The North Carolina FarmsSHARE program will connect NC farmers with local hunger-relief nonprofits to increase access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food in underserved communities across the state while investing in small North Carolina businesses to cultivate a stable, thriving local food system (LFPA and LFPA Plus).
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will partner with the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association to enhance and expand their existing FarmsSHARE program (LFPA). Through LFPA Plus, NCDA&CS will partner with Feeding the Carolinas in conjunction with North Carolina’s seven Feeding America-affiliated food banks to procure local food from North Carolina farmers and food hubs and to distribute that food to low-tomoderate income families struggling with food security throughout the state.
In addition, technical support will be provided to food hub partners on food safety and implementing Quality Management Systems (QMS) and standard operating procedures to ensure compliance with program requirements as well as providing technical support to smallscale farms on fresh produce safety, post-harvest handling, scaling up, and product specifications for various food distribution programs (through LFPA).
We anticipate Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (LFPA) will partner with 450 local producers (210 of whom will be socially disadvantaged) and 200 distribution locations in underserved communities. Through Feeding the Carolinas (LFPA+), North Carolina food banks will partner with 125 local growers (22 of whom will be socially disadvantaged) and their network of nonprofit partner agencies (anticipate 1,350 participating agencies) to distribute local foods to 875 underserved communities.
With the addition of LFPA Plus funds, the NC FarmsSHARE program will extend the existing contract with USDA-AMS until September 30, 2025.