NC Choices Presents the Third Annual Carolina Meat Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 30, 2013: NC Choices’ Carolina Meat Conference enters its third year of innovative educational programming and unparalleled networking opportunities for niche meat supply chain partners including farmers, processors, chefs, buyers and industry support businesses. The Carolina Meat Conference is a gathering of professionals from all sectors of the local and niche meat industry for two days of panel discussions, presentations, workshops, butchery demonstrations, a trade show, great meals featuring local meats and Monday night social, dinner and keynote address. Conference topics include livestock production, pasture management, meat processing, innovative marketing and business models and the latest updates on how new regulations will affect small food businesses. This year, NC Choices welcomes Anya Fernald as keynote speaker to the conference held at the Benton Convention Center in Winston Salem, NC December, 9-10.

Anya Fernald is the co-founder and CEO of Belcampo Meat Co., a group of innovative agricultural companies in California, Belize and Uruguay that strives to make “good food the old fashioned way” on an unprecedented scale. Belcampo is an integrated company which owns a 10,000 acre ranch, a grain farm, a slaughter-house, a growing number of retail butcher shops and a restaurant. Belcampo looks forward to offering its business model as a financial case-study. “People in the food world think that if you start talking about money, it’s like saying you don’t care,” Anya tells Food and Wine magazine. “Some people- I call them “broke-avores” are so local, they’re broke. I’m not interested in doing small, perfect things” but, she adds, “there’s no guarantee any of this will pencil out.” As the local and niche meat industry grows, companies that can achieve an appropriate scale will play a pivotal role in addressing some foundational issues of economies of scale in local meat. Anya has been recognized as one of the “40 under 40” by Food and Wine Magazine, named a “Nifty Fifty” by New York Times, appeared as a regular judge on Iron Chef America on the Food Network for three seasons and has co-authored two books for Slow Food’s international publishing house.

“The most pressing question on everyone’s mind is how to make local meat profitable for small production and processing businesses that face all the challenges of being small. We’re looking forward to Anya’s perspective on business models that engage in the food system in more aggressive and profitable ways,” says Casey McKissick, NC Choices Director.

The 2012 Carolina Meat Conference sold out at maximum capacity with 380 participants, over 65% of whom were farmers or prospective farmers. With close to 450 expected in attendance, this year’s Carolina Meat Conference will be held in a larger location to better accommodate attendees, hands-on instruction and demonstrations and more.

The Carolina Meat Conference has received national attention for its program content and role in encouraging rural economic development in North Carolina and beyond. North Carolina’s farmers, processors, chefs and food entrepreneurs are known as the most innovative in the country. NC Choices mission is to advance the local and niche meat sector by offering excellent educational programming and networking opportunities to meat producers, processors, food professionals, buyers and the support industry.

Registration Opens 10am Tuesday, November 5th at www.carolinameatconference.com

Lodging at conference rates of $99/ night: click here

For Sponsorship and Exhibitor information please contact Meredith@ncchoices.com