The Cobblestone Project: Fights Hunger + Educates

This post is sponsored by The Cobblestone Project. Opinions are my own.

The Cobblestone Project, a local non-profit organization, is on a mission to fight hunger in Northwest Arkansas. We can help!

Hunger in Northwest Arkansas. Hunger in America.

As I think about the past weekend my husband and I spent with friends—a weekend filled with too much food!—it’s difficult for me to imagine not having enough to eat. But in Northwest Arkansas, one in four families is considered food insecure. This means a significant number of families in our own community struggle to put nutritious food on the table day in and day out.

According to Feed America, food banks are no longer used primarily for emergency assistance. Instead, they are visited on a regular basis the way you and I make a trip to the grocery story. 40% of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients in Arkansas are employed. These hard-working families silently visit food banks to feed their children.

This problem should not exist in the United States.

The Cobblestone Project’s mission reaches beyond growing locally fresh food. Cobblestone Farm in Fayetteville distributes fresh produce to these local partners: Northwest Arkansas Food Bank, Samaritan House, Fayetteville Public Library Books & Bites event, 2nd Street Pantry and LifeSource. A large part of its mission is to educate the community about nutrition and wellness so families can sustain a healthy future. Cobblestone works with community partners New Heights Church, Single Parent Scholarship, NWACC Brightwater and the VA Hospital to provide a variety of educational programs. This whole idea of “teaching a man to fish” versus “giving a man one fish” is powerful and life-changing for generations.

So how can you get involved? There are several ways!

HARVEST PARTY:

Do you live in Northwest Arkansas? If so, make plans to attend Cobblestone’s Harvest Party on Friday, September 15, 2017. This year marks the 4th Annual Harvest Party at Morter Farm Barn in Rogers, Arkansas. The event features live music, cocktails, and a delicious farm-to-table meal prepared by Chef Luke Wentzel of Oven & Tap. I’ll be there. As a farm girl, they had me at harvest. And barn.

==> Buy Tickets HERE. <==

VOLUNTEER:

A working farm is always short on farm labor. Cobblestone Farm is the perfect place to plan your next corporate team-building event. The farm has opportunities for individual and group volunteers. You can garden, harvest, mow, repair fences, and provide general maintenance. There’s a veteran work therapy program, too. (Contact the Veteran’s Healthcare System of the Ozarks for information.) Bottom line, there’s a job for you.

SUBSCRIBE TO HARVEST SHARES:

Bring the farm to your kitchen table with Harvest Shares, The Cobblestone Project’s CSA program. A seasonal subscription will get you approximately ten pounds of locally grown produce, eggs, and flowers (when available) each week. Baskets can be picked up at convenient locations in Bentonville and Fayetteville. If you don’t have the space, time, or wherewithal to maintain your own garden, this is such a fun option. And speaking from experience, once all the fresh goodness enters your kitchen, you’ll find yourself cooking more healthy and creative meals. You will NOT let locally grown squash spoil.

==> Learn more about Harvest Shares HERE. <==

DONATE:

For those of you who live too far away from beautiful Northwest Arkansas to enjoy the Harvest Party, Harvest Share program, or volunteer your time, no worries. You can still help. ? The Cobblestone Project depends on donations to help further its outreach. If you’d like to make a cash donation or a non-cash gift, click HERE.

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People all over the world are suffering. The news is saturated with stories that bring us to our knees. If you are concerned with helping a local organization that’s making a difference in the lives of Arkansas’s most vulnerable, consider adding The Cobblestone Project to your list of supported non-profits.

I hope you’ll dig out your cowboy boots and join me at the Harvest Party on Friday!

Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.

P.S. For those who read all the way to the end of this post—yay—how about a chance to win two tickets to the Harvest Party? Click HERE and head over to see Dining with Debbie. She’s hosting a giveaway!

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