Local Food Innovation Thrives Here

Author

Randy Wilburn
November 23, 2025

Hey, I Am Northwest Arkansas® community,

With Thanksgiving just days away, I wanted to share a conversation from last week that's perfect for this time of year—one about food, taking chances, and what happens when people show up for each other.

Last Week on the Podcast: Episode: AFIC@MCO and Kristen Phillips Guests: Kristen Phillips (Grazing Robin Road) and Daymara Baker (Arkansas Food Innovation Center at Market Center of the Ozarks)

What We Talked About:

Kristen's Story Kristen got laid off and decided to bet on herself. She'd spent years running restaurants and loving food, so she launched Grazing Robin Road. But here's the thing—she didn't do it alone. AFIC gave her the commercial kitchen space and support she needed to actually make it work.

What AFIC Does Daymara walked us through how AFIC helps local food businesses get off the ground. It's not just kitchen space—they connect people with farmers, provide training, and basically remove the barriers that keep good ideas from becoming real businesses.

The Community Piece This is where it gets good. Kristen talks about how the networking and training at AFIC didn't just help her business—it gave her confidence. She's now creating custom catering and working with local producers to keep everything as local as possible.

Savor the Ozarks AFIC hosts these dinner series that showcase regional chefs and food entrepreneurs. Good food, good people, and the proceeds help fund scholarships for folks starting their own food businesses.

Why Listen?

This one's for anyone thinking about starting something, anyone who loves food, or anyone who wants to understand how things actually work in Northwest Arkansas. We talk about real resources—Startup Junkie, Fayetteville Public Library's culinary programs, AFIC—that exist right here to help people turn ideas into businesses.

Connect with Our Guests:

Listen now. Links to everything are in the show notes.

Thanks for being part of this community and for listening to these stories.

Gobble Gobble,

Randy

P.S. Know someone thinking about starting a food business? Could you send this their way?

P.P.S. Keep an eye out for another note from me right before Turkey Day—I want to share what we're thankful for here at I Am Northwest Arkansas. You won't want to miss it.