Kingfest activities rescheduled
Due to the inclement weather, the 40th Annual Original KingFest MLK Day of Service, the MLK Parade/Marade, and the MLK Commemorative Church Service are being rescheduled to Jan. 20-21.
On Jan. 20, for the day of service, organizers ask that all volunteers meet at the Coretta Scott King Center at 8 a.m. for instructions and deployment from 8:30-11 a.m., according to a news release.
Also Jan. 20, the parade will start at 2 p.m., and the lineup is at 1 p.m. at Third Avenue and Walnut Street. The parade will cover the original parade route.
On Jan. 21, the commemorative church program will be held at 6 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 717 W. 32nd Ave. Dr. Robert L. Woodson Sr., president and founder of the Woodson Center in Washington, D.C., is the speaker.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Details: Pine Bluff Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Inc., (870) 730-1131. The Rev. Jesse C. Turner is the executive director.
UAPB closes 2 days
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff will be closed on Monday to observe the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday.
In addition, because of the winter weather warning for most of Arkansas, UAPB will transition to virtual business operations and academic instruction on Tuesday. Normal operations will resume at 8 a.m. Wednesday, according to a news release.
Watson Chapel sets board meeting
The Watson Chapel School Board will hold its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at the district office, 4100 Camden Road. Details: (870) 879-0220.
Area Agency announces menu
Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas is serving lunches from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays at the senior centers. Here’s next week’s menu:
Monday — The agency will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Southeast Arkansas Transportation (SEAT) will be open to transport dialysis and cancer patients to appointments.
Tuesday — Lemon pepper chicken, baked corn casserole, zucchini and tomatoes, chocolate pie, and milk.
Wednesday — Pork Roast, Au Gratin potatoes, orange glazed beets, wheat bread, apple cake, and milk.
Thursday — Swiss steak, rice, okra, roll, apricots, and milk.
Friday — Chicken and dumplings, green beans, stewed tomatoes, cake, and milk.
New farmer classes start Jan. 18
The Center for Arkansas Farms and Food will begin its 2024 session of Beginning Farmer classes on Jan. 18 online via Zoom while a series of two-day Small Farm Short Courses will be held in person.
The online Beginning Farmer classes are held virtually 6-8 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays through the end of February and focus on building a successful, sustainable market farm. Farmers share their experiences and knowledge as part of the classes. The online classes are $10 each and incorporate learning activities with other local service providers, according to a news release.
“You can expect new knowledge and insights even if you’ve taken the course before,” said Heather Friedrich, Center for Arkansas Farms and Food program manager.
Recordings of the online classes will remain available to registrants through Oct. 31. There will be 13 classes in the 2024 session covering a wide variety of topics that include growing produce, marketing, transitioning to organic, agritourism, and consumer supported agriculture, also known as CSA.
To pay the $10 access fee per course, visit the registration page at www.farmandfoodsystems.uada.edu/classes/. An email will be sent to registrants the day before each class and a follow up email will provide links to resources and a recording of the class.
Friedrich noted the benefit of attending the classes virtually, rather than watching the recordings, is having the opportunity to ask questions during the class.
New in 2024, CAFF is offering three Small Farm Short Courses at the Center for Arkansas Farms and Food in Fayetteville.
The first workshop is Feb. 2-3 and addresses transplant production, markets, soil health, setting up systems for success, cultivating community in your food system and a spotlight on CSAs. The second workshop will be May 3-4 with topics including field preparation and building beds, equipment demonstrations, record keeping and messaging, and marketing. The third workshop will be held Oct. 18-19 and will focus on developing skills for crop planning, equipment maintenance, understanding costs of production, cover cropping and building farm management skills.
The courses will offer classroom and field instruction 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Presenters will include CAFF staff, local farmers and representatives from local organizations that work with farmers and small businesses. Lunch, refreshments and snacks will be provided. Registration fees are $200 for each workshop. Scholarships are available for those with limited resources, and historically underserved people.
For more information on the online classes and short courses, email Friedrich at heatherf@uark.edu.
‘Path to Prosperity’ eyes aid
Owners of small businesses looking to grow their enterprises can learn to gain access to needed capital, understand the role of innovation and technology, and become familiar with the paths to government contracting at the “Path to Prosperity” summit Jan. 24 at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“Path to Prosperity” is an initiative of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Small Business Administration and the Federal Depository Insurance Corp.
There is no cost to attend and people can participate in person or virtually by registering at https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIscu6urTItHTAVvsjW4wvqs2s9yd5lL_k#/registration.
The event runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in room 142 of the Engineering and Information Technology building at UA Little Rock.
“This program seeks to highlight the multiple ways that entrepreneurs — including farmers/ranchers — can leverage state and federal funds to enhance their business operations,” said Ron Rainey, assistant vice president for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and director of the Southern Risk Management Education Center. “Any business can benefit from the shared resources and presentations, but targeted sessions will highlight services available to agriculture sector and rural areas. The Division of Agriculture is excited to promote our technical assistance as well as enhance collaboration with our state and federal partners to serve Arkansas.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact a local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.