RISON - Local residents who grow produce or make a homemade food product or craft could soon have a way to sell their products on a consignment basis through an outlet in Rison.
Britt Talent, publisher of the Herald and organizer of the Arkansas Homesteading Conference, said he is looking to create a “farm stop” at his office in downtown Rison.
Farm stops are a new trend in the local food movement. They are essentially retail locations for people to sell produce or homemade food items on a consignment basis without having to set up a booth at a farmers market or other special event. Under this model, the producer sets their price, and the farm stop markets and sells the products from their retail location.
Farm stops are basically the next step up from a farmers market. Traditionally, farmers markets operate only on specific days or seasons while farm stops can be open year-round and serve as a consistent retail outlet for local products.
Talent said his first step in offering this new venue is to gauge local interest. Anyone wanting to sell produce, a homemade food item or a craft on a consignment basis can reach out to him through email at contact@clevelandcountyherald.com or call the Herald office at (870) 325-6412.
“If you have a backyard garden and happen to have an abundance of a certain crop, you could drop off that extra produce at the office and we will try to sell it for you,” Talent said. “The same method applies to homemade food products or even crafts. It’s a great way to pick up some extra money.”
Many credit the farm stop model to have been started by the Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 2014. While there is no entity that tracks the number of farm stops nationwide, the movement has grown to the point that the first National Farm Stop Conference was held in Ann Arbor last year.
In Arkansas, the Me & McGee Market in North Little Rock operates under a similar model.
While fresh produce is one part of the farm stop model, so are the locally-made foods. Talent said changes under the Arkansas Food Freedom Act gives home cooks a greater market to sell their products.
Under the law, people can sell baked goods; candy; jams, jellies and fruit butters made with real sugar; chocolate-covered whole, uncut fruits and berries; honey products including creamed, whipped or flavored honey; maple syrup and sorghum; pickled cucumbers and acidified vegetables; and in some cases, salsas and sauces.
A complete copy of the Arkansas Food Freedom guidelines can be found online through the Arkansas Health Department or the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service.
Talent said he will be marketing all the fruits, vegetables and food products through the Herald as well as online resources.