Our Programs
FARM TO INSTITUTION PROGRAMMING
The Local Food Ambassador (LFA) Program encourages local foods education and outreach on university campuses by engaging the student body through events and media promotion, supporting local foods in alignment with the campus sustainability mission, connecting university and community advocates, providing resources for food service organizations, and mentoring future leaders in understanding community-based food systems. Find the LFA Program Manual and meet our student Ambassadors on the Local Food Ambassador Program page.
UFOODS (University Food Systems) is a two-year (2016-2018) project designed to research and develop new market opportunities for farmers by building collaborative supply chains links from farms to university campuses in North Carolina. Researchers at North Carolina State University and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University focused work at the six universities that partner with the LFA Program. Find university supply chain and procurement resources on the UFoods project page.
Farm to Senior Services (F2SS) is a three-year (2020-2023) project designed to increase local food procurement in county-based senior food services, increase farmer and food hub revenue, increase access to healthy, local foods for senior populations, and increase knowledge on benefits of and how to access local foods. Local food pathways will be piloted in three North Carolina counties: McDowell, Scotland, and Warren. More info on the F2SS project page.
COUNTY LOCAL FOOD CAMPAIGNS
Extension agents and community organizers can use a County 10% Campaign for local food education efforts in their county. Agents can tap into the marketing and promotion platform and local food data tracking software of the statewide NC 10% Campaign. By utilizing existing templates and strategies included in the toolkit, agents can easily run a local food campaign that fits into their existing extension work and that assists consumers, farmers, and businesses in their counties. Check out the how to toolkit and farmer profiles on the County Local Food Campaigns page.
GROWER BUYER CONNECTION EVENTS
The NC 10% Campaign and NC Growing Together projects work with NC Cooperative Extension agents to plan opportunities for growers and buyers to meet in an efficient and respectful speed-meeting format. These successful facilitated events can connect GAP-certified producers with wholesalers, market farmers with restaurants and cooperatives, or a mix of small/mid-scale growers and buyers. Find a planning guide at nc10percent.com/grower-buyer-connections.
LOCAL FOOD MAP & DATA-TRACKING
Local Food businesses (farmers, farmers markets, restaurants, retail stores, distributors, schools, institutions, and other food businesses) that purchase local food sign up as NC 10% Campaign pledge of purchase partners and work toward the goal of spending 10% of their food budget on NC-grown and caught foods. Community organizations that support local foods sign up as promotional partners. The Campaign provides an online list and searchable map so that consumers and other businesses can know where to find local foods. Find Local Foods map.
Hi, Example, How are you doing this week?
Consumer members and business partners (that purchase food) track their local food spending via a personalized dashboard. See what's happening in your county or what's new with the NC 10% Campaign! Compare yourself to other members/partners in your county! See how your commitment to local foods improves NC’s economy in real-time via the Campaign’s statewide online local foods tracker. Sign Up Now!
How much is North Carolina spending on local foods? Which counties have the most sign ups?
Check out our interactive data boards featuring local food spending data from 2010-2015.
LOCAL FOOD VIDEO SCREENINGS
The NC 10% Campaign has worked with Vittles Films to create a series of film shorts, Local Food Spotlights, that highlight local food heroes making local food a reality in North Carolina. We have developed a film screening toolkit that provides an event checklist, curriculum, and discussion questions to assist organizers in sharing our videos with community or campus groups. We have paired these screenings with Ugly Fish Bingo and other fun activities with great success! Check out our Film Screening Toolkit.
LOYAL LOCAL CHALLENGE
The NC 10% Campaign partners with industry leaders that focus on seasonal and local fresh food and know the importance of supporting the local food economy. These partners also take time from their busy schedules to report their purchases to the Campaign. In honor of their tireless passion for creative, sustainable food...the Loyal Local Challenge is our way of rewarding these partners and saying THANK YOU! Find out more here.
CIRCLE OF 10 VOLUNTEERS
Circles of 10 is a volunteer opportunity to engage consumers to increase local food action by simply starting a conversation. Circle Members develop connections by talking about the NC 10% Campaign. They spread the word with friends and neighbors about their interest in local foods, share their local food adventures, and also talk with local businesses and restaurants requesting that local foods be available for purchase. More info for volunteers and for Extension Agent organizers can be found at nc10pecent.com/volunteer.