Talk Business & Politics Daily: The celebrating food heritage edition

Tuesday’s Talk Business & Politics Daily features an interview with Stacy Hurst, director of the Department of Arkansas Heritage. Hurst, who was appointed to the post by Gov. Asa Hutchinson, recently helped launch a new campaign to celebrate Arkansas’ rich food legacy.

The Arkansas Food Hall of Fame is a statewide program to recognize the legendary restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events across the state. A 13-member committee will select honorees in several categories this year and nominations will be accepted through Nov. 9 at the department’s web site or ArkFoodHOF.com.

The categories for food nominations include: Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, Proprietor of the Year, Food-Themed Event, and People’s Choice. Honorees and finalists will be recognized at a special reception in spring 2017.

Hurst said the idea was brought to her by a governor’s staff member who saw a similar event in Alabama. As for what the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame could become, Hurst said, “We really think it will be a great way to have a conversation with the people of Arkansas about what makes their community unique and interesting.”

She added that heritage tourism – drawing visitors to communities for their unique culture – is a big attraction, especially in southern states. “We really are the curators of the story of Arkansas… you might think about the Coon Supper, which is very much a unique Arkansas event. So we think it’s a great way to engage the community, to stir up a little heritage tourism but to just really tell that unique story of Arkansas.”

Committee members for the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame include Paul S. Austin, Evette Brady, C.C. (Chip) Culpepper, Tom Dillard, Cindy Grisham, Stacy Hurst, Montine McNulty, Tim Morton, Rex Nelson, Tim Nutt, Kat Robinson, Christina Shutt and Lisa Speer.

Hurst also discussed the $7.1 million spent on a new Department of Arkansas Heritage headquarters, a project she inherited as director. Watch her full interview, check out the top stories of the day, and hear Sen. John Boozman’s comments on the current business climate in today’s daily digital program below.