ABOUT
NC Choices Carolina Meat Conference is the largest gathering of pastured meat-makers in the country! Farmers, chefs, butchers, and industry leaders convene for two-days of unparalleled networking, hands-on training, and technical and business assistance. This conference supports a growing community committed to advancing market opportunities and increasing customer access to pasture-based meats. Attendees can expect more than twenty innovative class sessions on diverse topics, butchery demos, special technical tracks for professionals, and many opportunities for social networking.
NC Choices, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, 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.
The NC Choices Carolina Meat Conference is hosted by and fundraising activities operated under the auspices of The North Carolina Agricultural Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3, non-profit, tax id 56-6049304.
TESTIMONIALS
“Best conference I’ve ever been to — great events, lectures, talks etc. The Pork Butchering was amazing! Thanks for the opportunity.”
“Thanks for a great conference – I’ve been to countless different industry conferences, and this was my favorite.”
“I had several opportunities to renew professional connections with clients and colleagues in a way to positively affect my business and my grower community moving forward. ”
“I learned so much that I had no idea what I did not know!!”
“The conference has been absolutely critical to our business concept, strategy, implementation, support system, networking, supply chain, processor relations and marketing.”
“Best conference I’ve ever been to and I’m at a Community College, we go to way too many conferences that we get nothing from. Please teach them how to do one right. The
meat conference rocked!!!”
“Excellent presenters. The rabbit and pork track not only taught how to break down the animal but under study but also address physiology, sanitation and safety procedures. Two or three people working at one station broadened my sense of knowing more people at the conference. Excellent!!!”
“I wanted to write to thank you and NC Choices for the excellent seminar Saturday on grazing……it was super helpful to me, and I learned several important things. While I had read and seen much in the past about rotational and mob grazing, Saturday offered a real world practical way to plan on doing it on my land, so makes it possible to actually start rotational grazing with a solid plan.””
“I have attended all four conferences. The conference gives me the opportunity to stay ahead of market and regulatory trends while also satisfying my need to engage socially with other meat professionals. I have made significant business commitments based on my CMC experiences.”
“This is one of the best run conferences I’ve ever been to. The attendees are wonderful, and their interest in the subject matter is genuine and earnest. I’d love to come back!”
“I found the conference valuable because as an Extension agent, and wanted to become more familiar with the meat industry in general, so I can better educate the public about meat production practices,” and “I had several opportunities to renew professional connections with clients and colleagues in a way to positively affect my business and my grower community moving forward.”
“Thank you for the great conference. I spent the two days wishing there was more of me to go around so I could attend all the classes!”