English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Fayetteville, AR

• Arkansas has had the highest food insecurity rate in the nation for three years in a row, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• In the town of Fayetteville, food security efforts have spanned the private and public sectors for many years. At the heart of the work is the community’s approach to nutrition education for youth, including growing food.

• Leading the charge: Apple Seeds, a nonprofit teaching farm, and the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, in collaboration with Fayetteville’s public school district.

• Federal budget cuts for programs like SNAP-Ed and the Farm to School Program have impacted this work, but most of Fayetteville’s efforts will continue regardless.

“It takes five to seven points of interaction with a new vegetable to start to shift the mindset of a kid around what they think of that vegetable,” Thompson explained.

“It takes five to seven points of interaction with a new vegetable to start to shift the mindset of a kid around what they think of that vegetable.”

This year, there was a 91 percent increase in the number of kids willing to eat turnips after participating in an Apple Seeds program, Thompson said. And roughly three-quarters of participating students are willing to eat leafy greens—compared to less than 30 percent of American adults.

Also this year, Apple Seeds saw increases in kids’ willingness to try the vegetables used in the program, their retention of nutrition information, and behavioral changes such as cooking at home or using a nutrition label to make a decision, Thompson said.

Apple Seeds grows produce year-round using organic farming practices, and its staff select crops for educational and nutritional purposes, not commercial value. Two examples: sweet peppers and cherry tomatoes, which kids can harvest without a sharp knife.

Apple Seeds also increases food access through donations of “produce bundles.” In 2024, the farm supplied students with 16,854 of these bags of fresh vegetables.

“Whatever we’re growing, we bundle it up with a recipe and the kids who participate in the programs get to take home a cooking kit that includes everything needed to make that recipe,” Thompson said.

The produce bundles are delivered monthly directly to the schools that offer the Apple Seeds K-5 core curriculum. The bundles change seasonally—in the spring, for example, students may receive carrots, assorted herbs, and fresh greens such as spinach, kale, and lettuce. “Ninety-eight percent of the families that get access to our food say that it increases their consumption of fresh vegetables at home.”

At Asbell Elementary in Fayetteville, 90 percent of the roughly 300 students are eligible for free and reduced price lunch through the USDA National School Lunch Program. Every grade level there also offers an annual field trip to Apple Seeds and access to their produce bundles.

“The first couple of times that we had the produce bundles, students were a little hesitant, but now they will come right up and they’ll show so much excitement, they’ll want to take five different bags,” Asbell Principal Jamie Baureis said. “It’s completely changed the level of engagement with vegetables.”

Perhaps the most well-known and broad-reaching initiative is Alice Waters’ Edible Schoolyard, which was founded in California in 1995 and now comprises 6,500 programs across 47 countries, according to its most recent impact report.

These organizations all manage to address hunger and health issues in their communities without significant federal funding.

But for many others, including in Fayetteville, the sudden loss of federal funding last year is forcing abrupt shifts in how they operate and fulfill their missions.

For many others, including in Fayetteville, the sudden loss of federal funding last year is forcing abrupt shifts in how they operate and fulfill their missions.

AHRA took an $800,000 hit to its annual budget last year, with $600,000 cut from nutrition education for children and adults due to the termination of SNAP-Ed. “We lost that funding without warning,” said AHRA CEO Sylvia Blain. “We still had one year left on our agreement, so there was confusion about whether or not we would be allowed to finish out our contract which would go through September 2026. We have not yet secured new partnerships to fund this work.”

Since July 2025, when the One Big Beautiful Bill set an Oct. 1 end date for SNAP-Ed, the AHRA has pared down programming and tried to fill the gap by focusing on individual and corporate donors. This hasn’t been easy, because the coalition must compete with other nonprofits for a limited pool of resources.

Apple Seeds typically relies on government grants for about a third of its funding, with events and donations from individuals, family foundations, and corporations bringing in the rest. In 2025, several grants that Apple Seeds had received or applied for were unexpectedly discontinued.

When the Farm to School grant program was reinstated in September 2025, AHRA and Apple Seeds co-submitted a proposal in the hopes of receiving some of the allotted $18 million in funds for all states, to be announced in April 2026.

The funding cuts from the past year confirmed the importance of having diversified streams of income, Thompson said. “They can balance each other whenever one area is not as strong in any given year. This is across individual giving, corporate giving, grants, and services we offer at a fee.”

In the future, this could mean that Apple Seeds plans more ticketed events, like a Kitchen Table dinner series they have hosted monthly since 2017. “We love to fundraise around the same mission of our work with our kids—building community around good food,” Thompson said.

Last year, 20,155 students from central and northwest Arkansas (including Fayetteville) participated in Apple Seeds programs. This year, the organization expects to reach capacity and is planning to build two additional teaching farms over the next few years. This will, of course, depend on funding.

“I think we’re going to see a highly competitive fundraising environment in 2026, and that is concerning, because there’s a lot of great work that needs to be done,” Blain said. “Hope is the flip side of that—it’s the coalition building that’s happening right now across sectors to make sure that this work continues. People realize that we’ve got a lot to do in the grassroots sector, and that our communities have got to support one another.”

Drake Farms promises 165 acres of housing, medical, and commercial space across a 15-year development plan.

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A brand new mixed-use development spanning 165 acres along Interstate 49 is coming to Fayetteville, with its first phase to be completed within the year, according to a press release.

Specialized Real Estate Group will lead the production of Drake Farms, a neighborhood district that will expand over 15 years of construction. The multi-phase project will include 2,400 homes and 1.3 million square feet of healthcare, medical, green, and commercial business space.

In total, Drake Farms is expected to be over a $1 billion investment over the 15 year period.

The main goal of the district-scale neighborhood is to bring people closer together through proximity and accommodations and serve as an extension of the city.

“Drake Farms is about building a neighborhood first — one that feels authentic to Fayetteville and grounded in the land’s legacy,” said Jeremy Hudson, CEO of Specialized Real Estate Group. “We believe the spaces between the buildings are just as important as the buildings themselves. Sidewalks, trails, gathering spaces, and preserved green areas are what turn a collection of structures into a true neighborhood. This is a rare opportunity to shape a place where people can live, work, and gather in a way that feels connected, walkable, and enduring.”

The property hopes to carry the legacy of former University of Arkansas professor Noah Drake, who pioneered the cultivation of the black walnut tree.

130 walnut trees remain on the land today and will be highlighted with their own green space.

Additional details on the upcoming construction of Phase One are set to be released within the next few months, according to Specialized Real Estate Group.

Oxnard, Calif.-based drone manufacturer has opened a 80,000-square-foot Advanced Manufacturing Center at Drake Field in Fayetteville to accelerate development and deployment of large drones, or uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), for defense purposes.

The company on Wednesday (Feb. 18) held a ribbon cutting for the new facility.

According to a news release, the company’s Arkansas operations will make thousands of drones and employ hundreds of engineers and technicians over the next decade. The company declined to provide an investment amount for the new center.

Swarm aims to make large drones that allow the United States to defend itself and its allies without putting pilots in harm’s way. The new center will help to make this a reality. Swarm’s pioneering approach to produce composite airframes will allow manufacturing “at volumes not seen since World War II,” the release shows.

“We looked at over 20 states before deciding to put down manufacturing roots in Fayetteville,” said Danny Goodman, CEO and co-founder of Swarm Aero. “We chose Northwest Arkansas because of the exceptional talent and partners, and we’re thrilled to continue our growth here. Large UAVs are the future of armed conflict. When paired with our swarm command and control software, they can achieve major combat objectives by cooperating with superhuman dexterity while being several times cheaper than traditional aircraft.”

Swarm Aero was founded in 2022 to provide the U.S. Armed Forces and allies with defense capabilities to meet requirements for the Pacific theater. The drone maker’s employees have completed billions of dollars in contracts involving the Department of Defense and have decades of aerospace experience from Scaled Composites, SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, Airbus, and Archer. The company uses artificial intelligence and autonomy in its swarming technology, providing the U.S. military with new drone use cases and helping to save lives by keeping troops out of harm’s way.

“Swarm’s decision to open their manufacturing facility in Northwest Arkansas reinforces what we know to be true: Our region is a destination for advanced manufacturing and next-generation aerospace innovation,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “Swarm’s presence here will create meaningful, high-quality jobs while opening new pathways for collaboration with our universities, technical schools and workforce programs.”

Swarm Aero is working to double its aircraft team in 2026 and is hiring across the company, which also has locations in Spokane, Wash., and Washington, D.C. The Fayetteville include a senior composites technician in research and development, and a materials and process engineer in composites research and development. According to the job posts, the salary ranges for the positions are $60,000 to $100,000 and $155,000 to $200,000, respectively.

A company spokesperson said Swarm Aero is leasing the Fayetteville location at 3660 S. School Ave.

According to county records, the property is owned by Fayetteville-based Hanna’s Candle Co., which paid $1 million for it in December 2015. The seller was Cleveland-based Cooper Power Systems LLC, whose parent company was acquired by Eaton for $11.8 billion in 2012.

FAYETTEVILLE – The Tyson Invitational held on Valentine’s Day weekend featured Paris Olympic 100m champions in Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred, the return of Razorback Bowerman winner Jordan Anthony and a world record in the men’s 400m.

World, U.S. and collegiate leading marks were attained in deep fields of competition across the board among the 50 schools who attended the Tyson Invitational.

The quality and quantity of elite marks established at the Randal Tyson Track Center produced a competition score of 45,228 points, which currently ranks third among world indoor meets held so far in 2026.

Two World Athletics Gold meets – Millrose Games in New York City (46,638) and New Balance Grand Prix in Boston (45,933) – are the only two meets that currently rank higher than the Tyson Invitational, which featured World Athletics Silver events.

The next best collegiate meet currently among the top 10 this season is the Razorback Invitational with a tally of 43,651 and is followed by the Clemson Tiger Paw Invitational (43,616) held this past weekend.

Five European meets currently occupy positions four through eight.

2026 World Athletics Indoor Competition Rankings

FAYETTEVILLE – The 2026 version of the Tyson Invitational will feature 2024 Olympic 100m gold medalist Noah Lyles and 2025 Bowerman winner Jordan Anthony competing at Randal Tyson Track Center this weekend along with 50 schools represented.

“When you look at headliners as far as individuals we will have the two Paris Olympic 100m gold medalist in the 100m with Noah Lyles on the men’s side and Julien Alfred on the women’s side,” said Arkansas men’s head coach Doug Case. “We’re appreciative that they’re here and coming to our facility. They’ll have an impact in this meet.

“We also have Jereem Richards, who is a World Indoor champion and World Outdoor silver medalist in the 400m, and we’ll see the return of Jordan Anthony in the 60m this weekend. I’m excited about having Jordan coming back in here and see where he is and everything.”

A portion of the meet will include events with World Athletics Silver status. They include the 60m, 400m, 60m hurdles, and long jump on Friday as well as the high jump on Saturday.

Both days of the meet will stream on SEC Network +, starting at 5 p.m. (CT) on Friday and 2 p.m. (CT) on Saturday. Live results will be available through flashresults.com.

“This meet is really known world-wide and I think it’s one of the most recognizable meets in the world,” stated Case. “When you talk to athletes from anywhere they know of the Tyson Invitational at the University of Arkansas.

“I really appreciate and like to thank the Tyson family and Tyson Foods for their support, not only with this meet but with athletics at Arkansas and in particular track and field. They’ve been great supporters of us and we really appreciate it.”

Notable Entrants | Championship events

From updated USTFCCCA national rankings this week, the field competing at the Tyson Invitational will include No. 1 Kansas State, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 5 Penn State, No. 6 Oklahoma, No. 9 Virginia, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 11 Arkansas, No. 12 Illinois, No. 17 Iowa, No. 18 Florida, No. 19 Villanova, No. 23 LSU, and No. 25 Nebraska.

“There are 50 schools from all across the country with a least a representative at this meet, so it’s a really big meet,” noted Case. “We’ll draw people from everywhere as we always have. I think it will be a super meet.”

For the Razorbacks this meet is key in getting athletes delivering marks in their specialty events for seeding purposes in the upcoming SEC Championships as well as producing marks that rank among the nation’s top 16 in order to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships that Arkansas will host on March 13-14.

Currently the Razorbacks have seven athletes with marks among the nation’s top 16 heading into this weekend with another four athletes within range of the top 16.

“We need to get a mark in some events so that we’re in the right heats in the conference meet and NCAAs,” said Case. “A lot of athletes who are opening up in individual events need to get a NCAA qualifying mark, but we’re also looking for a time that will get them in the right seeding position for the SEC meet as well.

“This is an important meet and it’s become more important because we got beat up by the flu for a couple of weeks. There’s a lot riding on this meet. I think the guy’s are going to step up and rise to the occasion.”

Arkansas Men | Current national ranking