Got to Be NC members represent the farmers and agribusinesses that produce our state’s agricultural products. Membership in the program not only allows us to bring our members’ goods to market and into the hands of consumers, it benefits North Carolina’s agriculture industry as a whole.
Through members-only events, trade shows, marketing initiatives and more, we support members of all sizes, from wholesale producers and processors to individual specialty food entrepreneurs. The Got to Be NC program is a business development program. It is designed to assist companies that are in business to grow and expand market share. The program is not for the hobbyist.
Got to Be NC membership is made by application to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and may only be claimed by qualified and approved producers or processors of North Carolina agricultural and food products.
Apply online for membership today! You can view our membership criteria by downloading it here. Prospective members looking to download a paper application form can do so here. Please note, paper applications take longer to process.
Current members should verify and update their member profile today – it’s as easy as following steps 1, 2, 3! Search the name of your business to confirm whether or not your company has been imported to our Find Local directory. If you are listed, simply follow step 2 to the form to update your existing profile.
For current members not listed: You are still a member! Because of the age and volume of the old member database, we launched the new site with a sampling of the total membership data that had been researched and vetted. The fastest and most efficient way for us to capture updated information on our members for the new Find Local directory is to have you fill out the new online application. This application feeds our new member profile center. The application is more in depth, but takes just 10 minutes to fill out. This will provide NCDA staff with the robust details and information needed to serve you better.
For information about membership, contact April Keeton, Got to Be Program Administrator. Please note, in order to maintain the integrity of the data on the site, prospective applicants should fully complete all sections since each application is vetted and researched before being uploaded. An application with all the pertinent information provided, will speed the process.
Member Opportunities
Explore grant initiatives and opportunities available from Got to Be NC and our partners.
SAVE THE DATE FOR GOT TO BE NC EVENTS
UPCOMING EVENTS
2024
- May 17-19, 2024 Got to Be NC Festival (Raleigh)
- September 6-15, 2024 Mountain State Fair (Fletcher)
- October 17-27, 2024, NC State Fair (Raleigh)
2025
- January 28, 2025 Flavors of Carolina (Greensboro)
- January 29, 2025 Grower Buyer Exchange (Greensboro)
- May 16-18, 2025 Got to Be NC Festival (Raleigh)
- September 5-14, 2025 Mountain State Fair (Fletcher)
- October 16-26, 2025 NC State Fair (Raleigh)
2026
- TBD, Flavors of Carolina (TBD)
- TBD, 2026, Grower Buyer Exchange (TBD)
- May 15-17, 2026 Got to Be NC Festival (Raleigh)
- September 11-20, 2026 Mountain State Fair (Fletcher)
- October 15-25, 2026 NC State Fair (Raleigh)
When additional information becomes available it will be posted on the events page.
4th Annual Pinehurst Barbeque Festival
Date: Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024
Time: 11:00 – 5:00 pm
Got to be NC is sponsoring the 4th Annual Pinehurst Barbeque Festival. As part of our activation, we are setting up a GTBNC Member Pavilion. This is an opportunity for our members to sample and sell at one of North Carolina’s premier festivals. We will have 20 booths available for The Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational on Sunday, September, 1st from 11am-5pm. Christopher Prieto Pitmaster Invitational — Pinehurst Barbecue Festival
This event will host over 4,000 guests. There is no set up fee to join the GTBNC Pavilion!
For more information and to sign up, please contact festival co-founder, Dave Droschak at ddroschak@earthlink.net
NC Specialty Foods Association - 2024 Summer of Expansion Series of Events
#1 – Navigating the Amazon Effect: Strategies for Success in the Digital Marketplace
Date: Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Cost: Free to NCSFA Members / $10 non members
Registration Link: https://ncspecialtyfoods.org/event-registration/#!event/2024/6/12/navigating-the-amazon-effect-strategies-for-success-in-the-digital-marketplace
#2 – eCommerce – Beginning to Advanced
Date: Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Cost: Free to NCSFA Members / $10 non members
Registration Link: https://ncspecialtyfoods.org/event-registration/#!event/2024/6/26/ecommerce-8211-beginning-to-advanced
#3 – Tradeshows – A to Z
Date: Wednesday, July 10, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Cost: Free to NCSFA Members / $10 non members
Registration Link: https://ncspecialtyfoods.org/event-registration/#!event/2024/7/10/tradeshows-from-a-to-z
#4 – Selling with Faire
Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Cost: Free to NCSFA Members / $10 non members
Registration Link: https://ncspecialtyfoods.org/event-registration/#!event/2024/7/24/selling-with-faire
#5 – Scaling a Food Business
Date: Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Cost: Free to NCSFA Members / $10 non members
Registration Link: https://ncspecialtyfoods.org/event-registration/#!event/2024/8/7/scaling-a-food-business
#6 – The Grand Finale and Awards Presentation~
Finance Panel – Loans, Grants and Alternative Fund Raising
Date: Wednesday, August 21, 2024
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 pm
Cost: Free to NCSFA Members / $10 non members
Registration Link: https://ncspecialtyfoods.org/event-registration/#!event/2024/8/21/the-grand-finale-and-awards-presentation