Please contact Casey if you are: 1) a pasture-based beef, pork or poultry producer interested marketing products locally, 2) an extension agent interested in educational materials and programming related to marketing local meats, 3) an independent processor interested in doing inspected slaughter & further fabrication for local markets, or 4) a buyer looking for local pasture-based meat. 

Casey, his wife Meredith and 3 year old son Cash, live in Old Fort in McDowell County where they own and operate Foothills Family Farms. Casey is very active in the agriculture community and currently serves on the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Board of Directors as well as the McDowell Agriculture Advisory Board and the Western Piedmont Community College Sustainable Agriculture Advisory Board.

Please contact Jennifer if you are a reporter, funder or partner organization interested in local, pasture-based meat production, processing and marketing issues. 

Jennifer Curtis has worked in the field of sustainable agriculture and food systems (www.curtis-consulting.com) for the past 20 years.  From her early days as a policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council through 15 years of consulting with non-profits, educational institutions, and food companies, Jennifer has demonstrated her passion for improving the lives of family farmers and preserving natural and agricultural resources. Her five years as a consultant to Gerber Foods Company deepened her commitment to market-based solutions.  As a consultant to the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (www.cefs.ncsu.edu), she has helped build this statewide partnership and its capacity for community-based food systems programming as well as research & extension efforts in outdoor hog production.  She is the author of numerous publications, including the 2010 CEFS’ report, From Farm to Fork: A  Guide to Building North Carolina’s Sustainable Local Food Economy in North Carolina. 

Lee provides technical assistance to NC Choices farmers and manages data collection for CEFS’ Conservation Innovation Grant (CIG) program demonstration farms.  The CIG project focuses on evaluating the effects of conservation practices in outdoor hog operations. Lee has worked in many aspects of agriculture for the past 23 years, including teaching agriculture, working with Rowan Soil & Water Conservation District, and working as a farm manager.   Lee is a strong advocate for sustainable agriculture and conservation and has a particular interest in  sustainable grazing management and multi-species production systems.  If you need technical assistance with conservation or production issues, email lee@ncchoices.com