Golden LEAF supports training and employer growth of booming horticultural industry in Western North Carolina  

The horticultural industry in Western North Carolina is booming, driving both economic growth and workforce demand. To meet this need, the Golden LEAF Foundation has funded projects to help with both the training and infrastructure required to prepare the next generation of skilled professionals to strengthen the state’s number one industry, agriculture.

Golden LEAF Food Distribution Assistance Program expands access to food across NC

The North Carolina General Assembly appropriated $10 million to the Golden LEAF Foundation for the Food Distribution Assistance Program, a one-time initiative to strengthen the state’s food distribution network. Funded by federal State Fiscal Recovery Funds through the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the program was designed to expand the capacity of nonprofits working alongside food banks to address food insecurity.

Industrial park to land more than 650 jobs in Davidson County

Davidson County has three new employers that will create a total of more than 650 jobs at Lexington Industrial Park, thanks in part to infrastructure funding from Golden LEAF.

In April 2017, the Golden LEAF Board of Directors awarded $1 million in Community-Based Grants Initiative funding to Davidson County for the development of a new county-owned industrial park near Interstate 85. Golden LEAF funds were used for public wastewater infrastructure costs for the Lexington Industrial Park.

Surry and Yadkin counties invest in local workforce through partnerships, work-based learning

Surry and Yadkin counties are building a strong workforce through partnerships and work-based learning experiences through Surry-Yadkin Works.

On January 31, 2025, Surry-Yadkin Works held a grand opening and ribbon cutting for Surry-Yadkin Works FLEET program. The Fostering Learning through Education, Employment, and Trades (FLEET) program is the newest program offered through Surry-Yadkin Works.