Congratulations to the Recent Graduates of Our Registered Agriculture Apprenticeships! We're celebrating the hard work and dedication of recent graduates from CEFS’ Registered Agricultural Apprenticeships and we are also welcoming new applicants for the 2026 growing season! CEFS apprenticeship graduates worked on farms for two seasons, helping sustainably grow food for their communities. [...]
NC State University is seeking a Local Foods Research and Extension Assistant.
On November 8, 2025, we celebrated the amazing work and growth of our WNCStrong Youth Service Corps participants! We launched the WNCStrong Youth Service Corps to help western North Carolina recover from Hurricane Helene while preparing the next generation of leaders. High school students from Buncombe, Mitchell, and Yancey counties gained hands-on experience in [...]
Imagine a plate of vibrant, local fruits and vegetables served to a curious three-year-old. That’s the core of Farm to Early Care and Education (ECE), which connects children aged 0-5 with gardening, cooking, and fresh, local food. Research consistently shows these programs boost meal quality and encourage kids to try new foods—but there’s a [...]
Farm to ECE Institute participants celebrating NC Crunch! The North Carolina Crunch promotes healthy eating and supports farm to school, farm to early care and education (ECE), and other local food initiatives throughout the state. Join us October 22, 2025 or anytime this month by crunching into a locally grown fruit or vegetable! Learn more [...]
In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, NC Choices has collaborated with Extension livestock and forage partners to develop NC Hay Finder, a new website to help connect farmers needing hay with those who have hay to sell. Read more below...
EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems (EMFS), an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS), works to strengthen the local food system across 12 Western North Carolina counties and the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. The arrival of Hurricane Helene underscored the importance of this work. Severe disruptions to farms, local [...]
On September 22, 2025, the North Carolina State University CALS News featured the WNCStrong Youth Service Corps in this article.
We are pleased to announce the recipients of our 2023-2024 North Carolina State University Graduate Student Fellowships. Read about the Fellows and their research.
The backbone of the Service Corps is the internships that our 22 members are doing on nine farms across the three counties we serve. However, our Workdays are a meaningful and impactful component of the Corps experience. Corps members, their teachers, and the CEFS-based staff all dedicate one Saturday a month to work as [...]
