St. Joseph Urban Farm

Certified Naturally Grown (more info)

The St. Joseph Center of Arkansas occupies a unique place in North Little Rock’s history. St. Joseph was founded in 1910 as an orphanage on a 720 acre farm, and was run by the Benedictine Sisters. The acreage was reduced after WWI by the presence of Camp Pike and Camp Robinson to a little over 100 acres. St. Joseph’s farm continue to sustain the Sisters and the children and adults who lived there for over 60 years. The Sisters and the residents worked the farm, raised animals, and were almost entirely self-supporting. The orphanage portion of St. Joseph closed in 1978, but the 56,000 square foot building and 63 active acres remain. St. Joseph proudly occupies a place on the National Registry of Historic Structures and is a Century Farm.

With sixty-three acres located along the border of Camp Robinson, the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas’ mission is to continue the longstanding spirit of service to the community by preserving the land and buildings, using them to produce nutritious food, and educate children and adults about where food comes from and how to grow and eat healthy foods.

St. Joseph operates with 3 high tunnels and a half acre of land. We grow green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, chard, radish, cabbage, lettuce, tomato, peppers, squash, cucumber, cantaloupe, watermelon, egg plant, onions, potatoes, and carrots.