THE FOOD CONSORTIUM BLOG
Look here for FCFC updates, announcements, and other posts. Opinions belong to the authors.
[Last Thursday (Sept 20th), a number of organizations came together to get the Forsyth Food Summit off the ground. The Summit focused on local food system development throughout Forsyth County — that is, looking at all of the resources we have (including ourselves, our interests and energy) to ensure that our food gets from our […]
4 Reasons Forsyth Foodworks Work is Important: Food beyond charity: When we think of improving food access, charity is often the first route that comes to mind—food banks, pantries, backpack programs, and so on. Such efforts fall to one end of the food work spectrum into the territory of “emergency food.” Food system development, however, […]
[These resources have been compiled for distribution by Sri Ananda Sarvasri, Founder & Director of the Ananda Center for Life and Spirit. Sarvasri has been a regular attendee of our monthly local food meetups, always with information to share, so we wanted to distribute a blog post featuring some of his core resources for anyone […]
Here’s a look back on what went down in June* (in short: lots): 1. The Pfafftown Farmers Market is in full swing and features an impressive selection of meats, veggies, full plants, flowers, mushrooms, etc. It’s running every Wednesday from 4-7pm at 4725 Yadkinville Rd. (shoutout to Remedy Apothecary for hosting!). 2. SHARE Cooperative of […]
May came and went with lots of great things going on: We briefly discussed community action items concerning critical budget cuts in the proposed 2018 US Farm Bill and encouraged people to call the Feeding America Farm Bill hotline to connect with their legislatures and express the importance of maintaining food assistance dollars (SNAP) in […]
[Published May 1, 2018] Happy May Day! April Bowman from Cooperative Extension joined us at last month’s meetup* to give a brief preview of her backyard chicken “Lunch N Learn” workshop series. First, I should say there are two more sessions left: Tomorrow May 2 and May 9; 12:10-12:50 PM; Bring your own lunch. Location: […]
The March Local Food Meetup report has arrived! 1. Michael Suggs of GOLER CDC reports that progress is moving forward with the #hydroponic growing facility/year-round #greenhouse in Kimberley Park (near the MLK Jr. Community Center) and should be set to open late-spring/early-summer this year. They are currently looking for community partners to help build […]
Highlights have arrived from our January Meetup with a list of upcoming events attached: The Triad Buying Co-op is getting settled into operations at its new location at 941 Brenner St NE, Winston-Salem, NC 27101. They’re offering tours of the new space and new memberships, so check them out. They’re also considering installing a pollinator […]
Always a fantastic event. Join the seed swapping fun! ~Free and open to the public~ Beta Verde, with support from Old Salem Horticulture and garden volunteers, holds the much anticipated, annual seed swapping event for both new and long-time heirloom seed growers. Seeds for swapping are required to be open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, and guests are […]
Highlights from December! 1. Tembila Covington, coordinator of Cooperative Extension’s Urban Farm School (Urban Agriculture, Forsyth County NC CES), shared some inspiring insights from a recent trip back to her childhood home of #BurkinaFaso. For a country that has a considerably high percentage of millennials, with a considerable percentage of them unemployed, the population has […]
“What does an equitable food system look like?” #local #nc voices chime in at the #ncfoodcouncils 2017 gathering. Check the vid in our bio. #communityfoodstrategies #equity #community #localeconomy #racialequality #housing #transportation #foodpolicycouncil #leverage #healthyfood #commonground #landaccess #jobs #liberation #education Source “What does an equitable food system look like?” #local #nc voices chime in at … […]
The November Local Food Meetup recap rolling out a little later than usual, but no less sweet. Just one big announcement for this month: HUGE congrats to the new appointees to the City of Winston-Salem City Government’s Urban Food Policy Council! The new mayoral appointees to the inaugural council will be George Redd IV, Jennifer […]
Just a slice of what good food system work looks like across the state:) Thanks everyone for coming to the Statewide Food Council Gathering. We also like to have fun! #ncfoodcouncils Healthy Alamance, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Food Policy Council, Cabarrus County Farm & Food Council, Asheville-Buncombe Food Policy Council, Green Fields Sandhills, Pitt County Farm and Food […]
Cheers to all the great women-led work happening across southern plates, pantries, and garden plots. 30 Women Moving Southern Food Forward From chefs to writers, start-up founders to a pitmaster, women are writing Southern food’s next chapter. Source 30 Women Moving Southern Food Forward – Forsyth Community Food Consortium Cheers to all the great women-led […]
There are a number of excellent podcasts out there discussing food (foodie stuff, sure, but I’m thinking policy, culture, history, organizing and activism, ethics, sustainability, community control, etc.). Here’s a great episode from Real Food Media’s Real Food Reads podcast discussing the new book, The New Food Activism: Opposition, Cooperation, and Collective Action edited by […]
Another fantastic and packed meetup this month (also, thanks to Linda Birdsong for the donated snacks!). Here’s what’s going down in October (short version: a lot): 1. Just for a glimpse of what these meetups can look like, this month we had representation from Middle of the Root (a local non-profit that creates “Meal Kits with Meaning” […]
We’re back! We merged our August meetup into the #LocavoreForsyth Potluck, so didn’t have a conversation as usual to report last month, but we’re back for September. Here’s what we captured this month: Michael Banner, a long-time farmer and graduate of the N.C. Cooperative Extension, Forsyth County Center Urban Farm School is working on some […]
Shout out to one of the Locavore Heros in our community. Matt has been farming in Winston-Salem since 2004. He and his farming partner Sam Shapiro run Apple Green CityFarm. For Matt, being a locavore means that he eats food that is grown, sold, and transferred as sustainably as possible, whether in town, outside state lines, […]
The discussions just get better and better. Here are highlights from July’s Forsyth Food Meetup*: Food Consortium updates: FCFC is celebrating locavores this summer. For everyone who eats or is interested in eating as locally as possible, this summer’s for you. Help us celebrate by tagging your photos of farmers market purchases, CSA box goodies, […]
via: Forsyth’s Department of Public Health Hi, readers! As you may have seen/heard/read, we are excited to host a Locavore Challenge month this summer in Forsyth County. We have lots of details, events, and posts related to the Locavore Challenge coming soon. A Locavore is a person who buys and eats locally grown foods, and […]
Thanks for another great group & fantastic discussion this month!* Here are highlights: Updates on Johnell Hunter Sr.’s garden situation: If you recall from last month’s meetup, Johnell Hunter shared that he had been notified by the City of Winston-Salem requesting he clear an urban farm plot he had been working (25th St. NE near […]
A new movement is upon us: It’s the local foods movement and it is happening right here in our community! Source: Commentary: Support the local foods movement | WS Chronicle By Lynne Mitchell A new movement is upon us: It’s the local foods movement and it is happening right here in our community! […]
via Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Three huge Calls to Action have recently been brought to our attention that need your attention! Making a call to your Representative will take under five minutes and makes a difference. If you feel nervous, or want to prepare for a phone call, CFSA has a quick video on how to […]
Source: Open Letter on Industrial Animal Farming AN OPEN LETTER Why WHO should address industrial animal farming In May 2017, the World Health Assembly will elect the next Director-General of the World Health Organization. We call on the organization’s new leader to recognize industrial animal farming as a challenge for global health. Although previous attempts […]
Another great meetup* this month with a number of new faces: Venture Café Winston-Salem joined us to share their food-focused event coming up this Thursday. Check out their “Food for Good” Un-conference [http://ow.ly/cdnH30bzURs]. It sounds like they’re pulling together some excellent community energy to make some good things happen, so keep them on your radar. […]
April’s in full swing and so are highlights from this month’s Local Food Meetup*: The City of Winston-Salem City Government Planning Department is in the midst of final edits for their new Urban Livestock educational brochure. This will be widely distributed to the public (in English and Spanish) to help clarify policies on urban livestock […]
Time for another installment of monthly Local Food MeetUp* Highlights from this month’s gathering. We had another fantastic discussion with some great things brewing in the area. On Tuesday, March 28th from 7–9pm, Wake Forest University School of Divinity will be hosting “Fighting Fire With Food: Growing Health for the Beloved Community”: a discussion on […]
February Local Food MeetUp* Highlights: We had a great discussion last week. Lots of fantastic people with great info and energy: 1. The Food Consortium is starting an Action Team focusing on the NC 10% Campaign. The campaign is a “collaborative statewide initiative led by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and North Carolina […]
Hey, Everyone — Here are some highlights from this month’s community meetup* discussion: The Cobblestone Farmers Market Manager updated us on their team’s shared-use commercial kitchen project progress. This would be a rentable space for food businesses and entrepreneurs to manufacture commercial food products in a certified facility. They’re looking at other examples of incubators […]
For those that couldn’t make it yesterday, here are a few highlights from this month’s meetup*: Kirk Ericson & Tiffany White from W-S City Planning Dept. are looking at our Urban Livestock Ordinance to see what (if any) reasonable updates should be proposed to aid in promoting urban ag. They’re looking at other peer cities […]
Uncovering Opportunities for Innovation, Integration, & Engagement When we talk about food systems, we’re talking about how food gets from farms to forks. We tend to describe these systems as a blend of five core elements: production, processing, distribution, consumption, & waste management. Simple enough, right? So, what opportunities for positive food system improvement spring […]
What can past redlining tell us about food deserts today? According to the Food Access Research Atlas, there are 21 food deserts (by census tract) in and around Winston-Salem. These are areas where a significant portion of the tract population lives beyond a certain distance from the nearest supermarket (1 mile, if urban; 10 miles, […]
When: Today, May 4th @ 7pm Where: City Hall, 101 N Main St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101, Council Chamber Room 230 (2nd floor) What: The 2nd review round of the Urban Agriculture Ordinance is here! It passed the City-County Planning board (with all of your fantastic help!) and now it goes before City Council this […]
I met Lea Nading just last week during our Spring Moveable Feast. In all the ways that Winston-Salem often feels small and close-knit, I had somehow not heard of her work before, but I really appreciated the components of social rehabilitation they encompassed and wanted to hear a bit more about what she’s been up […]
Welcome to the Forsyth Community Food Consortium! Many thanks for checking out our booth AND helping us save paper! Below you will find some resources we’ve pulled together to introduce you to FCFC and some other quality information you might find useful. Feel more than free to click on our homepage and wander around the site too. […]
Elliot Seldner is owner and managing partner of Fair Share Farm in Pfafftown, cultivating the soil with his partner, Emma. Fair Share is a new farm business, located right next to Reagan High School, and dedicated to growing organic produce. Fair Share is currently in the process of building its CSA (community-supported agriculture) membership for […]
As of March 1st, 2015, Marcus Hill has been named interim Lead Coordinator for the Forsyth Community Food Consortium (FCFC). As a long-time participant in various pockets of Winston-Salem’s local food scene, Marcus is thrilled to contribute in this new capacity toward FCFC’s continued development into a positive change agent amongst Forsyth County’s communities in […]
Why do we need an Urban Agriculture ordinance? There is value in practicing Agriculture practices within the city limits will be a legal use of land. Community gardens will have more protection as a result. 1. Improve access to healthy food Food grown, sold or donated close to home via stands, corner stores, CSA’s, farmers market, pantries will […]
Show your support for the Farm to School Act of 2015! “We’ve seen decades of incredible work around farm to school. From school gardens to farm field trips to fruit and vegetable taste tests in the cafeteria, communities have been working together to create a culture of wellness in schools, one that supports local farmers […]
You’ll be amazed by what Chaplain Richard Joyner and the Conetoe, NC, community have accomplished in their gardens. Reverend Joyner was awarded the 2014 Purpose Prize by Encore.org for establishing the Conetoe Family Life Center. Through this local food initiative, Rev. Joyner has increased access to whole foods, improved the physical health of community members and educated […]
Contributed by Mark Jensen Stories Told & Lessons Learned: Food Councils Affecting Local Change Presenters Jared Cates (CFSA), Wendy Peters Moschetti (WPM Consulting), and Larissa Calancie (FPC Working Group) used three case studies to describe the evolution and development of food councils in three different locations. Of most interest to me was how energy and […]
Contributed by Becky Bowen I was at the North Carolina Local Food Forum as a volunteer operating the registration table on Thursday afternoon. I was struck by the positive energy that swirled around each breakout session. It was exciting to see collaborations form around common issues. I was able to attend a couple of sessions on Thursday: Connecting State to Local: […]
Contributed by Lynne Mitchell Session Moderator: Rick Morse Session Panelists: John Day, Retired County Manager for Cabarrus County; Marty Furtado, Assistant County Manager for Catawba County; Joe Moore, City Manager for Brevard; Dudley Watts, County Manager for Forsyth County Each person on the panel spent a few minutes talking about their background (education and work […]
Contributed by Nathan Peifer Presenter: Rochelle Sparko, Policy Director at the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Rochelle Sparko emphasized the importance of influencing State and Local food policy with the help of John Oliver. Because most legislation is passed at the State and Local level, local food councils can make a significant impact on their communities. […]
Contributed by Ann Bliss I represented FCFC in the “Creative Insight” council. 7 county groups were represented. Instead of attending sessions, this group committed its time at the conference to answering one question: How can food councils procure the resources they need to be effective and sustainable? Findings from our facilitated process were presented […]
How popular is the Local Food Movement? The Local Food Council of North Carolina (LFCNC) invited representatives from local food councils across the state to convene in Winston-Salem on December 4th and 5th. Attendance at the event, Connecting for the Future: A Gathering of NC Food Councils, was by invitation only. LFCNC anticipated 90 participants, nearly 120 […]
Susan Williamson manages the Triad Farm to Table co-operative. Here, she shares her personal reflection on what she does, and why. . . . . . I grew up eating locally and seasonally. For most of my life I have lived on a farm. We had a sustainable farm long before the term was coined. […]
It was hot, and I was thirsty, but that didn’t dampen my enthusiasm for my first ever farm tour last month. You’d think that this would not be my first tour. I am an agricultural engineer’s daughter, after all. My father was a professor at NC State University, and as a kid, I often had […]
With all due respect to photographers, the pictures they take at farmers markets mostly show us just the babies. And beautiful babies they are: Band-box new berries and vegetables, tucked lovingly into baskets and boxes. Smooth skinned eggplants, sparkly-eyed greens, and bunches of onions with kewpie-doll tops tied together with pretty little bows. So cute! […]