Endless Feast: The Arkansas Delta to air May 22 on PBS

by jthorpe@msgd.aristotle.net May 21, 2010 No Comments

Last October I attended the filming of the PBS program Endless Feast at Whitton Farms in Whitton, AR. If you haven’t heard of Whitton, perhaps you have seen Tyronza on the map. Tyronza is a small Delta town located nearby, and home of the Southern Tenant Famers Museum.

Local Famers Jill and Keith Forrester cultivate this 15-acre sustainable farm. They sell their products at Farmer’s Markets in Arkansas and Memphis, Tennessee as well as providing fresh produce and flowers for local restaurants located in the Arkansas Delta.

Searching for a location for the Arkansas Delta episode, the producers of the television program contacted Nancy Clark, director of the Great River Road Commission and assistant tourism director for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. On a recent trip to the Delta, Nancy, accompanied by Kim Williams, the travel writer for the Arkansas Delta had seen the sign for Whitton Farms. They pulled in, introduced themselves and were impressed with what they found. They passed along this Delta treasure to the producers of the program.

In October, the television crew arrived to film an elegant display of Arkansas hospitality and culture.

The Endless Feast event showcased Delta artist, Arkansas food products, and delectable culinary samplings from Delta chefs and farmers. I want you to watch the program so I don’t to give it all away in my blog. However, you can go to my Whrrl story and see an array of pictures and captions from the beautiful day in the Delta.

I will tempt you with this small insight into the program:

After traveling down a rural road through farms and fields, I spotted a small white house with a red painted sign in front that said, “Whitton Farms.” After parking, I walked through fields of flowers as the violins softly played the melody of “Falling Slowly” from the movie Once. I was greeted with a glass of Arkansas wine as I spotted a seemingly endless table of stunning decorations set for a king…

Here is information on the program:

“The Arkansas Delta,” episode #203, will air on Saturday, May 22 at 3:00 pm on PBS

Produced by Film Garden Entertainment Inc.

The National Distribute is American Public Television (APT)

Description of the episode: The movement to eat locally and sustainably remains in its nascent phase in the Arkansas Delta, but the region comes alive when passionately devoted organic farmers Keith and Jill Forrester donate their farm and produce for a stunning fall feast.