• NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Meat & Poultry Inspection Division
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
  • Small Plant Help Desk Newsletters and guidebooks geared to the small and very small federal- and state-inspected establishment owners and operators who produce meat, poultry and egg products. Provides plain-language guides for translating FSIS rules and regulations into daily operational practices.

• NC Choices NC Choices is a program of Center for Environmental Farming Systems that advances local meat supply chains by providing networking opportunities, educational programming and technical assistance for producers, meat processors, buyers, and food professionals. 
  • Publications
  • Tools, Resources, Videos
  • Research/Service Agencies
  • Conferences:
    • The Carolina Meat Conference - Hands-on meat cutting instruction, panel and round-table discussions, presentations and ample networking opportunities for producers, buyers, processors and other meat professionals
    • Women Working in the Meat Business Conference- NC Choices’ Women Working in the Meat Business brings together women farmers, processors, and professionals from across the country who raise, butcher, prepare, and/or market pasture raised meat. In a focused, hands-on setting, women convene in North Carolina for over two days of training, from on-farm management to butchery, by the nation’s top professionals.
    • NC Choices News Listserv: The NC Choices News listserv serves as a forum for educational and marketing opportunities as they pertain to local and niche meats.Contact Sheila@ncchoices.com to be added.
    • NC Choices Classifieds Listserv: The NC Choices’ Classifieds listserv serves as a forum for meat and livestock commerce. Private individuals and commercial interests may use this service. Contact Sheila@ncchoices.com to be added.
• North Carolina Meat Slaughter and Processing Facilities Directory of establishments inspected by NCDA&CS Meat and Poultry Division that slaughter and/or process meat for farmers (2010)
• National Niche Meat Processors Assistance Network (NMPAN) National organization offering "tools and information for small processors, niche meat producers, marketers, and buyers across the United States.
  • NMPAN listserv: You can use the NMPAN listserv to ask and answer questions and share information about meat and poultry processing. The listserv has 1,000+ members across the nation including small-scale processors, farmers, ranchers, Cooperative Extension personnel, federal and state employees, and others.
  • NMPAN Peer-to-Peer Consulting: Whether you have a complicated problem or are planning to make a significant change to your processing business, you might benefit from a “thinking partner” – an experienced processor who has been there and can share insights and suggestions.

Primary Contact: Sarah Blacklin Project Manager NC Choices Center for Environmental Farming Systems NC State University sarah_blacklin@ncsu.edu