ALMA, Ark. (Arkansas Farm Bureau) — An Arkansas farm was recently filled with the sound of children’s laughter as hundreds of kids showed up to pick strawberries.
Each spring, students from across Crawford County visit Arnold Family Farm for an annual event that organizers say offers both a fun day outdoors and a lesson in where food comes from.
Arnold Family Farm is a 120-acre operation owned by Randy and Vicki Arnold. The farm specializes in u-pick strawberries and has been operating since 1990.
Randy Arnold says the lessons shared during the event can stick with kids for a lifetime: “We want the younger generation to know where their food comes from, how it’s grown. So they’ll have a respect for food and farmers.”
Growers say getting kids into the fields at an early age is about more than just a good time. It is also an investment in the next generation of consumers and farmers.