Regular readers of Eat Arkansas know how much Daniel and I love the SoMa neighborhood. Those folks south of I-630 are the true definition of community, from the locally-owned businesses to the many events held to bring people together. At the center of this community is the Bernice Garden, a green space designed to be both aesthetically pleasing and ecologically sound. It wasn't too long ago that the space housed a Captain D's franchise, but Anita Davis' vision to transform the corner Main and Daisy Bates into an open area where the people of Little Rock can enjoy art, horticulture, and the best the community has to offer.
One of the biggest SoMa boosters is Liz Sanders, the event coordinator for Bernice. Liz was instrumental in organizing the excellent Bernice Garden Farmers Market as well as various other food and culture events. I was fortunate enough to sit down with Liz at the farmers market a couple of weeks ago for an Arkansas Cooks segment, and we discussed the goal of the market: to provide a space to promote local growers, sustainable growing practices, and high-quality vegetables, meat, and other locally-sourced products. Liz's enthusiasm for the market and its vendors is quite contagious, and she provided some insight into the work that goes into making sure that the products sold at the market are both local and raised with care.
I hope you'll tune in to this show, which airs Saturday, June 15 at noon on KUAR FM 89.1. Have somebody you'd like to see us interview on the show? Let me know down there in the comments.