The Center for Environmental Farming Systems’ Blog
Local Government, Local Food: Engaging Counties, Cities and Towns in the Work of Building Local Food Systems
Local governments – especially planners, economic developers, and small business centers – are increasingly interested in how to nurture and expand agriculture and food access in their communities. Connecting them to the wealth of knowledge available from the CEFS partnership of NC State, NC A&T State University, and the N.C. Department of Agriculture brings together powerful tools for making a real impact on the lives of North Carolinians.
The Changing Face of Agriculture: Women Working in the Meat Business
Ask your average American, “what does a farmer look like?”, and you are likely to get an outdated answer. In fact, if you Google the question, images of men dominate the search results. But the [...]
Food as Community Change: North Carolina Youth are Local Food Heroes
During CEFS’ recent Farm to Fork Picnic Weekend, CEFS awarded its very first Local Food Heroes Awards. Reflecting the youth focus of this year’s Farm to Fork Picnic Weekend, honorees are all youth and their youth organizers who work in partnership with CEFS.
Addressing Food Security and Food Sovereignty: The Role of Land-Grant and Public Universities
By Nancy Creamer, CEFS Director A conversation has been initiated within the land-grant and public university community to “Align and Guide Public Research Universities’ Role in Ensuring Global Food Security by 2050.” A new A.P.L.U. [...]
Agroecology Farm on a roll
Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno and the Agroecology Education Farm have racked up three wins in two weeks: an Alumni Distinguished Undergraduate Professor Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for Schroeder-Moreno, and a Green Brick [...]
Dr. Cary Rivard: Rooted at CEFS, Trained for National Impact
Dr. Cary Rivard has always enjoyed eating tomatoes, but he also has a unique perspective on what it takes to grow them.
FoodCorps North Carolina and Farm-to-School: A Recipe for Healthy Kids
FoodCorps aims to change children's attitudes and behaviors towards food through nutrition education, school garden engagement, and increasing access to healthy, local produce through local farm to cafeteria pathways.
George Teague and Reedy Fork Dairy Farm: An Organic Legacy
"CEFS is the only place doing this kind of work. There's not anybody else in our climate and region doing research for us."
SWARM: Youth Food Activists Are Changing the World
Students Working for an Agricultural Revolutionary Movement (SWARM) has been applying the lessons of past civil rights and justice movements to the struggle for food equity.
Lowes Foods and Ariel Fugate: Bringing Local Foods to Retail Markets
At the front lines of Lowes Foods' local produce purchasing is Ariel Fugate, an NC State University graduate who now works for Lowes as their Locally Grown Accounts Representative, and NC A&T as liaison to the NC Growing Together project.
CEFS’ Research Farm: A Regional Resource, Addressing Global Challenges
Located on 2000 acres of Eastern North Carolina soils, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' (NCDA&CS) Cherry Farm in Goldsboro is home to CEFS' research farm.