This growth is made attainable by means of our work as a part of the Georgia ACRE Collective:  Advancing Agriculture, Group, Resilience & Fairness by means of Values-Primarily based Procurement, launched in 2022 with beneficiant assist from the Rockefeller Basis. The work is powered by collaboration with fellow members of the ACRE Collective, The Widespread Market Southeast, Well being Care With out Hurt, The Conservation Fund’s Working Farms Fund, the Turner Environmental Regulation Clinic at Emory College, and the Alliance for a More healthy Era.  

Kayla Williams (they/them), Farmer Champion Senior Coordinator, highlights the importance of this initiative: “Nationally, faculty and college meals service packages make up an $18 billion business. Channeling a portion of this business into our native sustainable meals system in Georgia can have a big effect on our native economic system, atmosphere, farmer fairness, and scholar well being. We’re excited to work with our companions to make this imaginative and prescient a actuality.”  

Within the first growth yr, the ACRE Collective will begin buy verification and celebrations with a pilot group of schools and universities. Representatives from Agnes Scott College, Emory College, and Georgia Tech have already supported in shaping this system’s construction. We’re on the brink of welcome the primary cohort of Farmer Champion universities in June 2024, with awardees featured within the current Farmer Champion on-line listing and celebrated in August 2024.  

Concerning the Farmer Champion Program  
Launched in 2019 with assist from the USDA’s Agricultural Advertising Companies’ Native Meals Promotion Program, Georgia Organics’ Farmer Champion program verifies and celebrates members of the meals service neighborhood devoted to supporting native and natural agriculture in Georgia. Initially targeted on farm-to-table eating places, caterers, pop-up companies, and Early Care and Training facilities (ECEs), this system has grown to bridge the hole between meals service staff and native agricultural producers. “Native” for the Farmer Champion program consists of anyplace inside the state of Georgia or inside 100 miles of the Georgia border in any course.  

In case your faculty or college is concerned about taking part within the Farmer Champion Awards, attain out to Kayla Williams at kayla@georgiaorganics.org.