The James Sprunt Small Business Center hosted a workshop called Sustainable Food Farming to showcase to students the limitless possibilities for forming their agribusiness into a profitable industry.
The program gave them invaluable insights from start to finish in farm production facilitated by Farm School on Wheels. The students explored the journey from seed to table, best practices in access to capital, site analysis, and sustainable farming techniques.
Executive of Programs & Community Relations Janice Wright of Granit Training and Farm School on Wheels shared highlights of the event. Wright works in the field to connect with organizations and meet with farmers across North Carolina.
“The students forged partnerships with local stakeholders, delved into strategic financial practices, and gained awareness of food system politics. Key topics covered included planting, harvesting, traditional practices, packaging, and food distribution,” said Wright.
The course aligned seamlessly alongside the newly opened and highly anticipated Hydroponics farm, located on the campus of James Sprunt Community College.
Roxanne Reed of Farm School on Wheels hosted the event on campus. Featured guest speakers during the programming included the 2023 North Carolina Small Farmer of the Year and Lumbee tribal member Millard Locklear and Sarah Cope from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Locklear took Reed’s class several years ago. As a certified vegetable farmer of 42 vegetables with 11 in season this time of year, Reed has furthered his knowledge with Farm School on Wheels courses.
“You can be successful and complete these programs without too much cost,” he said.
While implementing indigenous techniques that are mimicked by regenerative and sustainable farming practices, Locklear has found ways to bridge traditional and modern practices.
Indigenous people allowed nature to take its course when growing crops. Locklear said about his own farm, “I left patches of wild plums in place. I left patches of wild grapes in place.”
“When industrial fertilizer came in, it changed the technique,” said Locklear.
Outreach Coordinator for the Produce Safety Program within the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Sarah Cope presented at the event to inform the audience on the importance of produce safety through a farm to fork approach.
The Produce Safety Rule is a regulation that works to follow the Food Safety and Modernization Act by establishing “science-based minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of produce for human consumption,” she said.
“The big takeaway from the presentation is that the Produce Safety Program is here to help farms determine their coverage under the Produce Safety Rule; to prepare produce farms who are eligible for inspection to comply with the farm food safety requirements found within the Produce Safety Rule; and to help the produce farms who may not be eligible for inspection to be prepared with the knowledge and skills to conduct produce safety practices on their farm,” said Cope.
“Farm School on Wheels is committed to building profitable, long-term agricultural businesses in North Carolina, and due to partnerships like the SBCN we can continue to facilitate these complimentary trainings to our farming communities throughout the state of North Carolina,” said Wright.
Founded by Roxanne Reed, a seasoned agritourism farmer with over 25 years of experience in small business, entrepreneurship, finance, and economic development, Reed shares the focus of the event with JSCC.
Her most popular programming overall is the Agritourism 6-Part Series taught virtually or in one day in-person sessions with hands-on workshops that are presented on host farms throughout North Carolina.
“We do not teach farming, we teach students how to analyze their farm as a whole for financial proficiency and we leave the farming specialty to NC Cooperative Extension, USDA and Farm Service Agency. We know our place in the big puzzle of ag and we work in partnership and friendship with all the top specialists in the state to provide a comprehensive learning and implementation strategy for each farmer,” said Reed.
“We started the Farm School on Wheels 6-Part Series in February of 2015 working in collaboration with James Sprunt Community College’s Small Business Center.”
The growth resulted in an expansion times one hundred for Reed. “I tell my students all the time, my first farm of 12 acres and a homestead was a lucky guess and it worked for me, but my purchase and growth of a 120 acre award winning agritourism ranch with a full hospitality business was based on financial planning, finding and listening to the best mentors I could find, and a pinch of luck,” said Reed.
Farm School on Wheels is dedicated to empowering North Carolina’s farmers and ranchers with the tools and knowledge they need to succeed in their farm businesses.
The organization is committed to fostering a greater North Carolina farming community through comprehensive training, counseling, and consulting. Their core services ensure that farmers have access to essential business fundamentals, capital support, state and community resource referrals, and a supportive digital learning community.
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