DURHAM, N.C. (September 17, 2010) — Farmhand Foods, LLC recently hired Drew Brown as a full-time product development specialist and distribution manager. Former owner and chef of Piedmont Restaurant in Durham, Drew brings extensive culinary experience and a passion for utilizing whole animals and producing value-added products.

You can now find Farmhand Foods staff at Bull City Forward (www.bullcityforward.org), an innovative community organization supporting social enterprises and entrepreneurs throughout Durham and the surrounding region. We’re excited to have access to subsidized office space at this dynamic location in downtown Durham.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (www.cefs.ncsu.edu) is supporting the launch of Farmhand Foods, LLC, a branded meat company designed to help small-scale, pasture-based meat producers access local retail and food-service markets. With funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the N.C. Rural Economic Development Center, the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and coordinating support from the N.C. Agricultural Foundation, Inc., the business will be launching in the coming months. In collaboration with a network of farmers and small-scale meat processors, Farmhand Foods will aggregate the supply of pasture-raised livestock, coordinate slaughter and processing, create value-added products, and distribute to partnering retail and restaurant customers. For further information, please contact tina@ncchoices.com or jennifer@ncchoices.com.