Local Events Next Week

There are 2 local events next week that you should be aware of.

1. Nov. 11, 7 pm - Farm Energy Efficiency Project- The North Carolina Farm Bureau is hosting a series of meetings to discuss a new program to make your farm more energy efficient. Presentations will highlight the program and elaborate on how NCFB can provide extremely low cost farm energy assessments. Representatives from USDA will be on hand to discuss how this program leads into their 9007 (REAP) program which provides grants and loan guarantees for energy improvements. We all know how important it is to conserve energy in order to be efficient and save $$$. This event will take place at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River (formerly Fletcher). If you would like to attend, please RSVP by Friday to Scott Welborn at scott.welborn@ncfb.org

**BONUS: A delicious dinner will be catered by Freeman's BBQ!**

2. Nov. 12, 1:30 pm - Farm to Fork: Building a Local Food Economy- Dr. Nancy Creamer with the Center for Environmental Farming Systems, along with its partners, is launching a statewide initiative "Building a Local Food Economy in North Carolina". Over the next 9 months they will be gathering input a number of ways: working with an advisory group, hosting regional meetings, facilitating targeted issues working groups, hosting a statewide summit (March 2 and 3), and finally, drafting a State Action Plan that will articulate a shared vision and specific opportunities for action that will enable us to make progress toward shared goals. **The meetings are not designed to be presentations about how to build your local food economy, but are working sessions that will help us identify specific regional and local sustainable food systems models that are successful, and also regional and statewide challenges that can be addressed through policies, programs, and funding.**
Come participate in the local discussion in Asheville on November 12 from 1:30-4:30 at the NC Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmsted Way.

Update: The program in Asheville is at capacity. Consider attending another meeting, details at http://www.cefs.ncsu.edu/commfoodsys-summit.htm or by contacting Nancy Creamer at nancy_creamer@ncsu.edu.