Three years ago, Reinvestment Partners envisioned creating a food hub… A place that would strengthen Durham’s local food ecosystem by providing space and connections to benefit local farmers, food businesses and hunger-relief nonprofits. Since then, we’ve worked step by step setting the stage to actualize this vision and create our Bull City Cool Food Hub. We purchased the property at 902 N Mangum St; redeveloped it into a cool, cold and dry storage food hub; and attracted a diverse group of five local food businesses into the hub.
With most of the food hub puzzle pieces set up, the last pieces fell into place last Thursday. We saw our vision from three years ago come to fruition during the Durham Farmland Protection Board Breakfast. There were local farmers, food businesses, hunger-relief nonprofits, representatives from Durham County’s Soil & Water Conservation District, the Executive Director of the Department of School Nutrition Service of Durham Public Schools, a County Commissioner, and other community leaders gathered together at the hub over breakfast to build connections that will strengthen Durham’s local food system.
Food businesses from Bull City Cool made their pitch to farmers in the room and shared what their produce purchasing needs were. Local farmers seeking to access larger markets connected directly to the buyers in the room that fit their profile. Furthermore, the Nutrition Service of Durham Public Schools shared its 2016 budget for purchasing local food for schools, and encouraged farmers to become GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) certified – a prerequisite to sell to public schools. It was invigorating to witness these dynamic interactions that will soon bring local farmers’ fresh produce to more neighboring homes, to more food-insecure families, to school children, and even to incarcerated individuals.
The panel discussion that followed focused on GAP, a certification that will likely soon be required everywhere in North Carolina, not only at public schools. We heard from growers who have gone through the certification process, including Gary Wise from Wise Farms. He obtained GAP with help from CFSA (Carolina Farm Stewardship Association) and it allowed him to gain access to Harris Teeter and Lowes Foods markets. Following the panel, farmers were invited to join a workshop on the GAP certification process and learn how to implement it for themselves.
Bull City Cool would like to extend its sincere thanks to its partner, the Durham Soil & Water Conservation District, for organizing this successful breakfast and workshop event at the hub. We look forward to hosting future gatherings and continuing to connect local food actors together!
