Farmers and wholesalers are returning to Bull City Cool, a Durham food distribution hub where small growers can connect with local restaurants and others who need their products. “Our intention was to create the infrastructure, kind of that middle of the supply chain capacity for these people, these growers, small food producers who are stuck […]
New cooler space improves access to local foods
North Carolina is a national leader in agriculture production, but even still small- to medium-sized farms often have a hard time getting into certain markets. One solution to the issue could be something as simple as cooler access. “[Bull City Cool] supports small- to middle-producers break into established markets” said Curran. “The food system is […]
Geer Street Learning Garden – Cultivating Community
A week ago today we celebrated the grand opening and dedication of Inter-Faith Food Shuttle’s (IFFS) Geer Street Learning Garden, in collaboration with Reinvestment Partners. It was a colorful collection of partners, funders, friends, and press at the burgeoning urban garden that’s been carefully tended over the past year. And the topic of the day? […]
Learning from Limits – Our Success (and Failure) Story
Bull City Cool is a success – everyone thinks so… our grantors, our tenants, our neighbors. But how did it become a success? To borrow words from Sumner Redstone: Success is not built on success. It’s built on failure. It’s built on frustration. Sometimes it’s built on catastrophe. Learning From Limits is a new report […]
Keepin’ NC Veggies Cool!
Bull City Cool is committed to keeping North Carolina veggies cool, in all senses of the word. And what better way to do that than with a 24-foot refrigerated truck? Patrick of Seal the Seasons picked up this new-to-us truck in Boston last week, and drove it home to Bull City Cool. The truck, like […]
Grand Opening packed a punch… and a crowd!
We celebrated our Grand Opening on Thursday, September 10th, to a crowd of almost 100 people! Elected state and county officials, neighborhood residents, funders, and government partners all came through the doors of Bull City Cool to welcome the new Food Hub to the neighborhood. Senator Floyd McKissick, Jr. was one attendant of the Grand […]
Pitch fork to salad fork… and everything in between
Bull City Cool makes headlines again! This time the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) has featured an interview with Peter Skillern, executive director of Reinvestment Partners and “father figure” of the food hub. Who is CFSA? In their own words… …a farmer-driven, membership-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps people in the Carolinas grow and eat […]
BB&T supported us before we were Cool
When I joined Reinvestment Partners in early 2012, Executive Director Peter Skillern already had his eye on 902 N Mangum St. It was, at the time, a thrift store with very little business and even less curb appeal. In case you’ve forgotten what it looked like a few years ago, here’s a quick (and ugly) […]
United Way of the Greater Triangle pitches in!
United Way of the Greater Triangle is pitching in to support the food hub! The organization approved a grant to support the Bull City Cool Food Hub’s operations and ensure we can reach the local “food insecure” population. This grant will help us to provide food insecure families with fresh produce from local farmers. It […]
Working with the City of Durham
Reinvestment Partners is on its way to earning $100,000 from the City of Durham for construction of the Bull City Cool Food Hub. A long-time partner of the City, we entered into an economic incentive agreement about a year ago regarding historic 902 N Mangum St. Upon completion of the food hub’s construction we’ll receive […]