The Agribusiness Center at Mount Olive College

Agribusiness can be defined as the sum of activities that occur in farm production, resource supply, manufacturing and processing, storage, distribution, and wholesale/retail sales of plant and animal food, natural fiber, medicinal plants and animals, forestry, horticultural, and aquacultural products.

Mission: to foster synergism between agricultural business, environmental stewardship policy, and Christian ethics by providing:

  • Undergraduate education in agribusiness and Environmental Earth Sciences

  • Agribusiness technology transfer opportunities for Eastern NC

  • Applied agribusiness research and technologies

  • Develop sustainable partnerships

Collegiate FFA: The MOC CFFA Chapter was established in November 2002 as the third collegiate chapter in North Carolina. These activities are coordinated somewhat with collegiate chapters at NCSU and NC A&T State Universities.

Click here for more information on collegiate FFA.

 

The Virtual Farmer's Market Website

Our Mission:

To identify and coordinate web solutions to many of the challenges that Eastern North Carolina agribusinesses face in marketing and producing their food and fiber products.

Our Goals:

  • Eastern North Carolina will benefit from the increased demand that these Web activities will bring for markets for food and fiber. For example:

  • Consumers will benefit through a fresh supply and wide variety of farm-fresh products.

  • Agribusinesses will be able to link web pages and e-mail links to provide more information about their products to potential customers.

  • Restaurants and consumers will e-link with specialty crops to be delivered/picked up "fresh from the fields."

  • Agri-tourism will be promoted through links to online road maps, schedules of events, as well as general information for the public about Eastern North Carolina Agribusinesses.

  • Society will benefit from a strengthened bond between grower and consumer, a more sustainable agricultural base, and the continued heritage of the small farm traditions in Eastern North Carolina

 

Our Purpose:

The primary uses of the Coastal Plains Virtual Farmers Market web site will be as follows:

  • Identify farmer direct web marketing issues and opportunities for small farmers.

  • Promote the development and operation of farmers' web markets and other marketing activities that support small farmers.

  • Serve as a one-stop information source for farmer direct web marketing activities.

  • Conduct, support, and promote research and education in farmer direct web marketing. Provide a conduit/tool for farmers to offer their produce to consumers via the Internet.

Our Partners:

  • Mount Olive College Agribusiness Center

  • N. C. State Cooperative Extension Service

  • Eastern Carolina Council of Governments – Region P

  • Global TransPark

Funding:

Financial support for the development of the Virtual Farmers Market was provided by a grant to the Agribusiness Center at Mount Olive College from the Rural Internet Access Authority in 2003. Financial support for administration was provided by a grant to the Agribusiness Center at Mount Olive College from the Golden LEAF Foundation in 2003. We sincerely thank these organizations for recognizing the importance of and for funding our efforts to encourage commerce at all levels of agribusiness in North Carolina.

Long Term Objectives:

  • A principal contact at Mount Olive College for information regarding farmer direct web marketing.

  • A one-stop agribusiness direct web marketing information clearinghouse for handling inquiries and routing calls to appropriate sources.

  • Increased participation by limited-resource, women-owned, and/or minority-owned farms in direct web marketing.

  • New direct web marketing networks and identification and response to marketing issues affecting small agribusinesses through sponsorship of an annual forum of farmers using web marketing and by conducting regional focus groups.

  • A model for holding virtual farmers markets in on-line capacities, to be updated annually and made available to other regions for a minimum cost.

  • A training program for managers of virtual farmers markets and marketing information programs for small farmers, as well as web development programs and information collaboration groups which will be available electronically or through distance learning facilities.