Mission
Connect entire communities with healthy, local, and sustainable food.
Vision
Healthy communities where everyone is connected everyday with their food.
Core Values
Healthy Food
Local Food Systems
Sustainable Agriculture
Inclusion
Our History
The Potato Project as it exists today…
The Cleveland County Potato Project
The Cleveland County Potato Project was started in 2009 and grew out of an idea that came from a Sunday School Class at First Baptist Church Shelby. At the time, Cleveland County had an unemployment rate of 12% and a recent history of layoffs and plant closings. Social service agencies were having a difficult time providing food and services. This Sunday School Class had an idea that resulted in the founding of the Cleveland County Potato Project (CCPP). The goal of the CCPP was to produce white and sweet potatoes to be given to people in need of food. Local agencies active in hunger relief would be given these potatoes at no cost to be distributed to those in need.
The CCPP was a hit, and over the next 15 years, the project planted, grew, harvested, and distributed more than 1.5 million pounds of potatoes throughout Cleveland County and surrounding areas. Volunteers came from all over Cleveland County and beyond. Many Cleveland County residents have fond memories of spending time in potato fields working with the CCPP.
While growing food and giving it to those in need was (and still is) a wonderful way to help our neighbors, it started to become clear that a simple lack of economic resources was not the only major factor contributing to food insecurity in our community. In order to move the hunger needle in a significant way, the whole food system will need to change!
Our Current Work
Changing the food system involves reconnecting people with their food and the 2024-2025 winter season is one of change for us as we retool to do just that! As an organization we are working to revitalize our mission and vision to reflect what we hope will be a more effective and holistic approach to hunger relief. We are working behind the scenes with local government, land owners, farmers, businesses, and organizations to put in place a real plan for launching our first community farm in the spring. We believe things can change for the better, and we are committed to making that change a reality in 2025!
Our Future Plans...
We believe that the best way to “Connect entire communities with healthy, local, sustainable food” is to create a place where that connection can happen. In 2025 we plan to open our first Community Farm! Our farm will be a place where we invite ALL people in our community to connect with their food by participating in one of several programs and events offered throughout the year. These programs include:
Our FarmBox program where families can sign up to receive a weekly box of produce throughout one of our 13-week growing seasons.
Community Garden space for aspiring growers to utilize whether they are planting their 1st or 50th garden.
A “Pay-What-You-Can” Farm Stand that offers fresh seasonal veggies grown in our fields.
Our Grower’s Academy which hosts hands on training and educational events for folks interested in growing and eating their own food.
Click the button below for more detailed information about our programs...
We look forward to seeing everyone at the Community Farm in 2025!