We know that caregivers want to offer more fresh vegetables and fruits when it is feasible. We also know how challenging it can be to calculate how many pounds of vegetables or fruits to purchase for children in day care settings. It can also be difficult to know how much to serve participants of different age groups.
Many CEFS staff and faculty collaborated on a recent publication in the Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development: “A collaborative approach to COVID-19 response: The Center for Environmental Farming Systems community-based food system initiatives."
The Farm to Senior Services project will create and connect three county-based teams including Extension agents, food councils, farmers, intermediary food businesses (e.g. food hubs or aggregators), and senior meal service institutional buyers. The project team aims to improve institutional procurement policy, address procurement challenges of county-based institutions, provide resources and technical assistance for farmers, and support increased availability of local foods for older adults in North Carolina.
The Small Farm Unit at the NCDA&CS Cherry Research Farm is collaborating with East Carolina University (ECU) to establish a vegetable-based clinic program in collaboration with Cherry Hospital in Goldsboro, NC.
In collaboration with the Children’s Environmental Health Branch in the Division of Public Health, NC Department of Health and Human Services, the NC Farm to Preschool Network has released “Serving Local Foods in North Carolina Child Care Centers – Guidance on Food Preparation and Gardening.”
CEFS Co-Director Dr. Liang and Seasonal Technician Salina Brown at the Small Farm Unit harvested and donated produce during the pandemic. Have you tried bitter melon, fuzzy melon, or water spinach? These and many other specialty crops can be grown well in North Carolina and bring farmers a great price per pound. [...]
Dr. Alan J. Franzluebbers and Dr. Nancy Creamer recently contributed to a publication, "Focusing the Future of Farming on Agroecology" in Agricultural & Environmental Letters.
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems Announces Recipients of 2020-2021 North Carolina State University Graduate Student Fellowships September 1, 2020: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Media Contact: Angel Cruz, Academic and Extension Initiatives Manager - aecruz@ncsu.edu Raleigh, NC: The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Graduate Fellowship was developed to provide financial support and recognition for [...]
On June 22nd, 2020, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced a $90 million investment in research projects seeking to improve the sustainability of the nation’s food supply. The awards will support nine projects at eight institutions addressing issues including animal, human, plant, and environmental health. This research investment is the second installment of a [...]
In these troubled times, the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) stands with Black, Indigenous and all People of Color (BIPOC) and we condemn the impacts of systemic racism on individuals, families, communities and our institutions. We are heartbroken by the recent deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many other people of [...]
