The University of Arkansas School of Law will be hosting the fourth annual Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit between July 16 and 25. The event is geared toward educating attendees on everything from agricultural business planning to seed preservation.
Approximately 150 Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian students representing 76 tribes from across the country are expected to attend this year’s event. It is being sponsored by the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative at the University of Arkansas School of Law.
Speakers at this year’s event include Ross Racine, executive director of the Intertribal Agriculture Council; Ben Meyer from the national Future Farmers of America; and David Winfrey, senior associate general counsel at Walmart. The guest speakers will address topics including the history of American Indian agriculture, ethnobotany, soil conservation, and the value of traditional foods.
There will also be a tour of the campus’ animal and food sciences labs, horticulture programs, and freight farm. Attendees will have the option of touring the Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma’s greenhouses, apiary, cattle and bison production and facility and dog training operation as well.
One of the biggest highlights of the event will be the “This is Hunger” exhibit in downtown Fayetteville. Sponsored by MAZON: A Jewish Response To Hunger, the exhibit is dedicated to helping attendees understand how food insecurity issues impact Native communities.
More information on the Native Youth in Food and Agriculture Leadership Summit can be found the University of Arkansas website at www.uark.edu.