A special CEFS e-news dedicated to our twentieth anniversary
CEFS’ roots were planted in 1994, when a small circle of leaders in sustainable agriculture came together with the vision of creating a center for the study of environmentally sustainable farming practices in North Carolina.
A task force of university faculty and administrators, state and federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, farmers, and citizens was charged with developing strategies to build a strong sustainable agriculture program in North Carolina. Out of that effort grew the CEFS research facility, a 2,000-acre research farm in Goldsboro.
The farm became home to CEFS’ core research programs and units: The Farming Systems Research Unit, Pasture-Based Dairy and Beef Units, Alternative Swine Unit, Organic Research Unit, and Small Farm Unit. Today the research farm is home to top-notch interdisciplinary and systems research, addressing the major agricultural sustainability issues of our time.
Meanwhile, CEFS’ programs evolved to meet the opportunities and challenges of transforming North Carolina’s food system. From youth engagement programs like Students Working for an Agricultural Revolutionary Movement (SWARM) and FoodCorps, to local food supply chain initiatives like NC Choices and NC Growing Together, to extension and outreach programs like the Seasons of Sustainable Agriculture workshop series and Farm to Fork picnic, to educational programs like CEFS’ summer internship and season-long apprenticeship programs, to consumer engagement like the NC 10% Campaign, CEFS’ bold and innovative programmatic initiatives have expanded CEFS’ footprint beyond the boundaries of the research farm, reaching every corner of North Carolina and forming deep partnerships in local communities.
Today, CEFS flourishes as one of the nation’s most important centers for research, extension, and education in sustainable agriculture and community-based food systems. It is recognized as a national and international leader in the local foods movement, and is celebrated for its work in building consensus around policies, programs and actions that facilitate a vibrant local food economy.
CEFS was born from the shared conviction that a land-grant-university-based research, education, and extension program focused on organic and sustainable agriculture could have a significant and essential impact in North Carolina. Now, twenty years after its founding, CEFS is reflecting on the impact it has made on the state of North Carolina and beyond.
We hope that you will join us for some of the special programs and events we are planning this year to celebrate our successes, honor those who helped shape CEFS along the way, and look ahead to our next twenty years.
From the May 2014 E-Newsletter