LENOIR, NC (October 2, 2018) — N.C. Cooperative Extension in Caldwell County is partnering with the NC 10% Campaign and community partners to launch a local foods promotion campaign during October of 2018 called Eat Local Caldwell. The goal of Eat Local Caldwell is to increase knowledge among citizens, businesses, and community leaders about local foods in Caldwell County and to increase local foods purchasing during October and beyond.
During Eat Local Caldwell, N.C. Cooperative Extension-Caldwell County will run a 10 day social media contest on their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu), from October 8 -18. They will post information about the benefits of local food and where to purchase food in Caldwell County, and feature new small farms and food businesses in Caldwell County. Individuals are invited to participate by liking, commenting, or sharing these posts publicly, using #eatlocalcadlwell or #caldwelllocalfood in their posts. Those who participate will be entered to win prizes, donated by community partners. Community partners such as farms, food business, local government, or local business organizations are encouraged to share these posts publicly to help promote local foods awareness and purchasing in Caldwell County.
Local food business and community partners can also participate by signing up for the NC 10% campaign at www.nc10percent.com. On this platform, individuals can report their local foods purchases and consumption on a weekly basis, with an ultimate goal of getting everyone to aim for growing or purchasing at least 10% of their food locally.
As part of the campaign, N.C. Cooperative Extension – Caldwell County and the NC 10% Campaign generated a Caldwell County Local Foods Guide complete with a map of farms in the county that sell directly to Caldwell County consumers. This will feature farm information and locations. The guide will be available on the NC Cooperative Extension- Caldwell County Center website (caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu) and hard copies will be available at the Extension Center and through community partners across the county.
Follow, like, and share the N.C. Cooperative Extension-Caldwell County facebook posts (www.facebook.com/caldwell.ces.ncsu.edu) this month to enter the #eatlocalcaldwell contest, and sign up for the NC 10% campaign to report local foods purchasing. By purchasing local foods, community members support our local economy, improve their own health, and support farms and farmland in Caldwell County.
ABOUT N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
N.C. Cooperative Extension is a strategic partnership of NC State Extension, The Cooperative Extension Program at N.C. A&T State University, USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and local governments statewide.
Extension professionals in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians connect millions of North Carolinians with research-based information and technology from NC State and N.C. A&T. Educational programs specialize in agriculture, food and nutrition, 4-H youth development, community development and the environment.
Find your local center at www.ces.ncsu.edu/local-county-center.