Carolina Innovation Showcase Sara Abdoulayi, Jennifer Curtis, & Tina Prevatte Carolina Innovation Showcase March 2009 Good evening. My name in Tina Prevatte. I’m here tonight to talk to you about NC Choices. These are my colleagues Jennifer Curtis and Sara Abdoulayi. In the last year we have been able to take advantage of a number of opportunities here at UNC. We participated in the pilot phase of BASE, and are now an official BASE business. We worked closely with CSE Consulting last summer to begin our business planning, and have accelerated our business planning process through our participation in Launching the Venture.

The Opportunity 70% of U.S. consumers want to know where their food comes from and would pay more for local food if they could find it. Local food has become a $5 billion industry expected to grow 10% annually. Which brings me to why we are here tonight….There is a vocal and growing subset of consumers who are taking a hard look at the food they consume, its origins, and how their food choices reflect their personal values. Food safety scares and environmental and health concerns have many Americans thinking critically about the sources of their food and how it is produced and processed. According to recent market research 70% of US consumers want to know where their food comes from and would pay more for local food if they would find it. In fact, local food has become a $5 billion industry expected to grow at 10 percent annually. As a result of this growing market demand, it is increasingly likely that you can find local fruits and vegetables at your local farmers market or natural foods grocer, but your chances of finding a consistent supply of branded local meats in those same outlets or at your favorite local restaurant are slim to none. That is because the supply chain for local meats is broken.

Our Relationships & Expertise NC Choices has the relationships and expertise necessary to rebuild that supply chain. As an initiative of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems we draw on extensive partnerships with stakeholders at NCSU, NCA&TSU, and the NCDA&CS. We have been working for the past 4 years to develop relationships with farmers and to introduce them to new market opportunities.

A Premium Product Pasture-raised Antibiotic & hormone free Humane Traceable to farm of origin We are going to do for the meat industry what microbrews have done for beer - tap into and develop latent consumer demand for homegrown, high-quality, great-tasting products. At NC Choices we are passionate about supporting family farms and building a sustainable local food system here in the Southeast. To better fulfill this mission NC Choices will launch a branded meat processing company that delivers local, high quality beef and pork to retail grocers and fine dining establishments. Our animals will be raised on pasture without the use of antibiotics or hormones by independent farmers who are committed to humane practices & environmental stewardship. We will trace our meats back to the farm of origin, allowing our customers to know precisely where their food comes from and to make choices that support their local community. Our business model is going to allow us to reinvigorate the small scale meatpacking sector in the region, bringing it into the 21st century through a focus on serving growing niche markets for locally-produced foods. We are going to do for the meat industry what microbrews have done for beer - tap into and develop latent consumer demand for homegrown, high-quality, great-tasting products.