NC Growing Together and NC State Extension are partnering to offer training and resources to farmers and extension agents who are interested in exploring various types of collaborative farming structures including cooperatives, limited liability companies, partnerships, corporations, and nonprofit associations.
When Jennifer Lapidus founded Carolina Ground in 2009 (as an initiative of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association), she had a vision. A former baker, she wanted to connect North Carolina's grain farmers, millers, and bakers - bringing together the grain supply chain to provide a consistent and sustainable market for southern-grown, organic grains.
Two new resources from NC Growing Together: Hubs & Kitchens: Food Hubs, Commercial Community Kitchens, and Copackers in NC, and the Food Business Road Map.
When Claire McLendon accepted NC Growing Together's summer Local Food Supply Chain Apprenticeship in 2016, she had no idea it would actually lead to a two-summer apprenticeship and then a full-time job.
In September, NCGT's Local Food Economies project and the NC 10% Campaign organized three Innovations in Economic Development through Local Foods gatherings to showcase investments that local and regional governments can make to support small and mid-scale food and farming businesses.
NC Growing Together and the Natural Capital Investment Fund (NCIF) are working together to address a challenge for small and medium-scale farmers: lack of access to on-farm cold storage.
September 2017 -- NC Growing Together support is increasing the capacity of North Carolina's Small Business Centers (SBCs) to advise clients on food- and farming-related businesses. NCGT scholarships brought nine Small Business Center directors and staff from across the state to the REAL Agriculture Entrepreneurship Training in Blowing Rock in June. North Carolina's Small Business Center Network works [...]
September 2017 -- For the third year in a row, NC Growing Together and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) will be hosting a Grower-Buyer Meet-up at CFSA's annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference. The Meet-up provides a forum for growers and buyers to meet face-to-face in a "speed-networking" format to get to know each other and [...]
September 2017 -- NC Growing Together has partnered with the Piedmont Triad Regional Council (PTRC) to host a GIS update of the North Carolina Local Food Infrastructure Inventory. NC Growing Together originally established the Inventory in 2014 as a tool for food and farming businesses to understand the competitive landscape and find business partners. [...]
August 2017 -- Katelyn Bailey is from Trinity, NC and is currently studying Horticulture at NC State University. Katelyn has brought her knowledge of the agriculture industry to her mentor organization, the Small Business and Technology Development Center at UNC-Pembroke, which focuses on business counseling services. As an apprentice, she has been helping to develop a [...]
