Cooperative Extension Service to host first Grow Your Own Groceries Conference
Dec.18, 2025
By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture
Fast Facts:
- Conference on Feb. 10, 2026, in Conway
- Registration $75, lunch provided
- Register online by Jan. 31 https://uada.formstack.com/forms/grow_groceries
- Topics: Harvest planning, soil health, composting, food preservation, irrigation, beekeeping and more
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Download conference logo art
LITTLE ROCK — The Cooperative Extension Service’s online Grow Your Own Groceries Series has been so popular that organizers will host the first in-person Grow Your Own Groceries Conference in 2026.
Like the monthly webinars, the conference will provide expertise on growing and preparing food.
The one-day conference will be Feb. 10 from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. at the Conway Expo and Events Center, 2505 E. Oak St, Conway. Online registration is open until Jan. 31. The cost is $75 and includes access to sessions and demonstrations on nearly a dozen topics with lunch included.
“We’re excited to take the virtual Grow Your Own Groceries program to the next level with this in-person conference,” Faulkner County extension agent Krista Quinn said. “We’ve been planning the conference for a little over a year now, and we’re delighted to offer presentations from some of Arkansas’ most knowledgeable experts on a variety of gardening and food preparation topics that have been suggested by our virtual viewers. It will be a great opportunity to share information and experiences with each other and help us all to be more successful producing our own food.”
The Grow Your Own series started in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a way for extension experts to share research-based information with home gardeners on how to grow and prepare fresh produce. Quinn and Faulkner County Family and Consumer Science Agent Mary Beth Groce originally planned to host four sessions that year, but viewers wanted more.
In the five years since, they’ve hosted 77 presentations that have reached more than 28,000 people in 57 Arkansas counties, 31 states and seven countries. More than 30 extension staff have presented during the series.
“One of the keys to our success is having the support of so many agents and specialists who share their expertise with the public,” Quinn said. “With so many extension contributors, it’s been a truly powerful program.”
Participants were surveyed, and 95 percent said they gained knowledge about growing food and cooking skills they will use, Quinn said.
At the conference, extension agents and educators will share expertise on topics ranging from planning a harvest to preparing the soil to preserving food.
Former Arkansas Master Gardener program coordinator and gardening guru Janet Carson and Randy Forst, the current Master Gardener program coordinator, will give a luncheon keynote presentation titled “Pick and Plant,” inspired by the classic humor and charm of the long-running radio show, “Car Talk” with Click and Clack.
As Click and Clack did under the hood, Carson and Forst will “diagnose” garden woes, swap stories from the soil, and share expert tips for getting the most out of your backyard bounty. They’ll share some of their favorite crops to plant, care for and eat.
The conference will also feature educational exhibits where attendees can talk with experts.
Conference Schedule
8-9 a.m. — Registration and visit educational tables
9–9:50 a.m.
• Growing in High Tunnels — Taunya Ernst, high tunnel and urban agriculture educator
• Planning for an Abundant Harvest — Krista Quinn, Faulkner County extension agent
• Nurturing Your Soil — Sherri Sanders, White County extension agent
10–10:50 a.m.
• Hydroponic Vegetable Production — Derek Reed, Pulaski County extension agent
• Food Preservation Methods — Extension Food Preservation Team
• Getting Started with Beekeeping — Jon Zawislak, assistant professor of apiculture
and urban entomology
11–11:50 a.m.
• Using Cover Crops in the Garden — Trent Roberts, professor of soil fertility and
soil testing
• Composting — Colin Massey, Washington County extension agent
• Setting Up a Drip Irrigation System — Ryan Neal, Benton County extension agent
Noon–1:20 p.m.
Lunch and Keynote Presentation — Pick and Plant: Plant Talk with Janet Carson and Randy Forst
1:30–2:20 p.m.
• Using Cover Crops in the Garden — Trent Roberts, professor of soil fertility and
soil testing
• Composting — Colin Massey, Washington County extension agent
• Setting Up a Drip Irrigation System — Ryan Neal, Benton County extension agent
2:30–3:20 p.m.
• Hydroponic Vegetable Production — Derek Reed, Pulaski County extension agent
• Food Preservation Methods — Extension Food Preservation Team
• Getting Started with Beekeeping — Jon Zawislak, assistant professor of apiculture
and urban entomology
3:30–4:20 p.m.
• Growing in High Tunnels — Taunya Ernst, high tunnel and urban agriculture educator
• Planning for an Abundant Harvest — Krista Quinn, Faulkner County extension agent
• Nurturing Your Soil — Sherri Sanders, White County extension agent
To find upcoming webinars in the Grow Your Own Groceries series program, visit https://uaex.uada.edu/grow-groceries. To learn about other extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service office or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on five system campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture is an equal opportunity institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact the Faulkner County Extension Office at 501-329-8344 as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay.
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Media Contact: Tracy Courage
Director of Communications-Extension
U of A System Division of Agriculture
501-658-2044