Farmer Foodshare Inc

FARMER FOODSHARE WILL GROW, DIVERSIFY AND EXPAND OUR FOOD HUB BY EXECUTING A POST PANDEMIC REVITALIZATION PROJECT AIMED AT THE DEVELOPMENT, COORDINATION, AND EXPANSION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD BUSINESS ENTERPRISES TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AND AVAILABILITY OF LOCALLY AND REGIONALLY PRODUCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN THE RAPIDLY GROWING AND AGRICULTURALLY PRODUCTIVE RESEARCH TRIANGLE REGION OF NORTH CAROLINA. THIS PROJECT IS DESIGNED TO SUPPORT THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM THROUGH STRATEGIC REGROWTH DESIGNED TO SCALE UP TO PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, WHILE ALSO DIVERSIFYING OUR FARMER NETWORK AND UPDATING OPERATIONS AND SALES STRATEGIES FOR A POST PANDEMIC WORLD.PROJECT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE A MARKETING AND OUTREACH CAMPAIGN OPTIMIZING INTERNAL OPERATIONS IDENTIFYING AND ADOPTING NEW SOFTWARE FOOD SAFETY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO PRODUCERS INTENTIONAL RELATIONSHIP BUILDING WITH OUR FARMERS BROAD PARTNERSHIPS WITH AREA FOOD SYSTEM SERVICE PROVIDERS AND INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS AND EXTENSIVE DATA COLLECTION, EVALUATION AND DISSEMINATION. DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES THESE INCLUDE EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF FARMERS TO 75 ( 88 ) AND INCREASING VOLUME OF FOOD HUB PURCHASES TO 1 M ANNUALLY BY YR. 3 ( 158 ) INCREASING THE NUMBER OF FOOD HUB BUYERS TO 75 ( 88 ) AND THE VOLUME OF SALES TO 1.5 M ANNUALLY ( 158 ) BUILDING A GREATER CAPACITY TO SUSTAINABLY SUPPORT THE AVAILABILITY OF REGIONALLY PRODUCED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND THE DEVELOPMENT, EXPANSION, COORDINATION, AND EXPANSION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL FOOD BUSINESSES CREATION OF A ROBUST SET OF REFRESHED BRAND ASSETS AND MARKETING TOOLS TO RECRUIT FARMERS, PROMOTE THEIR PRODUCTS AND EDUCATE NEARLY 200K AREA RESIDENTS WITH INFORMATION ABOUT ACCESSING AND USING LOCALLY GROWN FOOD PRODUCTS AND INCREASING CAPACITY OF FFS TO SERVE FARMERS AND LOCAL FOOD INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS BY DEVELOPING AND INSTITUTIONALIZING DATA COLLECTION TOOLS AND PRACTICES FOR MEASURING FOOD HUB SUCCESS.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES THERE WILL BE 199,670 DIRECT BENEFICIARIES, PLUS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS AND CLIENTS OF OUR INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS WHO WILL BENEFIT FROM THE INCREASE IN FRESH, LOCAL, NUTRIENT DENSE PROTEINS AND PRODUCE SOURCED THROUGH INCREASED BUYING RELATIONSHIPS THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT. 75 FARM BUSINESSES WILL BENEFIT, TO THE TUNE OF 2.7 M RETURNED TO THEM IN SALES. 75 INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS WILL BENEFIT THROUGH 3.9 M IN LOCAL FOOD PROCUREMENT TO SERVE THEIR CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS. ADDITIONALLY, THESE ACTIVITIES WILL SET FARMER FOODSHARE UP TO BE SUSTAINABLE IN THE LONG RUN, CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN THE YEARS TO COME.SUB RECIPIENT ACTIVITIES THIS PROJECT DOES NOT HAVE SUB AWARDS HOWEVER IT DOES HAVE CONTRACTUAL PARTNERS. THEY INCLUDE CAROLINA FARM STEWARDSHIP ASSOCIATION WILL PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO UP TO 12 FARMERS IN APPLYING FOR AND SECURING THEIR GAP CERTIFICATIONS, INCLUDING COACHING AND INSTRUCTION TO PROVIDE DIRECT TA, HELPING IDENTIFY SUSTAINABLE GROWERS WHO MAY BE ELIGIBLE INTERESTED IN RECEIVING THIS TA, WITH THE GOAL OF JOINING THE FFS FARMER NETWORK AND ACCESSING NEW SALES MARKETS. MESH, OUR MARKETING CONSULTANT, WILL DEVELOP A FLEXIBLE MARKETING AND OUTREACH CAMPAIGN TOOLKIT WITH BRAND ASSETS, MESSAGING, DIGITAL COLLATERAL, AND CUSTOMIZABLE TEMPLATES FOR CONTENT. FARM FARE, OUR FOOD HUB OPERATIONS AND SOFTWARE CONSULTANT, WILL REVIEW FFSS OPERATIONS, AND PROVIDE FOOD HUB OPERATIONS OPTIMIZATION CONSULTING TO IMPROVE THE DAILY FUNCTIONALITY OF FFSS SYSTEMS AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR SOFTWARE ADOPTION AND IMPLEMENTATION. FOOD INSIGHT GROUP (FIG), OUR EVALUATOR, WILL PROVIDE FARMER SURVEY QUESTION DEVELOPMENT, PROCESS EVALUATION, SURVEY AND OR IN DEPTH INTERVIEW DEVELOPMENT, PILOTING, AND IMPLEMENTATION IMPACT MEASUREMENT DATA ANALYSIS AND ANNUAL REPORTS. BLACK FARMERS MARKET, WILL HELP FFS IDENTIFY AND CONNECT WITH FARMERS OF COLOR WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO SELL THEIR PRODUCTS THROUGH FFSS FOOD HUB.

FRESH, LOCAL FOOD FOR ALL: FORGING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN NORTHCAROLINA FARMS AND INSTITUTIONAL BUYERS THROUGH FARMER FOODSHAREÂ##S WHOLESALE MARKET

IN A STATE LIKE NORTH CAROLINA - THE 8TH LARGEST AGRICULTURAL PRODUCER IN THE COUNTRY - IT SHOULDN'T BE HARD FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS HEALTHY, NUTRITIOUS FOOD. YET FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, PROCESSED FOOD REMAINS THE ONLY CONSISTENTLY AFFORDABLE CHOICE, AND AS A RESULT, MANY OF NORTH CAROLINA'S LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH INCIDENCE OF OBESITY, DIABETES, AND OTHER DIET-RELATED DISEASES (NC ALLIANCEFOR HEALTH 2014). IN THE TRIANGLE AREA OF NORTH CAROLINA, ABOUT 30% OF DURHAM COUNTY AND ORANGE COUNTY RESIDENTS LIVE IN WHAT THE USDA CLASSIFIES AS A FOOD DESERT - AN AREA WITHOUT ACCESS TO FRESH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. THE COMMUNITY FOOD SHARE PROJECT SEEKS TO ADDRESS THIS DISCONNECT AND BUILD THE FOOD SOVEREIGNTY OF SEVERAL DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSECOMMUNITIES LOCATED WITHIN THE TRIANGLE OF NORTH CAROLINA, WHOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS' HAVE EXPRESSED DESIRE FOR ACCESS TO HEALTHY, CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE, AND AFFORDABLE FOOD, IN ADDITIONTO FORGINGLINKAGES TO THE LAND AND LOCAL FARMS.TO ADDRESS THESE NEEDS, THE CFS PROJECT PROPOSES USING VARIATIONS ON A COLLECTIVE BUYING MODEL DESIGNED AND IMPLEMENTED BY COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SOURCE THE FRESH FOODS THEY WANT IN WAYS THAT WORK FOR THEM, WITH FARMER FOODSHARE PROVIDING THE AGGREGATION AND DISTRIBUTION BETWEEN FARMS AND URBAN COMMUNITIES. THE PROJECT ALSO INVOLVES CREATING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP COMMUNITY MEMBERS LEARN TO GROW OR COOK FOOD AND BUILD THEIR CAPACITY TO ENGAGE THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, BUILDING SELF-RELIANCE. CFS METHODS AND SERVICES ARE DEMOCRATICALLY DEVELOPED, GIVING VOICE AND INFLUENCE TO PRIMARILY LOW-INCOME PARTICIPANTS IN NAMING HOW BEST TO OFFER THEIR COMMUNITIES ACCESS TO LOCALLY GROWN FOOD AND NUTRITION EDUCATION. THE CFS PROJECT SEELS TO CREATE AREPLICABLE MODEL FOR EQUITABLE, COMMUNITY-DRIVEN FOOD ACCESS AND EDUCATION THAT BENEFITS FARMERS AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND CAN LAST BEYOND THE PERIOD OF THE GRANT.

LOCAL FOOD FOR LOCAL PEOPLE CLOSING THE

LOCAL FOOD FOR LOCAL PEOPLE: CLOSING THE

THIS GRANT SUPPORTS THE COSTS INCURRED TO IMPLEMENT MEASURES TO RESPOND TO THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID-19), WHICH MAY INCLUDE WORKPLACE SAFETY, MARKET PIVOTS, RETROFITTING FACILITIES, TRANSPORTATION, WORKER HOUSING, AND MEDICAL EXPENSES. IT PROVIDES NEEDED RELIEF TO THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS FOR THEIR COSTS INCURRED BETWEEN JANUARY 27, 2020, THE DATE UPON WHICH THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE (HHS) UNDER SECTION 319 OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE ACT, AND DECEMBER 31, 2021. BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE EMPLOYEES OF THE FOOD PROCESSORS, DISTRIBUTORS, FARMERS MARKETS, AND PRODUCERS.