For many years, @cefsnc has celebrated the bounty of North Carolina through our signature Farm to Fork Picnic. This year, we’re excited to introduce Grounded and Growing: A CEFS Farm to Fork Series, a year-long initiative designed to bridge the gap between high-level research and community action.
Part of the series, The Grounded Table, will focus on professional and community dialogue around the future of NC agriculture and food systems.
In the first session of this online series, participants will explore practical approaches to home and backyard food production tailored to North Carolina’s climate, including time-saving strategies and proven growing techniques that typically take seasons of trial and error to master.
Register at cefs.ncsu.edu/event/the-grounded-table-practical-guide-to-growing-your-summer-harvest/ (link in bio)
Alt Text: Basket of veggies on wooden table as background image with text overlay saying:
Grounded and Growing: A CEFS Farm to Fork Series. The Grounded Table Webinar Series: Practical Guide to Growing Your Summer Harvest.
Monday, May 18 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM
As #NAW2026 wraps up, we’re excited to champion youth pathways to registered apprenticeships!
CEFS, along with our partners @warrenwilsoncollege and the @organicgrowersschool , recently received a grant from @dogwoodwnc to support existing and new sustainable agriculture workforce initiatives in Western North Carolina. This will include expanding and formalizing the WNCStrong Youth Service Corps as a registered pre-apprenticeship. WNCStrong offers youth ages 16 - 18 paid internships on local farms and at agricultural non-profits. By refining our curriculum and formally registering the program as a pre-apprenticeship with @apprenticeshipnc , we will increase the agricultural work-based learning opportunities available to WNC students and create the chance to earn an industry-recognized credential in their field.
Learn more about this program: go.ncsu.edu/wncstrong_youthservicecorps (link in bio)
Interested in raising pastured pork? 🐖🌾
Join North Carolina Cooperative Extension and NC Choices for a pasture pork workshop and farm tour 🚜 on Thursday, June 25 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the @ncatsuaggies Farm Pavilion in Greensboro.
Register today: go.ncsu.edu/pasturedpork
Topics include:
breed selection
herd + pasture management
hoop housing
feeding and nutrition
meat businesses
Speakers: Derrick Coble (@ncatsuaggies ), Lee Menius & Sarah Blacklin (@NCChoices and @cefsnc ), Silvana Pietrosemoli (@ncstate.ans )
Check out our latest newsletter for important updates, events and opportunities from CEFS: conta.cc/4w1mmEo
If you'd like to join our general mailing list to receive news and announcements in your email inbox, please visit: cefs.ncsu.edu/get-involved/listservs
This week, during the inaugural Spring National Apprenticeship Week, we are celebrating the hard work and dedication of the apprentices and farmer mentors participating in our registered apprenticeships!
CEFS agricultural apprenticeships are designed to address ag labor and food security challenges while preparing a skilled and resilient agricultural workforce. We offer a Sustainable Vegetable Production Registered Apprenticeship and are currently piloting the first Registered Apprenticeship in Pastured Livestock Production in North Carolina.
Find your path in food and farming: cefs.ncsu.edu/cefs-career-pathways
Learn more about #NAW2026: apprenticeship.gov/national-apprenticeship-week
Photos: Scenes from our 2026 Eastern NC Apprenticeship Orientation, held April 23, 2026 in Raleigh, NC
Wonderful visit with Danielle Treadwell this week in the @ncstatecals Department of Horticultural Science! Treadwell, an associate professor and state Extension specialist of sustainable and USDA-organic
vegetable crop production in @ufhorticulture , delivered an engaging seminar, “Farming in the Sunshine State: Organic Solutions for Modern Agriculture.”
We were especially excited to welcome her back to campus as a former CEFS graduate student and alumna of NC State’s Department of Horticultural Science. Now a leading voice in organic vegetable production and sustainable cropping systems, she conducts research with and for farmers to meet the challenges of balancing resource conservation goals with farm profitability. We are grateful for her continued connection to CEFS!
(L to R): Michelle Schroeder-Moreno, Melissa Bell, Danielle Treadwell, Robyn Stout
Interested in learning how to maintain warm-season crops? On Tuesday, April 14th from 12-1pm, Melissa Bell will discuss best management practices for planting, regular maintenance for plant health, trellis options, fertilization and harvesting for several common summer fruits and vegetables. Explore strategies to manage pests, nutrient needs and environmental stress using methods suited to the region’s climate. This session is ideal for growers seeking a robust and healthy summer harvest.
Join us! Register at go.ncsu.edu/garden-planning-series
#LunchandLearn #SeasonalMaintenance
Check out our latest newsletter for important updates, events and opportunities from CEFS: conta.cc/3PypIxY
If you'd like to join our general mailing list to receive news and announcements in your email inbox, please visit: cefs.ncsu.edu/get-involved/listservs
Pet lovers, this one's for you! Your furry, scaly and feathered friends can make their mark right now in the Pack Pets Challenge, open from 6–8 p.m. Post a photo of your pet, use #GivingPack, tag @NCState AND tag us for a chance to help us win an extra $1,000.
@cefsnc faculty and staff are some of the most enthusiastic members of our community, so we have a challenge just for them. Participate in the #GivingPack employee gift challenge today between 2 and 3 pm during @ncstate Day of Giving!
Learn more & DONATE:
go.ncsu.edu/give-cefs
@NCStateCALS
First time donating to @cefsnc ? Make your first gift between 10 and 11 a.m. today during @ncstate Day of Giving!
Learn more & DONATE at link in bio
@ncstatecals #GivingPack
It’s time to make your mark! 📍 Today is @ncstate Day of Giving - an annual, 24-hour fundraising event! If you are able to support CEFS during Day of Giving, funds will support our work to promote food and farming systems that conserve natural resources, strengthen communities, improve health outcomes and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond. We're participating in Day of Giving as part of the @ncstatecals team. We appreciate your donations to CEFS!
Learn more & DONATE: cefs.ncsu.edu/event/nc-state-day-of-giving-2026 (link in bio)
#GivingPack
