Ozark Food Systems and Farm Bill Strategy: NSAC’s Summer Meeting Recap

Every summer, the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) gathers to plan for the year ahead. NSAC summer meetings serve as an opportunity for coalition members to connect, exchange ideas and information, and strategize collectively on shared policy priorities. Summer meetings rotate locations yearly to reflect the geographical diversity of NSAC’s member organizations, also allowing NSAC members to observe how different local food systems operate and better understand how the policies NSAC advocates for impact farmers on the ground. In recent years, the Coalition has gathered in Vermont, Minnesota, and Colorado. This year’s Summer Meeting was held at the Stonebreaker Barn situated on Markham Hill in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Arkansas is an important agricultural state and home to Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Senator John Boozman (R-AR). Margo Hale, ATTRA Program Director and Armed to Farm Director at the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), who is based in the area, gave the group a warm welcome to Northwest Arkansas and shared an overview of the state’s agricultural landscape. Agriculture is Arkansas’s largest industry, contributing more than $20 billion annually to the state economy. Arkansas is the nation’s leading rice-producing state. The scale of Arkansas agriculture exists alongside profound need, as nearly 30 percent of adult Arkansans are food insecure. The state also led the nation in farm-bankruptcy filings in 2025, underscoring why resilient local food systems and effective farm policy are essential. The state’s agricultural reach goes far beyond the local food system. Arkansas is home to major companies whose operations shape food supply chains worldwide, such as Walmart, Tyson Foods, J.B. Hunt, and Riceland Foods. At the same time, Hale emphasized the importance of strengthening local and regional food systems so that Arkansas farmers and communities can share more fully in the value created by the state’s agricultural resources. Farm Bill Markup The Senate Agriculture Committee’s strong Arkansas ties were particularly visible at this Summer Meeting due to a historic first: the Senate farm bill markup overlapped with our meeting. Before the Summer Meeting, NSAC found that the farm bill discussion draft circulated ahead of markup fell well short of adequately addressing issues from the farm safety net and conservation funding to domestic markets. The Senate Agriculture Committee farm bill markup overlapping with the Summer Meeting presented some unique challenges and opportunities. Juggling the planned agenda with emergent markup needs was tricky; however, it provided the opportunity to organize and mobilize in person, something that is rare for any national coalition. NSAC’s policy team stayed plugged into the latest from Washington, DC, keeping up to date with the latest intel and working with Congressional offices to encourage the adoption of amendments that would push the coalition’s shared priorities forward. This was exciting for many NSAC members to witness in real time, since much of this tends to happen behind the curtain in DC. This real time dynamic also gave the Coalition an enhanced opportunity to mobilize constituents and stakeholders in favor of these changes, strengthening the requests NSAC’s policy team was making of Senators’ staff to do better. For the latest on the Senate’s farm bill markup and what may come next, see NSAC’s blog. Food Systems in Action Outside of the Senate farm bill markup, NSAC staff and members got an up-close look at Northwest Arkansas’s vibrant local food system by touring the Market Center of the Ozarks, the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food, and Ozark Natural Foods Coop. The first stop was the Market Center of the Ozarks, a comprehensive 45,000-square-foot state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility in Springdale, Arkansas. The impressive $31 million structure officially opened in May of 2025 as part of the Northwest Arkansas Food Systems initiative launched by the Walton Family Foundation in 2020 to bolster regional agriculture. The Market Center serves as a nonprofit food-business and farm-support center that gives regional farmers and food entrepreneurs access to the facilities and expertise they need to grow, from aggregation, washing, cold storage, packaging, and distribution for fresh produce to commercial kitchen and processing space for value-added food products. Housed with the Market Center, the tour visited the Spring Creek Food Hub, a nonprofit that helps build a stronger regional food economy by working with Northwest Arkansas farmers to bring their products to local customers and organizations, from schools and restaurants to grocery stores and community groups, while offering practical support that helps farms grow, coordinate distribution, and reach new markets. Food hubs are a critical part of local food system infrastructure and resiliency that are often overlooked and undervalued. Offering farmers a steady stream of income, a place to store or process their produce, and connections to grocery stores and wholesale buyers, increases a region’s capacity to feed itself. The Arkansas Food Innovation Center is also housed within the Market Center, supporting local food entrepreneurs with a range of services, including a shared-use commercial kitchen, food processing and bottling capabilities, and educational workshops. They offer technical support, business development assistance, and resources to help food entrepreneurs scale their businesses. These three entities are co-located, creating an integrated food-system hub where farmers and food entrepreneurs can access the infrastructure, technical expertise, processing capabilities, and market connections they need, all under one roof, to strengthen the regional food economy and increase the capacity and resiliency of Northwest Arkansas’s local food system. The tour continued at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food (CAFF), a University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture program. Based in Fayetteville, CAFF combines hands-on training, farm and business education, and peer networks to help new and experienced farmers build sustainable, thriving operations. NSAC toured its half-acre intensive market garden and five-acre tractor-scale production model for an up-close look at how farmers can get started, sharpen their skills, and level up their businesses. Another tour highlight was the Ozark Natural Foods Coop, a Fayetteville favorite that has been nourishing Northwest Arkansas since 1971. More than a place to pick up fresh, thoughtfully sourced food, the co-op supports local farmers, growers, producers, and artisans, and brings neighbors together around a shared love of good food. After learning the ins and outs, NSAC members had a chance to support the coop and stock up on delicious snacks, local coffee, and much more. “It was a pleasure to host NSAC members in Arkansas and share both the beauty of my home state and the impact of its agricultural industry. The meeting provided an opportunity for sustainable agriculture and food system leaders from across the country to experience the breadth and diversity of Arkansas agriculture, from nationally recognized rice, poultry, corn, and cattle production to innovative local food system initiatives, including a farmer training program and food hub in Northwest Arkansas. Having Arkansas Senator John Boozman lead the Senate Farm Bill markup on the final day of the meeting further highlighted the state’s significant role in shaping federal agricultural policy. The connections forged and partnerships strengthened throughout the week will continue to benefit NCAT’s work serving farmers and ranchers nationwide,” shared Margo Hale of the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). Building Connections Summer Meeting is an excellent time to connect with our members and celebrate the efforts we have made all year to campaign for federal policy reforms that serve farmers across the country. As part of that celebration, this meeting included many moments of joy, such as morning walks on nearby trails, an early yoga session, dedicated time for structured rest, Happy Hour, and an Ecstatic Dance circle at the edge of the woods as the sun set over the hotel property. These activities provided a chance to deepen relationships as colleagues and comrades in the work that we love, and to connect with the sacred land that informs so much of what we do as food systems advocates. To add even more sparkle to our gathering, on the eve of the farm bill markup, a group of members and NSAC staff caught Kesha’s “Freedom Tour” concert at the nearby Walton Amphitheatre in Rogers, Arkansas. It was a glorious night of glitter, good vibes, and grooves. “As a first-time attendee at the summer meeting, it was energizing to connect with fellow NSAC members around the key challenges and opportunities facing our network and to use our time together to develop timely strategies for change. Gathering in person offered a valuable opportunity to strengthen the fabric of our community while renewing the energy and sense of purpose behind our movement—especially as we prepare for the many shifts that election season will bring,” said Lauren Hirtle, Policy Director at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA). Our Hearts Are Full After three days of thoughtful collaboration, productive conversations, shared strategizing, and Ozark hospitality, we left Arkansas with full hearts and renewed energy. NSAC extends our appreciation to our members who traveled to join us in Arkansas and to our entire membership, whose enduring commitment continually strengthens the sustainable agriculture movement. NSAC is grateful to NWA Food Systems, a local initiative of the Walton Family Foundation, for sponsoring this year’s farm tours. NWA Food Systems is a network of partners working to get more local food on local tables in Northwest Arkansas. Thank you to our farm tour hosts, the caring staff at the Stonebreaker Hotel, and, of course, our stellar meeting planners, Carena Miles, NSAC Operations Manager, and Lee Ford, NSAC Program Associate, for their logistical support and careful attention to detail. Leave a Reply