Farm Friday

Large scale industrial agriculture has negative impacts on water quality, public health, and the environment (see CAFOs). We envision a collaborative food system working with local farmers to protect our community and natural resources. Building relationships with our food providers ensures the transparency we need to make the best choices for ourselves, our community, environment, and local economy. This makes it extremely important to promote alternatives, so we started a Farm Friday campaign!

Each week, a local farm is featured on CCRW’s Facebook & Instagram. We collect photos from farmers as well as statements about their sustainable practices. We visit farm stands to check out the freshest finds. We also include local markets where you can always purchase these products.

We appreciate our small farmers and the many benefits of choosing local. Try the Visit NC Farms App to find state-wide resources on what’s in season at local farms.

Photo: Visit NC Farms

Benefits of local farms:

  • Reduces greenhouse gas emissions from food transport and refrigeration.
  • Produce is less likely to come wrapped in single-use plastic.
  • Many small farmers are conscious of synthetic herbicide and pesticide use, and several avoid them altogether.
  • Can be more effective at controlling sediments.
  • Animal waste can be managed more effectively.
  • Preserves farmland.
  • Preserves genetic diversity of crops and livestock.
  • Supports our local economy, jobs, and our neighbors.
  • Local food can even be more nutritious as it is harvested at peak freshness.
  • Small farms can be more equitable as industrial operations are often located in low-income, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color neighborhoods, contributing to environmental injustices.
  • Many farmers of the White Oak River Basin take great care to be good stewards of our environment and communities:
    • “Our farm borders the Bogue Sound so we believe it is our responsibility to be good stewards of the land, water, and air. We are doing everything we can to take care of the resources that take care of us and you.”- Farm at Bogue
    • “The Heart of a community is its food.  It is the center of our gatherings, our practice of faith, our family, our lifeblood. Choosing Local, choosing fresh, choosing healthy is not just about local economy, it’s about choosing methods of sustainable practice that ensure our grandchildren and beyond will have the same access to a good life as those that came before us.”- Harlowe Custom Microgreens

Check out some past Farm Friday features. Look for new ones on Fridays!

Coastal Community Market

Garner Farms

Garner2
Garner4
Garner
Garner5

Harlowe Custom Microgreens

hcm2
hcm3
HCM1

Early Girl

Oysters Carolina

Ocean Natural Farm

mm4
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Simply Natural Creamery and Farm (Morehead City storefront)

sn4
sn1

Willis Farm Stand

Willis2
Willis1
Willis3
Willis

Shenk Family Farm

shenk1
Shenk4
Shenk3

Ayrshire Croft

The Farm at Bogue

FAB1
FAB4
FAB3

Island Produce

The Market at Cedar Point

Southern Sheep Company

 

 

 

 

 


Additional Resources:

CDC- Understanding CAFOs and Their Impacts on Communities

EPA- Protecting Water Quality From Agricultural Runoff

NC Cooperative Extension- Locally Grown Food