NC Growing Together
North Carolina Growing Together (NCGT) was a six-year (2013-2018) USDA-funded project led by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems. The overarching goal was to achieve greater food security by enhancing the economic viability of small and mid-scale farms and fishing operations and their communities.
This website archive contains news, resources, research, and other information about the project.
Partners
NC Growing Together was highly collaborative and included dozens of partners from across the state, spanning private, public, government/military, and university sectors. See the About page for more information.
Resources
NC Growing Together produced a large number of resources to support the growth and capacity of the entire local food supply chain including producers, supply chain intermediaries, local/regional food business developers, Cooperative Extension agents, and others. Visit our full library of NC Growing Together resources here.
ECO Farmer Age and IT Software Research (2014)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:04:23-04:00
ECO Farmer Age and IT Software Research (2014)
Guide to Building Farm & Food Business WebsitesWaystone Design2021-10-27T17:21:30-04:00
Guide to Building Farm & Food Business Websites
Sourcing Local Tomatoes to Minimize Food Loss (2018)Waystone Design2018-09-27T11:58:38-04:00
Sourcing Local Tomatoes to Minimize Food Loss (2018)
Stand-alone Fresh Produce Cross-docking Facility (2018)Waystone Design2018-09-27T11:58:22-04:00
Stand-alone Fresh Produce Cross-docking Facility (2018)
Market Channel Evaluation: Produce (2014)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:07:08-04:00
Market Channel Evaluation: Produce (2014)
NC Statewide Niche Meat Survey Results by County (2016)CEFS2021-10-27T12:04:18-04:00
NC Statewide Niche Meat Survey Results by County (2016)
Strategies to Increase Sales of Local Meat at Farmstands and Small Retailers (2018)Marcello Cappellazzi2021-10-27T12:12:54-04:00
Strategies to Increase Sales of Local Meat at Farmstands and Small Retailers (2018)
On-Farm Infrastructure Toolkit (2017)Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:17:35-04:00
On-Farm Infrastructure Toolkit (2017)
Market Channel Evaluation: Analysis of a Direct-Store-Delivery Pilot for Local Meat (2014)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:07:35-04:00
Market Channel Evaluation: Analysis of a Direct-Store-Delivery Pilot for Local Meat (2014)
The Good Food Schema: Effects of Compelling Messaging for Locally Sourced Meat Products in Grocery Store Settings (2014)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:02:13-04:00
The Good Food Schema: Effects of Compelling Messaging for Locally Sourced Meat Products in Grocery Store Settings (2014)
Food & Farm Financing Summit: SBC Annual Conference, March 2017Waystone Design2018-09-24T10:43:10-04:00
Food & Farm Financing Summit: SBC Annual Conference, March 2017
Comparing Entrepreneurial Solutions to Local Food Distribution (2016)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:00:24-04:00
Comparing Entrepreneurial Solutions to Local Food Distribution (2016)
Basic Legal Structures for Local Foods Value Chain BusinessesWaystone Design2018-09-23T15:09:11-04:00
Basic Legal Structures for Local Foods Value Chain Businesses
Scaling up at a Local Grain Mill (2017)Waystone Design2018-09-27T11:58:49-04:00
Scaling up at a Local Grain Mill (2017)
Cost Effective Procurement of Local Strawberries from NC (2015)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:01:20-04:00
Cost Effective Procurement of Local Strawberries from NC (2015)
Keynote Presentation to SBC-SBTDC Annual ConferenceLaura Lauffer2016-12-05T11:24:20-05:00
Keynote Presentation to SBC-SBTDC Annual Conference
SBC-SBTDC REAL Agriculture & Cooperative Extension Curriculum Guide (2017)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:21:19-04:00
SBC-SBTDC REAL Agriculture & Cooperative Extension Curriculum Guide (2017)
Financial and Business Resources for Food Entrepreneurs and Farms in North Carolina (2016)Waystone Design2021-10-15T17:55:38-04:00
Financial and Business Resources for Food Entrepreneurs and Farms in North Carolina (2016)
NCGT Pastured Poultry Feasibility Study (2016)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:03:32-04:00
NCGT Pastured Poultry Feasibility Study (2016)
Pack ‘N Cool Construction Manual and BudgetShane McCoy2021-10-22T15:23:34-04:00
Pack ‘N Cool Construction Manual and Budget
Process Walkthrough at a Regional Meat Distribution Center (2014)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:22:22-04:00
Process Walkthrough at a Regional Meat Distribution Center (2014)
Planning Guide for Small Business Center – Cooperative Extension CollaborationsAntonia Brown2022-08-22T11:24:39-04:00
Planning Guide for Small Business Center – Cooperative Extension Collaborations
Postharvest Handling for Enhanced Shelf LifeShane McCoy2021-10-22T15:24:14-04:00
Postharvest Handling for Enhanced Shelf Life
North Carolina Farmstead Creamery Survey Report (2015)Shane McCoy2018-09-24T20:53:19-04:00
North Carolina Farmstead Creamery Survey Report (2015)
High Tunnel Management: Workshop Materials Feb. 2017Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:15:10-04:00
High Tunnel Management: Workshop Materials Feb. 2017
Selling Fluid Milk to Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery (2016)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:24:56-04:00
Selling Fluid Milk to Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery (2016)
Bringing on New Fruit and Vegetable Farmers: A Visual Guide and Checklist for Direct-Store-DeliveryWaystone Design2018-09-24T10:03:49-04:00
Bringing on New Fruit and Vegetable Farmers: A Visual Guide and Checklist for Direct-Store-Delivery
How to Sell Produce to Distributors (2018)Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:08:23-04:00
How to Sell Produce to Distributors (2018)
Project Meatball: The Business Case for a New Product Venture (2016)Waystone Design2018-09-27T11:59:40-04:00
Project Meatball: The Business Case for a New Product Venture (2016)
Farm and Food Business Resource Guide (2017)Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:48:46-04:00
Farm and Food Business Resource Guide (2017)
An Analysis of North Carolina’s Seafood Industry: National and State Perspectives (2013)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:11:16-04:00
An Analysis of North Carolina’s Seafood Industry: National and State Perspectives (2013)
Research
NC Growing Together produced research on many topics relevant to local food supply chain stakeholders. Visit our full library of NC Growing Together research here.
High Tunnel Management: Workshop Materials Feb. 2017Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:15:10-04:00
High Tunnel Management: Workshop Materials Feb. 2017
Basic Legal Structures for Local Foods Value Chain BusinessesWaystone Design2018-09-23T15:09:11-04:00
Basic Legal Structures for Local Foods Value Chain Businesses
On-Farm Infrastructure Toolkit (2017)Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:17:35-04:00
On-Farm Infrastructure Toolkit (2017)
Financial and Business Resources for Food Entrepreneurs and Farms in North Carolina (2016)Waystone Design2021-10-15T17:55:38-04:00
Financial and Business Resources for Food Entrepreneurs and Farms in North Carolina (2016)
Students in the Local Food Value Chain: Experiences from the 2018 NC Growing Together Summer InternshipWaystone Design2018-09-25T22:47:18-04:00
Students in the Local Food Value Chain: Experiences from the 2018 NC Growing Together Summer Internship
Cheese Business Resource Guide (2016)Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:16:39-04:00
Cheese Business Resource Guide (2016)
Guide to Pinterest for Farm & Food BusinessesWaystone Design2021-10-27T17:21:19-04:00
Guide to Pinterest for Farm & Food Businesses
Fresh Produce Good Agricultural Practices Workshop ManualWaystone Design2021-10-27T17:20:00-04:00
Fresh Produce Good Agricultural Practices Workshop Manual
Guide to Social & Online Media for Producers in Wholesale MarketsWaystone Design2021-10-27T17:19:32-04:00
Guide to Social & Online Media for Producers in Wholesale Markets
Process Walkthrough at a Regional Produce Distribution Center (2014)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:25:03-04:00
Process Walkthrough at a Regional Produce Distribution Center (2014)
Guide to Facebook for Farm & Food BusinessesWaystone Design2021-10-27T17:21:25-04:00
Guide to Facebook for Farm & Food Businesses
Best Practices for Temperature and Humidity Management for Fresh Produce (2015)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:25:12-04:00
Best Practices for Temperature and Humidity Management for Fresh Produce (2015)
Best Practices for Grading and Packing of Fresh Produce (2015)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:22:12-04:00
Best Practices for Grading and Packing of Fresh Produce (2015)
NC Catch Local Seafood Market Lists (2017)Marcello Cappellazzi2021-10-27T17:17:14-04:00
NC Catch Local Seafood Market Lists (2017)
Authenticity and Success in Marketing “Local” — Review and RecommendationsWaystone Design2018-09-24T20:03:36-04:00
Authenticity and Success in Marketing “Local” — Review and Recommendations
Special Claims and the Approval Process for Niche Meat Production (2014)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T18:11:09-04:00
Special Claims and the Approval Process for Niche Meat Production (2014)
Open Forum: Strategies to Help Ag Producers Plan During the COVID-19 Crisis (2021)Janie Hynson2021-10-27T17:24:14-04:00
Open Forum: Strategies to Help Ag Producers Plan During the COVID-19 Crisis (2021)
Distributors of NC Wild-Caught Seafood (2016)Waystone Design2021-10-22T17:29:51-04:00
Distributors of NC Wild-Caught Seafood (2016)
Selling Fluid Milk to Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery (2016)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:24:56-04:00
Selling Fluid Milk to Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery (2016)
Retailer Talking Points: How to Answer Consumer Questions on Local Meats (2014)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T12:09:30-04:00
Retailer Talking Points: How to Answer Consumer Questions on Local Meats (2014)
Process Walkthrough: Direct-Store Delivery (DSD) to Retail Grocery Destinations for Niche Meat Producers (2014)Shane McCoy2021-10-25T16:34:55-04:00
Process Walkthrough: Direct-Store Delivery (DSD) to Retail Grocery Destinations for Niche Meat Producers (2014)
Strategies to Increase Sales of Local Meat at Farmstands and Small Retailers (2018)Marcello Cappellazzi2021-10-27T12:12:54-04:00
Strategies to Increase Sales of Local Meat at Farmstands and Small Retailers (2018)
How to Sell Shell Eggs into Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery (2015)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:24:40-04:00
How to Sell Shell Eggs into Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery (2015)
Webinar: Local Food & Strategies for Councils of GovernmentWaystone Design2018-09-24T23:55:23-04:00
Webinar: Local Food & Strategies for Councils of Government
SBC-SBTDC REAL Agriculture & Cooperative Extension Curriculum Guide (2017)Waystone Design2018-09-27T12:21:19-04:00
SBC-SBTDC REAL Agriculture & Cooperative Extension Curriculum Guide (2017)
Process Walkthrough at a Regional Meat Distribution Center (2014)Shane McCoy2021-10-27T17:22:22-04:00
Process Walkthrough at a Regional Meat Distribution Center (2014)
Breaking Down the Cost of Pastured Chicken (2016)CEFS2021-10-27T12:05:35-04:00
Breaking Down the Cost of Pastured Chicken (2016)
Growing Specialty Vegetables for Ethnic Markets in North Carolina (2020)Janie Hynson2021-10-27T17:22:56-04:00
Growing Specialty Vegetables for Ethnic Markets in North Carolina (2020)
Introduction to Wholesale Marketing Curriculum Unit (2017)Waystone Design2021-10-15T18:08:28-04:00
Introduction to Wholesale Marketing Curriculum Unit (2017)
How to Sell Produce to Distributors (2018)Waystone Design2021-10-27T17:08:23-04:00
How to Sell Produce to Distributors (2018)
NC Growing Together News
View our full newsfeed of NC Growing Together News.
Whole Crop Harvest Brings Together Supply Chain Partners for Grade 2 Produce
Whole Crop Harvest (WCH) is bringing together partners from across the supply chain to reduce on-farm produce loss and increase farmer profitability.
NCGT Building Connections with Small Business Centers to Support Growth of Local Food Economy in North Carolina
NC Growing Together is catalyzing ties between food and farm businesses, educators, Cooperative Extension staff, and Small Business Centers (SBC) across the state to build business support and education for a thriving local food economy.
NC Farm to Early Care and Education Brings Together Children, Food, and Community
In collaboration with early educators, CEFS' Farm to Early Care and Education (NC Farm to ECE) Initiative created a series of eye-catching posters for young children that portray farmers and the vegetables they grow for their community - specifically highlighting women farmers and farmers of color.
Whole Crop Harvest Partners with Ashley Christensen’s AC Restaurants to Research Economics of Preserving Seasonal Local Tomatoes for Year-Round Use
The team found that purchasing 100% North Carolina tomatoes in season reduces the restaurant group's cost by nearly half, accomplishes the goal of sourcing exclusively local tomatoes, and will likely reduce on-farm food loss.
This project is supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative competitive grant no. 2013-68004-20363 of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
