NC Choices and the Center for Environmental Farming Systems are pleased to announce a very special guest for the 2nd Annual Carolina Meat Conference. Dr. Temple Grandin will deliver a keynote address as well as a technical lecture on low stress animal handling for farmers and meat processors during  the two day conference December 3-4, 2012. The conference will take place at the historic Winmock Dairy and Event Center in Bermuda Run, NC and will feature two days of panel discussions, hands-on workshops, demonstrations and presentations- something for nearly everyone in the local and niche meat value chain- producers, processors, buyers, chefs, Extension personnel and regulators.

Dr. Temple Grandin is one of the world’s leaders in the design of livestock handling facilities, having worked extensively throughout the United States and Canada as well as consulted and designed systems in Europe, Mexico, Australia, and New Zealand.  In North America, almost half of all cattle processing facilities have adopted Grandin's designs.  Her curved chute systems are used worldwide and her writings on the flight zone and other principles of grazing animal behavior have helped many producers and packers to reduce stress during handling.

HBO's 2010 release of Temple Grandin was a feature length film that detailed Temple's childhood diagnosis with Autism in the early 1950s, a time when little was known about the disorder. The film brilliantly depicts Temple's journey- despite not having spoken until she was 4 years old and barely escaping being institutionalized, she went on to change how the world thinks about Autism and how the meat industry handles livestock. The movie was nominated for 15 and received seven Emmy awards, a Golden Globe, and a Peabody Award. See the HBO movie trailer here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpkN0JdXRpM

Dr. Grandin's innovations in the meat processing and livestock industry have helped producers and packers minimize animal and handler stress, resulting in higher meat quality and worker safety and satisfaction throughout the supply chain.  She has appeared on television shows such as 20/20, 48 hours, CNN's Larry King Live and has been featured in People Magazine, the New York Times, Forbes, U.S. News and World Report, National Public Radio and Time magazine. Dr. Grandin was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential people.

Dr. Grandin has authored over 400 articles in scientific journals and livestock periodicals, as well as seven books on animal handling, welfare, and facility design.  She currently is a professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University where she continues her research while teaching courses on animal behavior, livestock handling and facility design. Dr. Grandin founded and oversees Grandin Livestock Systems,  private consulting firm based on Colorado.  Her books Animals Make us Human and Animals in Translation enjoyed weeks on the New York Times best seller list. Her other books include; Livestock Handling and Transport, Thinking in Pictures, Improving Animal Welfare: A Practical Approach, and The Way I See It. Dr. Grandin has received numerous awards including the Meritorious Achievement Award from the Livestock Conservation Institute, named a Distinguished Alumni at Franklin Pierce College and received an honorary doctorate from McGill University, University of Illinois, and Duke University. She has also won prestigious industry awards including the Richard L. Knowlton Award from Meat Marketing and Technology Magazine and the Industry Advancement Award from the American Meat Institute and the Beef Top 40 industry leaders and the Lifetime Achievement Award from The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. 

Registration for the Carolina Meat Conference will be available in early October. Join NC Choices on Facebook and our email listserve for the full schedule and registration announcement as well as other news and events related to local and niche meat production, processing and marketing. 

Sponsorships and Exhibitor booths for the Carolina Meat Conference are still available. Contact Meredith@ncchoices.com for more information.