Agriculture, Food and Beverage Quarterly Industry Forum

Join the North Carolina Military Business Center for our quarterly industry-related forums that spotlight key federal opportunities and strengthen connections across North Carolina’s federal and defense contracting ecosystem. Each industry-specific quarterly session will connect businesses, government agencies, and prime contractors to discuss:

• Upcoming contracting opportunities and capability gaps
• Market and policy trends shaping the industry
• Success stories and lessons learned from peers
• Strategies for growth in the federal marketplace

These forums are part of our year-round commitment to industry engagement, building momentum towards major annual industry events like FEDTEX, DISC, MBB, FTS and the Summit ensuring that businesses stay connected and competitive in a rapidly evolving federal and defense landscape.

When. January 29, 2026 from 0900-1030

Where. This forum will be held in a virtual setting.

Agenda:

• NCMBC updates and industry insights
• Highlights of upcoming opportunities and capability gaps. Shelf Stocking, Receiving, Storage, and Holding Area, and Click2Go Services at the Jacksonville NAS Commissary; Material Handling Equipment (MHE) Maintenance and Repair Services- Maryland (Andrews AFB, Annapolis and NAS Fort Meade
• Business Spotlights. Keith Purvis, VP Value-Added Services, Foster USA. Foster USA is a long-standing regional food supply chain business rooted in North Carolina that focuses on delivering fresh food products and logistical solutions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond. Foster moves fresh produce, dairy, and other food products from growers to customers like restaurants, schools, retailers, and institutions. Through a contract with the Defense Logistics Agency, Foster provides fresh produce to military installations in North Carolina, Camp Lejeune, Fort Bragg, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base; USDA Schools; and Tribal Reservations.
  Sheetal Shah, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder, Cosmic Eats, Agribusiness and Food Systems. Cosmic Eats, Inc. is an NC-based women-led start-up (NAICs 541714, 541715) developing solutions to grow and deliver nutrient-dense food directly at point of need (PON). These solutions are effectively portable mini-farms that can be deployed to stabilize military and civilian populations, in austere or remote environments, or anywhere that conventional food supply chains may be unavailable or contested. Cosmic Eats was a recipient of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) award.
• Open Q&A and networking

Save the date for the 2026 upcoming Agriculture, Food and Beverage Quarterly Forums: April 30, 2026; July 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026

Register