We wrapped up an incredible year with our 2024–2025 Food Inspired Resilience & Equity (FIRE) Interns and host sites!
Through this program, six food coalitions were paired with student interns to strengthen their work in local farmer support, food access, community engagement, and food policy. As one mentor shared, “They are young, having great ideas and have a lot of knowledge to share… In addition, they are open to learning things from us.”
Together, we accomplished so much! Just a few highlights:
- Candy revamped Common Ground Cafe NC website and added a donation link + volunteer system
- Kianna cultivated 13 new farmer relationships at Growing High Point‘s food hub
- Patriska led an engagement survey at Good Shepherd Food Pantry
- Shonna created a social media guidebook and training for Transplanting Traditions Community Farm
- Stephanie supported North Carolina Farmers Market Network‘s first-ever market managers conference
We’re grateful to each intern and host site for the knowledge, passion, and collaboration you brought to this work! Check out a few photos from our wrap up event celebration! Many thanks to Transplanting Traditions Community Farm for hosting our event!
Background
Community Food Strategies works to inspire connections and amplify collective action so that community voices are heard and food policy shifts toward more equitable outcomes.
Our ultimate purpose is to help build an equitable, community driven food system that improves the quality of life for all people. Learn more here.
North Carolina Local Food Council serves as a collaborative network across various organizations, agencies, and groups whose statewide work supports vibrant farmers and fisheries, healthy people, strong communities, thriving local economies, and resilient ecosystems through a common aim: NC’s local food system. Learn more here.
CEFS envisions a future of vibrant farms, resilient ecosystems, strong communities, healthy people, and thriving local economies. CEFS is one of the nation’s most important centers for research, extension, and education in sustainable agriculture and community-based food systems. It is recognized as a national and international leader in the local foods movement, and celebrated for its work in building consensus around policies, programs, and actions that facilitate a vibrant local food economy.
CEFS was born from the shared conviction that a land-grant-university-based research, education, and extension program focused on organic and sustainable agriculture could have a significant and essential impact in North Carolina.
This internship program is financially supported by the NC DHHS.
