AG 2011 09 19 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

'Ihe retail market currently offers limited potential for local farmers. Local beef producers can explore the possibility of supplying the two Charlotte Earth Fare locations through Hickory Nut Gap Meats based in Buncombe County. But local produce farmers have few options for selling in grocery stores. A consumer cooperative grocery store offers one retail outlet model, but local producers must be prepared to get wholesale prices (about 30 percent less than retail) for their products. Food Lion, a Salisbury -based grocery store, has a history of promoting sales of food produced in North Carolina. 1. Plan for ways to offer farmers training and technical assis- tance that will prepare them to scale production for this market 2. Continue to explore the consumer cooperative model as a way to provide a retail outlet that sells locally -grown food. Examples include the new Company Shops Market in Burlington and Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro. 3. Build relationships with Food Lion management. MARKETING AND DISTRIBUTION E. Emergency Market Channel According to Cooperative Christian Ministry resources, Cabarrus County has nine food pantries, including the Salvation Army." This summary includes key points taken from telephone interviews with food pantry staff members as well as a community garden manager and a gleaning coordinator from the Society of St. Andrew, a statewide ecumenical ministry dedicated to providing hunger relief through gleaning. Questions were designed to indentify demand for fresh local produce and interest in community gardens, as well as to characterize gleaning operations in Cabarrus County. Fresh produce in demand at food pantry In 2010 Cooperative Christian Ministry served just over 1 million pounds of food, to almost 34,000 people and 11,500 households. This was a three percent increase over 2009. The majority of what they serve is nonperishable, although they do glean farmers' markets in the summer. In 2010 they served 4,800 -4,900 pounds of fresh produce. According to Cooperative Ministry staff, when fresh produce is available, it goes fast. Providing it is in keeping with the organization's effort to offer nutritious food to people who can't afford the farmers' market. Most food is donated to the organization, which is an affiliate of Second Harvest. Last year they spent less than $5,000 on food. Operation Breadbasket served 1,578 families in 2010. The program does not glean from markets, but receives some fresh produce from the Society of St. Andrew. They would like to have more fresh produce to distribute, but do not have storage or refrigerator space to keep it. Distribution presents challenges forgleaners The Society of St. Andrew gleans produce from three farms in Cabarrus County. Crops include corn, tomatoes, squash, water- melon, cantaloupe, and turnip greens. Fields are gleaned during 11 months of the year, depending on crop availability. The organization reports that finding enough trucks sized to haul large amounts of produce, and finding enough volunteers who can drive the produce from farm to drop point are significant challenges. St. Andrew delivers to 250 distribution points in a 17- county region that includes Charlotte and Cabarrus County. Because most gleaning takes place during the weekend, when many agencies are closed, the organization delivers directly to neighborhoods as well, through a network of neighborhood leaders who coordinate drop points and communication with residents. These neighborhood drops are very successful, and St. Andrew is actively looking for more of them in the region. Community gardens priority in Kannapolis Cabarrus County has one community garden, operated by both the city of Kannapolis and First Wesleyan Church. The city's Environmental Stewardship Commission has made it a priority to support community gardens. The garden is starting its second season, and is renting plots from April 2011 to February 2012. According to a Kannapolis city employee, gardeners ate their produce and donated some of it to the Cooperative Christian Ministry. A second community garden may be opening in Kannapolis in 2011. 34 CENTER for ENVIRONMENTAL FARMING SYSTEMS Attachment number 1 1 -1 Page 648