The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service will showcase its newest aromatic rice variety at Downtown on the Farm from 12-6 p.m., Oct. 27, at the River Market Pavilions and First Security Amphitheater in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas
The free event, hosted by Arkansas Rice and the Downtown Little Rock Partnership, will highlight Arkansas agriculture and include live music and food.
The Cooperative Extensive Service will offer samples of ARoma 17, a long-grain rice variety developed by the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and available last year. The new variety is well adapted to growing in Arkansas climates and appeals to consumers who enjoy jasmine-type aromatic rice varieties.
“Aroma 17 has a nutty aroma and taste that many people enjoy,” said Dr. Victor Ford, associate director of agriculture and natural resources for the Division of Agriculture. “It is not readily available due to being a new release, but there is a good demand and will be more widely available in the next few years.”
The Cooperative Extension Service will also give away rice cookbooks, available at its booth.
Downtown on the Farm will feature live music by Adam Hambrick, Bonnie Montgomery, The Going Jessies and Rodney Block, and will also feature food trucks, pumpkin painting, a petting zoo, beer garden, corn dig, tractors and other activities. Food trucks will be on site along with offerings from local restaurants including @ the Corner, Allsopp & Chapple, The Capital Hotel, Cathead’s Diner, Gus’s Fried Chicken, Samantha’s Tap Room, Soul Fish Cafe and South on Main.
For more information about the event, visit https://www.arkansasrice.org/downtown.
The University of Arkansas contributed this article.