Farm to Fork 2013 Picnic

Farm to Fork 2013 Picnic - TRAINING FARMERS FOR THE FUTURE

Join a remarkable group of Peidmont Farmers and Cooks for an evening of food, live music, and fun!

W.C. BREEZE FAMILY FARM
EXTENSION & RESEARCH CENTER
4909 WALNUT GROVE CHURCH ROAD
HURDLE MILLS, ORANGE COUNTY
(A FEW MILES NORTH OF HILLSBOROUGH)

ORGANIZED BY ORANGE COUNTY, CEFS, & SLOW FOOD TRIANGLE. PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT FARMER TRAINING PROGRAMS AT CEFS AND BREEZE FARM.
SPONSORED BY NC AGRICULTURAL FOUNDATION INC.

 

Packaged Foods Manufacturing (Short Course)

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems ("CEFS"), NC Cooperative Extension and NC State University are offering a short-course on Packaged Foods Manufacturing.

This fast-paced workshop is geared towards entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, farmers market vendors and those thinking about getting started in packaged foods but don't quite know where to begin. There are a myriad of rules and regulations to follow, including, completion of the Acidified Foods Processing and Packaging Better Process Control School. While this this short-course will not certify you to sell acidified foods, it will give you a better understanding of the process and how you can get started!

... Packaged Foods Manufacturing Short-Course
Date: Monday, February 11
Time: 9:00a.m. to 4:00p.m.
Registration Fee: $20
Location: TBA, Raleigh, NC

Organizers: CEFS, Wake County Cooperative Extension, and NC State University

Featured Speakers: Dr. Fletcher Arritt, Food Safety and Processing Extension Specialist, NCSU, Dr. Benjamin Chapman, Assistant Professor and Extension Food Safety Specialist, and Allison Smathers, NCSU, Entrepreneurial Food Program Assistant

Thinking about selling fermented, acidified (pickled), or other packaged foods at restaurants, farmers' markets or retail vendors? There are a myriad of stringent guidelines that must be followed in order to do so, including keeping certain records or perhaps acquiring a label, getting a process authority letter and taking the multiday Acidified Foods GMP School for Pickle Manufacturers course or others offered by NCSU.

This workshop is designed to give participants a VERY general idea of what is expected by regulators to manufacture and sell packaged food products and about the Pickling School, briefly covering such topics as: basic food safety, supervisory skills, pH levels in your products, sample submission process, labeling, kitchen certification, record keeping and more. The purpose of this course is to provide you with a VERY BRIEF outline of the processes you will need to go through in order to sell your products.

THIS COURSE WILL NOT CERTIFY YOU TO SELL ACIDIFIED FOODS OR ANY OTHERS TO THE PUBLIC.

For more information or to register, please visit the CEFS website.

For more information contact Lisa Forehand at 919-513-0954 or lisa_forehand@ncsu.eduSee More

CEFS Summer Internship in Sustainable Agriculture

CEFS Summer Internship in Sustainable Agriculture
June 3 - July 26, 2013 
Internship Background

We are seeking highly-motivated undergraduate students from a variety of different backgrounds, with a strong interest in sustainable agriculture, to participate in a unique 8-week summer internship. Summer Interns with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) come from all over the country and world to work with faculty members to learn about the concepts and practices of various aspects of sustainable agriculture through hands-on farm work, lectures and discussions, community engagement, and field trips to local farms and markets. In addition, a highlight of this program is that interns will gain hands-on sustainable agriculture research knowledge through working with a diversity of CEFS Faculty Researchers from various disciplines at CEFS' 2,000-acre research farm in Goldsboro, N.C.

Goals

For students completing the CEFS Sustainable Agriculture Internship Program, the goals are to describe sustainable agriculture and community food systems from a broad systems perspective;
observe and evaluate a variety of agricultural systems and practices for their sustainability;
improve professional development and collaborative learning interactions with university faculty and staff, farmers, extension agents, researchers, non-governmental organizations and the community;
communicate how sustainable agriculture research is conducted, basic techniques, and data collected from a variety of disciplines in sustainable agriculture
http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/getinvolved/internships/internships.html

Helping Grow Healthy Kids

Helping Grow Healthy Kids: North Carolina to Serve as FoodCorps Site in Ten-State Launch High-caliber organizations with demonstrated experience implementing Farm to School and school garden programs selected as inaugural host sites for 2011 RALEIGH (November 30, 2010) — 4-H and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems proudly announce their role as hosts for FoodCorps, a new national AmeriCorps school garden and Farm to School service program, launching in 2011. FoodCorps will serve vulnerable children, improving access to healthy, affordable food, while training young leaders for careers in food and agriculture. North Carolina was chosen from 108 national applications as one of 10 states from across the United States to pilot the FoodCorps program. As a pioneer in applying the proven model of national service to the widening epidemic of childhood obesity, FoodCorps and the 10 chosen host sites are poised to improve the well-being of thousands of children in its first year and millions over the next decade. Eva Clayton says, “As the former Assistant Director General of the United Nations’ Food Agriculture Organization (FAO), a former member of the United States Congress and a citizen of Warren County, North Carolina, I welcome this opportunity to demonstrate how an effective and targeted nutrition program for schools can make a significant difference in addressing health disparities.” Nationwide, FoodCorps will put 82 members on the ground in 10 states to work 139,400 hours during the 2011-2012 school year. North Carolina expects eight to 10 FoodCorps members to be placed at four or five school locations across North Carolina, contributing upwards of 1,300 work hours. FoodCorps members will build and tend school gardens, conduct nutrition education, and increase the amount of local, fresh produce served in lunchroom cafeterias, all in the spirit of service for healthier kids. Utilizing the public service model of AmeriCorps, FoodCorps leverages federal funds to place young adults in high-need communities, with the mission of improving children’s knowledge and access to healthy food. FoodCorps also gives hands-on training to future farmers and food systems professionals. FoodCorps service members will receive training and support from the FoodCorps national office, and then will be placed across the United States where they will be directed by high-impact organizations working in home communities. North Carolina 4-H and CEFS have partnered with the Physical Activity and Nutrition branch of the Division of Public Health plus Cooperative Extension offices, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and schools across the state to form a collaboration of organizations committed to increasing the capacity and success of school garden programs. Congratulations to all the 2011-2012 FoodCorps Host Sites nationwide: •Arkansas: The Delta Garden Study at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute •Arizona: Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health •Iowa: National Center for Appropriate Technology •Massachusetts: The Food Project •Maine: University of Maine Cooperative Extension •Michigan: C.S. Mott Group at Michigan State University •Mississippi: Mississippi Roadmap to Health Equity •North Carolina: North Carolina 4-H and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems •New Mexico: Office of Community Learning and Public Service at the University of New Mexico •Oregon: Oregon Department of Agriculture “These organizations demonstrated a clear commitment to combating childhood obesity through hands-on school garden programs,” said Debra Eschmeyer, a FoodCorps Founder. “Essentially a domestic Peace Corps, FoodCorps is poised for a fruitful first year.” ABOUT FOODCORPS FoodCorps is a national AmeriCorps program that focuses on service in rural, urban and suburban school food systems that have children challenged with high rates of obesity and limited access to healthy foods. Service members will build and tend school gardens, conduct hands-on nutrition education experiences, and facilitate Farm to School programming that brings high-quality local food into public schools. FoodCorps, a New York-based nonprofit organization, was developed with funding from AmeriCorps and the WK Kellogg Foundation, in partnership with Occidental College, the National Farm to School Network, Slow Food USA, the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and Wicked Delicate, as part of an open planning process engaging stakeholders from around the country. www.food-corps.org ABOUT NC 4-H 4-H is a youth organization committed to building citizen leaders with marketable skills. The N.C. 4-H Youth Development Program has long held a specific emphasis on cultivating another generation of youth engaged in sustainable agriculture, health and well-being. Statewide efforts include school gardens that foster a connection to nutrition through growing fruits and vegetables, building farm-to-school relationships, traditional 4-H community clubs focused on local foods, afterschool garden programs, and youth agricultural entrepreneurial programs. The N.C. 4-H Youth Development Program is a program of the N.C. Cooperative Extension involving adults and youth in all 100 counties and on the Qualla Boundary of the Cherokee Nation. http://www.nc4h.org/ ABOUT CEFS The Center for Environmental Farming Systems develops and promotes food and farming systems that protect the environment, strengthen local communities, and provide economic opportunties. CEFS was established in 1994 as a partnership between the two land grant universities, N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University, and the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) to serve as a center dedicated to sustainable agriculture research, extension and education. CEFS developed its 2,000-acre research farm in Goldsboro in 1996, still today one of the nation’s largest centers of sustainable farming practices. In 2008, CEFS launched a statewide sustainable local foods initiative in which more than 1,000 North Carolinians participated. In addition to the state action guide From Farm to Fork, the initiative sparked the development of the N.C. Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council, the establishment of a local food representive in each county Cooperative Extension office, and the development of a 10% Campaign for building a local food economy. http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/ ABOUT DPH, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION BRANCH The Physical Activity and Nutrition (PAN) Branch is housed in the Division of Public Health of North Carolina. The mission of the PAN Branch is to, “Reverse the rising tide of obesity and chronic disease among North Carolinians by helping them to eat smart, move more and achieve a healthy weight.” The Branch is one of more than 60 partner organizations supporting Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina, a statewide movement that promotes increased opportunities for healthy eating and physical activity wherever people live, learn, earn, play and pray. http://www.ncpanbranch.com/

Center For Environmental Farming Systems

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems has some great sessions coming up in 2010. A majority of the sessions will be held in Goldsboro, NC. There is something for everyone and the registration fees associated are quite reasonable with most being "free" or up to $20. April 21-Small Ruminant Integrated Gastrointestinal Parasite Control, Smart Drenching and FAMACHA May 8-CEFS Spring Farm Festival May 23-Farm to Fork Picnic May TBA-Organic No-till Corn and Soybean Production May 25-Conservation Practices in Outdoor Hog Production June TBA-Organic No-till Corn and Soybean Production June 5-Food System Assessments Part I: Community-based Assessments July 13-Food System Assessments Part II: Local, Regional and State Food Assessments July 14-Farmscaping for Pest and Wildlife Management July 27-Alternative Management Strategies for Dairy Grazing Systems with Potential Application for Both Organic and Conventional Pasture-based Systems August 25 WEBINAR–High Tunnel Enhancements: Using Inner Covers to Increase Production August 26-Organic Certification October 13-Fall Tomato Production October 21-Use of Riparian Buffers to Mitigate Nutrient Runoff November 16-Managing Nutrients & Pests in Pasture-based Livestock Production Below is detailed information regarding each session: Small Ruminant Integrated Gastrointestinal Parasite Control, Smart Drenching and FAMACHA© Wednesday, April 21, 2010 8:45 a.m. – noon CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $10 (includes lunch; can be reimbursed – contact Niki Whitley at ncwhitle@ncat.edu or 336-334-7956 for details) Coordinator: J-M. Luginbuhl Instructors: J-M. Luginbuhl, Niki Whitley, Eileen Coite Controlling gastrointestinal nematodes in their animals represents the biggest challenge facing small-ruminant producers worldwide. Participants will learn about the biology of the gastrointestinal nematodes, where we are and why, a quick review of dewormers, and how to integrate smart drenching, FAMACHA© and pasture management for more effective control. New alternatives being researched will also be discussed. An optional (brief) hands-on session will be held after lunch to teach participants how to use the FAMACHA© card as an effective tool. CEFS Spring Farm Festival Saturday, May 8, 2010 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. CEFS Small Farm Unit, Goldsboro, NC FREE EVENT!!! A great FAMILY EVENT with lots of kid-friendly activities. Please join us at the CEFS Small Farm Unit as we celebrate sustainable agriculture and local food and farming in North Carolina. The Festival will include educational booths and activities, workshops, tours, kids' activities, a farmers market, local food and live music all day. Exhibits: Learn about organic and sustainable farming, home gardening, small farm equipment, healthy eating, and more through exhibits hosted by extension offices, university faculty and staff, nonprofit organizations, and other agricultural organizations in North Carolina. Kids' Activities: Children of all ages will enjoy hands-on agricultural activities including games, crafts, and much more! Workshops: Local experts will offer demonstrations on topics of interest to farmers and home gardeners. Live Music: Enjoy live music while you visit the educational booths, or simply enjoy a walking tour of the farm. Farmers Market: Purchase farm-fresh products from local farms at the Festival Farmers Market. Farm Tours: Tours of the CEFS farm will be offered throughout the day. Tour stops include the pasture-based dairy and beef facilities, swine hoop houses, and cropping system research areas. Farm to Fork Picnic NEW DATE: Sunday, May 23, 2010 NEW TIME: 4 – 7 p.m. Location: Breeze Farm, Hillsborough, NC Ticket Cost: TBA Advanced ticket purchase required. Join Piedmont cooks and farmers for an evening of food, live music and fun activities for the entire family! In a unique collaboration, the regions most acclaimed cooks will pair with Piedmont farmers to prepare a picnic-style feast that celebrates our local foods and the people who grow and make them. Organic No-till Corn and Soybean Production May 2010, Date TBA 5 – 7 p.m. Location and Registration Fee TBA Coordinator: Molly Hamilton Instructors: Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton, Dr. Julie Grossman, Mary Parr, George Place One of two on-farm workshops that will demonstrate no-till/roll-kill practices that can be used in organic corn and soybean production. The technique for planting corn and soybeans into roll-killed cover crops will be discussed, and potential follow-up weed control methods will be demonstrated. Crop yields, fertility and crop management will also be discussed, as well as research results from the previous year. Conservation Practices in Outdoor Hog Production Tuesday, May 25, 2010 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $20 (includes lunch) Coordinators: Silvana Pietrosemoli, Lee Menius Instructors: Silvana Pietrosemoli, Lee Menius This workshop will give agents and producers training on the environmental problems associated with outdoor hog production and conservation practices needed to address these issues. The group will tour and discuss the outdoor swine research sites at CEFS and nearby farms. Organic No-till Corn and Soybean Production June 2010, Date TBA 5 – 7 p.m. Location and Registration Fee TBA Coordinator: Molly Hamilton Instructors: Dr. Chris Reberg-Horton, Dr. Julie Grossman, Mary Parr, George Place One of two on-farm workshops that will demonstrate no-till/roll-kill practices that can be used in organic corn and soybean production. The technique for planting corn and soybeans into roll-killed cover crops will be discussed, and potential follow-up weed control methods will be demonstrated. Crop yields, fertility and crop management will also be discussed, as well as research results from the previous year. Food System Assessments Part I: Community-based Assessments Saturday, June 5, 2010 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $10 Coordinator: Tes Thraves Instructor: Sidney Cruze Community-based food assessments identify food access, availability and demand questions, but also provide an engaged mode of community outreach and education about the importance of healthy food and local economics, as well as community development possibilities based in good food projects. This workshop will help you understand the basics of community-driven food assessments, will let you hear from youth and community members doing successful projects in North Carolina, and will give you some tools for beginning or expanding your own local assessments. In Part I, we'll cover different types of community-based assessments, examine ways that they help with outreach and education, and introduce youth-driven community food assessment activities. If you want an introduction to community-based food assessments or want to jump into exploring the baseline of your own area, we'll offer the information and materials to get started! Community-based food assessments can create the foundation for a comprehensive food system assessment. See the workshop titled "Food System Assessments Part II: Local, Regional and State Food Assessments" (below, July 13) for ways to leverage your community-based assessment. Food System Assessments Part II: Local, Regional and State Food Assessments Tuesday, July 13, 2010 9 a.m. – noon CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $10 Coordinator: Tes Thraves Instructor: Sidney Cruze This workshop offers an overview of food system assessments and outlines key steps for developing local and regional assessments. Comprehensive food system assessments often combine secondary data gathered from health departments, ag extension and the USDA Census of Agriculture with primary data gathered by professionals from community members. We will look at a variety of professional food assessment models—the data collected, plus how they are conducted and used—as well as examples of some done in North Carolina. We'll cover one in detail as a case study and discuss concrete steps to getting a comprehensive county-wide or regional assessment in your area. If you want an introduction to food assessments or you want to explore the baseline data for your own food system, and we'll offer the information and materials to get started! Comprehensive food system assessments can create the foundation for a community-based food assessment. See the workshop titled "Food System Assessments Part I: Community-based Assessments" (above, June 5) for ways to leverage your food system assessment. Farmscaping for Pest and Wildlife Management Wednesday, July 14, 2010 9 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $20 (includes lunch) Coordinator: Dr. David Orr This workshop will provide an overview of practices designed to enhance beneficial insects (predators, parasites, pollinators) as well as farmland wildlife. Field demonstrations will focus on establishment and maintenance of habitats to provide all the life-cycle needs of these organisms. Alternative Management Strategies for Dairy Grazing Systems with Potential Application for Both Organic and Conventional Pasture-based Systems Tuesday, July 27, 2010 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $20 (includes lunch) Waste Management Credits and Pesticide Credits are available. Coordinator: Dr. Steve Washburn Instructors: Dr. Sue Ellen Johnson, Dr. Kevin Anderson, Dr. Mark Alley, Dr. Wes Watson, Dr. Steve Washburn, Eileen Balz, Keena Mullen This workshop will include observations on research using alfalfa-grass pasture mixtures being managed either organically or conventionally as well as other pasture-management topics. The workshop will include preliminary observations from alternative approaches in managing reproduction, udder health, and general herd health in pasture-based and organic dairy cows. We will also observe the use of a vacuum system to physically remove horn flies from lactating cows as well as other novel strategies for parasite control. WEBINAR – High Tunnel Enhancements: Using Inner Covers to Increase Production Wednesday, August 25, 2010 Noon – 1 p.m. Location: WEBINAR – DELTA Registration Fee: FREE Coordinator: Steve Moore in conjunction with DELTA NCSU Instructor: Steve Moore Are you getting the most out of your high tunnels? This short webinar will focus on the use of low-cost inner tunnels in cool weather to increase microclimate temperatures. These microclimate enhancements have provided significant increases in plant growth and production capacity. There will be a significant portion of time for high tunnel questions. Please register online at https://justgrow.wufoo.com/forms/webinar-registration-high-tunnel-enhancement/. Organic Certification Thursday, August 26, 2010 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $50 Coordinator: Lisa Forehand Instructor: Tony Kleese This workshop will help you understand what you need to know and do to get your farm certified under the USDA's National Organic Program (NOP). Find out what the standards are, how to get certified, how to fill out an organic certification application, and how to find and choose a certifier. You'll receive an extensive notebook with record-keeping templates, mock applications, resources, approved materials lists and more. If you are thinking about getting certified organic, this is the place to start! Fall Tomato Production Wednesday, October 13, 2010 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $20 (includes lunch) Coordinator: Dr. Keith Baldwin Instructors: Dr. Keith Baldwin, Rickie Holness In North Carolina, the traditional "direct marketing season" for small-scale vegetable producers is from April to October. Successful North Carolina growers who sell primarily at tailgate markets attempt to have quality produce for sale every week during that period. Getting the best price for product brought to market involves production planning. As often as possible, smart growers will want to bring product to market when supply is low so that they can charge high prices. One such production strategy is referred to as "season extension." Season extension provides producers with a competitive advantage, because it enables them to produce, harvest and sell crops when they are not typically available to consumers. For example, growers can make "early" spring specialty lettuces or "late" fall tomatoes available to consumers when demand is high at market and supply is low. Having produce available for sale at market when other growers do not can boost farm income and establish customer loyalty. A common season extension strategy employed by growers is to plant a crop at a nontraditional time. For example, tomatoes are normally planted as soon as the danger of spring frost is past. However, tomatoes can be planted much later in the growing season for market sales beginning in September and ending with the first fall frost. Having tomatoes for sale in the fall, when spring-planted tomatoes have "played out" and supply in the marketplace is limited, is a recipe for increasing sales and making money. This Extension workshop will focus on the production of high-quality tomatoes that can be sold at market from September until the first fall frost. Use of Riparian Buffers to Mitigate Nutrient Runoff Thursday, October 21, 2010 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $20 Organizer: Josh Idassi Riparian buffers are a technology in sustainable agriculture used to reduce excess amount of sediment, organic materials, nutrients and pesticides in surface runoff. Riparian buffers consist of grass, shrubs and/or trees grown alongside water sources (streams, rivers, ditches, etc.). This workshop will describe the design and maintenance of riparian buffers and the potential additional benefits of creating them, including the use of specialty crops within the buffer such as fruit shrubs or trees, nut trees and herbs. The workshop will include a classroom section with pictures and educational materials followed by a tour of CEFS areas with riparian buffers. Managing Nutrients and Pests in Pasture-based Livestock Production Systems Tuesday, November 16, 2010 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. CEFS, Goldsboro, NC Registration Fee: $20 (includes lunch) Coordinator: Dr. Steve Washburn Instructors: Dr. Steve Washburn, Dr. Matt Poore, Dr. Jean-Marie Luginbuhl, Dr. Wes Watson This workshop will improve participants' understanding of how nutrients cycle in pasture-based systems. Participants will be introduced to the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in a pasture ecosystem, and will improve their understanding of how to manage excreted nutrients. Use of composted poultry litter and dry bedded swine waste on forage crops, and optimal control of insect and plant pests in conventional and organic systems, will also be discussed. Continuing education credits for animal waste system operators and pesticide applicators will be offered.

Carolina Meat Conference

NC Choices presents the 1st annual Carolina Meat Conference sponsored by Weaver Street Market and Cabarrus County Bringing together independent meat producers, processors, buyers and allied professionals for a weekend of workshops, trainings, panel discussions and networking to strengthen marketing and processing opportunities for the region’s rapidly growing local meat industry. March 25‐27, 2011 at the Cabarrus Arena and Event Center in Concord, North Carolina • Explore how production and processing practices impact meat quality and marketability including beef, pork, poultry, lamb and goat. • Engage in hands‐on training to improve carcass utilization, learn artisanal butchery techniques, and develop value‐added products. • Learn about innovative marketing alliances that are expanding the supply of local meat, and • Discuss emerging trends and issues, including regulatory compliance, food safety, mobile slaughter, pasture management, animal welfare, marketing claims, production standards, third party certification and ethics. • Panel Discussions, Presentations, and Demonstrations with representatives from NC Meat and Poultry Inspection Division, USDA, and NC Cooperative Extension, as well as some of North Carolina's best meat producers, processors, butchers, chefs and food entrepreneurs. in addition to: HANDS‐ON TRAININGS Value‐Added Cuts and Efficiency Fabrication for Commercial Meat Processors (beef and pork) Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, University of Kentucky, Food & Meat Science and presented by Weaver Street Market: Artisanal Butchery for Professional Chefs and Home Cooks (separate sessions) Tia Harrison, Co‐Founder ‐The Butcher’s Guild, Owner ‐ Avedanos Meat Market and Executive Chef ‐ Sociale, San Francisco, CA Marissa Guggiana, Co‐Founder –The Butcher’s Guild, President ‐Sonoma Direct Sustainable Meats and Author of Primal Cuts: Cooking with America’s Best Butchers KEYNOTE Scaling the Supply of Quality, Locally Produced Meats Mike Lorentz, Lorentz Meats, Cannon Falls, MN ‐ Learn how this mid‐scale meat processing company has successfully grown to meet the demand for niche meat, providing custom slaughter & processing for both national niche brands and individual farmers. Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at this event? http://www.carolinameatconference.com/ Full Conference Schedule and Attendee Registration available January 15th, 2011 NC Choices (http://www.ncchoices.com/) is a Center for Environmental Farming Systems' initiative that promotes sustainable food systems through the advancement of local, pasture‐based animal production, processing and marketing.