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Consumers interested in local beef Consumers are interested in buying the product. The small grocery stores that stock local meat report demand to be fairly constant, and one new Cabarrus food - buying club increased its meat sales from two to 13 animals in just one year. One local farmer who sells beef, pork, chicken and eggs through a variety of direct markets, expects 2011 sales to increase more than 100 percent over 2010 sales. Consumers who participated in the beef focus group cited two main reasons for purchasing local beef: 1) the absence of hormones and /or antibiotics makes it healthier than other beef; and 2) purchasing local beef supports the local economy. They also mentioned that local beef farming was better for the environment and helped preserve open space. People are looking for convenience when purchasing local beef. Participants in the beef focus group said that the limited location and hours of farmers markets, plus the need to pick up meat on farms were obstacles to buying local beef. They also said they would buy more local beef if it were more readily available. Price and taste need to be considered In direct markets, price does not appear to be a major obstacle. Many of the consumers in the beef focus group said price was not a huge consideration when buying local beef. On the other hand, restaurant chefs report locally- raised beef can be too expensive to serve - -costs can be up to two times higher than quality western grain -fed beef they get from major distributors. Consistency of volume and quality are always major issues for restaurant buyers and can be challenging for low - volume producers to achieve. Earth Fare, a grocery store chain with two Charlotte locations, has a local grass -fed beef program that sells meat from Hickory Nut Gap Meats based out of Asheville. This farmer -owned branded meat company sources cattle from farms in the Iredell, Montgomery and Buncombe counties. Earth Fare is committed to continuing its program, even though some challenges exist. Hickory Nut Gap Meats is open to adding farms as producers, including from Cabarrus County, as long as producers meet their production and meat quality protocols. In terms of the market for grass -fed beef, taste is an issue for both consumers and producers. Most consumer palates are accustomed to the taste of western grain -fed beef. One producer who is considering the possibility of marketing local grass -fed beef expressed concern that customers would bring the product back because of its taste. She herself does not like the taste of grass -fed beef. Opportunities forgrowth exist Department heads at two major County agencies, the Depart- ment of Aging and the Cabarrus County Jail, are motivated to source food locally as part of their participation in Cabarrus County's Local Food Purchasing Program. Yet they source all meat for clients through large distributors and are unaware of local meat options for departmental meetings and catered events. County Extension Director Bost reports that Sysco has purchased a plant in Charlotte to grind and distribute hamburger. The company is willing to buy local beef for the operation, and the County is working on ways to help them accomplish this goal. Sysco's Verified Beef Program offers a potential opportunity for Cabarrus beef producers. Carl Pless reported that the County needs to give Sysco a timeline for opening the Cruse facility, then needs to find out what Sysco's needs are and determine whether they can deliver. Pless is interested in seeing the development of a program that would source cattle from multiple local farmers but have the animals "finished" by one producer, so that consistent feed programs are specified. He indicates this is a major issue for ensuring consistent meat quality. "Ideally we'll have the same finisher for the product, so the product will be consistent," he says. When considering quantity, the number of animals needed per year will be critical. Pless reports that finding farmers to scale production will be necessary and that consumers' interest Cabarrus County Food System AsAsessmentt nu J 1 1 -1 Page 637 photo: Jennifer Curtis