Introduced by
Have you supported Carolina Farm Trust?
Creating a unique platform for the region’s farmers.
Hi! Have you met Zack?
I recently met Zack Wyatt of the newly established nonprofit, Carolina Farm Trust, and organizer of Carolina Jubilee music festival. He lives in Cornelius with his wife and five children. Right off the bat, I connected with this guy’s oozing passion for creating a unique platform for the region’s farmers.
Carolina Farm Trust aims to work with both new and established farmers access to land, tools and support. Zack hopes to be able to support them on all levels from education, marketing, infrastructure to repairing farm equipment or building new barns. This will lead to a completely new network for the agriculture community and establish a larger sustained food source for the Carolina region.
The first big adventure he has taken on is putting together Carolina Jubilee, it is probably the cheapest two-day music festivals you will find in the Carolinas and every ticket sale goes directly to help fund the first acreages of land The Carolina Farm Trust will acquire/purchase.
His vision is huge and so inspiring to see another person around here taking ACTION with little fear or hesitation.
What are the three best motivators for your current passion work? (In three sentences)
Going to a farmers market and looking at the produce or meat and thinking of everything it took to get it to the market from seed its seedling birth. Knowing the difficulties of a farmer’s life is, the obstacles and meeting those courageous individuals who are farming and those who are entering the farming life despite what they may be up against. Seeing the current complicated way that we source our basic needs of survival and knowing that there is a better, regionally sustainable way for us to do the same.
What is your favorite meal to prepare for dinner?
I love to prepare homemade pasta, homemade sauce, homemade bread, and all the efforts that goes into enjoying the meal with good wine, friends and family.
What are problems or difficulties you have noticed with your own and other non-profits in Charlotte/North Carolina?
I think we all can agree that funding is the number one issue, but the biggest difficulty I see is that the nonprofits do not seem to be working together and there is a lack of collaboration. There is a struggle in getting people to act, many people will listen but getting them to act is a lot harder.
How many days per week do you wear a tie?
I hate wearing a tie and only wear one when I absolutely have too! (I had too today… I had an interview this afternoon.)
Where do you go/what do you do so that you are able to step back from all the little details in order to see the big picture of what you are creating with both Carolina Farm Trust and The Carolina Jubilee?
Play with my kids mostly or sitting back and having a glass of wine and talking with my wife. Hanging out with a friend and listening and really hearing them talk about their lives and aspirations.
What is one part of yourself that you feel could be improved?
I have been working on being more of an extrovert around people whom I do not know and being more open to people that I don’t know very well. I had a hard time relating to people that were not in my inner circle for a long time and now I realize that was not a good thing. Over the past 6 months I have really put myself out there like I have never done before and although I get uncomfortable at times I continue to just push through it. I have made a lot of progress with it and excited about the change.
To learn more about Zack and everything he has going on check out.
Carolina Farm Trust: http://carolinafarmtrust.org/
Carolina Jubilee 2015 Music Festival OCTOBER 16-17th (Tickets range from $35-$50 + extra fee for optional camping): http://www.thecarolinajubilee.
If you are interested in being a vender/craft/art/product to The Jubilee contact Zack by email: Zack@carolinafarmtrust.org
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