Davidson County Local Food Network

THE DAVIDSON COUNTY LOCAL FOOD NETWORK WILL EXPAND PIEDMONT FRESH, A FOOD HUB WITH AN ONLINE ORDERING SYSTEM IN NORTH CAROLINAS PIEDMONT TRIAD REGION, FILLING A SIGNIFICANT GAP IN THE STATES FOOD HUB NETWORK. PIEDMONT FRESH WILL BUILD TWO DIFFERENT FOOD CHAINS. THE FIRST WILL PROVIDE FRESH PRODUCE BOXES TO UNDERSERVED FAMILIES DURING THE PEAK GROWING SEASON THROUGH A NETWORK OF PARTNER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AT NO COST TO FAMILIES. THE SECOND WILL SELL LOCAL FOODS YEAR-ROUND DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS ONLINE WITH PICKUP LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE REGION. OVER THREE YEARS, PIEDMONT FRESH WILL GROW FROM ITS PILOT PHASE SERVING 13 FARMS, RANCHES, AND VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCT PRODUCERS TO SERVE 50 VENDORS. IT WILL GROW FROM 175 REGISTERED ONLINE SHOPPERS TO 1,500 REGISTERED SHOPPERS AND PACKAGE AN ADDITIONAL 3,500 FRESH PRODUCE BOXES ANNUALLY FOR UNDERSERVED FAMILIES BY THE THIRD YEAR OF THE PROJECT. ADDITIONALLY, PIEDMONT FRESH WILL PROVIDE CLIMATE AND BUSINESS RESILIENCY TRAINING AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT TO ITS VENDORS, HELPING THEM ADAPT TO CHANGING GROWING CONDITIONS WHILE ALSO PRODUCING LOCAL FOODS YEAR-ROUND.