Local Farmer Opportunity

If you are a farmer in Stokes County or the surrounding area and are looking for a way to expand your market, Lowes Foods will be providing information on how to sell to their company. See information below for more details.

February 9, 2012

Dear Valued North Carolina Farmer:

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Marketing group is hosting Grower Information Sessions with key personnel from the Lowes Foods grocery chain and (MDI) Merchants Distributor being on-hand to provide information direct to North Carolina Growers. The first session is scheduled for February 29th. Growers from counties within close proximity to each session are invited to attend.

The Farmer meetings will be geared towards those farmers/growers that are interested in selling to Lowes Foods and MDI. Topics to be addressed are guidelines that Lowes and MDI require for you, as a farmer, selling to their stores. Lowes Foods Executive Director of Produce and MDI’s Director of Produce will be on hand to address the criteria they require. Examples Include: Liability insurance, Gap Certification, etc. Please do not allow any of these guidelines to keep you from the meeting, as we have designed these meetings to be informative as to these topics. Marketing Horticulture Specialist from our staff will be giving a presentation on how to become Gap Certified and other grower type information. There will be a question and answer session, and possible one-on-one sessions, if time permits. Lunch will be provided by the “Got to be NC” Goodness Grows Program.

Sessions are planned throughout the state covering specific counties at each. Meetings will be held from (9:00am – 3:00pm - Registration beginning at 8:30am) with lunch provided.

• March 28th. Winston Salem Meeting
BB&T Ballpark – Womble Carlyle Room
951 Ballpark Way
Winston Salem, NC 27101 (336) 714-2287
DIRECTIONS TO BB&T BALLPARK
From the West: Merge onto I-40 E. Merge onto I-40 E/US 421 S via exit 188 toward Winston-Salem. Take Broad St. exit. Turn right onto Broad St. and then make a quick left into ballpark entrance.
From the East: Merge onto I-40 W toward US-421 N/Winston-Salem. Merge onto US 421 N. Merge onto I-40W/US-421 N via exit 206 toward Kernersville/Winston-Salem Downtown. Take Peters Creek Parkway exit, Exit 5A. Turn right onto Peters Creek Parkway. Turn right onto Brookstown Ave., then take an immediate right onto Green St.