People from all sides of the food distribution chain, including policy makers, students, Cooperative Extension agents, community leaders and interested community members, came together at the Farm Pavilion recently to talk about food: who needs it, who has it, and how to bridge the gap.

In an event jointly hosted by N.C. A&T Cooperative Extension and the N.C. Association of County Commissioners, the award-winning film “Resilience: Food for All” served as a platform for a panel-and-audience discussion about food security, and how the Guilford County area is working to address the issue. Visit the website theresiliencefilm.com for more information.

“N.C. A&T is very unique in that it has produce going from this farm to the community as such a volume – 87,000 lbs. In the last eight years,” said panelist Mark Blevins, Ed.D., associate administrator of Cooperative Extension at A&T. “Fighting food insecurity is hard, so keep working at it.”

Other panelists included Linda Anderson of Share the Harvest food bank; Greensboro County Commissioner Carly Cooke; senior agricultural education major Nia McLean, and John Kimes, horticulture specialist at the University Farm.

Students and panelists dug into many of the issues surrounding food security, including the need for affordable food versus the farmers’ need to make a profit; the ability to use education and local sourcing as tools; and how to keep farmers in the same area from having to compete with each other.

“Regionally, we could be possible to set up a system where some farmers could grow one thing, some could grow another, and they’d sell everything they grew,” said Martin County Commissioner Ronnie Smith, who helped launch the initiative that inspired the “Resilience” film. “All the money can be ‘up here’ at the federal level. It’s up to the state people to pull it down, and then, it’s up to local people to pull it toward them. Stay involved. Talk to government officials. We can battle this thing.”

For panelist McLean and senior animal sciences major Tahirah Jones, the event was the culmination of conversations and contacts they had made at agriculture-related events earlier this year that led to contact with Chris Baucom, executive producer of the film.

“Having the “Resilience: Food for All” documentary Film Screening come to fruition at North Carolina A&T State University was incredible,” Jones said.  “I am extremely grateful for the fact that they made this happen due to Nia’s and my idea to educate A&T students about local food systems and resilience through this food security documentary.”

Here are their perspectives:

Nia McLean’s Perspective

Nia McLean, a student panelist and agriculture education major, at NC A&T University, listens as people from all sides of the food distribution chain, including policy makers, students, Cooperative Extension agents, community leaders and interested community members, came together at the North Carolina A&T State University Farm Pavilion recently to talk about food.

The topic of food insecurity is one close to my heart, as I’ve spent a lot of time learning about and volunteering within the emergency food system. Given this experience, I was really excited to see the film and so glad that Tahirah Jones helped bring this initiative to campus. The film was very informative and highlighted the different ways that North Carolinians are tackling food insecurity across the state.

After the screening, I had the honor of participating in the panel discussion as the student voice. I really appreciated the opportunity to listen to members of the community speak as well as share my thoughts on food insecurity from the perspective of my education. I came away from this event with a newfound appreciation for how we, as students, can be advocates for a more sustainable and equitable future, both now and in our respective careers.

I hope that the event encourages more conversation about food insecurity, especially given that the university is located in a food desert, and how we as agriculturalists can contribute to the issue.

Tahirah Jones’s Perspective

Tahirah Jones, president of MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences) at N.C. A&T, shares her thoughts during the food security event.

The topic of food security is important to me because I aim to become more educated about matters that communities face regarding food and agriculture. Being an agriculture student, I strive to make agricultural education an integral part of learning and being more aware of how it plays a role in local communities.

I was thrilled with the outcome of the event. There was an amazing, supportive turnout from the community, especially from the students. The panel was filled with professionals who shared enlightening information and advice regarding how food insecurity concerns our communities, and the students asked wonderful questions of the panel after the filming.

The impact that I hope this film will have on N.C. communities is that people will get more involved with how food gets to the table; with agricultural education; and with the role they can play in helping to feed their community. The impact I hope to have is to be a source that community leaders or students can approach to find resources or information, and to get involved by doing what I can, whether that be through being educated or educating others.