NC 10% Campaign Reaches $40 Million in Local Foods Purchases

RALEIGH, August 5, 2013:  The NC 10% Campaign, which encourages all North Carolina individuals and businesses to spend 10% of their existing food dollars on locally-produced food, has hit a big milestone.  The Campaign, which counts over 6500 individuals and 850 businesses among its supporters, has tracked $40 million in local foods purchases since July 2010.

“Reaching this goal is a testament to the commitment of our partners to source and purchase North Carolina foods whenever possible,” says Teisha Wymore, State Coordinator of the NC 10% Campaign.

The Campaign, which recently celebrated its third anniversary, aims to create a local food economy in North Carolina.  Supporters sign up on the campaign’s website, nc10percent.com, and record their local foods purchases each week.  The Campaign’s database aggregates purchases and allows individuals and business partners to track their progress over time.  The campaign has social media, educational, and community-building components as well.  The NC 10% Campaign has been so successful that other states, including Connecticut, Michigan, and South Carolina, are beginning to use it as a model for local food initiatives in their own regions.

The NC 10% Campaign is an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), a partnership of NC State University, NC Agricultural & Technical State University, and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  CEFS’ mission is to develop and promote food and farming systems that protect the environment, strengthen local communities and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond.  For more information please see www.cefs.ncsu.edu/.

Funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation, the NC 10% Campaign works with the NC Cooperative Extension Service in all 100 North Carolina counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.  For more information please see nc10percent.com.