New Faces at CEFS:
Some New Faces at CEFS
Development & Outreach Associate
Jan Wilson, Development & Outreach Associate, has a 30 year history with the non-profit community beginning as a Brownie Scout leader. She particularly enjoys special event fundraising in the arts and political arena. Jan has volunteered for the JC Raulston Arboretum and served on the Gala in the Garden Steering Committee for the past eight years.
NC Choices Technical Services Coordinator
Lee Menius, NC Choices Technical Services Coordinator, comes to us from the Rowan Soil & Water Conservation District where he spent over 4 years working with farmers to improve soil and water quality through conservation practices. Based at the NCSU Kannapolis Research Campus, Lee will facilitate NC Choices educational programming and work with county livestock agents and Natural Resources Conservation Service staff to assist farmers with farm layout, planning, installation, record keeping, and most importantly- increasing profitability. You can contact Lee at 704-250-5405 or at lee@ncchoices.com.
Visiting Scholar from Turkey
Baki Karacay, a government employee in agricultural engineer working for the Ministry of Agriculture in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, Turkey, started his visiting scholar program at the NCSU starting December 2007. Based on his field of interest in alternative production techniques in sustainable agriculture, he will be working with a variety of faculty and is looking forward to a variety of opportunities at CEFS.
Baki says his ministry has a department that aims to increase production of organic farming in his country to meet safe food needs, to increase quantity of healthy food, to protect the present structure of natural resources, and to reestablish the ecological balance. Baki believes sustainability should be considered as a global matter with a holistic view beyond national. He says, “CEFS stands as a symbol of success in promoting awareness, understanding and practice of sustainable agriculture and its success is strong enough to turn one's belief for sustainability into certainty.”
He believes his visiting scholarship program will provide him with the knowledge and experience that will enable him to help establish similar educational and applicable programs that develop and promote food and farming systems that protect the environment, strengthen local communities, and provide economic opportunities in his country.
He will be completely funded from his grant through the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture for a period of 6 months. He already joined in Southern SAWG conference in KY and says, “I have limited experience in alternative farming but I have great interest, so I welcome input from you all!”
CEFS is happy to host its first international visiting scholar from Turkey ! Welcome Baki!!!
3 New Farm Apprentices We are pleased to have three apprentices on board at the Small Farm Unit for the season. They include Brandon Hines, Eric Bowen, and Themis Stone who come to us from Chapel Hill, Raleigh and Austin Texas respectively. In addition to learning various production and marketing principles and practices they will be involved in a variety of research, the Discover Ag Science curriculum for Wayne County third graders, the Wayne County Local Food Initiative, and market gardening production techniques. The three interns have several independent research and demonstration projects in mind including biointensive production, small scale grain production, CSA marketing and the production and economics of perennial medicinal herbs.
High School 'WalkAbout'
Ruby Harrison, a high school senior from Worthington Ohio, is staying at CEFS for 8 weeks as part of an internship program at her high school called 'Walkabout". The program, sending students all over the globe, is aimed at helping students make a transition between high school and university/career by getting some practical experience in a field of interest. Ruby has been involved in all of the units at CEFS and has been a real joy to have on site. She saw a calf born her first day at CEFS, has helped breed pigs (confessing, she had never seen a pig before coming to CEFS!), taken soil samples as part of a research project, and transplanted vegetables. Ruby is a bright, inquisitive, energetic student and we hope this is the launch of a long career in some aspect of sustainable agriculture. |
.
Practice: "Food and Energy from the Ground Up: Efficiency's Role in Sustainable Agriculture" --ACEEE's 2nd National Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture, February 20-22, 2008 in Des Moines -- Register Now!