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.