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Partnering with New South Coop
The Locals Food Hub is excited to partner with New South Coop, bringing a new community-supported agriculture (CSA) to the Conway community. The Locals food hub (a giant fridge on wheels!) is located at Bell Urban Farm on 2001 Tyler St. Once a week during the growing season, New South delivers CSA shares that we then distribute to members. To sign up to be a member visit newsouthcoop.com.
New South Coop is a farmer-owned cooperative based in Little Rock that supports the livelihoods of small-scale Arkansas farmers while connecting people to fresh, local produce.
In the CSA model, customers sign up and pay in advance to receive a weekly share of fresh produce throughout the growing season. This model has many benefits for both farmers and consumers, making local produce a convenient choice for customers while securing small-scale farmers a market for whole growing season.
Working together as a cooperative helps farmers by allowing them to consolidate marketing, distribution, and technical training so they can turn their energy to growing the best produce possible. New South Coop growers are all Certified Organic or Certified Naturally Grown, demonstrating a deep commitment to both the environment and long-term health.
The cooperative CSA model also allows shareholders to experience the best flavors of Arkansas while trying new vegetables and learning to cook in new ways. In addition to your weekly share of produce, you’ll receive a weekly newsletter with recipes, cooking tips, and stories from the farms your food is coming from.
Now, you may also add flowers, cheese, bread, coffee, and jam to your share! Visit newsouthcoop.com to learn more!
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From Foodshed to New South
Our partners Foodshed Farms are transitioning into a new name and new look, but they are still the same cooperative of local farmers producing great food.
So why the change? The business has grown! It began in 2014 with a handful of farms and a small CSA. But now in 2016 they've grown to nearly two dozen Arkansas farms with over 450 CSA members across the state and dozens of restaurants and grocers carrying their products every week.
Their new brand reflects this growth and coincides with our official transition to a farmer-owned cooperative earlier this year.
New South Produce Cooperative represents a dedication to environmental stewardship through organic agriculture and a commitment to the growth of small family farms. We are working towards a new type of agriculture that promotes rural livelihoods and protects the health of our land and communities.
Over the next couple of weeks, you'll notice some changes as they transition to a new website (check it out!) and social media handles, but they'll continue to put their CSA members first and provide you with top quality Arkansas-grown produce.
We hope you'll join us as we grow and continue to deliver great local food to families across the state! -
The Locals Food Hub & Food Shed Farms
Interest in local food is growing across the state, and The Locals Food Hub and Foodshed Farms have teamed up to make sustainable produce more accessible in Conway.
The Foodshed Farms CSA (community-supported agriculture) program allows customers to sign up in advance to have weekly produce shares delivered to pick-up locations across the state, including The Locals Food Hub in Conway. The CSA model secures a market for farmers throughout the growing season and allows shareholders to experience a variety of fruits and vegetables all season long.
As a farmer-owned cooperative, Foodshed Farms is able to support the livelihoods of small-scale farmers by securing a market, paying a fair price for their products, coordinating distribution, and providing technical assistance in organic practices. Foodshed Farms also supports healthy communities by consistently supplying them with fresh, local produce.
Find out more at www.foodshedfarms.com