Carolina Farm Stewardship Association - Raleigh

General About the Organization/Mission

From the website, "The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) is a farmer-driven, membership-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that helps people in the Carolinas grow and eat local, organic foods by advocating for fair farm and food policies, building the systems family farms need to thrive, and educating communities about local, organic agriculture."

Mission: We help people in the Carolinas grow and eat local, organic food by advocating for fair farm and food policies, building the systems that organic family farms need to thrive, and educating communities about local, organic farming.

CFSA is membership-based 501(c)(3) a boasts thousands of members hailing from a variety of agricultural and agricultural advocacy backgrounds including farmers, urban gardeners, businesses, non-profits, government agencies, and food systems activist. The intent of the organization is raise the profile of local food within the Carolinas and to encourage access to healthy, organic foods. CFSA works through educational programming and advocacy related to fair farm and food policies with a focus on family farms and local communities.

Basic Info

Type of Organization	Non-profit
Website	https://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/
Primary Contact	Mailing Address: P.O. Box 448, Pittsboro, NC 27312 Physical Address: 287 East St. Suite 421 Pittsboro, NC 27312 Phone: 919-542-2402 Fax: 919-542-7401 [email protected]
Social Media	Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram

Issues of Focus

CFSA works to:

Build the systems sustainable family farms need to thrive
Improve our environment by helping farmers adopt sustainable and organic practices
Connect thousands of families to local farms through our fabulous farm tours
Be a voice for fair food and farm policies that make economic sense
Help create a world where all Carolinians have healthy food to eat

History of Organization

CFSA began in 1979 through the efforts of a small group of farmers, gardeners, and consumers in North and South Carolina. The organization achieved status as a North Carolina not-for-profit organization in 1982 and earned its federal 501c3 tax exempt status in 1989. In 2007 CFSA launched its Farm Incubator Program with support from Ben & Jerry's. CFSA has been instrumental in communicating regulatory changes and policy alerts to its members and has worked to protect small-farmers from undue regulatory burdens under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA). In 2014, CFSA stepped in to save the Lomax Incubator Farm after Cabarrus County, NC cut funding for the initiative.

Programs and Projects