Demonstrating and Supporting Adoption of Innovative Conservation Practices on Outdoor Hog Production Systems in North Carolina

In response to growing consumer demand and increased production of outdoor-raised (marketed as “pasture-raised”) pork in North Carolina, this project will demonstrate and evaluate a comprehensive set of innovative conservation practices on outdoor hog production systems throughout three distinct regions of the State—the Mountains, Piedmont and Coastal Plain—that represent major production characteristics and soil types throughout the Southeast. Through the oversight of a technical steering committee, model farms, and demonstration sites will be established to demonstrate and evaluate the effectiveness, environmental impacts and economic implications of implementing different conservation practices on outdoor hog production systems. Farmer participants will be supported to maintain comprehensive records, engage in project planning, and host outreach and educational events, including field days, training workshops, and informal gatherings. Regional support teams will be developed that include farmer mentors, District Conservationists, and extension agents as a means of increasing the likelihood of adoption of conservation practices, and specifically utilization of EQIP, particularly on small and limited resource farms. A variety of deliverables will be developed, including a technical guidance document for use by NRCS staff and District Conservationists to foster expansion of EQIP to outdoor hog production systems.