ELLERBE, N.C.–The first meeting of the Sandhills AGInnovation Center Governing Board was held on Tuesday, November 28, 2017 at the SAIC. The eleven members of this board were appointed by the Richmond Board of County Commission to oversee the business operations of the county-owned facility. Each member was selected based on experience in business or farming and represent primarily Richmond and Moore counties. The SAIC Governing Board meets quarterly, hears reports from the SAIC manager, Davon Goodwin and makes recommendations.
The Sandhills AGInnovation Center is a produce supply chain facilitator providing services that help the farmers of the region reach new markets. Services offered include aggregation, cooler and freezer space rental, equipment rental and fresh cut processing. Funding for the project has been provided by Richmond Board of County Commissioners and the Golden LEAF Foundation. Moore Board of County Commissioners funded a 2013 Food Hub Feasibility Study for the project.
The Governing Board members include:
County Commissioner | Don Bryant | Richmond BOC |
County Commissioner | Herb Long | Richmond BOC |
Richmond Producer | Lee Berry | The Berry Patch |
Richmond Producer | Jed Lambeth | Triple L Farm |
Moore Producer | John Blue | Highlander’s Farm |
Richmond Economic Dev | Martie Butler | Richmond County |
Moore Economic Dev | Pat Corso | Moore Partners in Progress |
Buyer/Stakeholder | Wayne Crawford | FirstHealth |
Buyer/Stakeholder | Krista Morgan | Lowes’ Foods |
Community Health | Dena White | God’s Garden/UMC Norman |
At-Large | Brian Baucom | First Bank |
Ex-Officio | Bryan Land | Richmond County |
Ex-Officio | Susan Kelly | Â Richmond County Extension |
Ex-Officio | Paige Burns | Richmond County Extension |
Ex-Officio | Taylor Williams | Moore County Extension |
ABOUT N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
North Carolina Cooperative Extension is a strategic partnership of NC State Extension, The Cooperative Extension Program at N.C. A&T State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), and local government partners statewide. Extension delivers research-based education and technology from NC State and N.C. A&T that enriches the lives, land and economy of North Carolinians. Extension professionals in all 100 counties and the Eastern Band of Cherokee provide educational programs specializing in agriculture, youth, communities, health and the environment.
–Susan A. Kelly, N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
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