Food Security Program: 2025 Highlights
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Welcome Our New Summer Interns!
The Food Security Team welcomes our two amazing interns for the summer, Arcanae Clark (left, she/her) and Rekiyah Bobbitt (right, she/her)! Arcanae Clark is a rising senior Agricultural and Environmental Systems student from NC A&T, and Rekiyah Bobbitt is a rising senior Landscape Architecture student from NC A&T. Their first day was May 21st, 2025, and they will be with us until August 1st, 2025. Arcanae and Rekiyah are both already showing incredible potential and are a great help to us. We’re grateful to be able to host Arcanae and Rekiyah this summer, and we look forward to accomplishing many things together!
UPDATE: Can you believe our interns’ summer internship is already over? The last day of their internship was August 1st, 2025, where their efforts culminated in a presentation at NC A&T State University. During the presentation, the interns shared their experiences and marketing ideas for Guilford County Cooperative Extension. Here is a video ad about Extension that the interns put together for their final project, please check out their hard work! Thank you Rekiyah, Arcanae, and Camryn for being wonderful interns and we wish you the very best of luck in your fall semester and future endeavors!
Grocery Gap Analysis Project
The Food Security Team will be launching the Grocery Gap Analysis Project in the future! The overarching goal of this project is to identify the gaps found within identified zip codes to determine the kinds of stores that are available in these areas, whether SNAP is accepted, and how affordable the food is. The findings will address those gaps by providing solutions that are specifically tailored to each of the local communities.
This project is led by Melodie, the Food Security Program Assistant, and conducted in partnership with Community Liaisons – trusted community members recommended by our established community partners who live within these areas and will act as the eyes and ears of the community while surveying the stores.
UPDATE: The Food Security Team has launched the Grocery Gap Analysis Project in June 2025, and we will be wrapping up the data collection at the end of July 2025!
Our Community Liaisons did an incredible job completing the surveys for us in their respective zip codes, and we genuinely appreciate the time and effort the Community Liaisons put into the surveys. The Community Liaisons were an integral and invaluable part of this project, and we’re thankful that we had the opportunity to share this journey with them.
Be on the lookout for further updates regarding the collected data from this project!
National Urban Extension Leaders Southern & 1980’s Regional Conference
The Food Security Team attended the National Urban Extension Leaders (NUEL) Southern & 1890’s Regional Conference from May 6-8, 2025 in Durham, NC! We created a research poster about our Photovoice project and presented to our Extension colleagues who traveled from various Southern states. The theme of the conference was “The Power of WE: Partnering for Impact”, and we most definitely felt this theme being exemplified throughout the conference! By connecting with Extension Agents from other states, we were able to bring back fresh ideas that we can adapt to our community.
Framing the Future: A Photovoice Exploration of Food Justice
The Photovoice exhibit that launched April 4th, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. at The Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship was a resounding success! Community members, community partners, photographers, and organizational leaders were invited to attend and help celebrate this momentous occasion with us. Everyone made this such a fun and impactful night, and we will continue this momentum as we get started with our Community Conversations!
A big thank you to our partners, UNCG’s Recipe for Success, and all of those who attended the opening night!
UPDATE: The Food Security Team has worked in tandem with Guilford County’s IT department to make the Photovoice exhibit virtual! If you were unable to come see the Photovoice exhibit in person, you are now able to see the exhibit online. Please click this link to view the Photovoice exhibit!
What is Photovoice?
Photovoice is a way of doing research where people can use photos to explore and share their community. Photovoice is effective because the use of photos eliminates barriers such as language, technology, and culture.
Guilford County Food Action Network (GCFAN) Open Meeting
The Guilford County Food Action Network (GCFAN) open meeting that occurred on January 29th, 2025 from 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. was a success! Community members, educators, and organizational leaders were invited to join along with the original members of GCFAN, which made for a very engaging and productive discussion! The conversations were flowing and many connections were made. We will continue this momentum as we work towards our common goal of creating a more food secure Guilford County.
Thank you to all who attended; your contributions were invaluable and we look forward to more insightful GCFAN meetings!
What is GCFAN?
GCFAN is a diverse coalition of community partners, organizations, and community members committed to addressing barriers to food security, promoting food distribution, empowering local agriculture, and advocating for policies to ensure that ALL residents have access to affordable and nutritious food.
Interested in joining or want more information? Contact the Food Security Team at amckim@guilfordcountync.gov or mmelbouci@guilfordcountync.gov!
Growing Together: A Buyer-Farmer Meet Up
The first ever “speed-dating” event between Buyers and Farmers that occurred on January 22nd, 2025 from 5:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. was a success! Thank you Buyers and Farmers alike that attended and helped make this such a fun and memorable inaugural event. We hope to see something beautiful bloom from the seeds of connections that were planted.
Thank you again for the excitement surrounding this event, and be on the lookout for more Buyer-Farmer “speed-dating” events in the future!
What is this speed-dating event between Buyers and Farmers?
An event where buyers share their needs, and farmers showcase their skills and plan their crops to match the local demand.
The format of the event:
- Buyers present their needs for the upcoming season (e.g., preferred crops, volume, timing, specific varieties).
- Farmers share information about what they can produce, growing timelines, and limitations (e.g., weather, soil types).
Benefits
- For Buyers: Ensures access to desired produce while supporting local farmers.
- For Farmers: Reduces the risk of surplus crops or unprofitable ventures by aligning with market demand.
- For the Community: Strengthens relationships, provides fresh healthy food to consumers and builds a resilient local food system.
We are creating a streamlined communication network for restaurants and wholesalers to share their specific needs while enabling farmers to effectively align their production and distribution strategies!