Not sure what exactly is meant by the words "sustainable" or "organic"? Getting confused between a CSA and CFSA? Read our handy guide to better understand the words, concepts, and organizations referred to in Stewards of the Land. [view the primer]

by Heather Barnes

North Carolina has a small but growing organic and sustainable farming community. Approximately 100 North Carolina growers and processors are certified organic, according to a report by North Carolina State University's Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS). Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) has reported an annual increase in the number of farmers interested in farming organically of approximately 25% per year since the early 1990s. Nationally, organic food comprises only about 1.5% of the total market, though the percentage is increasing... [read more]

by jj richardson

One of the most heated debates in local agriculture right now centers on the USDA's recent adoption of national standards for organic food production and handling, called the National Organics Program (NOP). The process for creating a federal standard for organic foods was set in motion by the passage of the Organic Food Production Act of 1990. According to Tony Kleese, Executive Director of Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, a group that promotes the benefits of local and organic food systems, "there were a few state laws, in particular California...but before that there was no national law. And so [the 1990 Act] was passed and that put into motion the development of a national standard, and...we are finally implementing it...." [read more]

by jj richardson

Venture into downtown Carrboro on any Saturday morning between March and October and you will find one of the Triangle's most vital and thriving institutions. It's not town hall. It's not the police station. The lively crowd of young and old, children and dogs in tow, has come for one thing: the Carrboro Farmers' Market.

The market...is a place where people meet and greet; where you can find anything from the region's freshest produce to homemade cheeses, meats, baked and canned goods, and crafts from woodworking to knit scarves to metal lawn sculptures. The market serves many functions but perhaps most importantly, it provides the crucial connection between producer and consumer, farmer and community... [read more]