Nooze Hounds: Zack Wyatt and Michael Bowling with Carolina Farm Trust
Episode 78
On episode 78 of the Nooze Hounds podcast, Ryan talks to Zack Wyatt, CEO of Carolina Farm Trust; and Michael Bowling, general manager of CFT Market, the site of a ceremonial groundbreaking the same day they appeared on the podcast.
According to a release announcing the groundbreaking, Carolina Farm Trust aims to increase the accessibility to affordable nutrient dense foods, feeding Charlotte residents while supporting local farmers and land.
The marketplace will also house collaborations with farmers to foster regenerative farming practices and other environmental protecting practices including ESG and carbon neutrality in effort to give back to the ecosystem that feeds our families. In addition, the hub will empower locals with education, employment and business opportunities.
On the podcast, Wyatt and Bowling discuss their plans for the local food distribution and production center as well as topics ranging from equitability in food accessibility to Black food culture in Charlotte.
In February 2021, we reported on Carolina Farm Trust’s plans for CFT Market in its early stages after Charlotte City Council voted to allocate $1.5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“Every major geopolitical issue we have is coming from the dirt, in one fashion or another,” Wyatt said in that article, adding that, “We have generationally lost knowing where our food comes from and what local, ecologically responsible foodways look like.”
Some other related reading that comes up during the discussion:
- Carolina Farm Trust Receives $400K Grant for Free Spirit Farm Project
- Bernard Singleton Expands Mission to Support Black Farmers at Nebedaye Farms
- Two Teams Partner to Make Southern Strain a Concord Destination
- Greg & Subrina Collier Prepare Second BayHaven Food and Wine Festival
Remember you can catch Nooze Hounds on Spotify and other places where you find podcasts and be sure to check out Queen City Podcast Network for a slew of other great Charlotte podcasts that aren’t quite as good as ours but pretty damn close. Find past Nooze Hounds episodes here.
