Source: PRESS RELEASE, 10/29/14

The Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina are proud to be a primary sponsor for the NC Choices’ Women Working in the Meat Business Intensive for a second year Nov.9th-11th located in downtown Chapel Hill, NC.   The seminar is designed to help women tackle real and perceived barriers in their meat business careers by offering educational, technical, and business planning assistance while building a professional network.   

The scholarship awardees were selected from each Farm Credit region in North Carolina. These four women have demonstrated exceptional leadership as niche meat producers and processors and are committed to growing their businesses and making a positive impact on the niche meat sector.  

Beef cattle farming, ranching, and some form of livestock farming comprises over 60% of farms run by women as the principle operator according to the 2012 Census., “says Sarah Blacklin, Co-Director of NC Choices, “Livestock tends to be a natural farm operation for women who might also work off farm jobs or juggle a family at the same time. Scholarship support from Farm Credit Associations of NC allows us to extend this opportunity to farmers that otherwise would not have been able to attend and for that, we are deeply appreciative.” 

The two-day, two-night intensive will focus on hands-on meat cutting, marketing, merchandising, and networking with lead instructor and James Beard Award nominee Kari Underly, inventor of the flat iron steak and author of, The Art of Beef Cutting: A Meat Professional’s Guide to Butchering and Merchandising.   

About the Scholarship Attendees:
Melinda Jeffreys, Swathmoor Farm, Mebane, NC: Carolina Farm Credit Support
The Swathmoor Farm land has been in Melinda’s family since 1905. Melinda has worked with cattle for the past 7 years, and has recently expanded into the grass fed beef business. She is particularly interested in gaining more knowledge about the niche meat industry as a whole in order to pass that knowledge on to her customers in business practices, pricing, and consumer education.  

Deborah Smith, Kingsway Farm, Oak City, NC: AgCarolina Farm Credit
Kingsway Farm was converted from 60 acres of row crops to a livestock farm in 2007, and has grown to include beef cattle, dairy cows, sheep, boar and goat. Deborah has run the farm for the past 7 years, and she is particularly interested in gaining knowledge in marketing and pricing for niche meat.

Noelle Austin, Mutherland Farm, Boone, NC: Carolina Farm Credit
Noelle is a beginning farmer in Western, NC interested in working her family farmland by incorporating holistic, diversified livestock and farming systems.  

Mary Jane Bartlett, Little River Eco Farm, Erwin, NC: Cape Fear Farm Credit
Mary Jane is the owner/operator of Little River Eco Farm, a diversified livestock farm in Erwin, NC. Currently, Little River Eco Farm sells its meat through local farmers markets and CSAs. Mary Jane hopes to use the new skills from this seminar to scale-up her farm business with increased knowledge about the meat products themselves as well as more knowledge on pricing and the business side of farming.

About CEFS:
CEFS develops and promotes just and equitable food and farming systems that conserve natural resources, strengthen communities, improve health outcomes, and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond. CEFS is a partnership of NC State University, NC A&T State University and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
For more information please visit http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/

About NCC :
NC Choices is a CEFS initiative that promotes the advancement of local, niche and pasture-based meat supply chains. NC Choices promotes sustainable food systems through the advancement of the local, niche and pasture-based meat supply chain in North Carolina.  NC Choices provides information, technical assistance, educational programming and networking opportunities for farmers, extension agents, meat processors, buyers, distributors and consumers.
For more information please visit www.ncchoices.com and www.carolinameatconference.com.