The 10% campaign initiated by the Center for Environmental Farm Systems aims to add $3.5 billion to North Carolina’s local economy over the next year.
The campaign asks people to spend 10% of their current daily food spending on food items produced or grown locally.
Currently, North Carolina spends about $35 billion on food every year. If consumers spend even $1.05 daily on local foods, this could add $3.5 billion to the local economy.
The 10% campaign was launched in July, and since then it has grown at a rapid pace. Currently, it connects 1,728 people, including farmers and customers, and 156 businesses. The campaign website also claims to have added $1,763,830 over this time period to the local economy through their initiative.
Teisha Wymore, manager of the 10% campaign, said that this is a good start and that she expects these numbers to rise.
“We’re three months old, and already at a million dollars. I think this is a good sign and we should grow further,” she said.
Most of the participants are businesses such as restaurants and institutions.
“We are primarily associated with restaurants and institutions like N.C. State,” Wymore said. “45 of our 142 participants are local businesses that have agreed to spend 10% of their spending on locally grown products.”
There is a much larger potential for this initiative. However, the CEFS is using 10% as a marker to try to get a benchmark on what kind of impact we can make, Wymore said.
“When it comes to business and institutional customers, the way infrastructure is set up, it is very difficult for local farmers to get into the market,” said Wymore.
The North Carolina Cooperative Extension program gives residents easy access to the resources and expertise of N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University.
The North Carolina Market Ready program at the University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has a multidisciplinary team that builds partnerships and educational resources for making North Carolina’s agriculture more profitable.
The program started in late 2007 and moved to the N.C. Research Center at Kannapolis in 2008.
The program is involved in creating awareness about the benefits of local produce through various initiatives, including videos, blogs and an e-newsletter.
According to Leah Chester-Davis, coordinator of communications and communication outreach and extension communication specialist with the Market Ready program, this program is bringing together people across the state.
“One of the ways N.C. Market Ready is involved is through our program called the ‘Produce Lady’, which consists of the website, videos and a blog. In everything she does, she encourages people across the state to get involved in the campaign,” Chester-Davis said.
According to Chester-Davis, the newsletter started by the program in September has gathered momentum and subscribers and increasing rapidly.
“We launched in September and already have 600 subscribers. Everyone, including students subscribe to learn how to promote fresh produce,” Chester-Davis said.
Chester-Davis said one of the basic aims is to create a mutual understanding among people on the benefits of buying local.
“For people to know about where their food comes from surely helps in developing concerns about the local economy,” Chester-Davis said.
Apart from the obvious benefits to the state treasury, buying locally grown produce is also a healthier alternative.
“People will get fresher, tastier food when they buy local,” Chester-Davis said.
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is a partnership between N.C. State University, N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS).
The CEFS is leading the 10% Campaign. Through its 2009 Farm to Fork initiative, it connected thousands of residents who came together to take part in this initiative. The Golden LEAF Foundation provides funding for the 10% campaign.
