N.C. Local Food Council meets in Triad this week
Media Contacts:
Nancy Creamer, director, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, 919.515.9447, 919.740.6366 (cell) or ncreamer@ncsu.edu
Annie Baggett, agritourism marketing specialist, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, 919.707.3120, 919.414.4982 (cell) or annie.baggett@ncagr.gov
The Local Food Council of North Carolina is bringing together more than 100 local food council delegates from across the state Dec. 4-5 at at BioTech Place, 575 N Patterson Ave. in Winston-Salem. The event, Connecting for the Future: A Gathering of NC Food Councils, will attract delegates from more than 36 local groups and approximately 24 state organizations and agencies.
Local food councils are groups that focus on food system issues in their own communities – from information-sharing, to healthy food access, to policy change – and they are growing rapidly in number across the state, said event organizer Christy Shi Day of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, a major conference sponsor.
“The work of strengthening community-based food systems happens at the community level. Yet many needed resources, tools and connections are found in organizations with statewide scope. This ‘meeting of the minds’ is an excellent opportunity for community groups to gain direct access to much-needed support, while providing state organizations with greater understanding of how our communities are engaging with food systems work,” said Shi Day.
“As a member of the North Carolina food bank community and the Local Food Council of North Carolina, I am excited to be a part of this movement. The planning committee has worked to create a space where best practices will be explored, new ideas will be generated, and the experience of wisdom will be used to build healthy, vibrant families and strong communities,” said Earline Middleton, who chaired the event planning committee and serves as vice president of agency services and programs for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina.
Event sponsors include Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Conservation Trust for North Carolina, Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. Department of Commerce and N.C. Sea Grant.
For a conference schedule, visit: https://ncfoodstrategy.files.wordpress.com/2014/11/schedule.pdf
The Local Food Council of North Carolina bridges organizations, agencies and groups whose statewide work supports vibrant farms and fisheries, healthy people, strong communities, thriving local economies and resilient ecosystems with a common aim: strengthening North Carolina’s local food systems.
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. CEFS’ mission is to develop and promote just and equitable food and farming systems that conserve natural resources, strengthen communities, improve health outcomes, and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond. For more information about CEFS please visit www.cefs.ncsu.edu.
