the University of Arkansas campus in Fayetteville, fostering a wealth of campus partnerships from food service to student engagement to guest instructors. You can find information on the expanded Food Entrepreneurship Program at the Arkansas Food Innovation Center website.
Who’s involved?
The CAFF is led by a team of University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture faculty and staff who partner with several NWA businesses and organizations and local farmers to lead programs that create impact in our food system.
- Pam Brady, Professor – Department of Food Science
- Luke Freeman, Horticultural Specialist – National Center for Appropriate Technology, ATTRA project
- Heather Friedrich, Program manager – Department of Horticulture, and AR-SARE Professional Development Program
- Wayne Mackay, Department Head – Department of Horticulture,
- Jean Francois Meullenet, Director – Arkansas Agriculture Experiment Station, University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
- Ruben Morawicki, Professor – Department of Food Science
- Harison Pittman, Director – National Agricultural Law Center
- Jennie Popp, Associate Dean – Honors College, Professor – Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics, Co-director Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability
- Mike Popp, Professor – Department of Agribusiness and Agricultural Economics
- Elizabeth Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney – National Agricultural Law Center
- Rusty Rumley, Senior Staff Attorney – National Agricultural Law Center
- Kate Shoulders, Associate Professor – Department of Agricultural Education, Communications, and Technology
- Renee Threlfall, Research Scientist – Department of Food Science
- Jun Zhu, Professor – Department of Agriculture Engineering, Co-director – Center for Agricultural and Rural Sustainability