SBC and EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems Offers Agribusiness Resource Roundtable

 

Haywood Community College’s Small Business Center will host an in-person resource roundtable focused on Agribusiness Entrepreneurs at the Regional High Technology Center on September 27, from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. Doors will open at 5:00 pm. There is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is requested by visiting sbc.haywood.edu or calling 828.627.4512.

The Agribusiness Resource Roundtable will provide a networking opportunity followed by a roundtable discussion to share information about funding opportunities and support services. Regional and state community farm support agencies will be present to share the latest resource information with attendees and participate in a Q&A.   

Participating partners sharing information and resources supporting Agribusiness Development in our region include:

NC Department of Agriculture

Haywood Cooperative Extension Service

Haywood County Health Department

Farm Service Agency

Natural Resource and Conservation

ASAP (Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project)

EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems (EMFS) is a three-year project focused on bringing expanded opportunities and capacity to food and farm businesses across the southwestern NC region.

Programs focus on the seven counties of Western North Carolina (Jackson, Macon, Haywood, Swain, Cherokee, Clay, and Graham) and are based at the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Cooperative Extension Office in Cherokee through a partnership between the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians Cooperative Extension.

The program, funded by the Appalachian Regional Commission, brings together producers, food businesses, schools, and regional partners to increase business opportunities that support the expansion of the food supply chain. Diverse program elements focus on leveraging regional collaboration to enhance the local food economy, including infrastructure development, marketing, business assistance, land matching, training, and other resources to support food and farm entrepreneurs.

To learn more about the no-fee business support services offered by the HCC Small Business Center, visit online at sbc.haywood.edu or call 828-627-4512. The Regional High Technology Center is located at 112 Industrial Park Drive, Waynesville, NC, 28786.  

 

Thinking about starting a business in Haywood County or growing an existing business? Take advantage of the programs, services, and resources provided by the Small Business Center. The NC Community College’s Small Business Center Network facilitates an economic impact in 100 percent of all NC counties each year and ranks number one in the US for total business seminars and participants. In addition, the network helps start an average of over 650 businesses every year and works to create and retain 4,750 jobs annually for North Carolina. Visit ncsbc.net for more information.