In 2013, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA), and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) partnered with the Centralina Council of Governments and the Catawba Regional Council of Governments to support “CONNECT Our Future“, a three-year initiative funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant Program.
The “CONNECT Our Future” project aims to promote regional economic development, including the local and regional food system, in order to grow jobs, strengthen the economy, and improve quality of life in the Charlotte region. Our collaborative team has been working on the food portion of this large, over-arching planning initiative.
Over 2013 and 2014, CEFS, CFSA, and ASAP have been working collaboratively with community members, public and private partners, and non-profit organizations to conduct a regional food system assessment, develop an action plan for food system work, and to foster the development of food policy councils in the Charlotte region. The collaborative team has been engaging communities across a 14-county bi-state region including Anson, Cabarrus, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Rowan, Stanly, and Union counties in North Carolina; Chester, Lancaster, Union, and York counties in South Carolina; and the Catawba Indian Nation.
While the “CONNECT Our Future” Food Systems Project officially ended July 1, 2014, CEFS will continue to support Food Council formation and development through its new Community Food Strategiesinitiative.
Learn more! Read the “CONNECT Our Future” Food System Assessment Report (or the Executive Summary) and Action Plan for Food Systems Improvement.
From the September 2014 E-Newsletter