[kislideshow kirotate=”false”][kislideshowslide kiimageurl=”https://ncgrowth.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/edmunds.jpg” kiyoutubeid=”Qc0iJGk8KxI”]Emily Edmonds, NCGrowth Economic Development Analyst, discusses with work with the Camp Lejeune Regional Aggregation Center.[/kislideshowslide][/kislideshow]
NCGrowth conducted a feasibility study and created a preliminary business plan for the Regional Food Hub to be located in Onslow County and will include surrounding counties of Carteret, Craven, Duplin, Jones, Lenoir, Pender and Wayne in North Carolina. The Regional Food Hub is proposed as part of the “Food & Fuel 4 the Forces,” or FF4F, program of NCEast Alliance and the US Marine Corps. FF4F aims to bring more North Carolina-grown and produced products to local military bases while protecting farmland and forests near the bases. The food hub is one element of a larger project to create successful and sustainable economic and community partnerships between Camp Lejeune and the surrounding region. Other project partners include Feast Down East, the Southeastern NC Food System, NC Cooperative Extension, and Onslow County. A food hub, in this context, provides a central location for aggregation, washing, packing, processing and distributing product from regional farms. It also provides support to farmers in terms of training, marketing of products and new market development.