logo
Contact

Visioning Our Food Future

img

Who We Are

Community members in Bladen, Columbus, and Robeson counties teamed up with a research team from North Carolina (NC) State University between 2022 and 2024 to create a food system assessment and strategic plan for the region.

Over 400 community members were engaged through interviews, surveys, and over 20 community events and meetings. This community-driven process has identified and prioritized strategies to develop a resilient food system that can sustain a thriving local food economy and equitable access to healthy food for all.

Learn More

Our Food System Goals

What Are We Striving For

Image

Increasing access to local
and healthy foods.

img

Improving profitability for
local farmers.

Img

Strengthening local food
infrastructure and innovation.

Community Based Food Systems

Where and Why

img
Bladen
Columbus

Robeson

Counties in North Carolina

Bladen

Bladen County is a large rural County with a wealth of lakes and other natural resources. The county is ranked 72 in population in the state, with older adults (65+ years old) making up nearly 25% of the population. Communities spread across six small towns and commerce is centered in the Elizabethtown-White Lake area. With around 5% of the county in agriculture, there are over 400 farms, including many diversified small and mid-scale farms and a high number of concentrated animal operations, industrial food processing, and textile manufacturing.

Columbus

Columbus County is a large rural county in the coastal plains, with a rich diversity of flora and fauna found in the river, lake, and the Green Swamp ecosystems. The county population ranks 51 in the state, rich with racial and cultural diversity, including the Waccamaw-Siouan Tribe. There are eleven main communities with Whiteville being the hub for commerce and Lake Waccamaw being a recreational and cultural treasure. The county has nearly 450 farms and 125 thousand acres in produce, crops, pasture, and woodland. Agriculture is a main industry along with industrial paper manufacturing.

Robeson

Robeson County is the largest county in the state, containing many miles of the black waters of the Lumber River. The county is also the most racially-diverse county in the state, with around 25% of the population under 18 years old. The Lumbee Tribe, other indigenous tribes, and other people of color take pride in their cultural events and history of resilience. Agriculture is important with around 730 farms and 263 thousand acres in production or woodlands. There is a mix of small produce farms, cropland, woodland, and industrial poultry operations, and there is a large presence of the global food manufacturing industry.

Key Food System Strategies

How Community Envisions Resiliency?

Community Gardens

Community Gardens

Sustaining community gardens promotes local food production, cultural traditions, and community relationships.

Farmers Market Improvements

Farmers Market Improvements

Enhancing existing farmers markets improves inclusivity, local food access, and local food economies.

Prepared meals

Prepared meals

Prepared meals offer convenience and balanced nutrition, making healthy eating accessible for busy lifestyles.

Youth Leader Jobs & Internships

Youth Leader Jobs & Internships

Engaging youth in agriculture and food systems with paid opportunities fosters a new generation of innovators.

Food System Infrastructure & Innovation

Food System Infrastructure & Innovation

Financing gaps in infrastructure development and innovation enables communities to build their own resilient food system.

Mobile Market

Mobile Markets

Mobile markets bring fresh, healthy local foods directly to communities, increasing food security especially for underserved populations.

Farm to Table
Culinary Program

Farm to Table
Culinary Program

A Farm to Table program develops culinary skills in how to source and prepare fresh, local ingredients directly from farms.

Growing Farmers

Growing Farmers

Expanding existing farmer support programs can help grow new farmers, sustain existing farmers, and keep transitioning farms in production.

Food Assistance

Food Assistance

Expanding existing food assistance programs addresses immediate food needs and makes programs more inclusive.
Learn More about All strategies
Community Members Engaged
0 +
Farm Apprentices Provided
0
Food System Internships Facilitated
0
In grant Dollars directly Invested into Community Partners And Organizations
$ 0

Statistics

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.
Learn More
Community Members Engaged
0 +
Farm Apprentices Provided
0
Food System Internships Facilitated
0
In grant Dollars directly Invested into Community Partners And Organizations
$ 0

Stories of Resilience

Inspiring Community Stories

Storytelling is important to many cultures to share their history and values, and to connect different generations. In research, storytelling is also important as it can give context to larger narratives through personal experiences and highlight assets that are often overlooked. These stories celebrate resilience and we hope they can inspire others to take action in their community.
View All

Timeline of Our Journey

When and What's Next?

Spring 2022
Community Interest Meetings

Community Interest Meetings held with 46 area farms, Cooperative Extension, community organizations, and local government from 3 counties expressed how the strategic plan could support their work.

Fall 2022
Farmer Interviews

16 BIPOC farmers interviewed on their roles in local food system, interests in diversified agribusinesses models, and their constraints to success

Nov 2022 - Jun 2024
Community Advisory Committee

Community Advisory Committee of 7 community members formed and met on a monthly basis to advice research methods and questions, to review documents for context and appropriate wording, and to offer network connections with community members and organizations already doing great food system work.

Learn More

Community Leads the Way

Take Action

Map of local food and food assistance access points in Southeastern NC.

Find local food and food assistance sites in Southeastern NC

Find local food and food assistance sites, like farmers markets, farm stands, stores, and food pantries, in Bladen, Columbus, and Robeson counties of southeastern North Carolina.

This map was produced in partnership with NC State University Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism Management.

FIND FOOD ACCESS SITES
Map of NC Local Food Councils

Join the Southeastern NC Local Food Council

Join or learn more about your local food council to help improve your community’s food system, farm viability, and healthy food options. 

Contact Diana Williams, DWilliams@mdcinc.org, for more information.

LEARN MORE
Skip to content