LUMBERTON, NC (WBTW) – On Wednesday, community members from Robeson County and surrounding counties in Southeast North Carolina met to talk about plans for a food hub in the area.
The conference was held inside the Center for Community Action building in downtown Lumberton. Everyone from farmers and representatives and students from area colleges were there.
The goal is to establish a regional food hub, which would serve Robeson County and the six other surrounding Southeastern North Carolina counties.
“Vegetables and meat can be grown in our area. It will enhance our economy and it will keep our money local and regional,” said Rev. Mac Legerton, Executive Director of the Center for Community Action.
Wednesday’s conference was also a chance for local farmers, schools and businesses to ask questions and hear from the organization Feast Down East and UNC Wilmington about their food hub they’ve established.
While the food hub is still in its early stages, sights are already set on calling the Hawkeye Indian Cultural Center, near Red Springs, home.
The idea is to provide new opportunities for local farmers to both produce and sell local food.
“That food hub would take non-organic and organic produce purchase it from the farmers and sell it to particularly our larger institutions which includes universities, hospitals, and daycare centers,” explained Legerton.
The next step is to work with the local schools in area and to officially open next spring.
