Source:  Press Release, 7/13/09

As consumers strive to better understand the origin of their food supply, grass-fed beef has emerged as a product of interest to both consumers and producers. In an effort to better understand the challenges facing producers and address consumer questions about grass-fed beef, the Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center at Mount Olive College through funding from  the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and collaboratively with NC Cooperative Extension at NC State,  NC Cattlemen’s Assn., NC Choices, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy, NCDA&CS, Farm Bureau  and a number of  NC cattle producers are hosting the Mid-Atlantic Grass-Fed Beef Conference August 11-12, 2009 at the Sheraton Imperial RTP.

A pre-conference tour of grass-fed and locally finished beef producers, Triple B Farms, Rogers Cattle Company, and Baldwin Beef, will kick-off conference activities on August 11th. Pre-registration for the tour is required as space is limited.

The conference begins the evening of August 11^th with a grass-fed beef dinner and a producer panel consisting of Scott Barao from the Jorgensen Foundation in Maryland, Jamie Ager from Hickory Nut Gap Farm near Asheville, Will Harris from White Oak Pastures in Georgia, and Johnny Rogers from Rogers Cattle Company near Roxboro and moderated by Matt Poore.

August 12^th will begin with a breakfast of locally produced pork and dairy products and a full day of educational presentations by nationally known speakers addressing grass-fed beef production topics including genetics, grazing, marketing  options and labeling specifications. In addition, topics of consumer interest will be addressed by luncheon keynote speaker, Dr. Susan Duckett, nationally recognized meat scientist from Clemson University and followed by Dr. Loren Cordain, author of “The Paleo Diet”. Both will address the proposed attributes of grass-fed beef and the implications of grass-fed beef on human health.  

“We are very excited about the quality of the conference. The NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and the collaborative efforts of NC State and other agricultural organizations and agribusinesses have  made this a unique opportunity for  knowledge to be gained by a broad audience comprised of both producers and consumers,” stated Sandy Maddox, Associate Director of the Agribusiness Center at Mount Olive College. “The goal of the program is to explain the many issues about grass-fed beef and to get a clear understanding of the topics for our producers, their advisors, and the general consuming public,” adds Matt Poore with NC Cooperative Extension at NC State.

Pre-registration is required for the pre-conference tour (cost $25). Pre-registration ($100) for the remainder of the conference including the dinner and producer panel followed by the kick-off breakfast, day-long educational sessions and keynote luncheon is preferred. On-site registration is allowed although pre-registration offers significant savings to attendees.

If you have additional questions or need pre-registration information please contact Sandy Maddox at 919-658-7682 or smaddox@moc.edu or visit our website at www.mocagbiz.com.