Local food production includes growing fruits and vegetables, dairy products, eggs, and meats as well as catching fish and other seafood products. In some cases, grains and other products may be included in local food supply chains. Local food products are often sold and consumed within a short distance of being grown or caught. Production, food safety, and storage may differ slightly for local food supply chains. This page links to production information and resources for farmers producing for local markets as well as home and community gardeners and food producers.

On This Page

Direct Market & Wholesale Producers

General

• New Producers & Beginning Farmers: This webpage includes links to resources on training, leadership programs, and the business of farming, programs specific to women in agriculture, conferences for beginning farmers and more.

Farm Transfer

• Planning the Future of Your Farm:  A Workbook Supporting Farm Transfer Decisions: This workbook focuses on educating farmers and rural landowners on the tools and issues related to the transfer of farm operations and land with the goal of keeping both in production.

Fruit & Vegetable Producers

• Production Portals: A list of Extension portals focusing on agricultural production.
• Commodity Organizations: A list of state-level commodity organizations that can provide information and networks to help farmers produce high quality products.
• Food Safety for Produce Growers: The NC Fresh Produce Safety Portal has information targeted specifically towards farmers and growers about the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) produce safety rule and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certification. Information provided includes farmers market resources, production considerations, worker health and safety, water safety and testing, other reference materials, upcoming trainings and more.
• Postharvest Resources: This list of resources includes Extension publications on cooling and handling of various commodities, information on various cooling technologies, and links to other postharvest publications.
  • Pack 'N Cool: Small scale, mobile refrigeration information that individuals can build with commonly available products for around $3,400.
• Season Extension: This webpage provides an overview of season extension resources to help farmers plan for infrastructure.
• Urban Agriculture: This webpage provides an overview of urban agriculture resources in North Carolina.

Meat, Dairy & Egg Producers

• Commodity Organizations: This webpage includes commodity organizations that support meat, dairy and egg farmers.
• Niche Meat Production: Find Extension and NC Choices niche meat production resources on the NC Choices website. NC Choices is an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems in collaboration with N.C. Cooperative Extension. NC Choices promotes sustainable food systems through the advancement of the local, niche, and pasture-based meat supply chain in North Carolina. NC Choices provides information, technical assistance, educational programming, and networking opportunities for farmers, extension agents, meat processors, buyers, distributors, and consumers.
• Poultry and Eggs
  • Small Flock Management Production Resources: This list of General Resources is compiled by Poultry Extension and includes breeds, health, brooding, problems and more.
  • Table Eggs: Producing your own table eggs is rising in popularity. These resources will help you know what to expect, and how to stay safe, when producing and using table eggs from your backyard flock.
  • Processing: Poultry Extension provides videos and other resources to teach poultry producers about processing.
  • Workshops/Conferences - NC State University Poultry Extension offers annual workshops for small flock producers, including an annual egg grading school.

Backyard & Community Food Producers

• Backyard Food Production: This page links to production information and resources for backyard gardeners and food producers.
• Community Gardening: This Extension website provides community garden resources and information.
• Homesteading: This webpage provides resources of a variety of topics, from production to composting for homesteaders in NC.
• School Gardens: This webpage provides a list of resources, curricula, lesson plans, and more for school gardens.
• General Gardening Resources: This Extension website provides a variety of resources and information for all types of gardens in North Carolina.