Believe it or not, historically, the Upper Arkansas River Valley was a thriving agricultural region. At one point the iceberg lettuce capital of the US, our soils played host to a large variety of crops and livestock. As our American culture began to lean more heavily on foods imported from elsewhere, much of our local agricultural knowledge and food economy was lost. We envision an Upper Arkansas River Valley of the future that embraces the agricultural heritage of our past while always keeping a keen eye for better and more sustainable methods of food production. Food is a celebration of life. It is at the core of who we are as people. It is often the centerpiece for community gatherings and events. It tells stories of our past and, we believe, our collective regional knowledge of it will determine much of our future.

Through our educational work and the facilitation of new relationships with farmers and landowners, we encourage the emergence of new farming enterprises here in the valley. We look for ways to bring buyers and producers of local goods together by promoting and/or offering opportunities such as CSAs, distribution centers, farmers markets, and events. Through our blog and our regular eNewsletters we share current ideas and happenings in the local food and food culture scene here in the valley.