Projects continue as EMFS says good-bye for now 👋

As EMFS wraps up an amazing 4-year run, we want to leave you on a high note! Folks are working hard to seek funding to continue our efforts to support food and farm businesses in western NC and we have high hopes that we will work with you again in the future. Read on to learn about what projects are continuing and what kind of takeaways we are leaving behind! As always, thank you for being part of our amazing community.

All the best,

EMFS team

Farewell from Project Director, Laura Lauffer

What a wonderful ride to reflect on! As we close out this EMFS project we want to share some highlights and gratitude from our work since 2018:

- We distributed over $300,000 in farmer grants, loan matches, and scholarships

- This funding leveraged over $2,000,000 in additional farmer and food business spending in the region

- The three Small Business Centers in the region and the Easter Band of Cherokee Commerce worked with hundreds of farmers and food businesses in educational programs, one on one business counseling, and as strategic guides throughout this project

- In collaboration with EBCI Cooperative Extension and the Department of Commerce, we held the first-ever Food Truck Boot Camp in North Carolina. Our model is being duplicated by other partners in the State.

- In collaboration with program partners MountainWise, Tribal Food Distribution, and Vecinos we distributed more than 2,300 food boxes to the farmworker and tribal communities paired with nutrition education programming.

- We stayed open and active during the COVID pandemic helping farmers markets with the "Shop Safe, Shop Local" campaign and distributing cold storage equipment, helping food and farming businesses stay open.

- Western Carolina University's Business and Communications faculty paired students with numerous businesses to explore ideas for expansion and, during COVID, helped numerous farmers launch online sales platforms.

All of this could not have been possible without the skilled administrative support of Lauren Hill, our remote connection with all the necessary but tedious government paperwork and processes. Lauren ran our ship with grace and made us all look great, and, most importantly, served the farmers and food businesses of Southwestern NC. Thank you, Lauren!

It is one thing to have a vision for this work and it is another to have team members to make the vision a reality. Jess Mrugala has been the heart of this project as we have engaged and maintained effective and committed partnerships. Jess has done the heavy lifting to make many of our projects thrive. Stephanie Rayburn has been a masterful juggler of all things communication to keep our website, Facebook and this newsletter running. This director knows what it takes to make a project rise- and it is the wonderful energy and skill of a team. Forever grateful.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Extension office could not have been a better place for our staff to land. Chumper Walker, EBCI Cooperative Extension Director, made Laura and Jess feel welcome, providing office space and administrative support and, importantly, a welcome to the Cherokee community.

Sgi,

Laura

EMFS is Grateful to our EBCI Partners!

Big thank you to Sabrina Arch and the EBCI staff for their years of partnership

Sabrina Arch, Director of Enterprise Development with the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Commerce Department, reflects on her partnership with EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems since 2018. The work that EMFS took on complimented Arch's work with the small business folks on the Qualla Boundary and she was able to assist those applying for EMFS grants to get their budget and cash flows assessed.

Arch reflects that EMFS offered valuable additional resources and brought in a few new clients, especially food truck owners. The Food Truck Boot Camp was held last year in Cherokee, NC, and involved the work of many EBCI partners and EMFS. "It has been great to have the ability to help local food trucks get the boost they need and our community now has greater awareness around our food truck scene and how we can encourage them," Arch reflects. For example, Arch and others are now working on getting a designated area for food trucks to park and operate. She stays in touch with the food truck owners and operators and connects them to different events that they can attend.

When asked what small businesses in the Qualla Boundary need the most, Arch points to logistics. She says there is a need for "a little extra support with business plans, lending, and business resources; they have the cooking and restaurant skills and just need help with logistics. I have been seeing more of a need for a kitchen commissary and we are working to get things in place for that to happen." EMFS is so grateful for the partnership with Sabrina Arch, the Cooperative Extension, and many other EBCI representatives. Arch closes by saying "I'm glad that the cooperative extension and EMFS reached out so we could be a part of this and I hope we have more opportunities like this in the future!"

Thank you to all the wonderful farmers and food businesses we have worked with and to the Southwestern Community College, Tri-County Community College and Haywood Community College Small Business Centers!

Your partnerships have driven this work, and its been an honor and privilege to work alongside you all to help grow our regional supply chain.

Connect with the EMFS Projects that Continue...

... Harvest Health with Vecinos!

Our work supporting the intersection of public health and local food systems will continue through a collaborative project with CFSA. WNC Farm to Table will supply food boxes to Vecinos's uninsured Latino patients and farmworkers across the region, while prioritizing procurement from minority farmers and growers in WNC. We are thankful to Dogwood Health Trust for funding the cooking education and coordination efforts for this program to continue for the next two years!

... Work with Food Councils!

Exciting momentum is continuing around local food councils in WNC to sustain the connections created through EMFS. Jackson county is conducting a commissary kitchen survey to assess the need of future and current food businesses who would benefit from a shared use kitchen space to grow their businesses. Macon county is asking the community about what a new farmers market could look like in their community. Graham County and Cherokee / Clay County are meeting regularly to coordinate strategic planning and build connections, while the Tribal Council is exploring advocating for tribal community garden spaces.

And finally... Thank you, Laura!

We all owe a huge thank you to project director Laura Lauffer for her passion and dedication to local food systems in WNC! Her creativity, loyalty, and expertise impacted countless growers, distributors, entrepreneurs, and eaters in Region A. We love you, Laura!

CEFS is a partnership of North Carolina State University, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

CLICK HERE TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE

All funds raised through CEFS’ fundraising initiatives are collected and managed by The North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization (Tax ID# 56-6049304). You will receive a receipt for your donation.