Goal
The Small Farm Unit at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) brings together the resources of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, North Carolina State University, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and other community partners to provide research and demonstrations of sustainable production and marketing practices to diverse audiences. The CEFS SFU works to enable a network of farmers, educators, students and other community members to develop a healthy, viable community- based food system.

Small Farm Unit Structure
The Small Farm Unit covers approximately 30 acres with a wide range of soil types, equipment, buildings and educational focal points. The function of the small farm unit is to provide stakeholders with systems thinking in a whole farm model. It has within that system embedded research in systems rotation and research relevant to small farm stakeholders. Research topics are nested into the whole farm unit design. The preservation of the rotations and system of working farm in on-farm research model as an operating small farm is a priority. Equally a priority is our seven acre organic area and integrated small scale livestock enterprises. In addition, the SFU host various independent research projects outside our systems research on a variety of crops and animals pertinent to small farms.

Research & Demonstration Focus Points
Currently the SFU is engaged in the following research efforts, organic systems work (utilizing animals, soil building and high value crops), season extension (high tunnels, etc), organic transplant production, small fruit (blueberries), pastured meat (goats and poultry), grafted tomatoes, and cover crop/no till system (organic and conventional). We are also supporting a strong program off-site which is working with producers to develop sustainable outdoor hog production systems in response to significant market interest in pork produced in this fashion. This work will be connected with the livestock research areas at CEFS. Education outreach programs include; agriculture in the classroom (Discover Ag), and a variety of workshops (i.e. high tunnel, organic certification short course). A complete workshop listing and other CEFS information is available at the www.cefs.ncsu.edu website.

Educational Impacts
Last year nearly 2,000 people visited the Small Farm Unit for educational reasons. Over 500 third graders and their teachers from Wayne County schools learned about farming and agriculture. Over 450 farmers learned new production practices in eight workshops and demonstrations on cover crops and rotations, small farm equipment selection and use, greenhouse management and alternative enterprises. Fifty Cooperative Extension Agents from North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia learned from research and demonstrations on the Small Farm Unit and brought that information back to share with farmers and growers in their counties. Approximately 150 undergrad and graduate students at NCSU participated in field education classes in IPM, insect identification and other practical educational exercise. Over 750 people were hosted for the CEFS Fall Festival and observed the various education and demonstration sites across the Small Farm Unit.