A coalition of local business leaders will join NC State Representative Pricey Harrison on September 4 to discuss how climate change has impacted their agricultural-based business and the local North Carolina economy.
The public roundtable forum will take place at TS Designs at 3:00 PM and feature some of the leading business voices in the state. Speakers at the event will include Eric Henry, President of TS Designs; Dr. Charlie Sydnor, owner of Braeburn Farms; Lyle Estill, founder of Piedmont Biofuels; Scott Marlow, Executive Director of the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA; Clay and Nancy Joyner, owners of Redbud Farm; and NC State Rep. Pricey Harrison (tentative based on General Assembly schedule) NCGA.
Read more from the original Press Release.
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Eric Henry, President, TS Designs
Eric Henry has been in the screen printing business for over 30 years. Eric’s duties at TSD range from sales to operations to PR. He is the foremost public face of TSD, attending numerous trade shows, giving speeches to groups and universities and hosting tours of the TSD facility. He founded the Burlington Biodiesel Co-op and has run his car on biodiesel (or straight vegetable oil) since 2004. He serves on the boards for Company Shops Market, a local co-op grocery that reconnects local agriculture to Alamance County, and NC GreenPower, an organization that purchases and resells renewable energy. He also serves on boards for the Specialty Graphic Imaging Association, Elon University Environmental Science and the Burlington Downtown Corporation. Mr. Henry is a member of Green America and BALLE, both partner organizations in the American Sustainable Business Council.
Charles Sydnor, Owner, Braeburn Farms
Braeburn Farms is comprised of 520 acres, most of which is dedicated to pasture. The Farms’ predominantly Red Devon cattle herd includes 120 momma cows. Braeburn Farms is a well-recognized grass-fed beef brand in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Charles sells animals to wholesale buyers and sells meat to nearby restaurants, food service and retail customers. They and their calves are raised on approximately 34 distinct and interconnected pastures, each of which houses water and free-choice minerals on site.
Lyle Estill, Founder, Piedmont Biofuels
Lyle Estill immigrated to the United States in 1990 and founded EMJ America in Cary, North Carolina. With operations in his native Canada, the United States, Brazil, and Hungary, Mr. Estill brushed with globalization and the international economy. Since then his vision of enterprise has become increasingly local, as he has been on a continual journey toward ever increasing sustainability. His first recognition in North Carolina’s environmental community came from his participation in an indoor/outdoor-constructed wetland in his facility on the edge of Jordan Lake. The system allowed the building to treat its own waste, and has been heralded as model since completion. Lyle currently publishes the widely read Energy Blog, which has been adapted into a book by New Society Press.
Scott Marlow, Executive Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA
Scott Marlow’s Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA specialty is financial infrastructure, including access to credit and risk management for value-added producers. He previously directed the organization’s Farm Sustainability program, providing in-depth financial counseling to farmers in crisis, education on disaster assistance programs and access to credit, and addressing the needs of mid-scale farmers who are increasing the sustainability of their farms by transitioning to higher-value specialty markets. Scott has served on the steering committee of the National Task Force to Renew Agriculture of the Middle, the Organization Council of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, the Board of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, the Board of the North Carolina Farm Transition Network, and currently serves on the NC Agricultural Advancement Consortium and the Advisory Committee of the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.
Clay and Nancy Joyner, Owners, Redbud Farm
Certified organic vegetable farmers at Redbud Farm, Clay and his wife Nancy Joyner own and operate Redbud Farm, a Certified Organic Vegetable Farm. His farm is located about 10 miles north of Burlington on the land where he grew up.
NC State Representative Pricey Harrison
NC State Rep. Pricey Harrison has been a North Carolina House member since 2005 representing the 57th district.
About the American Sustainable Business Council
The American Sustainable Business Council and its member organizations represent more than 165,000 businesses nationwide, and more than 300,000 entrepreneurs, executives, managers, and investors. The council includes chambers of commerce, trade associations, and groups representing small business, investors, microenterprise, social enterprise, green and sustainable business, local living economy, and women and minority business leaders. ASBC informs and engages policy makers and the public about the need and opportunities for building a vibrant and sustainable economy. www.asbcouncil.org
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If you’re interested in attending this forum, please send an RSVP email to Jen Busfield at jen@tsdesigns.com.
For more information about the roundtable forum in Burlington, contact Aric Caplan at 301-998-6592 or aric@caplancommunications, or Bob Keener, 617-610-6766, bkeener@asbcouncil.org.