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LITTLE ROCK, AR – The Arkansas Department of Agriculture continues to move forward with the implementation of the Arkansas Rice in Schools Pilot Program, an initiative designed to increase the use of Arkansas-grown rice in school meal programs and connect students with local agriculture through classroom learning. The Arkansas Rice Research and Promotion Board voted yesterday to provide $15,000 in funding to support the pilot program’s implementation. The funding will be used to provide equipment such as rice cookers to participating schools, helping facilitate the integration of Arkansas-grown rice into school meal programs. As part of the pilot phase,

LITTLE ROCK, AR – As Arkansas Farm to School Month comes to a close, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture joins Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders in celebrating her proclamation designating October as Arkansas Farm to School Month by announcing the winners of the 2025 Arkansas Grown School Garden of the Year Contest. Throughout October, schools across the state have celebrated by highlighting their gardens and farm to school activities that connect students with local food and agriculture. “Hands-on learning is one of the most powerful ways students can bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world,” said Governor

LITTLE ROCK, AR — The Arkansas Department of Agriculture has selected six projects to receive a total of $336,560 in funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the program supports efforts to strengthen and expand Arkansas’s specialty crop industry. “These projects reflect the innovation and collaboration that continue to move Arkansas’s specialty crop industry forward,” said Arkansas Secretary of Agriculture Wes Ward. “We’re proud to administer this program in Arkansas and support research and marketing efforts that help producers grow their operations and bring more Arkansas-grown products to consumers.”