The Healthy Opportunities Pilot (HOP) program helps grow the rural Western North Carolina (WNC) economy across the 18 counties we serve. All but one county in the region has farmers participating in HOP, providing members across WNC with healthier, locally grown food choices while also supporting small farms, ranches, tailgate markets, farm stands, individual growers, and other local food businesses. In addition, the WNC HOP network purchases fruit, vegetables, dairy products, meat, and other food from more than 100 other farms across the state.
17 counties in the region have farms participating in the HOP network. Over half of those counties have at least 10 farms – 458 total – serving community members and positively impacting the economy in their communities.
“With HOP, we have been able to have a consistent sales outlet for our farms. We invested approximately a million dollars into our small farms each year. We were sustaining a healthy model with 22 living wage employees for the first time in 13 years. We feel this approach created the perfect harmony – delivering the highest quality nutrition to community members while simultaneously investing in the small family farms that sustain our local food ecosystem.”
“The [HOP] program didn’t just benefit our bottom line—it gave our 18-year-old son a reason to believe in the future of farming. He recently stepped into the leadership role on our farm, determined to carry on our family’s legacy. HOP helped make that future feel real and viable. The stability provided through selling to the HOP program helped make that possible.”
“Supporting the HOP program has been incredibly meaningful for our business — both in terms of community connection and purpose. It allows us to directly give back to local families in need by doing what we do best: providing quality meat. Beyond just business, we’ve built relationships with families who may not have otherwise walked through our doors, and over time, some of those families have returned as paying customers when their situations improved. It’s also brought our team a great sense of pride, knowing our work has real impact beyond the counter.”
“Participating in the HOP program has been rewarding in many ways. Customers personally told us this was life changing for them, whereas previously there weren’t options for them to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables because they weren’t affordable. We heard stories of people’s health being so much better because of cleaner eating and others who were so grateful to receive help. This program was extremely beneficial to this community and a true loss.”
“We already did our crop planning – everything’s planted. To see our farm go from barely recovering to thriving and then have the HOP outlets dry up is very scary. We do not have as many marketing outlets in WNC to absorb market loss and pivot easily. The economy is already suffering post-Helene … The devastation is still very present every day.”
“We are a small family farm that relies on the support of our community to bring quality produce to our area. The HOP program helped us reach a wider customer base and we loved providing freshly grown produce to those who may not always have access to it.”
“At this point, HOP funding going away is like an existential crisis for us. Approximately 80% of our farm income comes through TRACTOR, Bounty and Soul, and Equal Plates Project [HOP vendors]. Markets are either not financially viable, or they won’t let small farms in. Since the pandemic, restaurant sales have slumped. HOP has saved us.”
“Beyond the economic impact, participating in the HOP program ensured we maintained alignment with our belief that everyone deserves access to food that grows where they live. Everyone deserves access to high-integrity, nutritious, fresh food.”
“Each week we’re doing about $20,000 in farmer sales for the HOP program. News that the HOP program could end spread fast. The first reaction was to be fearful because we have farmers with products already in the ground.”
“Share Thy Bread would order between 18-24 bushels of apples for HOP participants, which for our small operation is a considerable weekly order. Ending this program will make it much harder for us to reach the same local markets. This program is extremely impactful to small farms in our area, allowing farmers to have a guaranteed outlet and provide fresh, nutritious food to the local community.”
“Through HOP, my family farm has supplied over 30,000 pounds of pork and 15,000 pounds of chicken in the past three years. This has allowed us to grow our production from 20 pigs per year to 120 pigs per year and has helped keep approximately $465,000 in our local economy.”
“Before HOP, we laid people off in the winter. Now, because of weekly packing, deliveries, and coordination with WNC Lighthouse [a HOP service provider], we’ve been able to offer stable employment and benefits — a rare thing in seasonal agriculture. Our team has taken pride in knowing the work they do helps families, grandparents, and neighbors eat better, live better, and stay out of the hospital.”
“Through our partnership with HOP, we have sold a remarkable volume of produce that goes directly toward feeding our neighbors in need. The consistency of sales and ease of logistics makes HOP a valuable asset to our farm, and the effectiveness of their operation makes them a valuable asset to our local community.”
