Past Programs
Over the years, GRRO has led a wide range of impactful programs aimed at building thriving rural communities across North Carolina. From pioneering food access solutions like the Mobile Healthy Food Pantry and Kerr-Tar Senior Box Program, to empowering local farmers through the Organic Micro-Market Farm School, GRRO has consistently addressed food insecurity, economic opportunity, and chronic disease in holistic and community-centered ways. The organization has also provided strategic consulting, training, and project design services that support rural resilience and social entrepreneurship. As it looks to the future, GRRO remains committed to deepening and expanding its programs and services—continuing to innovate, partner, and invest in lasting solutions that uplift rural lives.
About GRRO
Farm School
GRRO’s Farm School Organic Micro-Market program is where economic development meets hands-on agricultural education. Based in Henderson, NC, this innovative curriculum trains new and aspiring farmers in sustainable, small-scale farming techniques tailored to local market demands. Students gain real-world experience in organic growing practices, from soil stewardship and greenhouse cultivation to farm planning and equipment use—all with a focus on economic self-sufficiency and land sustainability.
Through our Farm to Classroom initiative, we extend this impact by partnering with schools and childcare centers to promote access to fresh, local produce and integrate nutrition and food systems into education. Programs include a Procurement Program that helps schools shift to local produce sourcing, and a Food STEM Curriculum that engages students in the science of growing food through hydroponics and garden-based learning.
Together, these efforts cultivate not just crops—but resilient, food-literate communities across rural North Carolina.
Mobile Healthy Food Pantry
GRRO’s Mobile Healthy Food Pantry brings nutritious, locally sourced food directly to the communities that need it most. As a partner agency of the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, GRRO created this mobile solution to combat food insecurity and chronic disease in rural areas—where transportation barriers and limited pantry access often leave vulnerable families without healthy options.
Serving the Kerr-Tar region, the mobile pantry is more than a food delivery service—it’s a health-focused initiative that provides fresh produce, food education, and wellness support. By addressing the root causes of poor nutrition and engaging directly with underserved communities, the program helps break the cycle of poverty, food insecurity, and chronic illness, one delivery at a time.
Rural Consulting
Based in Henderson, NC, GRRO has a proven track record of designing and implementing holistic, community-driven solutions to address poverty, hunger, and chronic disease in rural North Carolina. Through customized consulting services, GRRO has supported grantmakers, nonprofits, and local agencies in developing effective strategies, conducting program evaluations, and building stakeholder engagement tailored to rural settings.
GRRO’s consulting expertise spans Rural Program Design & Evaluation, Project Delivery in Farming and Food Systems, and Training & Skills Building. Each initiative is crafted to integrate deeply with community needs, delivering measurable impact and sustainable outcomes. From revitalizing land to empowering social entrepreneurs, GRRO's consulting programs have helped catalyze long-term resilience and prosperity across rural regions.
