Cody Hopkins

Basic Info

Wild Gift Class Year:

2007

Better World Expertise:

Community Engagement/Activism

Education

Sustainable Food & Agriculture

Conservation & Stewardship

Current Occupation:

Owner of Falling Sky Farm

Website:

http://www.fallingskyfarm.com

http://conway.locallygrown.net/welcome

The Wild Gift provided us with the critical start-up capital and business mentoring needed to meet our intial goal of establishing a profitable, environmentally-friendly demonstration farm in the Ozarks, which promotes a local food system that reinvigorates the local economy.

Impacts of My Work:

From 2008 to June 2012 Falling Sky Farm has generated $700,000 in revenue.

Currently Falling Sky Farm provides full- and part-time employment for 9 individuals in one of Arkansas most economically challenged rural communities.

Implemented online market place, Conway Locally Grown, that has catalyzed a network of 35 farmers and artisans and resulted in the marketing of over $500,000 worth of locally grown and made products to a 300 member co-op.

Initiated the Conway Locally Grown Community Fund, a micro-lending fund that has provided $5000 in micro-loans to the Conway Locally Grown network of farmers and artisans.

Initiated the Conway Locally Grown Food Pantry Fund that has donated $10,000 in locally grown food to a local food pantry.

In 2009 Falling Sky Farm was awarded the Glynwood Institute Wave Of The Future Award.

In 2012 Falling Sky Farm secured a $98,500 USDA Planning Grant to do a feasibility study on a cooperatively owned USDA inspected poultry processing facility.

I am a co-founder of Falling Sky Farm a diversified grass-based livestock farm located near Dennard, Arkansas. Since 2008, FSF has operated as a pastured chicken, turkey, beef and hog producer and poultry processor. In 2012 Falling Sky Farm will produce approximately 10,000 broilers, 500 turkeys, 120 hogs, and 35 beef cattle.

With both orginizational and finacial support from The Wild Gift, we have met our intial goal of establishing a profitable, environmentally-friendly demonstration farm in the Ozarks, which promotes a local food system that works to reinvigorate the local economy.

In addtiton to co-founding the farm, I have organized a network of 35 growers to serve the expanding demand for locally grown and made products in Central Arkansas. This network of producers is organized via an online marketplace, Conway Locally Grown. Conway Locally Grown works to build a community of consumers and future growers to support the expansion of Falling Sky Farm and the grower network. Conway Locally Grown, in partnership with many Central Arkansas community orginizations, conducts regular festivals, farm days, onfarm community meals, workshops, and participatory learning experiences for customers and potential growers for the network.

Moving forward, my professional mission is to provide technical, processing, buisness, marketing, and organizational support for the development of a profitable and environmentally friendly community of farms in central Arkansas. This community of farms is the backbone of a local-food system that works in harmony with nature and reinvigorates the local economy.