By Lydia Fletcher

As childhood hunger continues to impact Arkansas, many communities are working to end food insecurity, which affects 1 in 5 children in the state. 

Tucked away at the edge of Gulley Park lies a farm not only cultivating crops but providing meals and education to equip children with tools to live a healthier lifestyle. 

Apple Seeds NWA was founded in 2007 with the mission of introducing children to nutritious foods and inspiring them to make healthy choices. Volunteers soon discovered that many of the students they worked with did not have reliable access to fruits, vegetables, or other nutritious foods, as Arkansas is home to many food deserts.

Food deserts are areas that lack convenient options that provide affordable, healthy foods and  Northwest Arkansas is home to both urban and rural food deserts, many of which impact low-income communities the most.  

According to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, “A community is a food desert or low food access location if residents must travel more than one mile in an urban setting or more than 10 miles in a rural setting to obtain a selection of fresh, nutritious food.”

Jordan Lanning, Director of Development became involved with Apple Seeds NWA in 2022 after wanting to help end food insecurity in NWA and also give students a sense of control over the foods they eat. 

“I think as we get older we all forget what it’s like to be a kid,” said Lanning. “You spend 90 percent of your time being told what to do and how you need to do it. So this really gives kids the opportunity to take control of a portion of their life.” 

As director of development, Lanning works to raise funds for and awareness about the organization. She said she thinks it is important for kids to be given the opportunity to know where their food comes from and what they can do with it.

The teaching farm occupies two acres of Gulley Park, where crops grow year-round. During the winter months, root vegetables like parsnips line the greenhouse, and the farming side of the program shifts to the culinary side of things. During the fall and summer, harvests are in full swing and students are given a closer look at everything that goes into gardening. Programming is offered year-round and over 15,000 students have visited the farm in person or through the organization’s virtual programming. 

Programming includes allowing students to harvest, wash, prep, cook and eat vegetables, but to fully support the mission, Apple Seeds NWA also sends home those same ingredients and a recipe card. This allows students to recreate the meal with their families, and show off what they’ve learned. Recipes range from kale chips and sweet potato fries to zesty radish cream cheese or an apple beet crumble. 

Regardless of the recipe, fruits and vegetables are brought front and center, encouraging students to try new foods with their peers, and then later with their families. 

Though students may be apprehensive about trying a new vegetable, Programs Director Ryan Patterson said he tries to make sure they get to experience every aspect of gardening to ease some of the students’ worries. 

“They’ve had so many different touchpoints by the time they try it, they’re more familiar with it,” said Patterson. “So 98 percent of the students were willing to try the snack we made during their field trip.” 

Patterson has been with Apple Seeds NWA since 2020 and oversees all programming including those in schools and summer camps. He said he loves seeing students’ excitement when they learn about where their food comes from. 

“It’s like magic,” said Patterson. “Being able to have them see that process happen in such a short amount of time while they’re here and see them connect those dots about where their food is coming from is just so cool.” 

Patterson has helped provide the experience and education to over 60 schools, including through remote options offered to districts across the state. 

Apple Seeds NWA works with the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance and Arkansas Children’s Research Institute to develop the Growing My Plate Program. This program is a food nutrition program focused on connecting students with fresh foods and the skills needed to cook them. This curriculum has been implemented all over the state, as the USDA recently gave the nonprofit a grant to expand this program. 

The work Apple Seeds NWA does is felt consistently by the Northwest Arkansas community. In 2021, the organization donated almost 9,000 pounds of farm-fresh food to students and families in the community. 

Apple Seeds NWA donates food weekly to school food pantries and other youth organizations. Students who attend programming are sent home with recipe cards and the food needed to cook said recipe, but accessing healthy food daily is difficult for many Arkansans. 

According to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, in 2019, there were only 1.7 grocery stores or produce vendors per 10,000 people in Arkansas, well below the national average of 2.1 per 10,000 people. Though corner stores and convenience stores may help fill this gap, the food they provide is often prepackaged snack foods and few pantry staples. 

“What we see with the differences between urban and rural food deserts, is that in urban food deserts, there may be access to some kind of food, but it’s not necessarily healthy food or even affordable food,” said ACHI Senior Policy Analyst and Data Privacy Officer, Jennifer Wessel. “Versus in rural areas, it may just be limitations to getting to food in general.” 

Though Arkansas is home to higher than the national average food insecurity, organizations and teaching farms like Apple Seeds NWA are working to end this epidemic and empower a generation to have access to the food needed to make healthy choices.