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Randolph County awards contract to NC Rooted to operate new Food Hub
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Summary
The Randolph County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 5 to select NC Rooted Community Agriculture to run the county’s new food hub, authorizing staff to negotiate a contract after founders outlined a phased plan for operations, food‑safety certification and SNAP incentives.
The Randolph County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 5 to select NC Rooted Community Agriculture to operate the county’s new Randolph County Food Hub and authorized staff to begin contract negotiations.
Founders identified in the meeting as Lindsey and Robert told commissioners NC Rooted plans a phased, 12‑month rollout that begins with planning and a limited pilot and moves to full operations and growth. The group said the hub will provide an online ordering window, aggregation and pickup, satellite pickup locations and programs to increase access for low‑income residents, including SNAP Double Up incentives.
“We would like to build and manage relationships with the producers, handling the operational logistics, including storage and distribution, ensuring food safety,” Lindsey said during a presentation to the board, adding the organization intends to pursue GAP certification and said staff would follow county health‑department guidance.
Commissioners asked how the hub would handle food safety and liability; NC Rooted said it would secure insurance and pursue GAP certification, and that larger institutional buyers such as schools and hospitals commonly require that certification. The founders said initial revenue sources would include modest markups, merchandise and grants, and that the group is actively seeking federal and local grant opportunities to reduce long‑term dependence on county funding.
Board members repeatedly noted overlap with Cooperative Extension services and pressed for clarity on which functions NC Rooted would perform. NC Rooted said it planned to coordinate closely with the Extension office and stage the project in phases so staffing, pilot operations and community outreach could scale over time.
Commissioner motioned to select NC Rooted and allow staff to negotiate a contract; the board approved the motion by voice vote.
Next steps: staff will negotiate contract terms and the board will see any required budget amendments before funds are expended, according to county staff.
