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Registration has closed. Join us in Winston-Salem!
MONDAY, JULY 28th
Hotel Check-Ins Open, 3 pm
Executive Board Meeting, 4 - 6 pm
Linden Room - Take the elevator on the lobby, go to Level 1. Room is to the left.
Registration Open 3 pm - 8 pm
Sycamore Lobby - Take the elevator on the lobby, go to Level 2.
Hospitality Suite Open, 6 pm - 9 pm
Room #302
TUESDAY, JULY 29th
Hotel Breakfast, 6:30 am - 8 am
Hawthorne Grill - Kickstart your day and fuel your body with breakfast provided by the hotel.
Registration Open 8 am - 12 pm
Sycamore Lobby - Take the elevator on the lobby, go to Level 2.
Registration /Pre-Conference Sessions /Tours, 8:30 am - 12 pm
*Meet by the Lobby with your tour/session card. Transportation provided.*
Pre-Conference Tours:
8:30 am - 11 am Rita Dee's Alpaca Farm
Ready for a memorable experience with Winston-Salem's fluffiest residents? Visit Rita Dee's Alpaca Farm and experience a spinning demonstration illustrating textile production and the journey of raw fiber to fabric. Meet the “pet therapy alpacas”, which highlight the human-animal connection and its positive impact on well-being and healthy living. Because they are used to visit Alzheimer’s patients these alpacas can be touched without a care. The farm store features value-added alpaca items. Since this is a working farm, we advise wearing comfortable shoes that won't mind getting a little muddy or poop during the trip. The tour adds about 725 steps to your day’s physical activity total.
8:30 am - 11 am Anders Microgreens Farm
Anders Family Farm, an innovative, woman-owned operation that specializes in hydroponically grown greens, lettuce, herbs, and microgreens. They serve consumers year-round through local stores, restaurants, the Greensboro Farmers Market, as well as food hubs across the state. They also engage with local schools, are becoming a therapeutic farm, and will launch a veteran apprenticeship in 2025. Their dedication to offering locally grown, nutritious foods is consistent with the FCS's healthy eating and local food system principles.
Pre-Conference Sessions:
8:30 am - 11 am: Mediterranean Cuisine at the Brenner FIT® Teaching Kitchen
Participants will be introduced to the Brenner Fit® Kitchen before a brief presentation on the principles and health benefits of the Med Diet. Working in groups, you'll get hands-on experience preparing diverse and flavorful Mediterranean dishes based on different components to enhance your confidence when teaching the Mediterranean way of eating.
Exhibitor Booth Open | 11 am - 5 pm
Sycamore Lobby - Connect with AARP and learn about the variety of free educational resources available to you and your community.
Lunch/Opening Session 12 pm - 1:30 pm - Sycamore Room
AFTERNOON BREAK | 1:30 pm - 1:45 pm
General Session 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm - Sycamore Room
Keynote Speaker - Katie Sanders - Communicating Science in the Age of Misinformation
This talk centers foundational skills for science communication focusing on navigating uncertainty, complexity, and misinformation in the food system. Key considerations include leading with empathy and utilizing relational communication strategies.
INTERACTIVE BREAK | 2:45 pm - 3:30 pm
Breakout Sessions, 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Sycamore 1 - Growing Health, Stretching Dollars
This presentation explores how Cooperative Extension resources address nutrition security through budgeting and food resource management. It highlights strategies like meal planning, budgeting workshops, community gardens, and collaborative efforts for sustainable solutions.
Sycamore 2 - Tech-Enhanced Living: Integrating Digital Skills into FCS
Learn how to integrate digital skills into FCS programming to enhance learning in health, wellness, and finance, empowering individuals to access information, solve problems, and adapt in a technology-driven world.
Sycamore 3 - Foodways of North Carolina and Beyond
Foodways - the historical, religious, social, and cultural practices related to food - are a key element of personal identity and should always be considered when giving dietary advice.
Transportation Provided to Friendship Event Site | 5:30 pm - 6:00 pm
Meet in the lobby for transportation to the Friendship Event site. Second Harvest Food Bank of NWNC, 3330 Shorefair Dr NW Winston-Salem.
Friendship Event, 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Join us at the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest NC, where access to food is a right that serves as the foundation for everyone to live their best life and the community to prosper. *light appetizers*
Hospitality Suite Open, 9 - 10:30 pm
Room #302
WEDNESDAY, JULY 30th
Hotel Breakfast, 6:30 am - 9 am
Hawthorne Grill - Kickstart your day and fuel your body with breakfast provided by the hotel.
Northeast Raffles Open, 8 am - 5:30 pm - Sycamore Lobby
Available today during session breaks
Morning Breakout Session A, 9 am - 9:45 am
Sycamore 1 - When Disaster Strikes: Delivering Nutrition Education that Matters
After Hurricane Helene, the EFNEP program had to quickly pivot from their standard programming and adapt their adult curriculum to meet the needs of the communities that were affected. EFNEP is excited to share this curriculum for all Cooperative Extension staff to utilize during disasters.
Sycamore 2 - Hooked on Seafood
Hooked on Seafood is a four-session program designed to help consumers make informed choices about local NC seafood. Agents/Educators will learn to teach topics including fishing regulations, cooking techniques, nutrition and seafood safety. This training equips agents with the knowledge and resources to promote seafood safety, nutrition, and culinary skills in their communities.
Sycamore 3 - Helping Families Navigate Starting Solids: Nutrition, Safety, & Feeding Strategies
Discover valuable guidelines for infant and toddler feeding, including nutrition, choking hazards, allergy prevention, texture progression, and other strategies to support families in safely introducing and offering foods.
MORNING BREAK | 9:45 am - 10 am
Morning Breakout Session B, 10 am - 10:45 am
Sycamore 1 - I Got a Plan: Creating an Effective and Impactful FCS Program
What does it take to have an effective and impactful FCS Program? With careful planning, resources, and partners, you can create a vision for your Program.
Sycamore 2 - Phyto-focus: How to Incorporate Phytochemicals into FCS programming
Phytochemicals are chemicals naturally found in plants that have protective properties that can benefit human health. Come explore how phytochemicals should be a part of your programming repertoire!
Sycamore 3 - The Mind-Body Connection: Fueling Mental Health Through Movement
Discover how physical activity profoundly impacts mental health. This session provides FCS agents with tangible techniques to encourage movement for improved well-being in their communities and highlights the significance of their own self-care.
INTERACTIVE BREAK | 10:45 - 11:15 am, Dabble Art Bar
Sycamore Lobby
Lunch | 11:30 am - 1:15 pm - Sycamore Room
FCS/EFNEP Updates
NCEAFCS Business Meeting
AFTERNOON BREAK | 1:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Afternoon Tours/Session, 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
*Please bring your tour/session ticket with you. Transportation will be provided. Meet at the hotel lobby. If driving by yourself, please meet at the location with the conference group.
Afternoon Tours - Session:
Old Salem Museums & Gardens Tour - 900 Old Salem Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
Visiting this living history site offers a tangible glimpse into the daily lives of the 18th and 19th-century Moravian community. You can observe core aspects explored within Family & Consumer Sciences such as food preparation, textiles, household management, and social relationships, through traditional crafts, domestic practices, and community structures. Old Salem is a unique educational resource, illustrating how families and communities functioned in the past and offering a comparative lens through which to understand contemporary issues.
Piedmont Triad Farmers Market Visit - 2914 Sandy Ridge Rd, Colfax, NC 27235
Piedmont Triad Farmers Market's goals of providing fresh, locally sourced food and supporting the local economy directly aligns with FCS’ focus on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities through nutrition, food safety, and budgeting. Fostering a greater understanding of where food comes from can improve food choices, enhance cooking skills, strengthen community ties and support local agriculture.
Those attending this tour will meet at the Farmers 1 parking lot.
The Story of Reynolda Tour - Reynolda House Museum of American Art, 2250 Reynolda Road Winston-Salem, NC 27106
Examined through the FCS lenses, the Reynolda House provides an example of domestic life in the early 20th century for a wealthy family, the family structure, roles, and practices. This house and its farm involved significant household management and budgeting so it could run properly. It reflects the cultural influences of the time as it does to this day. By preserving the house Reynolda contributes to the understanding of past aspects of family life, material culture, and societal values, which are still relevant to FCS.
Teaching the Art of Sourdough - NC Cooperative Extension Forsyth Co. 1450 Fairchild Rd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
Learn how to create and teach a successful Sourdough 101 & 102 class! Gain resources, teaching strategies, and confidence to share your sourdough skills with your community.
Participants will learn how to teach an Intro & Advanced sourdough class, including how to set up the classes and a timeline on when to start bread recipes. They’ll receive resources, teaching materials, and a sourdough starter to begin their own classes.
Awards Banquet and Photos, 6 pm - 8 pm - Sycamore Room
Join us to recognize FCS Extension educators for their accomplishments and service, and to induct new members into the Jane S. McKimmon FCS Hall of Fame who have profoundly impacted North Carolina through Family and Consumer Sciences Extension. *Dinner provided*
Hospitality Suite Open, 8 - 10 pm
Room #302
THURSDAY, JULY 31st
Hotel Breakfast, 6:30 am - 8:30 am
Hawthorne Grill - Kickstart your day and fuel your body with breakfast provided by the hotel.
Closing Session, 8:30 am - 10:30 am -Sycamore Room
NCSU and NCA&TSU Administrative Updates
Keynote Speaker - Cory A. Graves - Thoughts are the Seeds of Your Mind: If You
Believe It, You Will Become It
2025-2026 Installation of Officers
Invitation to the 2026 Annual Session
Annual Session Adjourns
EVENT SPACE LAYOUT
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