Visiting with Buron Lanier of Piney Woods Farm.
January 2017 — NC Growing Together partners with NC Choices to build pastured meat supply chains in North Carolina. The two CEFS initiatives conducted the 2013 and 2016 NC Niche Meat Producer Surveys to gather information to describe and measure the value of this growing industry; created user-friendly infographics that break down the total and per-pound cost of producing pastured poultry and pork; and are providing business and marketing assistance and workshops for livestock producers and meat retailers.
For the 2016 Niche Meat Producers survey, an NC Growing Together Local Food Supply Chain Apprentice called every North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services-registered meat handler up to three times over a period of 5 months. Information from 253 respondents in 76 counties paints a picture of pastured meat production across the state.
“Out of all the farmers surveyed, 93% felt that meat sales made a positive impact on their business. Plus, with 70% reporting that they experienced more demand for their niche meat products now as compared to 2013, we don’t think we’ve hit the ceiling yet when it comes to consumer demand,” said Sarah Blacklin, NC Choices Program Director. The number of registered meat handlers in North Carolina has increased from 180 in 2008 to 934 at the time of the survey.
The 2016 Niche Meat Producers Survey, also supported by Golden Leaf Foundation, was a follow-up to NC Growing Together and NC Choices’ 2013 survey.
Creation of the Breaking Down the Cost of Pastured Chicken and Breaking Down the Cost of Pastured Pork infographics was also supported by funds from the Golden Leaf Foundation as well as livestock budget information from NC Farm School organizers Gary Bullen and Derek Washburn. The infographics serve a dual purpose: producers can access the NC Farm School budgets the infographics are based upon and input their own numbers, using them as a business-planning tool; and the infographics can also be used as a marketing tool with customers and buyers to help explain the complex reasons why pastured meats costs more in the marketplace.
In December, NCGT and NC Choices staff visited Ron Simmons of Master Blend Farm in Kenansville and Buron Lanier of Piney Woods Farm in Burgaw to learn more about their business plans and growth needs. The NCGT/NC Choices team plans to work with 10 producers and retailers in the upcoming months as part of a Golden Leaf Foundation-funded project.
Save the Date! NC Growing Together will be a sponsor of NC Choices’ 5th Carolina Meat Conference, September 25-26 in Winston-Salem, NC. For more information, visit carolinameatconference.
This article originally appeared in the January 2017 NC Growing Together Newsletter.