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11 <br /> Mike Ortosky said it is about the lived experience and making sure that relationships are <br /> built in the community. He said continually growing the commitment to inclusion is an ongoing <br /> part of this effort. He said it is challenging, but everyone is committed to it. <br /> Mike Ortosky said the BOCC has heard a lot of information this evening, and he and his <br /> colleagues are not seeking funding or policy change, but rather awareness and education. He <br /> said this is an opportunity to continue to lead and make impactful changes. <br /> Chair Price asked Mart Bumgartner if he could identify the federal funding provided to <br /> put produce in boxes. <br /> Mart Bumgartner said it is part of the Covid recovery program, and is called the ESF-11 <br /> initiative. <br /> Commissioner Fowler asked Eric Hallman if there is a limit on how long members can <br /> participate at PFPC, is the program full at this time, and how do people apply to be involved. <br /> Eric Hallman said there is no time limit for staying at PFPC, and people move on as they <br /> need more room. He said there is no residency requirement, and people come from Winston <br /> Salem to Raleigh, and all benefit Orange County. He said they currently have 65 clients. He <br /> said demand has grown during the pandemic, and they are trying to find more ways to squeeze <br /> people in. <br /> Commissioner Fowler said if they are almost full, it sounds like it might be time to grow <br /> the facility. She asked if there might be some businesses ready to transition out of the center. <br /> Eric Hallman said some of the members are in the food truck industry, and they need a <br /> commercial kitchen to operate, and PFPC serves this purpose. He said there is a need for a <br /> space for members to grow to after starting at the center. He said 100,000 square foot facility <br /> would be great with some shared space, which businesses can graduate to from PFPC. He <br /> said nothing like this exists. <br /> Commissioner Fowler asked if there are plans to apply for funding for some of these <br /> infrastructure needs. <br /> Eric Hallman said they are leading the food section of the Build Back Better grant. He <br /> said they will put together a grant proposal in the spring for $25-100 million to be used <br /> throughout the state to build out infrastructure. He said if there was money they would build a <br /> food campus. <br /> Commissioner Fowler clarified that there is no residency requirement, but asked if all <br /> members were from North Carolina. <br /> Eric Hallman said it is mostly North Carolinians, with the occasional Virginian. <br /> Commissioner McKee asked Ashley Heger about data for connecting Orange County <br /> farmers to markets. He said he is not seeing the results he expected from when the Council <br /> was created, and he is not hearing commercial farmers talk about receiving any positive <br /> impacts from the food council. <br /> Ashley Heger clarified that Commissioner McKee was looking for metrics. <br /> Commissioner McKee said he is concerned about farmers operating on a thin margin, <br /> and the work being done is at a 30,000-foot level, as opposed to directly impacting farmers and <br /> their survival. <br /> Ashley Heger said the Council provided $15,000 to fund the Black Farmers Think Thank <br /> and make it easier for them to meet. She said the Orange County Black Farmers provided <br /> training to new farmers for going to markets. <br /> Ashley Heger said the Council is working on an online platform called Fresh Fire which <br /> will allow farmers to list their produce on a website, which food retailers could access to see <br /> what is available. She said the idea would be for the county to support that platform to bring <br /> farmers and retailers together. <br /> Chair Price suggested that Ashley Heger put together a report in the spring on the <br /> impact of Fresh Fire. <br />