Southeast Regional Cooperative

09/04/2026

Check out our August Newsletter!

Last month we celebrated National Wellness Month and the incredible ways our network supports healthier communities across the Southeast and beyond.

Inside you’ll find:

🗣️ Highlights from the 2026 Fresh Connect Central Food Sourcing & Operations Conference

🚚 An update on our logistics pilot with Feeding the Carolinas — if your food bank or nonprofit needs freight assistance, please reach out!

👩‍🌾 The latest Southeast market reports

🧅 Seasonal fruit & veg now available in our mixed produce boxes — reach out if you’re interested!

🍗 A warm welcome to our newest Protein & Dairy Sourcing team member — we’re excited to be expanding this area of our work and moving more protein and dairy through the network for our neighbors!

We are grateful for our growers, food bank partners, and collaborators who make this work possible. Proud to be a member of the Feeding America Network!

Contact info is included in the newsletter.

Click below to read the full newsletter:

07/28/2026

Last week, we convened with our partner growers to share updates on our work with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant and the solutions taking shape through it. The conversation centered on what matters most to a strong partnership: trust and relationships. Growers shared how early commitments and consistent communication help them plan labor, harvest more effectively, and keep food moving even when the unexpected happens. Their insight reinforced a shared goal: building a more coordinated, responsive network that prevents nutritious food from going to waste, getting it to where it's needed most.

We are incredibly grateful for our partners and their continued investment in the mission of feeding our neighbors in need. Without their hard work on the ground, none of this would be possible — a huge thank you to all of our partner growers and everyone who joined us for this important conversation! Also, thank you to the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina for hosting and taking us on an awesome tour of the facilities!

Grateful to be a member of the Feeding America Network!

07/21/2026

Missed our June newsletter?

This edition brought highlights from a busy month, including our RFSP in-person convenings and the Farmers Feeding Florida Joint Emergency Management and Annual Meeting. You can also find our latest Southeast market reports to keep you up to date on what’s available across the region.

This month’s Member Highlight shines a light on Farms2U, a valued SERC partner carrying on a proud legacy of generational farming. Lastly, we included a Recipe of the Month — Southern Skillet Corn with a Twist!

As always, we’re grateful for the growers, food bank partners, and collaborators across the Feeding America Network and beyond who make this work possible.

Click below to explore the full newsletter and stay connected with the SERC!
https://mcusercontent.com/e9cab09f25150509a648d3071/files/70d88187-ce91-939b-24b3-b80e0f59a33f/June_SERC_Newsletter.pdf

07/15/2026

On June 25th, the SERC had the pleasure of attending the Farmers Feeding Florida Joint Emergency Management & Annual Meeting, which brought together emergency management personnel and partners supporting this vital statewide initiative that connects Florida’s farmers and producers directly with food banks to deliver fresh, locally grown food to neighbors in need.

Highlights from the day included a warehouse tour led by Brendan Blais, State Warehousing Manager of the State Emergency Response Team, highlighting the infrastructure behind Florida’s disaster response supply chain, as well as Hurricane season insights from Erek Culbreath, Director of Emergency Management (Florida Dept. of Children and Families), and Deputy Meteorologist Ian Mutschler on the state’s 2026 preparations. Thank you all for your time and invaluable insights!

We are proud to support Feeding Florida's mission by assisting with farm to food bank operations and emergency response work. We’re grateful for our partnership and the chance to collaborate with such a dedicated network of food banks, farmers, and hunger relief leaders working to strengthen food access and emergency preparedness across the state.

📍 Learn more about Florida’s hurricane preparedness efforts: https://www.floridadisaster.org/planprepare/

07/06/2026

The SERC was proud to participate in the 2026 Georgia Legal Food Frenzy Awards with Feeding Georgia, the State of Georgia Office of the Attorney General, the State Bar of Georgia, and the Young Lawyers Division State Bar of Georgia.

A special thank you to Feeding Georgia for the invitation, for being such a wonderful host, and for your invaluable partnership. & a HUGE congratulations to all of this year's participants and award winners! Your dedication and commitment to fighting hunger make a meaningful impact, and the work you do does not go unnoticed.

Together, we are helping build stronger, more resilient communities for our neighbors in need.


Photographer: Envisioning Freedom Productions, LLC

06/26/2026

Last week, we hosted two back-to-back convenings as part of our U.S. Department of Agriculture Regional Food System Partnerships (RFSP) grant, bringing together food bank partners, logistics personnel, and other industry leaders from across the Southeast to advance work on a regional food system roadmap.

Our Middle Supply Chain Convening (June 17) explored solutions around regional mixing and aggregation centers, coordinated purchasing models, and value-added processing services. Our Logistics Convening (June 18) focused on shared carrier strategies, regional load coordination, and reducing costs and improving efficiency across the network.

These sessions are a critical step in our RFSP-funded effort to plan and develop strategies that strengthen the charitable food network across the Southeast, with a final roadmap due to USDA this fall. We're proud to share that through our recently awarded Network Assets Grant, we’ve already begun implementing some of these solutions!

A heartfelt thank you to the Feeding America network for their continued guidance and support, and to every food bank and industry partner who showed up and shared their expertise. Convenings like these are a powerful reminder of what we can accomplish when the network comes together with a shared purpose.

06/08/2026

We're excited to share that The Produce News recently featured our work on the U.S. Department of Agriculture Resilient Food Systems Partnership grant!

Over the past year and a half, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside food banks and industry leaders across the Southeast to build a more coordinated and resilient regional food system. Together, we’ve made meaningful strides in logistics planning, middle supply chain coordination and long-term sustainability.

None of this would be possible without our incredible partners, stakeholders, committee members, and the Feeding America Network. We are truly grateful this opportunity and our community. Read the full article to learn more about what we’ve accomplished together, and what’s ahead as we work toward our regional roadmap. We encourage organizations interested in advancing similar work to learn more and apply for the RFSP grant.

📩 Have questions or want to learn more? Email [email protected]. We’d love to connect!

Special thanks to all! - Feeding America, Georgia State University - J. Mack Robinson College of Business (Institute for Insight), U.S. Department of Agriculture, Feeding the Carolinas, Feeding Florida, Feeding Georgia

The Southeast Regional Cooperative Inc. (SERC), a Feeding America network member, has worked alongside food banks and industry leaders across the Southeast to strengthen the charitable food supply chain through collaborative grant work. The SERC has coordinated this work over the past year and a hal...

05/12/2026

In case you missed it, check out our April newsletter!

April's edition highlights the people, partnerships, and progress driving our work, including an introduction to the SERC team, a spotlight on Mississippi Food Network's Molly’s Mobile Market, and market reports from across the Southeast.

You’ll also find our Recipe of the Month, a Three Sisters Spring Salad 🥗, and highlights from recent meetings and events, including the Feeding America Annual Leadership Conference, where our Senior Director of Operations, Denise Sheehan, joined a panel discussion on collaboration, innovation, and strengthening network impact.

As always, we’re grateful for our growers, food bank partners, and collaborators across the Feeding America network and beyond who make this work possible every day!

👉 Click the link below to read the full newsletter & stay connected with the latest from SERC

05/06/2026

What a great day for the ongoing collaboration between the Southeast Regional Cooperative, Inc., Atlanta Community Food Bank, and the Feeding America Network!

The SERC and ACFB recently entered into an agreement establishing a new third-party logistics (3pl) partnership. Work on systems integration has been going on behind the scenes for some time, but Kyle Waide, CEO of ACFB, and Chris Flint, Executive Director of the SERC, made it official last week. With this agreement, the SERC will move its operational 3pl activity also known as our “Mixing Center” from Nickey Gregory Produce to Atlanta Community Food Bank. ACFB will provide critical logistics services to the SERC including cross docking, mixed box production, and other management and production services.

This new partnership will provide substantial savings on services that the SERC provides to Feeding America partners across the region and will ensure that resources vital to the network's mission are deployed within the Feeding America Network. Additionally, this project aligns well with the Feeding America Network Strategic Framework objective – Enhance Food Sourcing and Sharing.

Said SERC Executive Director Chris Flint, “I am grateful to Kyle and his team and the work they have done in preparation for this move, and to Nickey Gregory Company who have been and continue to be wonderful partners in the work we are doing. In addition to providing critical savings to our members in this challenging financial environment, members will also benefit from increased flexibility in the services this relationship will allow us to provide. Atlanta Community Food Bank is a leader in the fight against food insecurity, and we are grateful for this opportunity to work closely with them and expand our collective impact.”

04/24/2026

Last week, we attended the Feeding America Annual Leadership Conference in Dallas, TX, joining more than 700 partners from across the country. Centered on “Uniting Communities,” the conference focused on advancing equitable food access, strengthening partnerships, and elevating the voices of neighbors facing hunger, highlighting the collective impact of the Feeding America network and a shared commitment to ensuring dignified access to food for all.

While there, we also hosted a table to connect with partners, share our work, and highlight the power of collaboration across the network. We’re grateful to be included in this meaningful experience and a member of the Feeding America network!