Prize of the Harvest looks to establish the North Carolina Label

Prize Of The Harvest, is the marketing subsidiary of Operation Spring Plant, Inc. (OSP).    Established in 1987 by Phillip and Dorathy Barker, OSP is a grassroots, non-profit organization, dedicated to promoting self-help community economic development programs and initiatives for minority and limited resource farmers/producers.  OSP provides technical, marketing and financial assistance to minority, limited resource and small family farmers who:

· Are diversifying away from tobacco production by growing fresh fruits and vegetables.

· Are willing to work cooperatively with other small and limited resource farmers to collectively market their products; and

· Are committed to sustain their farming livelihood and operation

.

POTH has secured the commitment of nearly 20 producers in 4 small farmer cooperatives

eastern and central North Carolina.  This year, over 500 acres of vegetable production could be marketed under the Prize of the Harvest label

· Prize of the Harvest is a shipper of fresh produce that prides itself in consistently supplying buyers with fresh, high quality and good tasting produce.

· Prize of the Harvest produce is grown by hand, using modern production techniques like black plastic. Our produce is grown with tender loving care by a group of dedicated small, minority and limited resource farmers.

· Prize of the Harvest was organized to provide market access and major distribution capabilities for small farmer cooperatives both locally in North Carolina and regionally across the south.  

   Growing and Shipping

Prize Of The Harvest (POTH)

operates on and educates all their farmers on the main stays in marketing a quality product with programs like;

Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) "practices that address environmental, economic and social sustainability for on-farm processes, and result in safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products"

Operation Spring Plant Inc . attends American Indian Mothers Confrence



Cheif Wayne Brown



Beverly Collins-Hall addresses attendies



American Indian Mothers, Inc. (AIMI) held their 9th Annual "Walking In Many Worlds" Spirit of One 2010 Conference October 14-16, 2010 at the UNC Pembroke Annex Center. The conference yielded many dif-ferent agriculturally based speakers, including representatives from the Farm Service Agency and NC A&T Cooperative Extension, covering a range of topics from soil erosion and renewable energy to nutritional information. A number of USDA officials were on hand discussing the importance and benefits of farming, natural re-source conservation and agri-business. There were also mentors present speaking on the jobs avail-able within the USDA branch of the Federal government. Operation Spring Plant was proud to be a partner of this well attended and informative conference.

Market Barriers and Ventures

Over the past several years, Operation Spring Plant, Inc. has discovered that  the market barriers of the socially disadvantaged and small family farmers working outside their comfort zone, i.e. their local market, are transportation, cooling and storage, packaging and upfront money.  The upfront money is needed because some farmers have day laborers to pay and cannot wait 30 to 90 days for payment to be received; therefore markets are needed that pay within 1 to 5 days for continued quality products.

Prize of the Harvest (POTH), OSP’s marketing arm, has begun to find markets outside of North Carolina in our continuing effort to break down some of the barriers faced by small family farms and  increase market outlets for farmers. 

Recently, POTH has secured markets with MDI, the buyers for Lowes Food Stores in Hickory, NC and has begun working with two promising ventures in Philadelphia, PA and Washington, DC.

In Washington, DC, POTH has been chosen as a vendor for the DC Farm to School Network and has begun to sell produce to the DC area school system.  This school system is looking to provide more healthy, fresh, local and safe foods to the children of the DC schools.

In Philadelphia, Prize of the Harvest has been working with Elliott Booker and Reggie Raghu of WURD 900 AM radio.  The two men are working to bring black farmers and their fresh grown produce to Philadelphia inner city markets in an attempt to provide healthier and more nutritious foods to the community.  This market venture is supported by local and state politicians as well as ministers and lay people in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania.



Elliot Booker looks over the quality products from the

 Prize of the Harvest Producers as the need for farm fresh products

are discussed. 



In both DC and Philadelphia, the quality of product was well received by all involved and tentative support for upcoming market opportunities were given.  In fact, Philadelphia's are requesting NC pecans and black walnuts for the next market on December 18th.  Please call our office at (252) 492-7301 if you can supply these.

 

Operation Spring Plant and North Carolina A&T State University

On October 27, 2010, Mr. Courtney Owens, Extension Program Coordinator at NC A&T State University, welcomed representatives from a diverse group of organizations, including Operation Spring Plant, for a mid-day meeting at the Olive Garden Restaurant in Greensboro, NC. The meeting was held to make plans for a North Carolina Women In Agriculture Conference in late 2011.

The purpose of this conference is to  bring together farmers, ranchers, educators, agricultural service providers and activists to build production and business skills, share educational and organizational strategies, and forge new connections aimed at expanding the success of women in sustainable agriculture.

The group outlined the design of the conference.  This design’s aim is to meet the needs of women in agriculture by addressing the personal, family and farm issues that affect their lives, families and businesses.  The conference will celebrate the accomplishments of women in agriculture.

Operation Spring Plant will continue to keep the public informed on the conference as more details become available.

Why Operation Spring Plant, INC.  provides training to Minority Limited Resource and Small Family Farmers???

1.      Because of the loss of Family Farmers over the past 10 years.

2.      The loss of role models to the minority communities in agriculture.

3.      To continue to have agriculture racially diversified as its productions in North Carolina.

4.      To keep farmers informed of training being conducted locally, regionally, and nationally.

5.      To provide a network of farmers to form collaborations.

6.      To continue to make Farmers aware of environmental risks, regulations, and consequences of violations.

7.      To make Farmers aware of Risk Management (i.e.: Insurance, etc.) and Farmer Maintained Risk Management.

8.      To provide an avenue through training Limited Resources and Small Family Farmers to recognize and capitalize on Market Share that they don’t ordinarily seek.

9.      For the future of making the Minority and Limited Resource Youth aware of opportunities in today’s agriculture and agribusiness.

10.  To keep minority, limited resource and small family farmers as stewards, environmentalist, owners, and operators of small family farms in North Carolina.