FoodCorps NC
Please note: FoodCorps NC was co-hosted by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and NC 4-H from its national inception in 2010 through 2018. In the beginning of the school/program year of 2018, FoodCorps NC leadership transitioned to NC-based FoodCorps staff. This is a website archive.
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems and NC4-H co-host FoodCorps North Carolina in their shared mission of supporting future food system leaders and developing sustainable, fair, local food systems.
Whether digging in the dirt with young children or planning statewide programming with agency directors, both organizations are dedicated to building a healthier food system across North Carolina, and both share a dedication to community-driven efforts that improve the health and wellness for children and communities.
FoodCorps NC is an AmeriCorps grantee that places service members with local organization partners across the state, from Cherokee to Wilmington, Warren County to Scotland County, where they serve in K-12 schools to provide nutrition education, garden engagement, cafeteria access, and community engagement to drive forward a healthy school environment as envisioned by the communities themselves.
FoodCorps is dedicated to children, their schools, and communities, and to the development of its service members as future leaders in a just and sustainable food system. FoodCorps NC is eager to support the development of strong model programs across the state, and also dedicated to leveraging this work to the benefit of the many farm-to-school efforts in the state. We aim to contribute to the multitude of efforts across NC to make all schools places that support healthy food cultures.
Farm to School in NC
Beginning in 1997, North Carolina was one of the first states to incorporate a statewide farm to school initiative that sources NC-grown produce for school meals. Today, the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Farm to School Program reaches over 1 million children across the entire state, serving over a million pounds of locally-grown produce each year.
Despite this, there are many challenges to overcome. Twenty-seven percent of children in North Carolina are designated as food insecure. Racial inequity and poverty plague our state and country and are root causes of child hunger and food insecurity. FoodCorps recognizes that in order for children to be healthy and well-fed, communities must be engaged to address issues of education and access. FoodCorps NC partners with county Cooperative Extension offices, non-profit organizations, school nutrition services, and many others to tap the local knowledge of folks already on the ground doing change-making work.
FoodCorps NC helped develop and is an active partner in the Farm to School Coalition of NC.
FoodCorps NC sites
Resources
FoodCorps NC multimedia and document resources.
FoodCorps NC – Connecting North Carolina Kids to Healthy Food (2018)
School Garden Guides: Successful Volunteer Workdays
Food Safety for School and Community Gardens
FoodCorps NC News
FoodCorps FoodTalks at Farm to Fork 2016
Three service members from FoodCorps NC gave brief "FoodTalks" at the 2016 Farm to Fork; listen to their stories about their experiences with kids, gardens, and cooking food.
FoodCorps North Carolina and Farm-to-School: A Recipe for Healthy Kids
In honor of CEFS' 20th anniversary, this is the first in a series of stories exploring the impact that CEFS has made on the state of North Carolina and beyond. Radishes! Sitting around a [...]
Cafeteria Taste-Testing
By Sarah Dixon, Gaston Cooperative Extension FoodCorps Service Member October's kale salad was a riotous affair, given that it was our first time doing the taste tests and the kids' first time seeing the garden [...]