Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

About Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association funds the infrastructure around local food access and organic transition, with the largest recent awards flowing through FarmsSHARE and LFPA food purchase partnerships. In the recent grant list, that shows up in recurring support for food distribution hubs and farmers’ market channels such as Freshlist LLC in Charlotte and Farmer Foodshare in Durham. The pattern is not limited to food access alone: the association also backs the systems that help producers move into organic production, including its Transition to Organic Partnership Program mentorship work in North Carolina and South Carolina. The foundation’s grantmaking is closely tied to practical farm and community operations. Recent awards support partner hubs purchasing locally grown food at fair market value, then moving that food to households in communities with high food insecurity. Other grants help organizations participate in food distribution programs, manage food purchases, and build capacity for advocacy tied to ARPA funding. Across the list, the association funds organizations that connect farmers, food hubs, churches, and community groups within North Carolina, while also extending selected work into South Carolina through its organic transition program.

What Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Funds

A major theme is food access through local purchasing. Carolina Farm Stewardship Association awarded $221,176 to Freshlist LLC in Charlotte and $212,268 to Toe River Aggregation Center Training Organization Regional Inc in Spruce Pine for LFPA food purchases, showing how it channels funds into local food distribution and procurement. The association also supports community-based food ministries. It gave $288,135 to Tall Grass Food Box the Abundance Foundation Inc in Pittsboro and $172,770 to Conetoe Family Life Center in Conetoe for participation in FarmsSHARE food distribution. Farmer support is another clear thread. Through the Transition to Organic Partnership Program, CFSA manages mentorship for producers transitioning to organic in North Carolina and South Carolina, pairing experienced organic growers with mentees. It also funded ARPA Advocacy Academy work alongside food-purchase support for Freshlist LLC in Charlotte.

How Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Gives