Hatching a Plan to Support Local Farms’ Pasture-Raised Egg Production

For the 2021-2022 school year, 4P Foods delivered more than 234,000 farm-fresh, pasture-raised eggs from Piedmont Progressive Farmers Cooperative (PPFC), a Black farmer cooperative located in Caswell County, N.C., to Harvest Table Culinary dining halls at Elon University. Elon and Harvest Table support local farmers by  serving students ethically-raised, locally-sourced eggs.

PPFC is a member run organization, with the majority of its board representing Black, female, differently-abled, and veteran members. Through our Equitable Food Sourcing Initiative, 4P Foods joined forces with PPFC to bolster our support of historically marginalized farmers and connect them to new market opportunities. 

When a university sources food from local farmers -it helps to reinforce the local agriculture ecosystem. University food sourcing is a high-volume business that traditional B2C retailers don’t command.  This  past year alone, Elon students went  through 3,600 eggs per week on average, resulting  in a $73,000 direct spend with PPFC. 

During the school year, Elon University easily meets the demand from the North Carolina based cooperative. A core challenge presented itself, however, when students left campus for the summer  and free-range hens continued laying eggs. While hens don’t get a  summer vacation, Harvest Table Culinary identified additional locations for PPFC pasture-raised eggs including its dining locations at Capital One Headquarters, University of North Carolina, and Georgetown University. Over the summer months, 4P Foods maintained volume with PPFC by delivering to dining locations in North Carolina and Virginia.

“Our mission is to transform the food system so that small farmers who have historically been cut out of opportunities to work with universities & other institutions have a chance to get their food on those plates and make a decent living,” says Julia Hoffman, 4P Foods Local Food Sales Advocate. “I look forward to carrying that mission out into the future.”

With classes back in session, we are excited to continue delivering pasture-raised eggs from PPFC to dining halls at Elon University. Elon has increased their request for eggs, and PPFC is ramping up their production. Now, this is how we like our eggs served.

Eggs-am the Data Points

• More than 234,000 eggs sold
• $73,743.75 direct spend with PPFC
• 75% of PPFC Board of Directors is represented by Black, female, differently-abled, and veteran members
• Students at Elon go through an average of 3,600 eggs per week