To have your name added, contact Amber Polk at amber_polk@ncsu.edu.
Notes from the SUMMIT breakout sessions can now be found on the WIT pages linked below.
- F2F Core Team
- Game Plan
- Advisory Committee
- NC Food NETwork: a North Carolina Food System directory
- SUMMIT
- Working Issues
- Communications
- Community Gardens
- Direct Marketing
- Farm to School
- Local Government & Land Use
- New and Transitioning Farmer Support
- Processing & Food Systems Infrastructure
- Public Health & Food Access Disparities
- Retail & Institutional Markets
- Youth and Social Networking
- Formalizing the Initiative: Foundations & Baselines
- Regional Meetings
- How are we defining LOCAL?
- Regional Meetings Overview & Summary
- Triangle Region SUMMIT breakout session notes
- Mountain Region SUMMIT breakout session
- NorthEast Region SUMMIT breakout session notes
- Southeastern Region SUMMIT breakout session notes
- Triad Region SUMMIT breakout session notes
- Raleigh meeting
- Burgaw meeting
- Asheville
- Charlotte/Concord
- Winston-Salem
- Greenville
Golden Leaf Foundation
Z. Smith Reynolds
Ag Advancement Consortium
W.K. Kellogg Foundation
- CEFS
- Contact Information Form
- NC Choices
- NC Food Network
- Wayne Food Initiative
Burgaw meeting
Burgaw, October 21, 1:30-4:30, 44 people in attendance
Pender County Cooperative Extension office, 801 South Walker St
(NOTES minimally condensed; repeated)
EXPANDED MARKETS
Selling
- farmers market public campaign
Growing
- community gardens at farmers markets
Purchasing
- statewide purchasing of local food in schools
- institutional buying required
Support
- education for food-related business ventures
Policy
- Farmers Market lobbying
- tax incentives
Imagining
- visitors centers with maps of farmers markets and pick-your own
- NCfarmfresh.com search commodity by county, all farms listed
- developing collaborative mentality among farmers in stead of competitive (plenty of market for all)
STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE
Mechanics and facilities
- local processing facilities & community kitchens for value added
- distribution businesses
- distribution centers
- slaughter houses
Collective action
Program action
- food bank sector developing way to donate locally grown food to local schools
- farm to institution support
- training for butchers
- ressurect “ladies home demo club” communal canning
Policy action
- reform subsidy system
- tax holidays
Technology
- statewide farmer and consumer food assessment
- good labeling of growing and processing practices
Education
- Fair, Local, Organic
- Sciences and farming in schools
FARMS & FARMERS
Education and Training
- growing tactics for nutrient dense food
- work exchange program with cooperation from multiple growers, so anyone can learn to grow any crop
Programs
- urban agriculture through faith-based organizations
- direct to farmer financial support programs
- small farm start-up support
- more sus ag in cooperative extension
- farmers market association – statewide group and membership to share trainign and marketing
Policy
- create affordable land for farm purchase
- assistance with GAP certification
- collective fight against GAP certification
- more funding for cooperative extension
- farms sold for AG purposed have reduced capital gains tax
- “court” companies with large land tracts to incorporate farms on their sites
Public Relations
- Documentary on Current farmers (soon to be retiring farmers! filming farm walks of new farmers with experienced farmers)
- “Join Us for Dinner” documentary on efforts across the state and this collective effort
- public education nutrient dense food
- local branding
STRONG & DIVERSE PARTNERSHIPS (starred here as most in other categories already)
Programs
- engaging kids in food and farming early on
- Heritage Farming tourism
- local food guides in each region of the state
- church community gardens everywhere
- all extension offices should have community gardens
- seasonal eating education program across cultures
- require schools to identify source of food on menues (including China)
- gardens in all schools (CA has law requiring this)
Networking/Alliances
- communication and cooperation between existing organizations
- database and good website with communications and newsletter
- tourism farm councils
- chef programs
- county commissioners educational program
- chambers of commerce
- partnerships between schools and health depart
- link small businesses, community colleges, and rural centers
Rethinking
- importance of diversity
- food costs more than we are used to
- a state-wide local food directory in print and on web
- promote farming as profession
TACTICS & NEEDS FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN
- **define what is local
- deal with low-hanging fruit first – get some visible successes
- a statewide network or coalition with specific task force groups
- curriculae
- maintained participation in diverse players
- increased funding from state and regional foundations
- follow-through
- one core group to coordinate follow-through and communicate to all participants follow-through actions
- combination of top down (gov) and bottom-up (grassroots) efforts
- public education
- public campaign fore-fronting individual buying and action power
- legislative support
- as little gov management as possible
- communication/relationships
- major policy changes in prioritizing health in schools
- success stories documented in easy public video
- benchmarks
- systems approach/thinking
- constant communication with all partners
- state food council
- regional organizers & information distribution systems
- look at Eatalty in Italy
current efforts/existing projects
Expand Market Access and Opportunities
Join us for dinner “documentary” presentation on what is being done in all key areas – success stories, glass happily ??? and what policies would compliment the effort from Gov., Institutions, schools, business – Actions they can take.
• Farmland – protection AFOP
State/Farmer – contract to keep land in farming
Tim Hall NCDA
Small farmer exchange products at distribution
Website for communication and distribution to small community and local farmers
NC Farmers Market Concept – regionally
How to man the local market farm to tables
Farmers Markets
Farm to school
Community Farmers Markets
There is a need for more farm markets in Pender County or Burgaw
CFSA Conference education marketing for farmers
Support ALL Farmers, not just “sustainable” because they all preserve farmland and produce local food.
Provide marketing education for farmers to recognize the value of the demand for local food.
Don’t see the value in it
Manchester Craftsman Guild – Orchids, Tomatoes
Co Op markets, local farmers market
Educate local business’ to benefits of buying and selling local sustainable food stuffs
Farmers Market at Poplar Grove – Hampstead NC
Farmers and Craftsmen are allowed less than 10% of products to be from further than 50 miles away
Local Restaurant, purchasing locally grown vegetables and herbs
Foothills Connect
Grocers such as Piggly Wiggly buying truly local products
Farmers Markets – Wilmington, Downtown, Southport, Poplar Grove – Direct to Consumer
A.S.A.P
Brunswick County buying club – Gina Michael, Jessica Burtt 799-2667, x 202
New Horizons Elementary – private charter school
Tidal Creek supplies one hot meal a month looking to create more local, healthy meals
• CATCH Restaurant – downtown Wilmington, trying to buy local and others identified b UNCW sociology students
Regional Ag Sustainability Program (RASP) working on “Feed the Fort”
Opening new markets on Fort Bragg: food, fiver fuel – Don Belk
• Localharvest.org
Grow More Farms and Farmers
Urbanites moving to the area to small farms
• FSA – USDA – loan program for young farmers, Education Scholarships
Tim Hall (tim.hall@ncagr.gov, NCDA 910-324-9924
NC Farm Conservation Easement
Agriculture Exemption for farm property tax
Support the small farmer with broker, distribution, storage. Coordinator, Communicator
Sbutler1@mac.com
University, Education Support
Keep farms in family through generations
Councils
Commodity groups
Single farmer
Small farmer
mid size farmer
Large Farmer
Various crops – blueberries, sweet potatoes
CFSA/Orange Co./Cabarrus County
Farm Incubator development – a bridge to farm ownership for new farmers
Housing Development Corporation – working with farm workers in off season production to provide food for themselves in times of need.
Ginger Deason – 919-838-4989
SEAC Food Systems Project
Leslie Hossfeld UNCW 910-231-6802
••Nutrition Health Community – W.H.A.T.
Teens, School Board, Communities – all missing sustainable food systems
Susan Holmar – 520-4782
Jon Grady – 790-9949
Working with local economic development committees of 100 chambers of commerce to form new partnerships.
Martha Warner 910-253-2610
CFSA Organic Grain work with NCSU- promote conversion to organic farming in row crop farming community
Incubator Farms
Land Preservation
SENC Food System – Community College
NCA&T
Voluntary Ag districting
Who provides one with Information about more farms and farmers
Local zoning ordinances that proved farmland and open space
FFA – farm tours exposing more people to how and who grows their foods
•Central Carolina Community College Sustainable Agriculture curriculum
# farms in Chatham increasing
Average age of farmers decreasing
Eastern NC Regional Farmers Market Assn.
Dealing with Food Rules and Regs
Increase consumer interest in farmers markets
Increase farmers participation at farmers markets
H.E.L.P – Onslow County – Mark Sertz
CFSA Conference – education on sustainable farming practice
• NC State Agricultural Technology Farm in Castle Hayne
Strong and Diverse Partnerships
“County Teams” focused on local Ag Econ Dev.
(1) counties in SENC
Planning
Extension
SWCD
Econ. Dev
Farm Bureau
Forestry
*Regional working lands protection program – 910-436-1345
SENC Food Systems & RASP Moore County CES, Melissa Ix, Fort Bragg
SENC local Foods Council – promoting local food systems, producer, buyer
6 other SE counties - Pender, Columbus, New Hanover, Brunswick, Robeson, Bladen – Dr. Leslie Hossfeld, UNCW, Mack Legerton, Robeson Co.
Emergency Food - Wilmington
Food Bank
Good Shepard
Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard
Wanted: Local Farmers!
Community Gardens in low income housing – Danielle
Tidal Creek Cooperative Food Market (Jessica Burtt)
30 + local products on shelf and growing
lack local produce – want more
Onslow County Farmers Market
Partnering with schools, health dept., extensions
Field trips to farms next spring to educate young people about where food comes from (Larry Kent, Mkt. Manager 910-340-0009
Onlsow County Farmers Market partnering with OC Extensions
Horticulture class open to the public, fruit and veg garden
Obesity program
Community Garden, Dock St. Wilmington – Tommy Taylor, Food Bank
Wake County Health Dept. Farmer worker, public health, and nurses to farm to care for farm workers.
By increasing availability, it will diversity the current market trends
Tidal Creek Co-Op
Harris Teeter – local products
Local governments getting involved in programs and projects that support local agriculture
4H Junior Master Gardener Programs in Wilmington and (soon to be) Hampstead
School Gardens
Crop Walk
School Summer Food Program
NC Sustainable Food systems coalition – policy network to push for state policy changes – CFSA, Toxic Free NC, RAFI, CEFS, LLPP and more
• CFSA Salad project training local food activists to act local policy
LYFE - Farm Incubators
• MLK – Spice Garden
Downtown Partnerships (Government, private/public partnerships) Chris Andrews
• Fresh Fruit and Vegetable program – Farmers market, schools – cooperative extension
Jacqueline Roseboro and Howard Wallace – 640-6605
Partnership with community colleges and universities
Educational Programs
Strong Infrastructure and Support
Farmers Markets
Poplar Grove Market – Pender County
River Front Market – Wilmington, Downtown Services
Waterfront Market – Southport, Downtown SP, inc.
Shallotte Market – Town of Shallotte
*This info is found at ilocalharvest.org and NCDA – DS website
Direct Markets
www.ncfarmfresh.com
A place for farmers to list their products. A place for consumers to find local products by commodity and county
SENCFS Project
Black River CSA – Ivanhoe, NC (Stephan Hartman)
Improved Storage/Distribution and Marketing avenues for small farmers -Regional Markets
“Agro Tourism” form popping up throughout the area – example, Mikes farm in Beulaville.
Tax Credits to business’ new and existing that buy or sell local sustainable foods.
Local Distribution Co. for produce and meats
CFSA organic bread wheat initiative – small scale grain mill owned by farmers and bakers
City of Wilmington for support the downtown farmers market
If everyone in the state of NC spent 25 cent on sustainable food, it would mean $790,000 per week
City supported farmers market, city of Wilmington, manager RT Jones
Co Ops
Farmers Markets
Public / Private partnerships
Downtown collaboratives
NCSU – “value added & alternative AG” program
Education via Business
Progressive Gardens – www.progressncgardens.com 910-395-1156
We work with local schools to implement gardening and forming principles such as hydroponics, composting, worm farming, etc.
If teachers could get small grants to purchase a composter – valuable connections can be made – recycling, microbiology, cradle to cradle.
Teaches the roots of farming so we can nurture the next generation
Grants or Subsidies
Progress Earth (Evan Folds) – www.progrssearth.com 910-794-7887
Extension services are not advising on natural farming they are adv. Synthetic approaches
Farmer consultation based on increasing crop nutrient density, via biodynamic farming
We are limited by our ability to travel and farmer’s ability to pay for it.
If we expend all this effort to grow empty food, we are wasting our time or only making ourselves feel better, Inadequate food can be grown “organically” does not ensure nutrient density
It is not “sustainable” to expend vast amounts of resources via conventional farming to grow local food.
Ex. It takes as much energy to grow a 3.3-acre plot of food with ammonium nitrate than it does to drive from Wilmington, NC to Seattle, WA in a 30 mpg care with a tank of gas left.
Nutrient value of food needs to drive markets and production, not the amount grown
Grants and Subsidies.