Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
12 <br /> Commissioner McKee asked James Watts if Weaver Street Market pays a premium for <br /> local products. <br /> James Watts said yes, and Weaver Street Market has done this since they opened in <br /> 1988. He said it is in recognition of the needs of local farmers to thrive, which is also important <br /> to the market. He gave an example of an egg producer, which Weaver Street Market pays <br /> 140% of market rate. He said it is important for the market to build relationships to help farmers <br /> get the resources they need to be successful. <br /> Commissioner McKee said that type of relationship with stores is important to farmers. <br /> He said it is important to connect the producer to the buyer. <br /> Chair Price said she thinks Ashley Heger and James Watts are doing this. <br /> James Watts said the key to this is building vibrancy and capacity for a farmer to build <br /> institutional sales components to their farming. He said he wants to see a more diverse <br /> economy available to a wider and more diverse group of farmers. He said mistakes will be <br /> made, but they keep at it. <br /> Commissioner McKee said the same is true for farmers. <br /> Commissioner Richards said she did not hear specifics on whose job it is to address the <br /> reimagining of the system. She asked if anyone is doing that work. She said she was <br /> expecting to hear that connected to the economic development area. <br /> Mike Ortosky said a number of people are focused on these issues. He said the <br /> struggle is the cost of food being too high and wanting to pay farmers more. He said farm fresh <br /> food is very expensive, and the system incentivizes buying from large grocery stores. He said <br /> former Commissioner Jacobs led an effort to bring Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) <br /> certification to Orange County. He said the idea was that anyone selling to an institution <br /> (schools, etc.) had to be GAP certified. He said he thought there would be a lot of demand, but <br /> there are almost no GAP certified farmers in Orange County. He said direct sales farmers do <br /> not to be GAP certified to sell at local farmers markets or to larger producers. He said many <br /> years ago, farmers could make a living on farms about 50-100 acres, but that is not true <br /> anymore. He said it is easier to sell at Weaver Street Market than it is at the school system. He <br /> said there is not a lot of farming in the middle. He said making a living in farming is very <br /> difficult, and this comes partly from an adjustment of cultural values. He said he hopes this can <br /> change through the building of regional infrastructure and development of relationships with <br /> local institutions to become buyers of the food. <br /> Commissioner Richards said she wanted to know if there is a plan is to address the <br /> problems and who is working on that. <br /> Ashley Heger said part of reimagining is having those with lived expertise to make these <br /> plans. She said the Council is collecting data and hopes to share this information in the spring. <br /> She said she could provide more information that other food groups in the state have prepared <br /> on the needs and the costs of addressing needs. <br /> Mike Ortosky said that it is his job, it is Ashley Heger's job, and economic development's <br /> job to create the plan. He said it might be time to create a regional community and economic <br /> development plan, primarily crafted by people who actually do the work everyday. He said very <br /> specific action items are needed. <br /> Commissioner Hamilton thanked the group for giving an overview of the complexity of <br /> the problem. She said the board has to prioritize the use of limited resources. She said she will <br /> prioritize based on values, the provision of services to the most vulnerable and economic <br /> development. She said she wants to meet the needs of the most hungry, and know the <br /> statistics and barriers involved. She sad she wants to build resiliency in the food system, and <br /> the pandemic has highlighted issues here. She said she wants to address systemic racism, <br /> and the lack of black farmers in the community. She said she wants to consider how to build <br /> relationships, and support existing farmers. She said there is also the question of the role of <br />