Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) is a tax-exempt nonprofit organization headquartered in Pittsboro, North Carolina, that has been registered to receive federal awards since 2009. CFSA functions as a prime recipient of federal grant awards and provides research-based agricultural education, training, and technical assistance programs focused on food safety, sustainable farming practices, and market access for small and socially disadvantaged farmers across North and South Carolina. The organization specializes in delivering practical, community-focused support to diversified and beginning farmers, with particular emphasis on helping producers meet regulatory requirements and access expanding market opportunities.

CFSA has demonstrated significant federal grant funding activity across multiple USDA programs and initiatives. As a prime grantee, the organization has received substantial project grants including a $528,038 award from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under the Food Safety Outreach Program (CFDA 10.328) for the period September 2025 through September 2028, which funds food safety training and technical assistance to over 990 growers in North and South Carolina, with specific targets for FSMA Produce Safety Rule compliance and Good Agricultural Practices certification. CFSA also received a $936,919.75 Project Grant from the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service under the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP) from 2021 through 2024, supporting organizational capacity building for seven partnering food hubs and technical assistance to farmers in food safety planning and GAP certification. Additionally, CFSA has served as a project partner in multistate initiatives, including a cooperative agreement with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (2021-2023) providing technical assistance on high tunnel production and organic certification, and participation in a USDA NIFA-funded Diversified Farm FSMA Training Initiative spanning September 2021 through August 2025 in partnership with national organizations including the Community Alliance with Family Farmers, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association. As a sub-grantee, CFSA has received allocations from prime grantees including the Rodale Institute, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, the National Farmers Union Foundation, and Florida Certified Organic Growers & Consumers, Inc., supporting activities such as the Southeast Regional Center for Organic Transition program (managing farmer-to-farmer mentorship cohorts and hosting organic commodities conferences), climate-smart commodity market development, and participation in the North Carolina FarmShare program that distributed locally-grown food to underserved communities. Throughout its federal funding history, CFSA has maintained a consistent focus on food safety education, organic transition support, sustainable agriculture promotion, and equitable market access for historically underserved and socially disadvantaged farm operators.