Down East Fresh Cooperative, Blounts Creek, NC
Project Snapshot:
Down East Fresh Cooperative is completing a shared cold storage unit, purchasing an ice maker, and providing GAP training for their members. This equipment and training will directly impact their access to market opportunities by allowing the cooperative to harvest and store more produce to meet the demand for larger orders from regional customers. Enhancing their farm infrastructure and training their members will help the cooperative take advantage of a significant growth opportunity and meet the demand for produce.
Bio: The Moore’s Family Farm is a 3rd generation small family farm in Blounts Creek, NC. Their family farm has been in service since the early 1900’s. Kelton, his wife Vera, and their three sons Eugene, Kelton and Stephon started growing and selling vegetables in 1989. On the streets in Greenville and Washington on Saturday’s. Later they. started selling at the Greenville Farmer’s Market on Saturday’s. They now sell at the New Bern Farmer’s Market two days a week Tuesday and Saturday and at the Greenville Uptown Umbrella Market. They grow about 25 different types of vegetables with different varieties of each on family land. In 2010, they purchased a high tunnel greenhouse to grow vegetables in the winter months, and started using the plastic culture and irrigation system. In 2014 the farm started a Farmers Co-op to bring small Farmer’s of color together to share ideas, learn from some of the older farmers, and bring in young new farmers. Last year they started a partnership with Dreaming Out Loud Organization out of Washington DC, who they ship vegetables to.
