Minutes 04-14-2015 - Work Session - Late

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Mike Ortosky said there is one in Yancey County, and initially farmers were reluctant. He said the farmers get eighty percent of the wholesale value. He said there is more buy-in now. He said ultimately aggregation is the answer especially for smaller to mid-size businesses. He said even larger businesses are looking at it as well. He said larger businesses, like Whole Foods, want to buy locally if there is a way for small growers to provide palettes of food at a time versus ten pounds at a time. Commissioner Jacobs commented on the definition of"local". He said there has been same debate about the arts commission commissioning art for future and whether to do it locally or to do a national search. He said he does not favor a national search but understands that it makes it more difficult if the definition of local means Orange County. Commissioner Jacobs said that there are more ways to do incentives. He said getting locally produced foods into the local schools has been a goal for years, and it has proved difficult. He suggested a pilot project to help local producers to get certification so that their foods can go into schools. He suggested workig with just one school, or school system, initially. He said Orange County could view it as an economic development tool and provide an economic incentive by helping to provide the difference in the cost between what would be paid to someone like Aramark versus paying someone locally. He asked if this concept had been seen elsewhere. Mike Ortosky said he has not seen specific examples, but there is a long list of incentive possibilities. He said that not only Public Schools but also local colleges and universities are interested in buying locally. He said everyone runs into the same problem of how we get enough quantity. He added that the economic incentive would not have to last forever as eventually the practice would become part of the fabric of the way food is accessed. Commissioner Jacobs said trying to get someone in Orange County to start an aggregating business may be difficult. He said he calls it a food broker. He said grants had been sought previously to create to such a position. He said the government does not have to do it but can encourage it, support it and commit to it. He asked Mike Ortosky to get a vision of how the economic department can enable someone in the private sector to do the aggregation. Mike Ortosky said he agreed with the use of the private sector. He said that direction was pursued that Orange County would not have to subsidize for very long. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Sheriff has been spoken with about changing some of the ways the jail purchases their food. Mike Ortosky said it is on his agenda to meet with all who purchase foods. He said that US Foods has a grant to work with several interns from NC State to figure out how to source more locally. He said they are motivated economically but also by the demand for locally sourced food. Commissioner Rich said the Orange County web site indicates that there are Food Coordinators in every county in North Carolina. She asked if there is contact with the Food Coordinator in Orange County. Carl Matyac said the Food Coordinator is Mike Lanier in Cooperative Extension, and he is actively involved in the Breeze Farm program and currently his job has been expanded into Caswell and Person Counties. Commissioner Pelissier said she liked all of the recommendations. She asked if different zoning and land use be required when a food hub or a food enterprise district is mentioned. She said she wants the County to encourage this process to move forward. Mike Ortosky said some of this could happen in Economic Development Districts (EDDs). He said that two existing buildings, one County owned and one not, are being viewed this Thursday as possible locations. He said he is unsure how much would have to be changed through planning. He said there are a lot of innovation clusters being formed around