Carolina Farm Trust
Strengthening the Local Food System
In North Carolina, thousands of families lack access to food, especially nutritional food. Nearly 100,000 acres of farmland have been lost to development and that has led to food insecurity. In Mecklenburg County, 22 percent of children experience food insecurity.
Carolina Farm Trust is on a mission to strengthen the local food systems in the Carolinas from production to consumption. The organization is focused on creating a region with thriving small farms, healthy people, and communities that are connected to their food. They work alongside regional farmers to bring fresh, nutrient dense food to the area.
Zack Wyatt serves as president and CEO of Carolina Farm Trust. He grew up in northern Virginia, where his family cared for a 300-acre farm. After graduating from Coastal Carolina University and working for several years in the mortgage lending business, he founded Carolina Farm Trust in 2015 to create a place to bring the community together over food, spread awareness about the importance of equitable food access, and improve local food systems.
Zack continues, “We are focused on rebuilding the infrastructure and systems that we’ve ignored for the last 100 years. We are rebuilding an economy that works with us and not against us. I believe every social, economic, and health problem we face all starts with the dirt. We are going back to focusing on farming, getting nutrition density back in our food, and engaging people.”
Carolina Farm Trust opened the first phase of their Market & Distribution Center which includes a commercial kitchen and wholesale operation. Phase two, scheduled to open in 2025, will include a retail market, teaching kitchen, and event space for the community. “Residential and commercial customers will have a year-round source of fresh, affordable, nutrient-dense foods. The center will also be a reliable marketplace for farmers to sell their products. This will have an effect on our farming community and the overall public on how we can truly support local agriculture and local food,” Zack says.
Zack Wyatt founded Carolina Farm Trust in 2015 to bring the community together and raise awareness about food access. 
Phase two of the Market & Distribution Center, scheduled to open in 2025, will include a retail market, teaching kitchen, and event space for the community.
Following their Systems Change Conference, Carolina Farm Trust hosted a long table dinner in Statesville, NC, for folks to gather and showcase fresh, regional ingredients.Other Carolina Farm Trust initiatives include:
- Urban Farm Network – Focuses on preserving agricultural spaces amid urban expansion. The current farm network includes the Urban Farm at Aldersgate and the Free Spirit Farm in Huntersville.
- Food is Health – Providing access to healthy food options and emphasizing the importance of nutrition in preventing illness and enhancing well-being.
- Farm Apprenticeship – Expanding agricultural tracts to create more opportunities for aspiring farmers, providing assistance and resources to support young farmers, and fostering connections between rural and urban communities.
- Supporting Small Farmers – Small, community farmers are helped with purchasing of equipment, leasing and purchasing of land, and reaching customers through marketing campaigns.
TowneBank senior vice president and commercial banker Will Bishop works with Carolina Farm Trust. “Will has been a great partner,” Zack says. “He has been there for us to help with bridge loans while we were waiting for government financing to come through. That has been really helpful in our growth plan.”
For more information, visit CarolinaFarmTrust.org.