She Makes the Best of What's Around

Most of us know by now that it's better for the environment (especially as regards our carbon footprint) & better for local economies to live on things that are produced locally as much as possible. This is relatively easy to do if you live in a large metropolitan area & have disposable income. (Intersectionality moment: being poor can make this a very difficult thing to do; it is cheaper to buy mass produced stuff. Other bloggers have addressed that more eloquently than I could, so google!) This is not so easy to do if you live in a rural area, or in a place that's not necessarily rural but is pretty far from major metro areas like I am (the nearest are Memphis @ 1.5 hrs away & Little Rock at 2 hrs away). I have still made it a point to try & source my routine food staples locally wherever I can. I am a notorious reader of labels--not for calories or fat, but for production location!

So, all that said, I decided to make a list of things I eat regularly that I know are produced in Arkansas!

Tips: lots of grocery stores will carry local brands of stuff if they can get it reliably. Wal-Mart is actually really good about this, as are Harp's & Country Mart. Kroger is okay, but I have not known Target to do much of this in my area. The famer's markets in Little Rock & Memphis are known for their local produce & goods, and the Jonesboro market (as if I don't say this enough) has become outright awesome in the last 2 years, with locally produced bread, meat & veggies. During market season, you could locally source an entire cookout or dinner party from within this state, and not use a SINGLE PRODUCT from elsewhere.

Honey: Culps, Jonesboro, AR. Sold in Wal-Mart & Harps. Fisher's honey, a national brand, is out of Little Rock, AR.
Bread: Ozark Hearth, Rogers, AR. Sold in Harps (who carries almost their entire product line!) and Wal-mart.
Petit Jean Meats: Little Rock, AR. This is a national brand; I've been able to find a LOT of their line in Kroger & Harps. Their peppered bacon is amazing & their smoked sausages are a staple at our fondue parties.
Pancakes & Waffles: De Waffelbakkers, Little Rock, AR. This company makes those epic little pancakes that come 3 to a package & you stick 'em in the microwave for a minute & 15 seconds and they're AWESOME. They also make little packages of waffles that are shelf stable & slightly sweet. They're incredible with jam or Nutella.
Wine: Post Familie, Wiedeker, & Mount Bethel vineyards. These are all located in Altus, AR. My absolute favorites are the red muscadine from Post Familie & the sangria from Wiedeker, but Mount Bethel's merlot & fruit wines are on my list to try. I've heard outstanding things about the fruit wines.
Beef: Nine Oaks Farms in Brookland, AR. Hands down the most outstanding bratwurst sausages I've ever had. I don't cook much beef (beef is an environmentally heavy food no matter where it's sourced) but when I do, I buy theirs.
Eggs: Nine Oaks Farms, Brookland, AR. Also Goobertown Farms, Goobertown, AR. (<--this is the gentleman about whom Ganon exclaimed "He has EGGS, Mama! Like FROM REAL CHICKENS!") Once Upon A Farm, Piggott, AR. I usually get these when I'm at the farmer's market during the summer, but Goobertown Farms will meet you in town weekly with eggs if you request!
Pork: Once Upon a Farm, Piggott, AR. Uncured bacon!
Veggies & Fruits (seasonal): These usually come from my farmer's market peeps, but certain grocery stores are VERY good about carrying seasonal produce, especially if it's something the area is known for. For example: Bald Knob/Newport/Judsonia strawberries, Fayetteville blueberries, & Mississippi tomatoes are all very easy to find at Kroger or Harps during their respective seasons.
Ice Cream: Yarnell's Ice Cream, Searcy, AR.
Bottled Water: Mountain Valley Spring Water, Hot Springs, AR.
Seasoning: Cavender's Greek Seasoning, Harrison, AR; this is widely available in Wal-Mart & Kroger. Woody's BBQ sauce, Waldenburg, AR (I grew up with their kids!).
Kettle Corn: Iron Works Kettle Corn, Russellville, AR.
Candy: Juanita's Candy Kitchen, Arkadelphia, AR.

I kinda like this list. I discovered some new ones while I was researching this, and I think I will keep updating it as I find new stuff.