WAGRAM — Noran Sanford, board chairman of GrowingChange, is working to make a difference and bring life back to forgotten structures in the process.
Those efforts recently brought national recognition to GrowingChange.
“We must take every opportunity to help make our country more just,” said Sanford. “There are 300 opportunities across the United States in the form of closed, decommissioned prisons that can be justly repurposed to create jobs, provide services and empower the leadership of citizens directly impacted by incarceration.
“We are transforming a closed prison in Scotland County into a sustainable farm and community resource to serve as a model, bringing together state, university and national partners,” added Sanford.
According to Sanford, North Carolina has the largest number of closed prisons in the United States.
“North Carolina used more forced prison labor to build its roads than any other state,” said Sanford. “ Many of these sites are in low wealth rural areas where prisons provided employment.
“Scotland County typifies the hard-hit rural regions that often house prisons,” added Sanford. “GrowingChange is reshaping these rusting weapons of injustice into tools of justice as we grow good food to feed neighbors, help to improve community health outcomes and keep our youth out of prison.”
Creating jobs is central to GrowingChange’s approach as it encourages youth to keep working the program.
“Job creation itself is a powerful value argument to local and state leaders,” said Sanford. “Our youth prototype each of our programs as we work to create earned revenue streams such as selling eggs, compost, livestock, etc.
“Our slogan is ‘Fail often but fail small’ as our youth figure out how to develop our approaches,” added Sanford.
GrowingChange is in a continual progression of trying to make a difference and help the members of its community.
“We are working at the local level to give boxes of fresh North Carolina produce, meat and eggs to neighbors in need,” said Sanford. “Currently we are dropping off boxes to unemployed restaurant workers. This is made possible through Carolina Farm Stewardship working with Scotland County’s very own Davon Goodwin who is a local farmer and the director of The Sandhills Ag Innovation Center in Ellerbe.
“Davon buys the local food and packs the boxes,” added Sanford. “GrowingChange sells our eggs and produce to the program and helps set up and deliver the food. This is being funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation and Corporation and we work in tandem with Cooperative Extension.”
Recently, GrowingChange was recognized on a national level.
“We were honored to be covered by the nationally respected online magazine, ‘Civil Eats,’ on Tuesday,” said Sanford.
Residents interested in viewing the article can use the linkhttps://civileats.com/2020/06/15/youth-are-flipping-an-abandoned-north-carolina-prison-into-a-sustainable-farm/ to do so.
“’Civil Eats’ is a national leader in examining ways the United States food system can be improved,” said Sanford. “This coverage lifted us to be named the number one great idea of the day in the United States on Tuesday by The Aspen Institute, a nationally respected, nonpartisan think tank, in considering how our country can improve its democracy.”
To view the daily list residents can visit the website https://www.aspeninstitute.org/ideas/.
JJ Melton can be reached at jmelton@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.