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Current updates

8/5 Update:

As many of you know, St. Joseph Center of Arkansas has been a place of growth, connection, and community for over 15 years. We are proud of what we’ve built together, the lush gardens, farm, thriving animals, a vibrant farm store supporting local farmers, and a space for arts, education and reflection.

Today, we share with you a major update. Beginning in January 2026, we will no longer have access to the historic property that has been our home. While this news is bittersweet, it marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter.

We’re not closing, we’re relocating. Our mission remains strong, and our commitment to local food systems, sustainability, education, and community is unwavering. But we need your help to move the heart of our operations to a new location.

We’re looking for 20 acres of land, in North Little Rock, where we can relocate our gardens, farm store, animals, and expand farm and garden programs. We’ll need space to build new animal shelters, farm infrastructure, and a place where the community can continue to gather, learn, and grow.  We are also looking for several 3-5 acre plots within the city to convert to urban farms for starting farmers. 

If you have ideas, resources, or connections that can help us identify or secure land, please reach out. Your support is more important now than ever.

We also want to be transparent with our donors: If you contributed to St. Joseph Center with the expectation that the historic building would be restored, and you would prefer your donation be returned, we are happy to honor that. Please contact us directly via our website.

This farm has never been just about a building, it’s always been about people, purpose, and possibility. And with your continued support, we will build something new, something beautiful, and something lasting.

Thank you for standing with us. Let’s grow forward together.

With gratitude,

8/3 Update:

Since 2010, St. Joseph Center has shouldered full fiscal and management responsibility for the 63-acre property and 56,000 sq ft historic building.

Over $1 million dollars has been invested directly into upkeep and improvements, not counting thousands of hours of volunteer labor fueled by a shared vision to restore life to this sacred space.

Here’s just some of what we’ve accomplished:

• Restored all windows on the west side
• Painted hallways and rooms multiple times
• The new 50 gallon water heater
• New guttering on the chapel
• Plumbing and electrical repairs throughout the building
• Installed a new roof and wired the old pump house
• Oversaw insurance-funded stained glass restoration 
• Managed insurance-funded total roof replacement
• Built out a commercial kitchen and dishroom
• Added new laundry facilities in the main building
• Remodeled 4 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, including the priest suite
• Transformed a former classroom into a vibrant art gallery
• Creation of a museum room focused on the history of St Joseph
• Rebuilt Bishop Morris’ Farm & Gardens, which he believed was vital for our children and community
• Continued repair of asphalt drives and parking areas
• Continued plans include: restoring ground-floor restrooms, repairing the chapel plaster, and completing window restorations on the front facade—all targeted for 2025

The historic site had been lovingly and painstakingly restored, not just in structure, but in spirit.

7/31 Update:

The Catholic Diocese of Little Rock has been blessed over the last several years with an increase in vocations and the current House of Formation is bursting at the seams.  Yesterday, an annoucement was made by Bishop Taylor to use the St. Joseph's property to build a much-needed new seminary.   

SJCA did not receive news of this announcement until a mid-morning email. 

Attached with that email was a letter terminating our lease and notice to vacate the property by 1/31/2026. 

Lease Termination

Seminary Announcement

Needless to say, we are stunned. disappointed, and saddened that SJCA's remaining farming, education, and community outreach programming cannot remain to complement the new seminary.

We are still processing this news and will be meeting with our board and others to determine the best path forward.  Please keep all those who have built SJCA into a caring community of service over the last 15 years in your thoughts and prayers.  Updates will be provided as plans unfold.

7/3 Update:

The Diocese of Little Rock, under the direction of Bishop Anthony Taylor, has made the difficult decision to demolish the historic St. Joseph Home due to extensive structural damage caused by the fire on March 19, 2025. Link to DOLR website with press release. The building, a cherished part of our community's heritage since 1908, sustained severe damage, making restoration unfeasible.

As the steward of the property and operators of the farm for the last 15 years, we at St. Joseph Center of Arkansas recognizes the priority of community safety in this challenging situation.

While we mourn the loss of the historic building and home, we are optimistic about the future. St. Joseph Center continues its vital work running the farm. The farm is a unique urban agricultural landmark with a history spanning over 100 years. Our farm remains the only agricultural site within city limits combining both grazing and growing operations, and we remain committed to maintaining and expanding our role as a center of agricultural and food education for all Arkansans.

We’ll continue partnerships with local gardeners, farmers, educators, and community groups, ensuring the farm continues to serve as a resource for sustainable agriculture practices, educational programming, and community events.

We are hopeful that the Diocese of Little Rock will support our ongoing mission to cultivate knowledge, sustainability, environmental stewardship, and community spirit through agriculture by allowing us to lease the farm for the next 100 years or giving us the opportunity to purchase.

St. Joseph Center of Arkansas thanks our community, partners, and supporters for their steadfast commitment during this transitional period. Together, we look forward to cultivating a vibrant, sustainable future.

5/8 Update:

Over 350,000 pounds (183 tons) of debris has been removed so far from the roof and chapel of St. Joseph Center! East Harding Construction crews are working hard to stabilize and clear the building of rubble from the catastrophic fire that occured on March 19. Once cleared, a structural engineering analysis will be made. The origin and cause of the fire has not yet been determined and it is still unclear what will happen with the building. After the structural integrity report is available, the insurance folks will work the numbers and present them to the owners (Diocese of Little Rock). 

Many lives continue to be disrupted by the fire. Thankfully, no one was injured but the loss is great. Most of the SJ artists have been able to collect the contents of their studios but unfortunately the seven artists on the 4th floor have still not had access. Water damage has been more destructive than the fire and not everything was able to be salvaged. Artists are resilient! Some have found new studio space and begun the restoration process. Their creative spirit is sorely missed.

Thank you for continuing to support St. Joseph's ongoing fire recovery efforts. Help is still needed as we navigate the path forward to reestablish programming. Donations are still being accepted at https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/help-st-joseph-farmily-3192025-fire and an online auction "Harvesting Hope" will soon launch so stay tuned. The "Resurrect the St. Joseph's Farm Stand" goal has been reached and we are working hard to get things back up and running and we hope to be open in some form or fashion soon! In the meantime, the SJ Farmers Market/Beer Shed is now open every Thursday from 4:30-7:30pm so stop by, meet the farmers/makers and stay a while. 2nd Saturday Volunteer Orientation (10am) and Farm Tours (11am) are resuming so stop by.

Life on a farm helps give rhythm to the days when everything else is in a state of flux. SJ gardens are lush, animals are thriving, and staff/volunteers continue to pour their love and attention into this special and historic place. Our farmily can feel the positive thoughts and prayers from all of you and that is what is helping get us through these uncertain days. Please keep them coming and we will continue to update everyone as new information is available.

NQBTM (Not Quitting Before The Miracle),

Sandy DeCoursey, Executive Director

4/16 Update:

It has been one month since the fire at St. Joseph's. Your generous support has helped us continue operating the farmstead while also navigating next steps for our former tenants, the historic building, and our future.

While the future timeline for the building restoration remains unknown, we are happy to report that our public events scheduled for next week will resume as planned. Our first weekly Arkansas Food Market that includes 12 local farmers and food producers will take place next Thursday April 24 from 4:30-7:30pm. Our Annual Earth Day Celebration is also Saturday April 26 from 10am-2pm and includes local vendors, live music and performance, goat yoga, free trees and seedlings, interactive activities including the Rover mobile library and yarn decorating, and more fun! *Due to limited parking please try to carpool and follow the signs when you arrive.

We are excited to finally invite the public back to the farmstead (outside) and hope you will join us next week or soon. We will continue these updates as news on the progress of the building becomes available. We are now at 89% funded for our Farmstand resurrection campaign and next month we are organizing an online auction (May 12-18) with many generously donated items, gift certificates, gift baskets, memberships, and more exciting items to share soon. 

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you so much for all of your support over these past 30 days that have carried us through such a challenging month. We look forward to spring harvests, summer fun and are hopeful for a resurrection.

With Gratitude,

St. Joseph Farmily

4/2 Update:

There have been new developments since our last update one week ago. Engineers were onsite and their initial assessment indicates that fire damage has compromised the structural integrity of the building. As a result, a perimeter fence has been constructed around the building and the structure  will need to be shored up before anyone can gain access. The upcoming weather poses a real threat to the already compromised structure of the building so please continue to send positive thoughts and prayers our way.

St. Joseph Center  continues to pivot in light of these ongoing developments and our current focus remains on the farm and upcoming market season. The year-round Farmstand and store provided a large percentage of revenue that supports our efforts as a nonprofit organization and every day that the St. Joseph farmstand remains closed is a daily loss of income. We also work with over 100 local farmers and food producers who count on spaces like St. Joseph's to earn a living through wholesaling of their products. We have 5 farmers onsite through our Growing Urban Farmers program and harvests have begun. In  a little over 2 months, our blackberry season will be coming to fruition followed by watermelons in our Hunger Relief garden.

Response to the initial fire recovery fund has already helped cover the following costs we’ve endured due to the fire: staff relocation and salary, returning rent and deposits for 30 artists, & loss of income from the  Farmstand, rentals and programming that we continue to incur daily. Continued assistance for our former artists in securing space, materials, and other fundraising efforts is still a priority.

In order for St. Joseph’s to rebound from the daily losses, we will need to resurrect the St. Joseph Farmstand immediately. We have started a new campaign after receiving a $10,000 donation match towards our goal of $40,000 in 1 month. This campaign will help us restock and rebuild after our farmstand lost over $9,000 in inventory so that we can reopen this summer.

We are asking everyone who has pitched in to share our new Help St. Joseph Resurrect Our Farmstand   campaign so that we can reach our goal by May 1. 

Thank you so much for your continued support.

3/23 Update:

The team has been hard at work since the fire Wednesday navigating through a quagmire of details requiring attention after a disaster of this scale. A bit of history to help frame the challenge of navigation. In 2010, the St. Joseph Center of Arkansas signed a 50-year lease for the property with the owner, the Catholic Diocese of Little Rock and assumed all fiscal and management responsibility. As owners, the Diocese is working directly with the insurance company and communicating with SJ.

We learned yesterday that the Diocese has selected East-Harding Construction as lead on the project. The insurance company is working with forensic engineers who will be onsite next week to do inspections. Hopefully, the path forward will be made clearer after the structural integrity of the building has been determined. The good news is, with the exception of the chapel, the interior sustained minimal fire damage. Updates will be posted as they become available.