A two-day Food and Nutrition Entrepreneurship Camp hosted by the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff gave Arkansas high school students hands-on exposure to careers in agriculture, food systems and entrepreneurship, according to Kimberly Haynie, Ph.D., associate professor of nutrition and food science.The camp was hosted by UAPB’s School of Agriculture, Fisheries and Human Sciences (SAFHS) in partnership with the National Black Growers Council (NBGC) and supported by UAPB’s Office of Institutional Advancement.Students from Marvell and Pine Bluff participated in immersive learning experiences that blended agricultural economics, nutrition, artificial intelligence technology and business development.Day one focused on the economics of agriculture and its connection to health, technology and entrepreneurship. The program opened with welcome remarks and introductions from interim Provost Bruce McGowan, who is also vice chancellor of academic affairs, and Marilyn Bailey, Ed.D., interim chair for the Department of Human Sciences.Dr. Paul W. Hannam, a family medicine physician in Pine Bluff, spoke with students about the importance of eating local, nutrient-dense foods and how food choices influence long-term health and wellness. His presentation highlighted the relationship between agriculture, nutrition and community well-being.Students then visited the Arkansas River Rice Mill, where co-owner Philip “PJ” Haynie III led a tour of the facility. He shared his path into agriculture and entrepreneurship, shaped by his family’s farming background, his education in agricultural economics at Virginia Tech and his leadership experiences, including serving as president of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences.After the rice mill visit, students got an up-close look at a UAPB John Deere combine and learned how artificial intelligence is integrated into modern agricultural equipment to improve efficiency, productivity and crop yields.Additional campus activities addressed career readiness and entrepreneurship through programming led by Teki Hunt, director of 4-H Youth Programs.Tomeka White, extension specialist and outreach director, shared information about UAPB’s 1890 Scholars Program, and Grace Ramena, associate professor of fish pathology, guided students through a tour of the university’s fish pathology research lab.”The first day concluded with an interactive agricultural economics activity co-facilitated by Philip Haynie and Elzadia Washington, associate director of the National Black Growers Council,” Kimberly Haynie said. “The activity allowed students to experience how data, technology and economic decision-making shape modern agriculture.”Day two shifted the focus to food systems and entrepreneurship in the hospitality industry. Students toured Magnolia Food Hall, where they met restaurant owners and learned about business operations, customer service and pathways to owning and operating food-based businesses.”Dr. W. Jinni Read More