EmPOWERIng Mountain Food Systems and EBCI NC Cooperative Extension hosted Tes Thraves, the NC Farm to School Program Coordinator, to discuss local food purchasing for K-12 schools in the region. EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems seeks to increase farmer income through education, business support and infrastructure development, and supporting institutional purchasing in schools helps to address both economic and health concerns in the region.
The national F2S week promotion this year focused on “CRUNCH” photos with local apples. For more about the farm to school program, visit https://cefs.ncsu.edu/youth/farm-to-school/.
In the photo, from left, Joey Owle, EBCI Secretary of Agriculture & Natural Resources, Tes Thraves, Center for Environmental Farming Systems Farm to School Program Coordinator, Lisa Gonzalez, Regional Local Food Extension Agent, EmPOWERing Local Food Systems, Tenisha McLean, Food Corps, Cherokee Central Schools,Jessica Mrugala, Cherokee Choices, Alison Francis, Haywood County Schools Nutrition Director, and Robin Bailey-Callahan, Cherokee Choices.