Bringing together independent meat producers, processors, buyers and allied professionals for a weekend of workshops, trainings, panel discussions and networking to strengthen marketing and processing opportunities for the region's rapidly growing local meat industry.

March 25-27, 2011 at the Cabarrus Arena and Event Center in Concord, North Carolina

• Explore how production and processing practices impact meat quality and marketability.
• Engage in hands-on training to improve carcass utilization, learn artisanal butchery techniques, and develop value-added products.
• Learn about innovative marketing alliances that are expanding the supply of local meat, and
• Discuss emerging trends and issues, including regulatory compliance, food safety, mobile slaughter, pasture management, animal welfare, marketing claims, production standards, third party certification and ethics.
• Panel Discussions, Presentations, and Demonstrations with representatives from NC Meat and Poultry Inspection Division, USDA, and NC Cooperative Extension, as well as North Carolina's best meat producers, processors, butchers, chefs and food entrepreneurs.

HANDS-ON TRAININGS

• Optimizing Carcass Utilization: A Training for Commercial Meat
• Beef & Pork Carcass Breakdown for Farmers
• Artisanal Butchery and Whole Animal Utilization for Chefs and Foodservice Professionals
• Butchery Craft in Your Home Kitchen for Consumers

Presenters Include: Dr. Gregg Rentfrow, University of Kentucky, Food & Meat Science Tia Harrison, The Butcher's Guild, Owner - Avedanos Meat Market and Executive Chef - Sociale, San Francisco, CA Marissa Guggiana, The Butcher's Guild, President -Sonoma Direct Sustainable Meats and Author of Primal Cuts: Cooking with America's Best Butchers Craig Deihl, Executive Chef- Cypress, Charleston, SC Berlin Reed, The Ethical Butcher, Portland, OR KEYNOTE: Scaling the Supply of Quality, Local Meats with Mike Lorentz, President, Lorenz Meat, Cannon Falls, MN.