Pilot Mountain Pride is an aggregation center for small to medium size farms, giving them access that they would not have otherwise to retail, service and institutional markets.
To kick off the event there will be a pig pickin’g from 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday, May 20, at 612 E. Main St., Pilot Mountain. The food served will be entirely local. To RSVP, call 786-6116 ext. 4 or e-mail membership@mtairyncchamber.org.
The new program is not a co-op; everyone has the same market share. The program is open to farms in the greater Winston Salem area. Currently 60 farms growing between one-quarter and 40 acres of produce are involved. All participating growers must attend Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training for food safety purposes. The cost of the training is being covered by PMP. The facility will also be GAP Certified.
PMP is an excellent opportunity for farmers because they are paid every other week which is 15 to 45 days sooner than they would typically be paid. Also one-half of the packaging cost is covered by PMP.
This is also a new opportunity for area restaurants, markets, schools and hospitals to purchase truly local produce. Typically, the produce in a grocery store travels an average of 1,500 miles. The PMP produce purchased will be grown less than 50 miles away. Local produce is important as it creates a much smaller carbon footprint. Because, for example, a tomato grown in California is picked green at least ten days before a consumer in North Carolina purchases it at the supermarket, local food has nutritional benefi ts and better taste. Another benefit is food safety. A piece of PMP produce can be traced back to the farm and even the fi eld where it was grown. Buyers are encouraged to visit the farms and meet the farmers.
PMP is a business that was started by Bryan Cave, Surry County Extension and Chris Knopf, Surry County assistant manager. It is unusual that a government agency would start a business, but this venture, established by Surry County, will be self sustaining in two years. “Our market research, conducted in 2009, indicated a growing but unmet demand for a consistent supply of quality, local produce in the greater Winston Salem area,” said Knopf. It is anticipated that the business will earn $250,000 in the first year and by year three earn close to $1 million dollars with 80 percent going back to the farmers.
It all began in 2003 when Knopf attended a mobile workshop showcasing local foods efforts in Asheville area as part of a statewide conference on land use. Both Knopf and Cave had an interest in supporting agriculture, which makes up 25 percent of Surry County’s economy, because Cave grew up on a small farm and Knopf’s grandfather was a farmer.
In 2006, there was a need identified through the NC STEP program for a community agriculture center. From the Golden Leaf grant, the county secured a location, the old Amos and Smith Hosiery Mill building at 612 East Main St., Pilot Mountain. A feasibility study complete by Smithson Mills, an agribusiness consultant, indicated that the center would be sustainable.
“This project is about more than just fruits and vegetables,” says Bryan Cave. “It is also promoting family time and education about how food is grown. It’s about the value of agriculture to the community and about preserving a way of life and rural character.”
This project is based on partnership and is intended to inspire other communities throughout the state. To date, PMP has received fi nancial assistance from the Golden LEAF Foundation, North Carolina Department of Agriculture (NCDA), and the Surry County Farm Bureau Board. Golden LEAF funded the recently completed up-to the agriculture center and awarded a second grant to PMP from its Local Foods Initiative. NCDA awarded grant that is being utilized for equipment, supplies, and labor. The Surry County Farm Bureau Board agreed buy PMP its initial round of equipment which includes a wash line, ice machine, and scales. Wake Forest University School of Law has provided legal services as an in-kind contribution to PMP.
For more information or to find out how to purchase produce, contact Charles Boles at (336) 401-1876.
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