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About GRRO

Green Rural Redevelopment Organization (GRRO), was founded in 2012  with a vision to revitalize Henderson and Vance County, North Carolina.  We identified three critical issues that plague our community:   poverty, food insecurity, and chronic diseases. It became clear that the other rural counties around us were impacted by the same issues, so we formed partnerships around our 5-County area and started addressing these issues.  GRRO creates programs and projects that positively impact our community by providing

1. 

Revitalize rural communities through micro-market farming   and food economics

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  • avenues of economic development in the face of persistent poverty; 

  • access to fresh, healthy foods for vulnerable members of the community; and

  • support health providers to reduce certain chronic diseases through access to better, fresh foods. 

3.

Educate the community about good nutrition and healthy eating

2. 

Provide affordable, healthy food to the community

GRRO expanded by opening the Robeson Street Farm School, providing a structured environment for training new micro-market farmers.  The group then focused on transitioning to organic and sustainable growing; both of GRRO's Henderson farms achieved USDA Organic and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Certifications. 

 

GRRO then created a purchasing entity to buy produce grown by the new farmers, generating income for them.  Our partnerships with governmental, private sector and non-profit

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​We help community members learn to use farming and growing fresh foods to generate income and funnel sustainably-grown produce to the disenfranchised in our community.

What was first a community garden created to help a trio of friends heal from trauma became the Crews Family Farm.  Not a traditional farm, the Crews Family Farm was established as a micro-market farm.  Micro-market farming utilizes a system of high productivity on a small plot of land, intensive planting and production methods, season extension techniques, and selling directly to identified public markets.   The produce grown on the farm became central to GRRO's programming, and others in the area soon joined our micro-market farming community.  Gardening became community farming with a purpose.  GRRO formed a partnership with the city of Henderson and began converting abandoned lots into food-producing areas.

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organizations focus on healthcare providers and early childhood programmers to help reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes throughout the community.

Our Mission

GRRO in the News

From the very beginning, GRRO's operational philosophy was one of collaboration.   The strategic partnerships we formed help us to extend the reach of our story, philosophy, and programming.  Here are some of the articles written about GRRO both locally and nationally.

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