This Golden LEAF grant will provide funding to Duplin County for construction of a facility that will enable cattle producers to sort, weigh, and ship their cattle and provide space for education and training. Duplin County is among the top three North Carolina counties for number of beef cattle with over 13,500. Other nearby counties also have significant numbers of beef cattle. In 2010, more than 70 truckloads of calves were marketed from more than 25 farms in Duplin County. Expansion of sales is hindered by the lack of proper infrastructure with the capabilities to sort, weigh, and ship a greater number of calves. Construction of this facility will eliminate that bottleneck and allow sales to increase for farmers in southeastern North Carolina.
