- [David] "ncIMPACT" is a PBS North Carolina production in association with the University of North Carolina School of Government.

Funding for "ncIMPACT" is made possible by.

- [Announcer] Changing the course of people's lives.

That's the impact UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine work to deliver every day.

Our 40,000 team members across the state of North Carolina are committed to caring for you, our patients and communities, as well as educating the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Individually, we can do a little, but collectively, we can do a lot to create impact.

- While some places in North Carolina boast really strong economies, others have experienced significant declines.

We'll discover how three communities are fighting back to rebuild their local economies.

This is "ncIMPACT."

Welcome to "ncIMPACT."

I'm Anita Brown-Graham.

For generations, North Carolina's coastline was famous for its oysters, but then the industry nearly vanished.

Now, a surge in oyster farming could help transform coastal economies.

We visit Carteret County to learn more.

- 120 years ago, the oyster industry was booming here in North Carolina, so much so that the state passed laws so that fishermen from outside the state couldn't come here to fish in our coastal waters.

However, overfishing, disease, and pollution devastated the oyster industry, and for the past hundred years, the industry has all but clammed up, but over the past decade, North Carolina's oyster aquaculture has experienced a staggering 500% growth.

So, what's behind this historic comeback and can they avoid making the same mistakes that caused the industry to bust?

And will it be enough to turn this small little oyster into North Carolina's next cash crop?

Let's find out.

[poised music] [inquisitive music] North Carolina's coastline was once dominated by vast oyster reefs, underwater cities that filtered water and protected our shores.

The 1880s saw these oysters shipped by boxcar across America from San Francisco to New York.

By 1902, harvest peaked at 800,000 bushels.

That's 5.6 million pounds of oyster meat.

- Our shellfish industry, it's a community asset.

It's a part of the inheritance for North Carolina.

- [David] But the boom wouldn't last.

Overharvesting, habitat loss, and disease devastated these natural reefs.

As oyster populations vanished, coastal towns that were relied on canneries and processing facilities saw their economic lifeline disappear.

While wild oyster harvests have slowly recovered through restoration efforts, they're nowhere near their historic peaks.

Instead, it's farmed oysters that are writing the next chapter.

In 2019, farm-raised oysters surpassed wild harvests for the very first time.

Today, most oysters on your plate, whether raw, grilled, or fried, come from farms.

In 2022, North Carolina's shellfish industry contributed $31.7 million to the economy.

Even more impressive, nearly half of that, $14.6 million, came from farmed oysters alone.

And some want that $14 million to grow to $100 million.

Meet the Mera brothers: Eduardo, Roberto, and Fernando.

They're the faces behind one of over 300 oyster and clam farms along the North Carolina coast.

- So, right here in the front is typically where we get our market-ready oysters.

- [David] Their story starts in Ecuador where they watched their grandfather farm shrimp.

When their parents brought them to America, they carried that connection to the sea with them.

Today, they work in the waters of Oyster Creek in Davis, North Carolina, - Every single body of water is gonna be different saltiness, so you know, vegetal flavors, metallic, kind of just its own distinct flavor.

- [David] The water here hits a perfect sweet spot, 28 parts per thousand salinity.

Mm.

- Yeah.

That's where it's at.

- That's good.

Their oyster farm started with two small leases in Oyster Creek.

Now, they're sending 4,000 to 5,000 oysters each week to restaurants across the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic.

- Yeah, so typically what we like to see is an oyster that has, like, a nice cup, but my favorite, you know, out of these, I'd probably go for something, like, a little bit smaller, nice two and a half inches.

That's what a lot of restaurants like to see nowadays.

Nice and cold, just ready to go.

- [David] But while the oyster industry is booming, it's not without its challenges.

In Eastern North Carolina, breaking into the oyster industry means overcoming significant hurdles.

- That's really one of the biggest barriers is finding a new lease.

Like, yeah, 'cause you have to have a public hearing for it.

The community has to agree, they have to not mind seeing it, and it's kind of a process.

We got lucky with this one.

- [David] Even if you have a lease, starting an oyster farm requires significant upfront investment in equipment and inventory.

- A lot of times, people just need an opportunity, they can sell themselves, they can provide the service, but in a rural area, sometimes it's just, it's hard to get that opportunity.

- [David] Recognizing these challenges, the Array Community Development Corporation created a solution: the Shellfish Growers Loan Fund.

It provides low-interest loans to small businesses for startup and expansion.

- I mean, we have this beautiful ocean coastline and people can actually make a living here with aquaculture and shellfish farming.

- [David] And Array goes beyond just providing capital.

They offer crucial support in marketing, sales, and distribution.

But despite this support, small growers face significant logistical challenges that Array is not designed to address.

You see, federal law requires all oysters to be refrigerated within five hours of harvest.

For small-scale farmers without onsite refrigeration, this regulation can limit their ability to grow, so North Carolina is investing in infrastructure.

Construction will soon begin on a shellfish aquaculture hub in Carteret County.

It's a place where growers can collaborate, store gear, and refrigerate their products right on the waterfront.

- If we all grow together, the whole industry's gonna grow together.

There's gonna be more demand for us.

There's gonna be, you know, just a nice camaraderie between, you know, what, instead of having competition, it's just, there's like, I always say, there's enough slice of pizza in the pizza pie.

That's it.

- [David] But could this boom go bust like before?

North Carolina's oyster populations are just 15 to 20% of their historic levels, decimated by overfishing and pollution.

Today's threats are even more complex: rising sea temperatures, ocean acidification, and extreme weather.

But there's a crucial difference this time: modern oyster farming actually benefits the environment.

Each farm creates its own ecosystem, filtering water and building marine habitats, and the state is betting big on this sustainable approach.

With $16 million in federal grants and state funding, North Carolina is building new oyster habitats.

They're even expanding oyster shell recycling programs to ensure these waters stay productive for generations to come.

For the Mera brothers, this state investment and community support is already paying off.

- [Fernando] We got top meat.

- Yeah.

- Oh yeah.

[laughs] - Mm.

- 10 outta 10?

- Oh yeah.

Oh yeah.

- 10 outta 10.

[David laughs] - [David] While the oyster industry hasn't always gotten a perfect score, today's approach shows promise.

The mistakes of the past have become lessons for a new generation of farmers.

For "ncIMPACT," I'm David Hurst.

- While oyster farms revive coastal waters, a different kind of renewal is unfolding in the Foothills.

In Marion, empty storefronts once told a familiar story of decline.

We'll explore now how this community doubling down on rebuilding Main Street is offering hope to small towns all across the state.

- Decaying main streets are plaguing small-town America.

Vacant storefronts, an exodus of young people, and crumbling infrastructure paint a pretty bleak picture.

However, in some rural towns, Main Street isn't just surviving, it's booming, but as these towns come alive, prices go up, and some locals are having a hard time affording to live in their hometowns.

So, what's the recipe for breathing life back into main streets, and how do towns ensure that their growth doesn't push out the very families who have called it home for generations?

I'm David Hurst.

This is "ncIMPACT."

[poised music] Like many small towns, the 2008 recession hit Marion, North Carolina hard, but the truth is the decline started long before that.

First came shopping malls in the 1950s, drawing people away from downtown, then big box stores arrived, offering prices that small businesses couldn't match.

By the time 2008 hit, many downtowns were already struggling to survive.

- Downtown was pretty void.

I mean, you know, a lot of the owners of the buildings downtown, if they could just find a tenant, you know, they were happy.

- [David] Downtown vacancy rates in Marion climbed to 25%, and like many small towns, they faced a critical question: how do you bring life back to a dying downtown?

A lot of times, that means betting the farm on landing a big employer, like a factory or a corporate headquarters, even a distribution center, but that strategy doesn't always work for rural communities.

- The old adage of "if you build it, they will come" is nonsense.

That does not happen, particularly if you're just not prepared.

- [David] So, in 2016, Marion launched the Growing Entrepreneurs Marion program, or GEM.

The program connects aspiring business owners with training, mentorship, and potential funding sources.

For qualifying businesses, the program includes rent and utility assistance for their first six months of operation.

- We've had, I think, 160 or so graduates in the first seven, eight years of the GEM program, representing 80 existing or new or prospective businesses, and investment, private investment of over $5 million.

The vast majority of that, 2/3 of that, has been in downtown Marion, which was our hope and dream, but it's come to fruition.

- So, this section right here is kind of our olive oils and our infused balsamics.

It's kind of the bread and butter of the business.

- [David] One of the graduates is Doug Watson.

He grew up in Marion, but like many of his generation, left for a job out of town.

- Well, I left the corporate world, so I kinda just walked, left that world altogether.

I came back to Marion and really didn't know what I was gonna do in my next chapter, and just decided, "You know what?

Let's become an entrepreneur."

- Doug started small at just 600 square feet, but today, his business, Flavors on Main, occupies 10 times that space in the heart of downtown.

And growing up, did you ever envision that you would own a business like this in the heart of downtown?

- Never.

Never entered the equation for me, but now it's like, I love it.

Absolutely love it and I feel like we make an impact for the town, you know?

We're trying to be that anchor store that hopefully helps other businesses, and you know, we support other businesses, we work closely with other businesses, and you know, we try to work together to make everybody successful.

- [David] Today, available downtown space is hard to find, a dramatic shift from those vacant streets a decade ago.

To see this transformation firsthand, my colleague, Anita Brown-Graham, took a walk through downtown Marion with Mayor Steve Little and town manager, Bob Boyette.

- This store here is occupied by a GEM graduate, and a previous person had been a GEM graduate and she relocated to another town, and when it became available, he moved right in.

- [David] But success has brought unexpected challenges.

Think about this.

For every 100 new North Carolinians, 95 of them are moving from other states like New York or California.

But it's not just people moving to North Carolina.

It's also their wealth.

North Carolina now ranks six nationally as a destination for millennials making over $100,000 annually, so as more people move in, the demand for housing grows, but their buying power also drives up prices.

- Growth happens and property values do go up.

We just try to help keep it within a balance as best we can.

- [David] And city leaders noticed two trends.

There was a desire for more residents to move downtown and there were property owners that had vacant second or third floors in their building, so they launched a program that helps property owners convert vacant upper floors into affordable apartments.

But this sounds like a lot of change for a small town.

I know every time I go back to my hometown after being away, I'm struck by how much can change in just a year or two.

It's a feeling I'm sure many of us know well, and it's one that residents of Marion are also experiencing.

- I mean, if you go back and look at where Marion was 5 to 10 years ago and where it is today, people come into town that haven't been here in years and they're amazed.

- But watching my own hometown transform over the years has always made me wonder, how do you move forward without losing what makes a place special?

For Marion, the answer wasn't to freeze time.

It was to find creative ways to keep their history alive while welcoming the new.

Since the 1970s, the federal government has incentivized historic building revival through tax credits.

North Carolina enhanced its own program in 1998, leading the nation in historic rehab projects.

In Marion, they help business owners update their storefronts while keeping their historic charm.

We're sitting here in your office.

It's the old train depot.

- Yes.

- What role does historic preservation play in downtown redevelopment?

- Part of the Main Street focus is historic preservation, and so downtown Marion is listed on the, is a historic district, so part of the facade grant program is helping to preserve those buildings and protect those buildings, and so being in a historic building myself, that gives us just a particular way to say, this is, you can restore a building or rehab a building for use.

We just kinda be here to guide those people to make sure that they save those buildings that are so much a part of our history and our heritage.

- [David] Well, one of the best examples of historic preservation may be the Miller Business Complex.

This former factory now houses modern businesses while maintaining its historic character.

Daniel Rodriguez Jr. owns Burrito Bros, a restaurant that operates out of the Miller Business Complex.

It's a full circle moment for Rodriguez, who used to work at the factory.

- So, coming back to it was just kinda, it was a weird feeling.

In a way, I liked it because it was a whole new circumstance.

You know, I was working for myself in this location and it was just awesome knowing that I used to haul trash through here when I used to work here to, you know, being the owner of a restaurant that's here, so that's a cool feeling.

- [David] Today, Marion's downtown tells a different story than it did a decade ago.

- You can walk downtown on the sidewalk in the evenings any night of the week, and you'll see stores open, restaurants, other businesses that are open, people visiting, talking, eating, having a beverage on the sidewalk, and it's just invigorating.

- [David] But as towns like Marion grow more attractive, they face new challenges like rising housing costs and the need to balance progress with preservation.

For "ncIMPACT," I'm David Hurst.

- Businesses need workers and the skills they need from those workers have changed significantly.

Let's head to Wilkes County, where adults are going back to school to gain skills that pay.

It is a people-based approach to economic development.

- North Carolina is booming, but not for everyone.

We're seeing incredible job growth with companies making promises of opportunity and prosperity, but beneath this wave of success, a puzzling reality emerges.

North Carolina has more low-wage workers than national average, and out of 50 states, North Carolina ranked seventh for the most low-wage workers.

For some, there's a disconnect between these new jobs and the people living here.

Why?

Well, here's a startling fact.

One in four North Carolinians who start college never finish.

In an economy where a college degree can essentially double your income, that's a life-changing setback.

How can we help adult learners finish what they started and get their college degree and will it make a difference?

Can these programs truly help North Carolinians access the opportunities our booming economy promises?

Let's find out.

[poised music] [torch crackles] This is what opportunity sounds like, but for Josh Lyman, this moment almost never happened.

Just a few years ago, he couldn't imagine standing here.

- School's something I was never good at.

Never cared for or nothing like that.

I was suspended most of the time in high school and middle school, getting in trouble.

Didn't have good grades 'cause I didn't care.

- [David] Josh dropped out of high school at 17, got his GED and joined the Army.

After an injury, an honorable discharge in 2010, his life took a turn.

- I picked up a couple side jobs, working for some friends and stuff like that, but that's about all that worked for me for the time.

- Was that sustainable at all?

- No, not at all.

Barely made enough to cover food, [laughs] let alone rent or anything like that, so.

- [Announcer] While in the Army, Josh developed a substance use disorder after his injury.

Without education, finding stable employment became even harder.

- It was difficult.

I was homeless for, well, pretty much till just a couple years ago, since the time I got out.

- [David] Stories like Josh's help us understand why education and income are so tightly linked in North Carolina.

Recent data shows workers with a bachelor's degree earn a median wage of about $77,000, those with only a high school diploma, just $46,000, and those with less than a high school diploma like Josh, it's about $36,000.

This education gap is one factor contributing to lower wages in North Carolina.

About 28% of the state's workforce earns less than $17 per hour.

That percentage is higher than national average.

On top of that, nearly half of North Carolinians age 25 to 44 aren't earning what's considered a family-sustaining wage.

For them, housing, groceries, and gas, it all becomes a game of survival.

- People come to us and they are either exhausted in their current career or they are looking for whatever education program will get them that next pay bump or whatever it is to get their family stabilized.

- But things changed for Josh when he heard about Wilkes Community College.

- Well, my brother mentioned to me that they had a weld shop down there and they did the classes for it and everything.

It was something I'd never done, but I was really interested in it.

I always knew I was.

I just never had the means to actually start doing it.

- [David] Josh's timing couldn't have been better.

At the time, the community college was in the middle of changing how they support adult learners, especially those who had dropped out before.

They had discovered something surprising.

When students leave, it's rarely about academics.

Over half of dropouts aren't struggling with classes, they're struggling with life.

- Some of them only needed to come one semester and take one or two classes.

That's how close they were and we lost them.

- [David] So, the college created support services, offering everything from transportation to childcare assistance, and they took it even a step further, making tuition free through last-dollar scholarships.

After federal aid and grants, the college covers whatever remains, completely removing cost as a barrier.

- They're trying to make their lives better and we're the conduit for that.

Community college?

It's the lifeblood of the country for the workforce.

- [David] But even with the supports, many working adults face a seemingly impossible challenge: time.

Between full-time jobs and family responsibilities, sometimes traditional classes can remain out of reach.

- You have people who have great desire but no opportunity.

- That's where the public sector can play a role, like Tyson Foods, who brings education directly to the workplace.

Through their partnership with Wilkes Community College, employees can take classes before, during, or after their shifts.

How much of a game changer is that to offer those opportunities there at the workplace rather than them having to come to the community college here?

- Total game changer.

Paradigm shift as far as, you know, the production environment moves fast, any work environment really moves fast, and being agile is really the new term for any workplace, and that would be an agile function to be able to meet a need of your workforce and say, "Hey, we have it right here."

That is just mind blowing.

- [David] While programs like these may be making a difference locally, North Carolina faces a bigger challenge.

Remember the thousands of former students across the state who are just a few credits short of their degree?

- We don't know where they go, and our biggest competitor to education here is nowhere.

- [David] So, how can a statewide solution be scaled to meet this need?

Enter NC Reconnect.

It's a partnership between the Belk Endowment, NC State University, and the North Carolina Community College System.

The initiative partners with community colleges across the state, including Wilkes Community College.

It provides re-enrollment coaching that helps adults return to school and complete their degrees.

- No one scholarship is going to improve outcomes.

No one funder or program is going to make this community stronger.

It takes all of us coming to the table recognizing what we do and don't have and striving to impact that together.

- [David] North Carolina has set an ambitious goal: 2 million adults with valued credentials or degrees by 2030.

But behind these numbers are stories of transformation.

Josh Lyman went from homeless to graduating with a welding degree.

Now, he's finishing his business degree with dreams of starting his own company.

- For a while there, I wasn't sure going through recovery if it was gonna be possible for me to stay sober, for me to stay out of trouble or just fall back into the old life, but going to the school has just made everything easy.

- [David] As our state continues to attract new businesses and opportunities, the question isn't just about creating jobs.

It's about how can we create pathways for North Carolinians to access them.

For "ncIMPACT," I'm David Hurst.

- We're trying something new this season.

We're focusing more on the experts on the ground.

Thank you to those experts, the local leaders featured in this episode who so graciously allowed us to share the inspirational stories of their collaborative work, and thank you to you, our amazing audience, for watching and engaging at such high levels.

Let me know what you think about the new format.

I also love hearing about the solutions you know of out there when we do what we do best as North Carolinians: we work together.

Tell us what your community is doing or how we can help you.

Email us at ncimpact@unc.edu or message us on Facebook or LinkedIn, and be sure to join us every Friday night at 7:30 on PBS North Carolina for new episodes of "ncIMPACT."

[poised music] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] [poised music continues] Coming up on "ncIMPACT," housing costs are forcing many North Carolinians to their breaking point.

We will explore some solutions offering hope.

[inquisitive music] - [David] "ncIMPACT" is a PBS North Carolina production in association with the University of North Carolina School of Government.

Funding for "ncIMPACT" is made possible by.

- [Announcer] Changing the course of people's lives.

That's the impact UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine work to deliver every day.

Our 40,000 team members across the state of North Carolina are committed to caring for you, our patients and communities, as well as educating the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Individually, we can do a little, but collectively, we can do a lot to create impact.