When it comes to obtaining fresh, farm-raised food, Little Rock has options aplenty.
You don’t have to have a green thumb to reap the harvest of fresh, local produce.
Lucky for us , farms and markets specializing in Arkansas produce and products abound in the capital city. Whether you want to pick it yourself, just pick it out, or simply pick it up, there’s an option to help you obtain your fresh fare, sans gardening gloves and spade.
You Pick It
Dunbar Garden
Begun almost two decades ago by Pratt C. Remmel Jr., The Dunbar Garden Project serves as an outdoor “classroom” for students from the adjacent Gibbs International Magnet Elementary School and students from the Dunbar Magnet Middle School. With a focus of teaching children the origin of the foods they eat, the garden provides a hands-on outdoor, experiential education for children, teenagers and adults. The garden also serves as a place for locals to pick and purchase fresh, garden-grown produce.
A number of local restaurants even pick their produce from Dunbar, including Boulevard Bread, The Capital Hotel, Lily’s Dim Sum, Then Some; Heifer Cafe and more. Eggs from the garden’s own chickens are available for $3/dozen (bring your own carton), and worm casings, which are a great, nutrient-rich plant fertilizer, are available for $10/gallon bag. We just got word that the garden got bees, so we’re hoping for some delicious local honey this fall.
When: typically 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday – Friday; call before you drop by.
Where: 1800 S. Chester
Contact: Damian Thompson, 529-8520.
You Pick It out
Argenta Market
Newly opened in the Argenta District of North Little Rock, Argenta Market describes itself as a full-service community grocery, specializing in local and seasonal foods. They have ripe, succulent strawberries from Hardin Farms, local spinach from North Pulaski Farms, a salad bar stocked with spring mix from Sweet Water Farms, produce from Arkansas Natural Produce and more.
Don’t see what you’re looking for? Just ask Tom “do this, do that” Stramel, or market manager Neal Augustine. The market also carries a wide selection of Arkansas products, including farm-raised buffalo and elk, Chateaux Aux Arc Wines, Diamond Bear Brewery beers, Petit Jean Meats and Rozark Hills Coffee. They have a great cheese selection, including delicious Beemster cheeses from Holland (our favorite is the mustard seed cheese). There’s a coffee shop, a bakery, and a case full of prepared foods.
When: 7 a.m.-7 p.m., Monday-Saturday.
Where: 521 Main Street, North Little Rock.
Contact: 379-9980.
Certified Arkansas Farmers’ Market
Created in 2008 by local farmers, CAFM is a “source verified” market, which means all their participating farmers and vendors have been inspected to verify that they are the source of the product they are selling. And all of the produce sold, either at the outdoor market or online, must be grown or made in Arkansas. Jody Hardin is a fifth-generation farmer and the executive director of Certified Arkansas Farmers’ Market. Offerings include a variety of produce, like tomatoes, spinach, arugula, romaine, mushrooms, strawberries, herb plants and more, many of which are also USDA certified organic. Arkansas-raised meats, poultry, eggs and dairy products are also available.
When: 7 a.m.-noon Tuesdays and Saturdays thru October; online market is available year-round.
Where: Sixth and Main Streets, North Little Rock.
Contact: 231-0094.
River Market Farmers’ Market
Since 1974, the RMFM has been providing locals with fresh produce and quality products. Look for peaches, eggplant, strawberries, watermelon, beans, peas, corn, herbs, eggs, goat cheeses, meats, poultry and much more. There are also vendors selling everything from cutting boards and knives to wooden flutes and Adirondacks chairs and swings. Bring your sunglasses and soak up some of the local color.
When: 7 a.m.-mid-afternoon Tuesdays and Saturdays thru October.
Where: River Market Pavilions, 400 President Clinton Ave.
Contact: 375-2552.
You Pick It up
Foodshed Farm All Arkansas Basket-A-Month Program (BAM)
Launched in December 2005 by Foodshed Farm’s Jody Hardin, BAM is a community-supported agriculture program that provides its subscribers (more than 200 households per month) the best food Arkansas has to offer, year-round. Participants subscribe to three baskets at a time, the cost of which is $180. Baskets are delivered to one of several convenient pickup locations. Contents depend on what’s in season, but a typical basket could contain 1/2 gallon farm-fresh milk, 1/2 pound raw milk cheese, a dozen eggs, a pound of Arkansas-raised meat (or vegetarian item of equal value), one bag of salad greens, one pound of rice, handmade pasta, or one loaf of fresh baked bread, a selection of fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs and a prepared food such as jelly, honey or sauce.
When+Where: Basket pickups are typically the week of the 20th. The normal pickup hours for the Little Rock area: 3:30-6 p.m. Thursday, Unitarian Universalist Church on Reservoir Road; 3:30-6 p.m. Friday, Pulaski Heights Presbyterian Church, Woodlawn and Walnut Streets; 7:30-10 a.m. Saturday, 6th and Main Street, North Little Rock.
Contact: Jody Hardin, certifiedarkansas@yahoo.com, csalittlerock@yahoo.com