ALFN Market Is Open

The first day of fall was a few days ago, and the signs of fall produce are in the market. You can pick up turkey and pig down payments, apples are ready for consumption, and butternuts squashes are in supply. Check out what is new and make your orders; the market is open.

News & Updates

I just found out from previous ALFN leaders that October 10th is CRAZY! Due to the Race for the Cure events in downtown Little Rock, including events held at Christ Church, ALFN will not be able to run a market. Consequently, this will be the last market week until after the event. You may want to stock up on essential items to get through October 10th. In the meantime, enjoy the local events and pink explosion.

The violence in Syria and the resultant mass migration of people attempting access into Europe is a sad narrative from the series on human life. These events are not new to the human saga, but are paradigmatic of the drama of homo sapiens on Earth. Conflict often leads to mass migration. In the past, glacial fields were traversed, menacing mountain ranges crossed, and expansive uncharted seas sailed. Ancient peoples carried a bit of home with them. Most importantly, “home” was carried as seeds in pouches to germinate a similar way of life in the land ahead. Today, refugees cross barbed wire and chain-linked fence with empty pockets. Due to our technological prowess, many researchers are concerned that we could inadvertently permanently cut off our access to home in the form of seeds. Did you know eight years ago, the Norwegian government built a massive seed vault that currently holds over 850,000 types of seeds? The project was envisioned to be the final backup to possible catastrophes that would wipe out seeds such as nuclear war, viral epidemics or meteor impacts. For the first time since inception, a request was made to withdraw seeds. The regional seed bank in Aleppo, Syria has lost some seeds due to the protracted war. The request is illustrative of the effects of conflict and migration.

The proverbial rented U haul on the road is representative of how westerners migrate to new jobs, new possibilities and new hope. We bubble wrap furniture and china, but rarely do we pack seeds. We archive pictures, store postcards, but often forget to carry food systems in our migrating patterns. I don’t think all of us can be farmers, but all of us should think about the seed banks and knowledge banks for food production in our local economies. It isn’t enough to simply rely on seed producers. I believe a local food economy is only as robust as the local networks and established traditions for saving seed. There are local networks in Arkansas working to do this, but I also believe local consumers and growers should cultivate cultures of saving and banking what we germinate. Conflict and migration will continue to be part of our narrative drama. Let’s return to the ancient practice of carrying local food systems with us in our pockets as well as our heads.

Be well,

Kyle Holton
Program & Market Manager