2026 ReFED Food Waste Solutions Summit
May 19-21, 2026 | Charlotte, NC
The Westin Charlotte
Field Trips
We're partnering with organizations throughout the Charlotte area to introduce you to the local food system and bring food waste and sustainability to life!
Summit field trips are optional, and advanced sign-up is required to attend. Spaces are limited for each trip and are available on a first-come, first-served basis—as soon as each trip's maximum capacity is reached, sign-ups will close.
All field trips are held simultaneously on Tuesday, May 19 from 1-4pm ET, so you may only choose one trip. There is a cost of $40 per person to help cover transportation and logistics and to support our host organizations. Release forms may be required for some locations and will be distributed once the final group is confirmed.
We'll be adding more field trip locations in the coming weeks, so check back to see what's still available!
Cancellation Policy for Field Trips:
If you cancel by April 18, 2026, the field trip registration fee will be fully refunded.
Cancellations made on or after April 19, 2026, will not be refunded. In lieu of canceling, you can transfer your ticket to someone else for no charge.
Deep Roots CPS Farm
Founded by first-generation Black farmers, Deep Roots CPS Farm is a family-run urban farm selling to consumers, wholesale, and direct to chefs throughout the Charlotte metropolitan area. Experience how the farm's regenerative agricultural practices and deep commitment to soil health, biodiversity, and long-term sustainability connect to larger issues like food sovereignty, environmental stewardship, and health equity. You'll also get an up-close look at the farm's chickens, goats, and other animals and learn about their roles in the farm ecosystem.
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Denali North Carolina
Join us for a field trip to Denali North Carolina, formerly known as Wallace Farm, a historic, family‑built composting operation that has grown into a key part of Denali’s organics recycling network. Participants will see firsthand how food waste, green waste, and other organic materials are transformed into high‑quality compost, mulch, and soil products that support regenerative agriculture and circular economy goals. This visit offers food waste professionals an inspiring look at scalable, sustainable diversion practices and real‑world innovation in organics processing.
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Freshlist Food Hub
Get a seasonal snapshot of the best that is grown throughout the Carolinas, with more than 500 different line items coming in from over 200 small-to-midsize family farms. Founded in 2014, Freshlist directly serves about 250 restaurant and retail customers and has returned more than $10 million to farmers in rural communities by connecting them to local markets. In addition to learning about Freshlist's range of programs supporting equitable access to fresh local food, attendees will hear how this regional food hub uses a harvest-to-order model that minimizes its product shrink rate to 16-50 times less than the industry average.
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Innovation Hub/The Bulb
Envision Charlotte’s Innovation Barn is a hub for sustainability, recycling, innovation, and community engagement. Home to partners like The Bulb—a nonprofit mobile farmers market delivering fresh, sustainably sourced produce to underserved communities while reducing food waste—the space showcases real, on-the-ground examples of organics diversion and resilient food systems in action. Visitors can see firsthand how sustainability and innovation intersect to help build a more connected, zero-waste future for Charlotte.
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Levy at Bank of America Stadium
Get a unique behind-the-scenes tour of Bank of America Stadium, home to the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC. On this back-of-house tour, you'll see firsthand how Levy, the market leader in sports and entertainment hospitality, implements sustainability and food waste reduction strategies for large-scale events.
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Providence Day School
Class is in session! Hop on the (school) bus for a tour of FLIK Independent School Dining's operations at Providence Day School, an independent college preparatory school for grades TK-12. You'll get an up-close look at the "Waste Not 2.0" tablet-based tracking program, which helps staff measure both pre-consumer kitchen waste and post-consumer plate waste, and learn more about how FLIK’s broader commitment to sustainable, scratch-made dining, which includes improving food systems, student engagement, and waste reduction, comes to life at this particular school. Best part: there’s no pop quiz or homework afterward.
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University of North Carolina Charlotte
Step into the shoes of a Niner, to see how sustainability and dining intersect every single day. From the first bite in the dining hall to the roar of the stadium on game day, you'll experience how waste reduction is woven throughout. Get a first-hand look at the Chop Shop, a central prep kitchen, to see how the operation is streamlined and explore efforts behind zero waste football games, food donation programs, and much more.
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