feed and seed: reconnecting farms, markets and tables
TRANSCRIPT
An interdisciplinary group of farmers, health experts, educators, policy makers, marketing experts and architects have put together a coalition to explore the creation, building, and managing of a food hub and education center in Greenville, SC. The project is unique in its holistic approach— reconnecting farms, markets, and tables.
What is a food hub?
A local or regional food hub is a business or organization that actively manages the aggregation, distribution, and marketing of source identified food products primarily from local and regional producers to strengthen their ability to satisfy wholesale, retail, and institutional demand.
Upstate Region Local Food Hub Feasibility Study; South Carolina Coastal Conservation League; June 2013
How do we know it will be a success…Research
Making Small Farms into Big Business; Ken Meter and Megan Phillips Goldenberg; September 2013
Upstate Region Local Food Hub Feasibility Study; South Carolina Coastal Conservation League; June 2013
ALL RESEARCH SAYS IT CAN BE DONE SUCCESSFULLY!
SC Unique Assets
Land is plentiful
Farmers have multiple growing seasons each year
Water is often adequate
Excellent local restaurants are emerging across the state
Urban populations are large enough and close to farmland that farmer and consumer do not have to travel far to meet
Key leaders know each other and the state is small enough to coordinate effectively
South Carolinians seek connection and authenticity
Making Small Farms into Big Business; Ken Meter and Megan Phillips Goldenberg; September 2013
Recommended Strategies
The State must adopt a formal commitment to creating a solid economy focused on local food production for local markets
Emerging ‘food production nodes’ should be strengthened by offering funding through a competitive grant proposal
Expansion of the Clemson’s New and Beginning Farmer Program as well as Lowcountry Local First’s Incubator Farm will enhance the food production node development
Food Hubs are essential to larger regions
Supportive state policy
Making Small Farms into Big Business; Ken Meter and Megan Phillips Goldenberg; September 2013
Food Hub and Nodes
Making Small Farms into Big Business; Ken Meter and Megan Phillips Goldenberg; September 2013
Upstate Food System
Regional, statewide, neighborhood
Our focus: ten county Upstate region
Greenville Area Food System Assessment, 2012
Food Hub Feasibility Study, in process
Farms in Rural Counties
Markets in Urbanized Cities
Distribution at multiple scales
Significant findings of the Feasibility Study
Failing food distribution system
Obesity
Small and local farms are disappearing
Available land
Produce and livestock is feasible
Producer support
Local Food is in demand
Upstate Region Local Food Hub Feasibility Study; South Carolina Coastal Conservation League; June 2013
Vision
Leveraging Upstate South Carolina’s Research Universities, strong private foundations and invested business interests, Feed & Seed will serve as the nexus for improving our current farm capacity; train our next generations of farmers, food professionals and light manufacturers in sustainable business; and use our local products as the vehicle. Invigorating the economy, providing it with trained workers, and supplying local, fresh, healthy foods to all socio-economic sectors of our populace, Feed & Seed will serve as a model to communities across our state, region and nation, leading the way to create a consorted effort to propel our community toward physical and economic vitality.
Goals
Improve public health by increasing the variety, quality and quantity of fresh foods
Use existing systems to get the locally produced products into mainstream diets
Secure local farms for future food security
Re-orient institutional buying patterns in order to bolster the economic growth of farms
Work with farms to create market-driven specialty crop plans which will encourage economic growth of farms.
Reduce the cost of food by eliminating long-haul trucking and transport
Keep more money spent on food in the local system
Challenges on the Farm
Labor Costs and Availability
Land Costs and Availability
Access to Processing
Certifications
Access to Markets
Liability
Business planning
Communication
Challenges of the Consumer
What is it?
Higher costs for local foods
Where do I get it?
They’re all out!
I live in a food desert
I may be among the 67% of obese adults
Why Greenville?
Over the past 50 years, industrial food has displaced local food infrastructure
About 300 farmers and farmers’ markets exist within 150 miles of Greenville.
Greenville County food/bev tab $1.1B, 2010
“Good” tourists also request authentic SC food
Abundant educational systems from technical colleges, private and state research universities
Proven record of innovation, collaboration and investment across the political spectrum.
An excellent health system, tied to long term research programs
A diverse population with high demand for culturally appropriate fresh foods.
What’s in it for Greenville?
Grow Jobs and Economy
Long term support to Manufacturing, Headquarters
Grow a resilient food system
Provide better access to healthy food
Access to fresh, culturally appropriate foods will support a healthier population, which means happier people.
Robust and diverse food helps attract outside investment by improving professional recruitment qualities
How to make it happen
First…a catalyst…
Transparency and Trust
This project is the result of years of work across a wide swath of people across many professions and trades. Listening. Communities, farmers and markets know what they want and need; our job is to keep Feed & Seed informed, listening closely and behaving as a partner, and adapting as we grow, filling niches, and encouraging the growth of new businesses to take on the increasing productivity through private initiative.
Stakeholders
Farmers
Distributors
Processors
Labor
Consumers Retail (restaurants, grocery, farm stores)
Wholesale (schools, hospitals, jails, etc.)
Recycling and Composting
Partners
AdvantageWest
AgSouth
ACOG, Appalachian Regional Commission
Ballentine Equipment
Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital
Carolina Farm Stewardship Association
Clemson University - Extension, SBDC
Coastal Conservation League
Community Foundation of Greenville
Community Loan Fund
Culinary Partners
Daniel Mickel Foundation
DHEC
Edible Upcountry
Erwin Penland
Farm Bureau
Furman University
Gardening for Good
Graham Foundation
Greenville County & City
Greenville County Schools
Greenville Forward
Greenville Health System
Greenville Technical College
LiveWell Greenville
Loaves and Fishes
Marvin’s Produce
Nexen Pruett
Palmetto Agribusiness Council
Partners for Active Living
Rhino Concessions
Slow Food Upstate
Spinx
SCDA
SC Commerce
TATT
USC, The George
USDA/ Rural Development & FSA
Why such a diverse group?
• The power of community, when focused on a goal is amazing.
• We all eat food. And our food system is broken. • Leaders in education, business, governance, private
foundations, farming and health all have important roles to play in the work.
• We don’t need a “new” project, we need to re-orient our
existing institutions towards a collaborative food system engagement. Learn from the past and apply that knowledge to a well informed present, with serious planning for the future of our public health, food security, and personal engagement.
Universities and Learning Institutions
• Orient coursework and research on the Feed & Seed food hub model
• Real World Training across the spectrum • Working knowledge of the whole food system –
dirt to mouth • Certified in aspects of DHEC, HACCP, etc…
The research will empower the Feed & Seed with real data to measure its effectiveness
Community Organizations
Offer access to people and engagement
Inform the Feed & Seed about product needs
Experts in the people of the community
Government Organizations
Facilitate Institutional Cooperation, i.e. schools, prisons and other large consumers of foods that will benefit from greater access to fresh products.
Help find efficiency when implementing the program
Knowledgeable of existing structures and programs that can be accessed or leveraged.
Private Companies
• Support via direct donations • Diverse private sector • Diverse work force in the region wants specialty
farm products
Renaissance through food
The Feed & Seed is evidence of the rebirth and
revival of interest in food that is authentic. The
project focuses on building from the culture of Greenville and teaching all members of the
community. The project hopes to address a broad range of challenges with a holistic approach to reconnecting farms, markets and tables.