About NC Choices
NC Choices promotes sustainable food systems through the advancement of the local, niche, and pasture-based meat supply chains in North Carolina.
Our team provides resources, education, technical assistance, regulatory interpretation, and networking for farmers, extension agents, meat processors, buyers, distributors, and consumers. NC Choices is an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in collaboration with NC Cooperative Extension.
The Case for a Resilient Meat Supply
Local pasture-raised meat works when farmers, processors, and buyers all succeed together. In North Carolina, livestock farms depend on pasture to raise animals in a way that fits the land, supports soil health, and keeps farms in production. These systems help farmers build more stable businesses, keep dollars in rural communities, and give consumers a direct connection to their food.
When the supply chain is working, from pasture to processor to plate, local meat becomes more accessible, more efficient, and more resilient.
Our Strategic Focus
Convening
We foster peer-to-peer networking and host training sessions for the pasture-based niche meat community, enabling business owners to share expertise and grow together. For over a decade, our nationally recognized Carolina Meat Conference has brought together farmers, chefs, butchers and industry experts for hands-on training and technical assistance, laying the groundwork for what has since grown into a national network of regional summits. Today, we partner on the National Meat Summits Steering Committee, helping coordinate regional summits across the United States, learning from and contributing to a growing movement.
Join our email lists for updates on NC Choices events.
Education & Resources
Our resource library translates land-grant university research into practical guidance for every stage of the niche meat supply chain, from production through marketing. Producers and processors are encouraged to utilize these videos and guides to build more resilient and profitable local meat businesses.
Direct to Consumer Tools for Farmers
Our MeatSuite program strengthens the local meat supply chain by equipping farmers with the tools to reach new customers and sell more meat. Through a strategic partnership with Cornell University, we offer a comprehensive suite of free resources, including a Bulk Meat Product Directory for NC shoppers, a statewide Processor Directory, and specialized meat pricing tools designed to help local farms thrive.
Technical Assistance
We offer free technical assistance to farmers, meat processors, butchers, business owners, educators, and anyone interested in local meat systems in North Carolina.
Contact us with questions about production, processing, regulation, marketing, or business. We work with a team of advisors, Extension agents and specialists, technical consultants, and niche meat professionals to answer your questions and grow your business.
Regulatory Interpretation
Regulation is a constant across the local meat supply chain. While we are not regulators, NC Choices works closely with the state’s meat regulatory authority, the Meat and Poultry Inspection Division of the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA MPID), to make sure you have the resources to operate safely and in accordance with state and federal law. Contact us for support.