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produced in accordance with sustainable agriculture standards. It also allows them to sell into wholesale markets and to pro- vide the volume that wholesale buyers are increasingly seeking from local producers." Cabarrus includes farms that cover a broad range of acreage — A majority of farms — 86% — are less than 180 acres in size. These small and mid -sized farms have potential to make the biggest contribution to the local food system. Smaller farms are better - suited to direct market sales, and mid- sized farms can potentially provide larger volume of products (and thus reach a larger number of consumers) necessary to service larger -scale markets, including grocery stores and institutions, such as prisons, medical centers and schools, where county government allocates funds for food service budgets. Issues to be explored For small and mid -sized farms to function efficiently, they need infrastructure that is scaled to meet their needs, meaning it is both appropriate for the volume they produce and located nearby, so they can avoid the cost associated with driving long distances to use it. In its state action guide, CEFS defines food system infrastructure as the physical capacity to get food from the farm to the market. It also includes the businesses that connect farmers to markets. Food system infrastructure facilitates the creation of products that extend the marketing window and c� r � Cow /calf operations dominate — As in much of North Carolina, cattle farms generally fall into one of two categories. Cow /calf operations sell animals weighing between 400 -600 lbs. at livestock auctions, where they will be bought and taken to feedlots. County Extension Director Debbie Bost estimates that 80% of Cabarrus a cattle farms are cow/ U calf operations, noting that this number Air has decreased in the last few years, from r . approximately 90% to 800. The remaining 20% of Cabarrus beef farm- ers "finish" between r photo: Jennifer Curtis shelf -life of seasonally produced foods at the same time it adds value to farmers' raw products. Farmers need cold storage and transportation; value -added processing centers; facilities for grading, aggregation and packaging; community kitchens; dairy processing facilities; and grain milling in order to get their sustainably- produced food to consumers. ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY Beef is the primary commodity — The 2007 USDA Census reports 306 farms — half the County's farms — have cattle and calves in inventory. In 2007, 259 farms sold 7,237 cattle and calves for a total of $4.47 million, ranking second in market sales value for the County. Of the 306 farms with cattle, 93 farms have between 1 -9 ani- mals. A total of 283 farms (92%) have fewer than 100 animals, with 88 farms having between 20 -49 animals, and 25 farms having between 50 -99 animals. Eleven Cabarrus farms have more than 200 animals in inventory. (See Graph 3, next page). As of January 1, 2010, Cabarrus ranked 21st in the state in beef cattle inventory, with 6,400 beef cattle in inventory. two and five of their cattle and bring them to full weight to sell into local markets. This is sometimes referred to as "freezer beef," which farmers sell directly to consumers through the Piedmont Farmers Market and other direct market channels .35 Cabarrus County Food System Assessment nu Z) 1 1 -1 Page 629