The addition of nearly 29,000 square feet of storage space to the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Food Distribution warehouse in Butner will support the division’s efforts to get food onto dinner tables and into school cafeterias across the state. Ten years in the making, a ribbon cutting in late July officially opened … Read more
The Farm to School Program through the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services helps get North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables onto school cafeteria trays across the state, and it all started with strawberries. According to Heather Lifsey, NCDA&CS marketing specialist, the program is a win-win-win – it helps schools provide fresh foods to kids, … Read more
Summary: North Carolina farmers have been able to supply over $3.6 million worth of food products to schools across the state, which is a new record for the N.C. Farm to School program. Schools have increased their purchases of North Carolina products thanks to USDA funding through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative. In addition … Read more
A program that helps low-income seniors get nutritious food has been expanding in North Carolina, thanks to the work of the NCDA&CS Food Distribution Division and its partner agencies. The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) is now available to seniors (aged 60 and over) in 72 of North Carolina’s counties. It’s a USDA program created … Read more
After 36 years working in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gary Gay is retiring at the end of this week. He’s been the director of the Food Distribution Division since 1994. When he started with the department in 1985, he didn’t imagine he’d stay for more than three decades, and he certainly … Read more
This week NCDA&CS will deliver four tractor-trailer loads of North Carolina-grown strawberries to schools across the state. The deliveries happen thanks to the N.C. Farm to School program – a collaborative effort between the department’s Food Distribution and Marketing divisions. The program offers 26 North Carolina-grown foods to the state’s schools – from strawberries, apples, … Read more
As previously mentioned on this blog, the Food Distribution Division was busier than ever in 2020. An extra way the division provides food to schools has also been busier than ever during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s called Bob’s List, and it’s enabled many school nutrition programs to keep their operations on budget and get food … Read more
To say the NCDA&CS Food Distribution Division has had two monumental years may seem like a bit of exaggeration. The numbers make it clear though. Division director Gary Gay says the division has nearly doubled the amount of food its moved through its warehouses in the past two years. Some of the increase obviously came … Read more
With over 2,000 employees in 20 divisions and a presence in all 100 counties, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services touches the lives of North Carolinians every day. We have regulatory and service responsibilities that are wide-ranging, but all seek to support and promote the health and welfare of the residents of this state. … Read more
Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. “CRISIS TEXT ALERT SYSTEM AVAILABLE FOR PORK PRODUCERS,” Southern Farm Network: The Pork Checkoff has created a text-alert system for pork producers. Pork Checkoff assistant vice president of communications Cindy … Read more
