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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.