Developed by the North Carolina Local Food Council (NCLFC), the Remote Internship to Support Enterprises (RISE) for Local Foods was developed to address challenges to food systems resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina (F2SCNC) and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) recently awarded $26,000 in farm to summer rapid response funding to Local Education Authorities (LEAs) and Community Organization Sponsors operating N.C. Summer Nutrition Programs to feed children in need.
Many CEFS staff and faculty collaborated on a recent publication in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development: “A collaborative approach to COVID-19 response: The Center for Environmental Farming Systems community-based food system initiatives."
Eighteen local education agencies (LEAs) were recently awarded Farm-to-School Rapid Response funding by the Farm to School Coalition of North Carolina. The funding is intended to support urgent needs and long-term capacity building for local food purchasing for school meals and local food educational programming in ways that increase the skills, knowledge, and connection to [...]
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted operations at Cherry Research Farm in the following ways: The station has been closed to visitors. Research projects have required an approval process through the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and the Station Superintendent. Project leaders and associated staff with approved projects have adapted [...]
The Farm to School Coalition of NC (F2SCNC) wants to honor the tireless dedication of both School Nutrition staff and Educators to meet the nutritional and educational needs of children during COVID-19 related school closures and acknowledge the financial, logistical, and equity challenges this pandemic has created or magnified. To support schools and School Nutrition [...]
The CEFS Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) hosts "In-Between" discussions (now virtually) every 3rd Thursday from 9:30-11:30am. "In-Betweens" were created as a follow-up to CORE racial equity trainings. Participants in the introductory training asked for ways to continue practicing the shared language developed during the training and deepen our collective [...]
Americans are gravitating to the familiar and the comfortable, as we cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. Nothing is more comforting than making family recipes and memories using ingredients sourced from local farms, fisheries and food businesses. Aspiring and experienced cooks at home will find that North Carolina is a leader among states in cultivating [...]
The need for social distancing measures has drastically changed operations at the Small Farm Unit, and at CEFS Field Research, Education, and Outreach Facility at Cherry Research Farm. With more than 5,000 transplants in the greenhouse at the Small Farm Unit since February 2020, it became imperative to find solutions to maintain essential operations [...]
NC Farm to Early Care and Education, a Center for Environmental Farming Systems initiative, is proud to work with Sonflower Seeds Christian Pre-School and Learning Center LLC and other early childhood facilities to purchase local food and provide children with experiential learning around local food. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sonflower Seeds, in Silk Hope, North [...]
