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Rhyne Cureton, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, B.S., Agricultural Education, December 2018

“NC Growing Together made me a better student. It really gave me the opportunity to understand agriculture on a big scale.”

Rhyne Cureton’s interest in agriculture developed from a life-long love of animals. “I knew I wanted to work with animals somehow, and always appreciated animals in their natural environment,” he says. He studied Animal Science at N.C. A&T, which, he says “helped me see animal agriculture integrated into the larger whole of agriculture.” He decided to take a gap year in his studies to experience different outdoor animal production systems, working on various pasture-based livestock farms around the country.

At the end of his gap year, he became an NC Growing Together Local Food Supply Chain Apprentice at Foster-Caviness, a produce distributor in Greensboro. “My mission is to see how I can fit into different parts of the local food system. I never thought that I’d work at a huge produce distributor, and it was really cool to get into the supply chain side of local food,” he says.

When he returned to N.C. A&T to complete his studies, his perspective had changed. “In classes, I knew what they were talking about. NC Growing Together made me a better student. It really gave me the opportunity to understand agriculture on a big scale.”

Through NC Growing Together he became involved in NC Choices, which was a perfect fit for his interests. He volunteered at NC Choices’ 2017 Carolina Meat Conference and 2018 Marketing Local Meat Seminar. “I’ve gotten a lot out of volunteering. In the long run, I’d like to have my own farm. In the meantime, I get to soak up all this knowledge, connections, and networks to raise meat on pasture.”

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Ree Ree Wei, Sophomore and Bonner Scholar, Guilford College; Major: Community and Justice Studies

“FYI was really helpful in building my professional development. I’ve learned how to advocate and how to define justice. Everything I’ve learned carries through the work I’m doing with Bonner [Scholars] and my Major.”

When Ree Ree Wei started attending CEFS’ Food Youth Initiative (FYI) meetings as a freshman in high school, it was just her and her sister representing Transplanting Traditions Community Farm.  “We talked about what we wanted to do, and we recruited more people.”  Five years later, the Transplanting Traditions youth group is six-members strong, and a core member of the FYI network of youth groups around the state that are connected in their passion and activism to change the food system.

Ree Ree has stayed active in FYI, attending annual summer gatherings, and this past year was an FYI Summer Intern. “What I really like about FYI is that it’s youth-focused. The summer internship allowed me to take charge of what I wanted to do, which was to learn about how we can use our stories to advocate for our communities.“

Ree Ree and her family, who are from Burma, arrived in the U.S. from Tham Hin Refugee Camp in Thailand when she was eight years old. “I want to use my voice to share my story, and others’ stories, and bring attention to refugees. Ultimately I want to be an immigration attorney and work with refugees,” she says. Now a sophomore and Bonner Scholar at Guilford College in Greensboro, she is majoring in Community and Justice Studies.

She’s also gained a network of co-horts who she says she’s “bonded” to. When helping to organize Guilford College’s FoodStorm Conference this spring – which focuses on people-of-color farmers and youth, she was asked to help recruit youth. “I knew exactly where to go – I invited all the FYI youth,” she says.

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Dr. David Suchoff, Extension Assistant Professor, Organic Production Systems, Department of Crop and Soil Sciences, NC State University

“CEFS has had a huge impact on my career path.  Honestly, one of the reasons I took this position [at NC State] was so that I could continue working with CEFS.”

David Suchoff first came to CEFS as a Sustainable Agriculture Apprentice in 2012. After serving as an Agricultural Extension Agent in the Peace Corps, he wanted to continue in the field of Sustainable Agriculture but he wasn’t sure how or where. CEFS’ Sustainable Agriculture Apprenticeship Program gave him the hands-on experience and systems-level perspective he needed to figure out his next move.

“The Apprenticeship is ultimately what led me to apply to the Master’s Program in Horticultural Science [at NC State University],” he says. After investigating nitrogen use efficiency in grafted watermelon and tomatoes for his Master’s degree, David worked on increasing resiliency in grafted tomato through rootstock selection for his Ph.D, which he completed in the spring of 2018.

Along the way, he conducted numerous extension workshops at CEFS’ Field Research, Education, and Outreach Facility at Cherry Research Farm in Goldsboro, and became a CEFS NC State Graduate Fellow. “The graduate fellowship allowed me to network well outside of my discipline while at the same time promoting CEFS’ programs to a diverse crowd,” he says.

This year, David’s journey came full-circle when he was hired as an Extension Assistant Professor in Organic Production Systems in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at NC State University. Once a student in these halls, he’s now a professor, passing his knowledge and passion on to the next generation.

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Chanel Nestor, Adjunct Lecturer of Rural Sociology, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

“I really credit Community Food Strategies and NC Growing Together for helping me find my place in agriculture.”

Chanel Nestor’s eyes light up when she recalls attending Community Food Strategies’ 2017 Statewide Food Gathering. Watching conference keynote speaker Savi Horne, Executive Director of Land Loss Prevention Project, and CEFS’ Committee on Racial Equity in the Food System (CORE) Director Shorlette Ammons speak, “I had an epiphany moment. It was one of the first times in my career that I felt I was in my place. I thought, ‘this is what I need to do, community engagement with African Americans around food’.”

Chanel was attending the conference as a volunteer with Community Food Strategies after first coming to CEFS as an NC Growing Together Local Food Supply Chain Apprentice. An N.C. A&T graduate with a B.A. in Sociology and an M.S. in Agricultural Education, Chanel was looking for ways to expand her knowledge of the food system when she applied to the NC Growing Together Apprenticeship. She was placed with Piedmont Triad Regional Council, where she worked on the development of a regional food council. “I never expected my career would take me to local foods and advocacy, but I’m so grateful it has,” she says.

After the Apprenticeship, Chanel deepened her involvement with local foods through the Davidson County Local Food Network and the Cleveland County Food Council. She also founded the Bailey Conference, a strategic meeting of African Americans in the Agricultural and Rural Community Development fields. She is now an adjunct lecturer of Rural Sociology at N.C. A&T, teaching classes she took as an undergraduate in 2013.

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Eliot Lee, MBA Candidate, Supply Chain Management, Poole College of Management, NC State University

“The Local Food Supply Chain Apprenticeship sent me down the career path of food supply chains.  I discovered how business can fit into sustainable agriculture.”

Eliot Lee had no idea that becoming a CEFS Sustainable Agriculture Intern in 2015 would change his life’s trajectory. At the time, he was looking for a job or internship in sustainable agriculture to build on experiences in commercial-scale agriculture and alternative fuels he had while an undergraduate. The internship was “eye opening,” he says, giving him a comprehensive understanding of food and farming systems.

After the internship, Eliot was hired as a CEFS Program Assistant, helping behind-the-scenes with CEFS’ programs and initiatives. He also began learning more about CEFS’ work in different parts of the food system. “CEFS is a really close-knit community. If you show interest, there are a lot of people who will support you in what you want to do. There’s always someone you know at CEFS connected to the kind of work you want to do.”

When CEFS had an opening to coordinate NC Growing Together’s Local Food Supply Chain Apprenticeship, he knew he had to apply. After two summers coordinating the Apprenticeship and learning about building local food economies, Eliot’s path became clear. “The Local Food Supply Chain Apprenticeship sent me down the career path of food supply chains. I discovered how business can fit into sustainable agriculture,” he says.

Along the way, Eliot became a CEFS Compass Group USA Graduate Fellow and added to his real-world experience with an internship at Kellogg. “In business school, there is a real need for folks who can contribute to food systems work. I want to take these experiences I’m having through my MBA program and apply them to something I’m passionate about.”

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Caroline Stover, Director, NC Farm to Early Care and Education, Center for Environmental Farming Systems

“CEFS is my career path. I wouldn’t have been prepared for my current job without my previous experience with CEFS. As far as training, experiences, networking, all the mentors I work with – it’s pretty ideal!”

As an AmeriCorps VISTA Service Member in Robeson County, Caroline Stover knew she wanted to work with youth and food in a meaningful way. She served in a soup kitchen and organized connections with community gardens, and then started working in schools. She learned about FoodCorps when she was looking for additional resources to support her work. “The resource I was seeking out became my next step,” she says.

Caroline served as a FoodCorps Service Member in Warren County for two years. When she was offered the chance to become a FoodCorps Fellow, supporting program development and mentoring other service members, she didn’t hesitate. “The progression was pretty seamless,” she says. “First learning about what it looks like in the classroom, then learning about how to develop the program, what goes on behind the scenes.”

After another two years, another opportunity arose that she couldn’t turn down: the chance to direct CEFS’ Farm to Early Care and Education Initiative. Training and professional development opportunities offered through CEFS have been critical for helping her get to where she is. “Getting to be part of a network of people helping me to understand the food system; all the training opportunities offered through CORE to understand systemic inequities and how to weave that throughout the work – all that has been absolutely essential,” she says.

Registration is now closed for Marketing Local Meat. We have over 100 participants! Looking forward to learning and networking together. We will accept a few walk-ins the day of the event. $50 at the Door!

Sessions at a Glance here.

Marketing Local Meat: a hands-on intensive for meat producers

This full-day marketing workshop for local meat producers focuses on how to achieve profitable outcomes through targeted marketing strategies. This intensive will include tastings, recipe fundamentals, strategies to close a sale, and ways to target your ideal buyers so that you can sell more meat. Plus:

• Gain knowledge to determine market channels that meet your price point using a newly revised calculator tool developed by our partners at Cornell Cooperative Extension.
• Learn three easy ways to sell any cut on the animal by knowing where cuts are located and their corresponding cooking techniques for beef, pork, and lamb.
• Engage and respond to customer requests for cooking tips and help move those hard-to-sell cuts.
• Hear from NC farmers who are finding ways to target their niche market.

Date: Thursday, August 23, 2018

Time: 8am-5pm

Location: Forsyth County Agricultural Building, 1450 Fairchild Rd. Winston-Salem, NC 27105 Winston-Salem, NC

Cost: $35 general public| $50 @ the door | NC Cooperative Extension Employees FREE | Light breakfast + Lunch included

Get Social: Follow us on FB, Instagram, and Twitter for details on speakers and sessions | #pastureraised #localmeat #meatmarketing

Checks: Please make checks payable to “NC State University” and leave memo line blank. Mail check and copy of registration form to: Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Attn. Mia Murphy, Box 7609-NCSU, Raleigh, NC 27695

MORNING ADDRESS

Edwin Shank of The Family Cow and Your Family Farmer | Chambersburg, PA

Edwin Shank is a farmer, teacher, writer and founder of The Family Cow, a certified organic, pasture-based farm in Chambersburg PA. Pictured here with his Great Pyrenees, Nikki and Tasha, Edwin and his dedicated Family Cow Team specialize in growing raw milk, pastured chicken and turkeys, grass-fed beef, woodland pork and other ‘healing foods’ for 50 plus rapidly-growing drop point tribes throughout PA. Edwin and his family also run an on-farm store plus market via UPS shipping to 30 eastern states.

INSTRUCTORS

Steven Goff– Chef-Owner, AUX bar | Asheville, NC

Matt LeRoux – Marketing Specialist, Cornell Cooperative Extension | Ithaca, NY

Lee Menius – Owner, Carolina Craft Butchery & Wild Turkey Farms | Rowan County, NC

Noah Ranells – Owner, Fickle Creek Farm | Orange County, NC

Share this flyer widely |  Please direct any questions to sheila@ncchoices.com

Brought to you by NC Choices, Forsyth County Extension, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, and NC Growing Together, with support provided by the Golden Leaf Foundation.

Position Announcement: Poultry Plant Manager

The ISAMPA Board is working to reopen the poultry plant in Marion, NC to serve independent poultry producers in the region. Foothills Processing is actively seeking a manager to coordinate the resumption of operations and is accepting applications for the position. The following are a sample of the job tasks and functions:

• Supervise and manage the reopening of the plant and communicate with stakeholders
• Restore equipment to functioning state
• Repair any leaks in water system
• Restore water service
• Trial poultry processing line
• Update USDA inspection registration
• Staff plant sufficient to resume operations

Desirable qualities include: good communicator, effective manager, construction expertise, self-starter and strong initiative, financially savvy and creative problem-solver. This person would report to the leadership of Foothills Processing, LLC, the new company managing the plant. This is a contract position with opportunity for membership. Candidates should email resume, letter of interest and hourly contract rate to foothillsprocessing@gmail.com. No calls, please.

Thanks,

ISAMPA and Foothills Processing, LLC

The following article is from North Carolina Growing Together (NCGT), a five-year (2013-2017) USDA-funded CEFS initiative that is working to bring more locally-grown foods – produce, meat, dairy, and seafood – into mainstream retail and food service supply chains.  For more information about NC Growing Together, please visit www.ncgrowingtogether.org or read their October 2017 newsletter.

Local Food Economies, a project of CEFS’ NC Growing Together initiative, engages local and regional governments in the work of building local food systems.  In September, Local Food Economies and the NC 10% Campaign organized three Innovations in Economic Development through Local Foods gatherings to showcase investments that local and regional governments can make to support small and mid-scale food and farming businesses.  These events were attended by officials from over 46 local, regional, and state government agencies in 89 of North Carolina’s 100 counties.

“The goal of these events was to inform decision-makers and planners in local and regional government about how local agriculture is successful as an economic development driver,” said Laura Lauffer, Project Coordinator, Local Farms and Food, N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension Program and NC Growing Together.

Each of the filled-to-capacity events – held in Waynesville, Ellerbe, and Henderson – highlighted successful examples from around the state of local governments supporting local food and farm businesses.  There were networking opportunities with representatives from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the North Carolina Rural Center, North Carolina Department of Commerce Rural Planning Division, and the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina.  The American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) offered Certification Maintenance credits to its members who attended.

Local Food Economies’ outreach has helped bring food and farm business development to the economic development agendas of North Carolina’s county and municipal governments.  Nine of the sixteen regional Councils of Government now include agricultural economic development as a goal of their comprehensive plans.

Don Belk, a Community Economic Development Planner with the Rural Economic Development Division of the North Carolina Department of Commerce, attended the gathering at Vance-Granville Community College in Henderson.  “This was a great networking experience for me.  As the planner for North Carolina’s ‘North Central Prosperity Zone’, this introduced me to the dedicated individuals and innovative efforts going on in the area,” he said.

“One of the more interesting things I learned was that we as a state are still struggling to build the local foods ‘infrastructure’ needed to really expand opportunities for farmers and greater, economical food options for citizens.  Here is where regional collaboration is vital.  We need to look at the local food infrastructure and the agricultural capacity of the land at the regional scale to determine what is needed,” he added.

All of the presentations from the Innovations in Economic Development events can be found on YouTube, here.

NC Growing Together and Local Food Economies has created a suite of resources to support local government engagement in local food systems development.  Visit the Local Food Economies website for County Agriculture Infographics, Local Food Economic Development Videos, and A Government Guide on Building Local Food Economies.  The new GIS version of NCGT’s Local Food Infrastructure Inventory Map can be found here.

The following article is from North Carolina Growing Together (NCGT), a five-year (2013-2017) USDA-funded CEFS initiative that is working to bring more locally-grown foods – produce, meat, dairy, and seafood – into mainstream retail and food service supply chains.  For more information about NC Growing Together, please visit www.ncgrowingtogether.org or read their January 2017 newsletter.

This past holiday season, shoppers were in for a special treat when they found frozen North Carolina shrimp at area Weaver Street Market (WSM) stores, just in time for end-of-year celebrations. The shrimp – the result of a local supply chain collaboration between Weaver Street Market, Mr. Big Seafood, and Seal the Seasons – features NC Catch’s new label designating it as locally-caught product.

NC Growing Together supported the development of the NC Catch freezer labels and two NC Catch “retail market guides” – brochures that help consumers find fresh North Carolina seafood markets across the state. The brochures have been particularly popular in coastal visitors’ centers and at the NC State Fair.

“We didn’t start out as a branding organization,” says NC Catch’s Executive Director Ann Simpson. The non-profit, which was founded in 2011 mainly to promote consumer education about the benefits of buying North Carolina’s locally caught seafood, has dramatically increased its branding efforts for North Carolina-caught fish and seafood with NCGT support. “NCGT’s support has been invaluable to NC Catch. We would have been much slower to look at the marketing and branding piece without NCGT’s help.”

Branding a product as North Carolina-caught is especially important, Simpson says, given the amount of seafood that is imported but not labelled as such. “Consumers don’t always know when seafood is imported, especially if it is frozen,” she says. “With this label people can easily identify local product, and that’s important to many consumers.”

NCGT also funded a 2016 Summer Local Food Supply Chain Apprentice, Gigi Lytton, who worked with Simpson at NC Catch and with John Aydlett, Seafood/Aquaculture Marketing Specialist at the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), to update NCDA&CS’s Seafood Directory. NCGT will be funding a 2017 Summer Apprentice at NC Catch who will work on further developing NC Catch’s marketing efforts, including developing profiles of fishermen and others in the local seafood supply chain for their website and other communication tools.

For the holiday shrimp sale, Mr. Big Seafood of Harkers Island sold over 4,000 pounds of locally-caught fresh shrimp to the local cooperative grocery chain Weaver Street Market, which partnered with Hillsborough, NC-based processor Seal the Seasons to have it frozen using their “IQF” (Individual Quick Freezing) equipment. IQF freezes each individual shrimp, rather than creating a solid frozen block, so that consumers can easily portion off how much to thaw and cook.

“This example of collaboration illustrates some of the key elements that make a local food supply chain work,” says NCGT Project Manager and food systems researcher Dr. Rebecca Dunning. “The NC Catch label signifies to consumers that the product truly originates from NC fishermen, thus differentiating it from competitors. The availability of scale-appropriate infrastructure, in this case the IQF equipment housed at the Piedmont Food and Agriculture Processing Center in Hillsborough, made it feasible to transform a highly perishable fresh product into a freezer-stable and consumer-ready product.”

“Consumers definitely want local seafood,” confirms Carolyn Twesten, Produce and Meat Merchandiser for Weaver Street Market. “They really want fresh seafood, and local is the freshest.” According to Twesten, Weaver Street Market had doubled fresh and IQF local shrimp sales in 2016 over 2015 – even before the year-end deal – and hopes to double sales again in 2017.

“Local seafood is a wonderful, healthy resource from the coast that provides a great business opportunity for folks,” says Alison Willis of Mr. Big Seafood. “The importance of the NC Catch label is huge. We as fishermen and wholesalers can label North Carolina products and consumers can learn about where their seafood comes from, the story behind who caught it.” Ann Simpson of NC Catch sums it up when she says, “We love it when we can find partners like NCGT and put our expertise, funding, and energy together towards projects that really meet both our goals.”

NCGT is one of this year’s sponsors of the 6th Annual NC Catch Summit, March 13 & 14 in Nags Head, NC. The conference is geared towards making supply chain connections between fishermen and other seafood suppliers, chefs, restaurants, and other buyers. Registration is now open – visit NC Catch’s website for more information.

Top photo courtesy of Mr. Big Seafood.