NC Choices
NC Choices, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in collaboration with NC Cooperative Extension, promotes sustainable food systems through the advancement of the local, niche, and pasture-based meat supply chain in North Carolina. NC Choices provides information, technical assistance, educational programming, and networking opportunities for farmers, extension agents, meat processors, buyers, distributors, and consumers.
COVID-19 Updates:
See processing information here and see all of CEFS’ COVID-19 Resources here
New for 2020, NC Choices Proudly Introduces MeatSuite.com to North Carolina Farmers and Consumers.
On MeatSuite.com farmers can create a free profile to sell pasture-raised meat in bulk and consumers can find local farms to purchase from nearby.
For Buyers: Interested in finding your farmer on MeatSuite.com? It’s easy! Check out this short VIDEO and visit MeatSuite.com to get started!
For Farmers: Want to gain more customers by adding your farm to MeatSuite.com? It’s free and easy! Check out this short VIDEO to learn how to sign up. Additional resources and step-by-step instructions can be found HERE.
NC Choices Supports Beginning Meat Producers with Business Resources, Training, and Land-Lease Opportunities
NC Choices launches a new USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher grant focused on increasing the number of beginning farmers raising meat through either pasture-based or silvopasture systems by providing them with novel land acquisition strategies, resources, and training opportunities to increase skills, decision-making tools, and the market and buyer connections needed to operate profitably.
NC Choices will help pair beginning farmers with solar farms, landowners with woodland plots for silvopasture, and land conservancy land under conservation easements across the state.
THINK YOU MIGHT BE A GOOD FIT?
Are you a beginning NC meat producer (raising meat animals for 10 years or less) looking to lease land?
Are you a NC land owner with woodland acreage, land under conservation easement, or solar panel installations interested in working with grazing animal production?
Poultry Processing Updates:
Due to the 2017 closure of Foothills Pilot Plant, information and updates on the status of poultry processing options across the state can be found below. Click to view the following:
- Updates on the Status of Poultry Processing in the State
- List of Farmer Operators Granted Exemption to Process Birds for Other Farms (1st tab)
- List of Poultry Mobile Processing Equipment for Rent (3rd tab)
- Closest USDA Poultry Processors for Small Farmers that are Currently Accepting New Customers
- Labeling Requirements and Additional Resources for On-Farm Poultry Processing
NC Choices News
Triangle area butchers and meat markets
Triangle area butchers and meat markets By WRAL.com Meatsuite.com: NC Choices, a program of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems and NC Cooperative Extension, has launched MeatSuite.com. Through the MeatSuite.com website, consumers can find nearby [...]
Currituck Extension offers information on the meat supply chain
Currituck Extension offers information on the meat supply chain By Cameron Lowe, Currituck Extension You have likely seen much on the news and floating around social media in regards to potential meat shortages due to [...]
NC Choices talks about MeatSuite and programming that supports small farmers during COVID
First in Future: Food and Hunger Join us for part five of the series with guests Mike Darrow (Executive Director, Feeding the Carolinas) Tessa Thraves (Farm to School Coordinator, NC State University Center for Environmental [...]
Resources
NC Choices offers a large collection of resource documents and multimedia to support the farmers, extension agents, meat processors, buyers, distributors and consumers of North Carolina. See our full library of NC Choices resources here.
- Evaluating Finish on Beef Cattle (2020)Marcello Cappellazzi2020-10-08T16:16:10-04:00
Evaluating Finish on Beef Cattle (2020)
- FAQ Sheet for Beginning Niche Meat Producers (2020)Emily Edmonds2020-09-22T12:48:51-04:00
FAQ Sheet for Beginning Niche Meat Producers (2020)
- Sheep Grazing Solar Farm Budget Template 2020Emily Edmonds2020-11-16T11:31:33-05:00
Sheep Grazing Solar Farm Budget Template 2020
- Leasing Farm Land for Landowners and FarmersEmily Edmonds2020-09-22T11:35:27-04:00
Leasing Farm Land for Landowners and Farmers
- Negotiating Farm Leases & Lease BudgetsEmily Edmonds2020-12-14T17:16:12-05:00
Negotiating Farm Leases & Lease Budgets
- Bulk Meat Purchase Agreement Template (2020)Marcello Cappellazzi2020-09-22T11:50:32-04:00
Bulk Meat Purchase Agreement Template (2020)
- What do I do with my land? (2020)Marcello Cappellazzi2020-07-22T09:51:34-04:00
What do I do with my land? (2020)
- Pastured Beef Production – InfrastructureMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T16:06:41-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – Infrastructure
- Pastured Beef Production – ReproductionMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T16:00:26-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – Reproduction
- Pastured Beef Production – HealthMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T15:57:42-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – Health
- Pastured Beef Production – NutritionMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T15:54:14-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – Nutrition
- Pastured Beef Production – ForagesMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T15:50:41-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – Forages
- Pastured Beef Production – GeneticsMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T15:46:59-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – Genetics
- Pastured Beef Production – US Beef IndustryMarcello Cappellazzi2020-03-25T15:41:16-04:00
Pastured Beef Production – US Beef Industry
- Recording of Cooperative Extension Training Webinar on MeatSuite (2019)Marcello Cappellazzi2019-12-18T09:24:46-05:00
Recording of Cooperative Extension Training Webinar on MeatSuite (2019)
- Farm to Freezer: MeatSuite Instructions for Farmers (2019)Marcello Cappellazzi2019-12-18T09:20:19-05:00
Farm to Freezer: MeatSuite Instructions for Farmers (2019)
- Pastured Pork Production – Pasture ManagementMarcello Cappellazzi2019-12-11T15:49:16-05:00
Pastured Pork Production – Pasture Management
- Pastured Poultry Production – Animal ManagementWaystone Design2020-05-05T11:56:11-04:00
Pastured Poultry Production – Animal Management
- Pastured Poultry Production – Feed and NutritionWaystone Design2019-07-21T17:19:58-04:00
Pastured Poultry Production – Feed and Nutrition
- Pastured Poultry Production – Facilities and EquipmentWaystone Design2019-07-21T17:18:22-04:00
Pastured Poultry Production – Facilities and Equipment
- Pastured Poultry Production – Small Scale Poultry ProcessingWaystone Design2019-07-21T17:16:11-04:00
Pastured Poultry Production – Small Scale Poultry Processing
- Pastured Poultry Production – Welfare, Health and BiosecurityWaystone Design2019-07-21T17:13:29-04:00