Source: NCSU COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 4/10/21



North Carolina State University (NC State) announced today that the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) Local Food Promotion Program (LFPP) has awarded it a three-year, $496,642 grant to create farm-to-senior services pilots and develop local food procurement policy in North Carolina. The project is led by Robyn Stout, Program Lead of the NC 10% Campaign, a collaboration of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and North Carolina Cooperative Extension, based at NC State.

According to Stout, “Institutional market opportunities for local farmers create profitable market potential, improve healthy food options for consumers, and support greater community resilience. However, institutional local food procurement is often limited by contracts, seasonality, and supply chain logistics.”  Stout adds that “smaller county-based institutions, such as senior food services, can be more accessible and require year-round volumes that match well with small and mid-scale farms. In addition, senior food services are often connected to local government offices motivated to support the viability of local farmers and food businesses.”

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