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NC State University and Appalachian State University, two institutions on the vanguard of promoting sustainable agriculture, are coming together to demonstrate North Carolina’s cutting edge in local foods. NC Choices’ Carolina Meat Conference (CMC) will be held July 30-31, 2024 in Boone, NC. The Carolina Meat Conference is a nationally recognized conference for aspiring business professionals working with meat and dairy and has sold out every year since it began in 2011. Hundreds of farmers, processors, buyers, and industry professionals from across the country who raise, butcher, prepare, and/or market pasture-raised meat will benefit from hands-on workshops, butchery demos, and cutting edge classes pertaining to the specialty meat industry. This event has been organized by NC Choices, an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in collaboration with NC Cooperative Extension. NC Choices promotes sustainable food systems through the advancement of the local, niche, and pasture-based meat supply chain in North Carolina. This year, for the first time ever, the Carolina Meat Conference is combining forces with the Southeast Value-Added Dairy Conference for the ultimate meat and cheese event of the year. CMC will also be serving as the Southern Meat Summit, bringing together regional partners from all Southeastern states.
An incredible lineup of 70+ speakers will include the following keynotes:
-Dr. Temple Grandin, Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University, will discuss her groundbreaking work in autism advocacy and animal behavior.
-Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, visionary CEO of Tree-Range Farms is reshaping the food system through regenerative land practices, animal health, and ensuring family farmer profitability and sustainability.
-Greg Fishel, a seasoned broadcast meteorologist with an impressive 40-year career in radio and TV, will share insights into meteorology and climate change.
-Will Harris, a fourth-generation cattleman at White Oak Pastures in Georgia, will be joining the conference remotely to share his perspective as a global leader in humane animal husbandry and environmental sustainability.
-Dr. Stephan van Vliet, a nutrition scientist with metabolomics expertise in the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University, is conducting groundbreaking research at the intersection of agriculture and human health.
The conference will include more than 50 business and marketing interactive trainings across the following eight tracks: business and supply chain, climate smart ag, finance and planning, health and wellbeing, market development, meat science, production management, and value-added dairy. Find workshop descriptions, the full conference agenda, and other event details here: https://www.carolinameatconference.com/agenda-1
Registration for the conference also includes:
-Local meat and cheese tastings
-Value-Added Dairy Pre-Conference Tours at either Riverbend Creamery or Ashe County Cheese on Monday, July 29th
-One-on-one curbside consulting with some of the nation's top experts in the field
-Book signings
-Meat cutting demos
-A Taste of the Highlands Argentinian-style, live fire farm supper on Tuesday, July 30th at 5pm featuring local beef, pork, lamb, and chicken prepared by Chef Craig Morrow of Live Fire Feasts
-A closing plenary session on Wednesday, July 31st from 4:15-5:15pm by Dr. Michael McGraw, MES, QAWB, Senior Wildlife Biologist at Resource Environmental Solutions LLC and one of the scientists behind the documentary, Roots So Deep. Roots So Deep is a 4-part documentary series about inventive farmers and maverick scientists building a path to solving climate change with hooves, heart and soil, produced by the same team that produced Soil Carbon Cowboys. Dr. McGraw will share the latest updates on the Roots So Deep project, show a clip from the film, and participate in a dialogue with Amazing Grazing's Johnny Rogers.
Learn more & register: www.CarolinaMeatConference.com
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Appalachian State University, 118 Hill St, Boone, NC 28607-4628, United States,Boone, North Carolina
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