Deputy Secretary of the USDA, Kathleen Merrigan, Visits NC!

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is pleased to announce that Kathleen A. Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has accepted our invitation to speak at NCA&TSU and NCSU on Wednesday, February 9.

Dr. Merrigan – named by Time magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People of the World” in 2010 – oversees the day-to-day operation of USDA's many programs and spearheads the $149 billion USDA budget process. She has managed the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative highlighting the connection between farmers and consumers and supports local and regional food systems that increase economic opportunity in rural America. She also helped to spearhead the Organic Food Production Act. Learn more at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=bios_merrigan.xml

Dr. Merrigan will discuss efforts to support farmers and build local food economies and pinpoint professional opportunities available to graduates and researchers at the USDA. Both lectures are free and open to the public. Student participation is strongly encouraged.

Dr. Merrigan’s visit is an important component of CEFS’ ongoing Farm to Fork initiative to build N.C.’s local food economy.

Schedule for Wednesday, February 9:

10:00 a.m. in Room 100, B.C. Webb Auditorium, NCA&TSU

The auditorium is located at the corner of Benbow and East Market Street. Parking is available on the street and in the NCA&TSU parking deck behind the library on Laurel Street. View a map of the NCA&TSU campus here: www.ncat.edu/campus/.

2:30 p.m. in Room 124, Dabney Hall, NCSU
Dabney Hall is located on the North Campus at 2620 Yarbrough Drive. Parking is available on Hillsborough Street and in the Dan Allen parking deck. Click here to view a map of the North campus: http://www.ncsu.edu/campus_map/north.htm.