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13 Piedmont Value-Added Shared-Use Food and Agricultural Processing Center Section II:Project and Applicant Description 1. Executive Summary Goals and Objectives The goal of this project is to enable farmers in tobacco-dependent,economically distressed,and rural communities in a 22-county area of the Piedmont region of North Carolina to expand their markets, increase their revenues,and revitalize their farms.The primary objective of this project is the development of a value-added shared-use food and agricultural processing center that will be open in January 2010. The facility will provide a wide range of food processing equipment in addition to business development support and education,especially training to start a food-based business, developing business plans,and meeting food safety requirements. The processing center will be financially sustainable in its third year of operation through the collection of user and program fees and from the fundraising effort of the nonprofit entity that will be formed to manage the center. Partner Organization This project represents collaboration between Alamance,Chatham,Durham,and Orange Counties,as well as Weaver Street Market and Whole Foods. The feasibility study was jointly funded and guided by an advisory group that included farmers,county commissioners,chefs,grocers,and consumers with representatives from chambers of commerce,community colleges, farmers markets, Cooperative Extension,Soil&Water Conservation District Boards,Voluntary Agricultural Districts Boards,economic development and small business specialists,Carolina Farm Stewardship Association,and North Carolina Dept.of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Intended Beneficiaries This project will effectively serve farmers and food-based entrepreneurs within 75 miles of its location in Hillsborough,NC. This 22-county region includes 16,214 farms,nearly one-third of all farms in North Carolina,according to 2002 USDA statistics. Included in the 22 counties are 15 counties designated"Rural"by the NC Rural Center and 2,721 tobacco farms based on the 2002 USDA data. The service area represents 35%of tobacco farms and 40%of tobacco production, statewide. Farmers and food entrepreneurs will benefit from an FDA-inspected food processing facility and 3.3 million consumers in the service area will benefit from safe firm products produced locally,often with enhanced nutritional and health benefits. Positive Impact on the State's Economy While the Food and Agricultural Processing Center will serve one third of the state's farmers, collaborations with the existing Blue Ridge Food Ventures in western NC and emerging processing facilities in eastern NC allow magnified statewide impact. Preliminary discussions are underway to develop a network of processing centers that enhances the overall capability ofNorth Carolina to produce a greater proportion of the food that is consumed within the state. Amount Requested and Timeline We are requesting$479,000 from the Tobacco Trust Fund. Development of the center will begin in January 2009 and be completed by December 2009. Funds will be used for the purchase and installation of equipment and for seed funding during the first year of operations. Method of Evaluation The first objective,completion of the facility by January 2010,will be measured by the pace of development. The second objective,financial sustainability,will be measured by the revenue the center creates from user fees and program participation. 3 BOCC Meeting, January 22, 2009, Page 13/39