Neal Robbins, Publisher
Cory Lavalette, Senior Editor
Dan Reeves, Business and Features Editor
Jim Sills, VP of Local Newspapers
Ena Sellers, Farm Life Editor
Lauren Rose, Design Editor
Contributors
Melinda Burris, Abby Cavenaugh, Jesse Deal, Stan Gilliland, Morgan Matthews, P.J. Ward-Brown
N.C. 27203
“We created North Carolina Farm Life to provide an independent look at an industry that affects every county in our state and impacts the global economy.”
WELCOME to the inaugural edition of North Carolina Farm Life, a North State Journal special publication. We are thrilled to showcase the agriculture industry — a cornerstone of our state’s economy, heritage and future.
As North Carolina’s only statewide newspaper, North State Journal remains committed to covering the stories that matter most to our readers from Murphy to Manteo. With North Carolina Farm Life, we aim to deepen that coverage by bringing you closer to the farmers, businesses and communities shaping our agricultural landscape.
In this issue, North State Journal Business and Features Editor Dan Reeves sat down for an exclusive interview with Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, a man whose leadership has been pivotal in growing the state’s agricultural economy. This insightful piece takes a deep dive into Troxler’s life, career and enduring commitment to our state’s farming community.
Throughout these pages, you’ll find engaging stories from North State Journal’s talented team of writers. Ena Sellers brings you a fascinating look at the efforts of our state’s hog farmers to reduce their environmental footprint, Jesse Deal explores the development of the new ag tech corridor that promises to revitalize farms across the state, and Abby Cavenaugh highlights a remarkable family business keeping a North Carolina dairy tradition alive. The entire issue showcases the work of North State Journal’s writers who have a passion for telling the stories of our remarkable state.
We created North Carolina Farm Life to provide an independent look at an industry that affects every county in our state and impacts the global economy. As you explore this first issue, we hope you gain insights into the people and places that form the foundation of a $100 billion industry. I grew up on a family farm and learned firsthand the hard work, risk and ingenuity required by a farm life. This issue highlights those critical elements of our thriving agriculture economy.
As the harvest season wanes and the crisp days of fall emerge, nothing compares to a great day at the N.C. State Fair. We have a guide to what is new at the two-week event that has been applauding agriculture and awakening appetites since 1853. You will find more information on the State Fair on the pages of North State Journal over the coming weeks.
We hope you enjoy this first issue of North Carolina Farm Life.
Neal Robbins is publisher of North State Journal.
Behind that gregarious, grandfatherly farmer is a shrewd politician with more on his plate than one can imagine
By Dan Reeves
A SHORT 13 MILES north of Greensboro, sprawling farmland dotted with livestock, the occasional subdivision, modest homes and onestop gas and provision stations replace the Gate City’s urban bustle. A palpable sense of pastoral tranquility takes hold amid the rural landscape of the Guilford County community of Browns Summit. One turn off Clayton Road sits Troxler Farms, the homestead of North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler. His ancestors have dwelt and farmed in Browns Summit since the late 1800s.
“If I had to pick a place to grow up, this would be it,” Troxler said. “I had the best mom and dad who taught me to respect people, do things right and be community-minded. It was the perfect beginning for what I do now.”
Troxler put himself through college, earning a degree in conservation at NC State. While studying, he and his now wife of over 50 years, Sharon, lived in Cary and leased land in Browns Summit, cultivating tobacco, wheat, vegetables and soybeans to support himself and pay for his education. After graduating, Troxler and Sharon bought the Browns Summit farm in 1975 and restored it to its current splendor.
“It’s something Sharon and I have poured our blood, sweat and tears into,” he said. Rocking back and forth on a handmade chair while peering adoringly at the pastures and pond behind the long porch of a cabin-turned-event hall, Troxler said with a smile, “This is home.”
Troxler Farms is an American pickers’ paradise, flush with restored farm equipment, tractors and a veritable showroom including antique stoves, a wooden Smokey Bear statue chainsawed by hand, each piece with a story behind it only the affable Troxler could tell.
Every item at Troxler Farms is as colorful as the commissioner himself, from the John Deere tractor he famously drove to his downtown Raleigh office after being sworn in as commissioner of agriculture in 2005 to the refurbished Huddle House sign from the restaurant where he courted Sharon decades ago.
Steve and Sharon have utilized their property beyond farming soybeans and vegetables. Troxler Farms has become a destination for weddings, hosting everything from nuptials with 250 guests, disorderly grooms and, most recently, foreign heads of state. A month ago, The Department of Agriculture partnered with the National Guard and hosted a meeting with dignitaries representing Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia at Troxler Farms. “The defense minister from Malawi said he felt like he had visited his grandparents,” Troxler said. “That’s what we wanted.”
But behind that gregarious, grandfatherly farmer is a shrewd politician with more on his plate than one can imagine. Since 2005, Troxler has served North Carolina as Commissioner of Agriculture. In those 20 years, the state’s movement of agriculture and agribusiness has skyrocketed from $59 billion in 2005 to a stunning $111.1 billion. His tenure has seen North Carolina rank in the country’s top 10 of 21 commodities, with the state being the nation’s No. 1 producer of sweet potatoes, second in trout production and still one of the highest-ranking tobacco producers, despite its malignment in recent decades. The statistics for poultry and pork remain high as well. Agribusiness makes up 17% of the state workforce, and
“We’re losing farmland at a record rate, and we’ve got to deal with that.”
N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler
over his 19 years on the job, Troxler has presided over a doubling of the state’s agricultural revenue.
Troxler’s role as commissioner of agriculture is expansive and impacts aspects of North Carolina that are unknown to most.
“The Department of Agriculture is one of the largest agencies in government that touches people’s lives daily,” he says.
Ensuring the accuracy of weights and measurements purchased from gas pumps to a 12-ounce bottle of Pepsi, the weight of lottery balls, and grocery store scanners, the Department of Agriculture is a constant presence in our lives, even if we rarely think about it.
“You know that tag on the side of every mattress? That’s us,” he laughs.
The Department oversees the 45,000 farms in the state, from smaller outfits selling fruits and vegetables at produce stands on weekends to major producers with tens of thousands of acres. Development across North
Carolina severely threatens the state’s farming industry.
“And we’re losing farmland at a record rate, and we’ve got to deal with that,” Troxler said.
The American Farmland Trust ranks North Carolina as the second-most threatened state for converting agricultural lands to other uses.
The disappearance of farmland by 2040 is expected to be 1.2 to 1.6 million acres, and that’s due to housing development.
Running for his fifth term this year, Troxler sees the future of N.C. agriculture, recognizing the challenges ahead and what must be done to preserve and maintain the Department’s accomplishments. A North Carolina farmer, grandfather and husband first, the educated conservationist and pragmatic politician takes the sustainability and success of the state’s agricultural sector as personally as his beloved farm in Browns Summit.
By Jesse Deal
GREENSBORO — A major grant is funding an initiative that will provide more North Carolina farmers with access to state-of-the-art research and new technology. The Climate-Responsive Opportunities in Plant Science (CROPS) project is funded by the National Science Foundation’s Engines Program and will provide $1 million to a coalition of N.C. institutions led by North Carolina A&T ’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
Created by the CHIPS and Science Act, passed by Congress in August 2022, the NSF Engines Program aims to advance critical technologies and expand the nation’s innovation capacity. Earlier this year, two other grants were awarded to create the Piedmont Triad Regenerative Medicine Engine and the N.C. Sustainable Textiles Innovation Engine, with each receiving $15 million. The CROPS project — officially in gear since May — has identified a 42-county
Agricultural Tech Innovation Corridor that aims to bolster farmers who might have been excluded from tech-driven agricultural advancements typically concentrated in urban centers like the Research Triangle and Triad regions. The project offers startup grants, workforce development initiatives and educational programming to small-acreage and new farms. The goal is to build resilience among these farms, ensuring they have the tools and knowledge necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing agricultural environment.
“New farmers, underserved farmers and those with small-scale acreage need information to develop farm management practices to implement methods that protect the environment, produce the highest quality food and provide a reliable family income,” said Gregory Goins, the principal investigator from N.C. A&T. After the grant was initially announced, Goins said the project will ultimately help lower barriers to entry for new farmers and boost the overall agricultural sector’s economic output.
While the state’s agricultural industry already exceeds $110 billion in annual impact, experts say some farmers will need to evolve their knowledge and adapt their farms to new research-based techniques going forward to sustain their operations.
In addition to N.C. A&T, the project includes academic researchers from NC State, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Duke and East Carolina. The team also includes the N.C. Biotechnology Center, N.C. Cooperative Extension, N.C. Community College System and the nonprofit Research Triangle International.
The project’s emphasis on cutting- edge farming techniques reflects a growing consensus that sustainable practices are essential to the future of agriculture.
“We are eager to help foster an inclusive agricultural sector and offer practical, innovative solutions that address the needs of farmers in North Carolina through CROPS,” said Amanda Rose, agri-food systems lead at RTI.
A key objective of CROPS is to develop community-based local food systems
The Agricultural Tech Innovation Corridor extends through 42 counties.
by encouraging farmers to diversify their crop and livestock enterprises. The project’s Extension Agent Network outreach approach is modeled after the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative’s Extension Agent Network at NC State, which is committed to helping growers solve real-world problems in the field through plant science innovation.
“Extension agents will drive technology development and adoption, ultimately having a wide-reaching impact on the economy in agricultural areas,” said NC State principal investigator Ross Sozzani in a university release.
Over the next two years, the consortium will engage farmers through meetings, workshops and listening tours designed to foster collaboration and feedback. By working directly with growers, technologists and entrepreneurs, the CROPS project hopes to not only introduce new technologies but also ensure that they are accessible and practical for small-scale farms.
As North Carolina continues to be a hub for agricultural innovation, the seeds being planted today could yield a more resilient, technology-driven farming future.
“We are eager to help foster an inclusive agricultural sector and offer practical, innovative solutions that address the needs of farmers in North Carolina through CROPS.”
Amanda Rose, Research Triangle International
Technological advancements and industry investment have helped hog farmers reduce emissions
By Ena Sellers
MOUNT OLIVE — For nearly a decade, North Carolina Farm Families has been a voice for hog farmers across the state.
Led by Chad Herring, NCFF’s executive director, the nonprofit organization works to educate people about the pig industry, highlighting the lives of farmers and bringing light to false claims that put hog family farms at risk, costing thousands of dollars and jobs. Herring sat with North Carolina Farm
Life to talk about the pork industry and how improvements paired with technology are helping hog farmers support the state’s efforts to better the environment.
“Managing the manure from our farms is probably one of the most debated topics,” said Herring, adding that renewable natural gas technology is helping hog farmers across the state reduce emissions.
The third-generation farmer from Mount Olive explained that renewable natural gas is one of the biggest
technological advances the hog industry has implemented in recent years.
“There is a 51% decrease in odor unit emissions due to covered anaerobic digesters and a 90% decrease in methane emissions due to collection from digesters,” explained Herring.
“In eastern North Carolina, we’ve got a lot of opportunities with all the hog farms.”
Herring added that North Carolina is among the top three states with the most potential to become a leader in renewable energy.
“Continuous improvement is in a pig
farmer’s DNA, and nowhere is that more evident than the progress made in the industry’s environmental footprint over the past 50 years,” said Herring, who said it takes 78% less land, 41% less water and about 35% less carbon emissions per pound of pork produced.
Herring shared that hog farmers are now able to measure and document their sustainable farm practices at no cost through the National Pork Board.
“I submit a lot of data to them on my pumping records and energy usage, and they’re able to measure how much greenhouse gas emissions I’m actually sequestering from our farm,” said Herring. He said the Pork Cares Farm Impact Report is a great tool for farmers and the pork industry in general to measure how farms are doing.
“The pork producer doesn’t have to pay for this. We just have to work with them to submit the data,” said Herring. “It’s neat to see what our environmental impact is.”
In North Carolina, more than 80% of hog farms are family owned and operated. Also, most of the pigs in the state are raised in a vertically integrated setting. Herring, who is a contract grower for Smithfield Foods, raises newly weaned pigs in his family farm.
“In North Carolina, we’re primarily three-site production,” Herring said, explaining that the process starts at the sow farm where the pigs are bred. “Once the pig is born, he is there for about 20 -25 days, and he’ll grow to somewhere between 10-16 pounds,” said Herring.
He said they keep the pigs in the nursery until they grow to approximately 50 pounds, and from there the pigs go to a finishing farm where they grow to market weight.
As a contract grower, Herring has felt the greatest impact of inflation in the cost of supplies and equipment fuel.
“Everything we use — from feed motors, irrigation equipment and plumbing supplies — are much more expensive today than they were just a few years ago,” he said. Labor costs have also increased significantly.”
According to Roy Lee Lindsay, North Carolina Pork Council CEO, inflation has significantly impacted North Carolina’s hog farmers.
“Last year was the worst economic year in history for hog farmers, with losses of more than $30 per hog marketed,” said Lindsay. “While feed costs have started to come down, the cost of labor, utilities, fuel, maintenance and almost everything else continues to rise.”
But inflation has not been the only
concern in the minds of hog farmers across the state. The controversial Proposition 12 rule that went into effect earlier this year in California has stirred concern among farmers who fear banning in-state sales of pork from farms that don’t conform with California’s standards. It has the potential to set a precedent for other states to follow suit, ultimately hurting the smaller hog farms that can’t afford expansion to conform with the 24 square feet of space required per sow during birthing and weaning.
“State level laws like Prop 12 from California and Q3 from Massachusetts create tremendous uncertainty for hog farmers across the country,” said Lindsay. “While the housing requirements for both Prop 12 and Q3 are similar, they are different enough that pork that complies with Q3 may not comply with Prop 12. How can any farmer make a decision about reinvesting in his business with this much uncertainty in the market”
“These laws impact consumers, too. The price of bacon is, on average, $6.50 across the country — but the average price in California is $8.50. That’s a 30% difference for California residents on one
Hog lagoons, like the one pictured on Chad Herring’s family farm in Mount Olive, are earth-walled structures that use basin liners to prevent groundwater contamination. The lagoon’s anaerobic process occurs when bacteria that grows in the treatment zone of a lagoon decomposes waste, turning it into fertilizer.
of America’s most popular foods.”
Herring told North Carolina Farm Life that he was concerned about the precedent that Proposition 12 sets for the country.
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Currently, pork producers are hoping for the U.S. Senate to pass the 2024 Farm Bill, which includes a federal fix to Proposition 12.
Pork is a North Carolina tradition worth celebrating and sharing.
That’s why our dedicated hog farmers take tremendous pride in providing North Carolina pork to community food banks.
We’re contributing more than 50,000 pounds of pork this year to help feed our neighbors including the award-winning barbecue cooked up during the Whole Hog Barbecue Championship. ncpork.com @ncpork
By Abby Cavenaugh
VIRGINIA “GINNIE” TATE wasn’t from Randolph County, but she left an indelible mark on these rolling green hills. Tate became known as the Goat Lady by those near and far, and now, Goat Lady Dairy cheeses can be found in gourmet markets, grocery stores and cheese shops all over the United States.
In 1995, Ginnie, her brother Steve and sister-in-law Lee Tate opened Goat Lady Dairy in Climax. The dairy is now owned by Carrie Bradds and her husband, who aren’t blood relations of the Tates, but they’re family all the same.
“My husband and dad were hired to build this building; not just build it, they cut the trees, all the lumber you see in this building except the walls and the floor were harvested off this property,” Bradds said. “They logged it, hauled the trees to the saw mill and then to the dry kiln and they started building. They didn’t hire any of the work out. They did it all.”
They finished the building in 1997, and Bradds has worked with the dairy since a year before that.
“I started working for them in ’96, washing dishes,” she recalled. “They had an intern working in the cheese room that left, so I started working until they could get another intern, and I never left.”
By 2005, Bradds was overseeing all of the cheese production. So when the Tates decided to sell the dairy in 2015, it wasn’t long before Bradds made an offer and became the new owner.
Bradds grew up about a mile and a half from the dairy and had a close relationship with the original Goat Lady.
“The neighbors actually named this dairy,” she said. “Because for a long time, all we knew was that the single lady had bought this place and she liked goats, so she got known as the Goat Lady around here. What solidified it, Steve and Ginnie went up to the market in Greensboro and they heard somebody holler from the back, ‘The Goat Lady’s here!’ So that
ABBY CAVENAUGH / NORTH CAROLINA FARM LIFE
The original Goat Lady of Goat Lady Dairy, Virginia “Ginnie” Tate, is shown in this newspaper clipping from the July 15, 1996, issue of the Chatham News & Record, which hangs in the dairy in Climax.
“When I think about what makes this special, I’m not sure it really has anything to do with the cheese. It’s the chain to the previous owners.”
Carrie Bradds, owner of Goat Lady Dairy
kind of solidified the name.”
The Goat Lady passed away in 2009, but the agribusiness that bears her name continued to grow in her absence. The dairy actually housed the goats until the building was expanded in 2012. Before the expansion, the dairy produced about $200,000 a year worth of cheese. Today, it’s more than $1 million.
When the expansion was done, 70 goats were moved to an area farm. That herd is now over 500.
“When I think about what makes this special, I’m not sure it really has anything to do with the cheese,” Bradds said. “It’s the chain to the previous owners. There’s family you’re born with and there’s family that you get to choose. A lot of times those family that you get to choose are just as precious if not more
than the family you’re born into. This has just been my way of life.”
The Braddses purchased the dairy in hopes of passing it along to their kids and grandkids one day. And they consider their employees family, too.
“The first thing we did when we bought the business was to make sure everybody here was earning a living wage,” Bradds explained. “They are all salaried because of goat milk being so seasonal. They might not work 10 hours a week in January, but they have families and need to know what they’re going to make. We have a stipend for insurance. We treat them like they’re our kids. That’s the way to keep employees, is to make sure they’re valued.”
It’s the goats, too, that make the difference. Though they’re no longer
housed at the dairy and frozen goat milk is shipped in, Bradds said she’s always had an affinity for the animals, and her time with Ginnie Tate just solidified that.
“I think what makes our goat cheese stand out is that we really love what we do,” Bradds said. “Steve always had a philosophy: Once you change someone’s way of eating their food, you change them and the world forever.”
Bradds’ maiden name is Routh, and she discovered fairly recently that the house next to the diary, which she lives in with her family, belonged to her great- great-great grandfather Joshua Routh in 1816.
“It just all came full circle for me,” she said. “This is way more than a business that I love. It’s where I’m meant to be.”
Ease into fall with this quick recipe featuring our state vegetable
SCAN FOR MORE RECIPES
Recipe developed for the North Carolina Sweetpotato Commission by Fit Foodie Finds.
Enjoy a better-for-you, homemade version that is made with NC Sweetpotato puree, warm spices and ground turkey for a healthy and EASY weeknight dinner!
• ½ cup chicken broth (or any kind of broth)
• 1 cup Colby jack cheese
• Salt, to taste
small pieces. Add in the rest of the ingredients for the ground turkey mixture, mix, and cook for 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat.
bag of potatoes
16 oz pasta shells (or any kind of noodle)
Additional shredded cheese for topping (optional)
steamed slow cooker
5. Lower oven temperature to 375F and place your sweetpotato puree into a blender or food processor with all the ingredients for the sweetpotato cheese sauce. Blend until all ingredients are combined and the sauce is nice and smooth.
frozen
6. Spray a large 9×13-inch casserole dish with olive oil cooking spray. Place noodles, ground turkey, and sweetpotato sauce into the casserole dish and mix until everything is coated in the sweetpotato cheese sauce. Sprinkle with shredded cheese (optional) and place into the oven for 15 minutes.
UK ag / Big Ben
eater
7. Remove, let cool for 10 minutes, and sprinkle on fresh parsley.
By Morgan Matthews
EARLIER THIS YEAR , the North Carolina Statistics Service released the results of the agricultural census of 2022.
Conducted every five years, the census is the only all-encompassing source of data for the state that comes directly from the farmers.
For Tony Dorn, NCDA&CS Agricultural Statistics Division director and state statistician, said the census is particularly important because it’s the only measure of the agriculture on the county level.
“It gives information of agricultural income, agriculture activity and inventory at the county level across the United States, and that’s really unique about it,” said Dorn. “It also provides information about demographics of the farm producers
and how that changes.”
Census data confirms a decrease in the number of farms and farmland. Since 2017, there has been a 7% decrease in the number of farms and a 2% decrease in land used for farming. Some explanations of this trend are attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic or architectural expansion with a population increase of more than 9%.
According to American Farmland Trust, North Carolina ranks second in projected land loss by 2040, leading to a call for a focus on farm land preservation. There was also positive news from the agricultural census. There has been a significant increase in young and newer farmers in the past 10 years. This new wave of farmers was larger than previous years by 11%. It was also noted that farms
with younger decision-makers tended to be larger in size and have more sales.
Women in the agricultural industry have reached 36% of all producers. Decision-making positions in farms were also noted in the census, with 58% of farms having at least one female in those roles.
Family-owned and operated farms have also been noted as almost all the farms in the United States at 95%.
According to Dorn, the census had a response rate of 61%.
He hopes for more responses in the future, saying participation is essential to understanding the growth or decline of different aspects of the industry.
Visit nass.usda.gov to learn more about the 2022 North Carolina Agricultural Census.
Agriculture is the No. 1 industry in North Carolina, contributing $111.1 billion to the economy, and accounting for one-sixth of the state’s income and employment
NC Poultry...
• Accounts for 41% of farm cash receipts
• Generates 2 million jobs
• Generates nearly $34 billion in taxes
• Makes up 41.8% of NC's total farm income
In 2023...
• The NC pork industry supported 13,072 jobs, generating a value of $1.22 billion
• Hogs and pigs accounted for $4,130,307 in sales in NC
Did you know?
#1 Poultry, tobacco & sweetpotatoes
NC is the largest turkey producer in the nation, with an economic impact of $9.5 billion
32,000 NC families with backyard flocks produce about 500,000 eggs daily
• There were 923 hog operations in the state, and more than 80% of pig farms are family-owned and operated
European explorers introduced swine to the region in the early colonial period, starting the state’s long history of hog farming. Early se lers raised pigs not only for food but for the hides as well.
#2 Turkeys & trout
#3
• Most agriculturally diverse state in the nation
• Hogs produced • Cucumbers produced #8
Value of agricultural products sold, with $18.7 billion in sales
42,814
8.1M acres of land in NC Farms on
Source 2022 U.S. Census of Agriculture
By Ena Sellers
CLINTON — The Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton is one of 18 stations across the state that serves as a platform for agricultural research, bringing together faculty, students, state and federal partners to provide research-based knowledge to farmers.
For the last six years, the New and Emerging Crops program at the research station has focused on bringing new crop opportunities to North Carolina.
“In order to maintain the strength of our industry and keep it growing, we always need to be looking for new opportunities for our farmers,” said Hunter Barrier, who serves as the research station superintendent.
“Over the past six grant cycles, we have worked with 21 different crops. We have invested $2.9 million in over 40 projects,” said Barrier, who added that the people behind the scenes make the work happen and push the crops forward.
Plant breeding is one of the largest programs at the research station and focuses on finding new plant materials with desirable traits, such greater yield, better quality or disease resistance, which can later be provided to growers as new varieties.
During a recent field crop tour, North Carolina Farm Life had the opportunity to learn about some of the latest research work they are doing at the facility involving cucurbit varieties, organic sunflowers, fiber hemp and sesame crops.
One of the crops highlighted for its potential in the textile industry is fiber hemp.
“We’ve really expanded the work that we are doing in this crop because we’re seeing a lot of really interesting industries develop around it,” said David Suchoff, alternative crops extension specialist and assistant professor.
Fiber hemp is cannabis sativa, just like marijuana, but produces less than 0.3% THC. Suchoff explained that 0.3% is achieved through breeding, and some of the work they are doing involves selecting out the THC synthase gene,
which is an enzyme that produces THC.
“Unfortunately for growers, if your crop goes above 0.3%, generally you have to destroy it.”
Suchoff said there had been a tremendous interest in fiber hemp in North Carolina.
“We still have quite a robust textile industry, and we’re seeing a lot of the major brands — Patagonia, Dickies, Vans, North Face, Carhartt, all of the big brands — are including fiber hemp and want more fiber hemp in their lines,” said Suchoff, highlighting that they’re importing it from China because we don’t have the production up yet.
He spoke about the processes required to go from a stem to something that could be spun or woven and incorporated into a shirt or a pair of pants and the potential that it represents for the state.
“North Carolina is the only state in the nation that has all of the processing steps that are required to take this stem to a fiber that can be spun and woven.”
Suchoff pointed out they are seeing the development of unique circular economies “where we’re producing
Left: A group of area growers recently visited the Horticultural Crops Research Station in Clinton to learn about new crop opportunities during a field tour highlighting melons, organic sunflowers, fiber hemp and sesame crops. Right: David Suchoff, alternative crops extension specialist, stands next to a crop of fiber hemp while explaining to farmers that the crop needs to be at least 6 to 10 feet tall in order to produce enough biomass for it to be profitable.
Top: Research assistants at the Horticultural Crops Research Station cut melons for participants to try during a recent field tour. Bottom left: Abby Pleasant, a graduate research assistant with the Horticultural Crops Research Station, speaks about the sunflower moth and how right now it is the biggest detriment to yield. Bottom right: Jonathan Schultheis, an NC State Horticultural Science professor working with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, talks to participants about canary melons and their unique flavors.
Left: David Suchoff, speaks about the sunflower crop. Top right: Because fiber hemp is grown for the stems, it is best harvested right at the onset of flowering. Once the crop flowers it won’t grow any taller and the stem becomes harder to harvest and to process. Bottom right: A green lynx spider camouflages itself while resting on a sesame plant.
the crop, we’re processing it and we’re even making these end-use applications or these different products with hemp, all within, say, about a 100 -mile radius.”
Fiber hemp is seeing a slower adoption rate than CBD hemp did, according to Suchoff, who said when hemp was first legalized, there was a huge boom in farmers growing the crop for CBD.
“Everybody jumped on the bandwagon, but what turned out to happen was that the demand really wasn’t there, and so it was a big boom and bust,” said Suchoff.
“There were a lot of folks coming in from God knows where saying, ‘I’ll buy your crop,’ and then when it was time to sell the crop, those folks were gone …
people lost a lot of money. And so, this is growing very, very slowly.”
He explained that with CBD hemp, they had to try to catch up to the growers who were already producing the crop and needed information immediately as researchers were just getting started with the crop. The slower adoption rate is allowing them to work with the crop and develop production practices for growers.
“If a farmer came to me and said, ‘I want to grow fiber hemp,’ I would say, ‘You want to hold off,’” he said. “The contracts are there, but they’re developing really slowly.
“They are expanding, but they’re doing it very, very slowly.”
He believes the reason for that is
contractors want to make sure folks are not getting in over their heads too fast, and they want to differentiate themselves from the CBD industry.
According to Suchoff, the biggest cost of fiber hemp production right now is seed because the varieties that do well in the southeast are being imported from China.
Hemp is a day-length sensitive short-day crop, meaning it grows until days shorten to a critical period before entering its reproductive stage. The problem this presents is that to produce enough biomass for it to be profitable, fiber hemp needs to be at least 6-10 feet tall.
Once hemp enters its flowering stage it stops growing. Once it hits
“North Carolina is the only state in the nation that has all of the processing steps that are required to take this stem to a fiber that can be spun and woven.”
David Suchoff, alternative crops extension specialist
its reproductive stage, the stem becomes harder to harvest, process and of lesser quality. If a farmer took a hemp plant bred up north, where summer days are longer, and brought it here, the plant would bloom thinking it’s fall, said Suchoff, explaining there would be no money to be made in that scenario.
“So, what we’re doing is we are working with a hemp breeder out of Cornell,” he said.
“We’ve got some varieties that are likely going to be made available
commercially next year that produce the same type of biomass as the Chinese varieties, but they’re going to be domestic, and that hopefully should really reduce the cost of production dramatically.”
Suchoff believes there’s a lot of interest in hemp fibers as a good replacement for synthetic fibers in a cotton-synthetic blend.
“So what gets me excited is the idea of, say, a cotton-hemp blend where the cotton and the hemp is being produced by the same farmer,” said Suchoff. “But
if anyone tells you that hemp is going to replace cotton, I’ll tell you right now, it’s just not going to happen.”
“Hemp has its own benefits,” said Suchoff, adding that hemp fibers are a lot thicker and coarser than cotton.
“You’re generally not going to wear a 100% hemp T-shirt,” said Suchoff, explaining that hemp is like linen in terms of how it feels. “It breathes really well. But where hemp really shines is its durability. Hemp fibers are much stronger than cotton and especially strong when wet.”
Wilson Tobacco Market celebrates its 135th anniversary
By Abby Cavenaugh
WILSON — The rumors of tobacco’s demise in North Carolina may have been greatly exaggerated. True, the number of tobacco farms has dwindled in certain parts of the state, but in others, the golden leaf is still alive and well — and making hundreds of millions of dollars.
Nowhere is that more evident than at Horizon Ltd. in Wilson, a tobacco warehouse where a crowd of dignitaries and farmers gathered Aug. 14 to celebrate 135 years of the Wilson Tobacco Market.
Local farmer Pender Sharp, who’s also chair of the Wilson Agribusiness Committee, was the master of ceremonies for the event. “I want to put everything in perspective,” he said. “I’ve been around a long time, and this market is twice as old as I am.”
Sharp said he could remember many celebrations when the tobacco market opened, including parades, festivals, beauty pageants and even black-tie affairs.
“All through those years,” Sharp said, “Wilson Tobacco Market was selling 100 million pounds of tobacco a year. That’s pretty phenomenal. Believe it or not, today, Wilson market is selling 200 million pounds, twice as much as in its heyday. And most people don’t even know it exists.”
According to Sharp, that 200 million pounds of tobacco per year brings in about $400 million to the greater Wilson economy.
“That’s an industry that you don’t want to lose,” he said.
The tobacco industry is not only part of the present-day economy; it’s
fueled North Carolina — and especially Wilson County — for many years.
Centuries, even.
Tobacco is indigenous to North Carolina, as the first colonists discovered hundreds of years ago. “Sir Walter Raleigh was famously exporting it back to England,” said Graham Boyd of the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina. “The heritage of tobacco goes back to the first colonies. For several centuries, it was the singular cash crop in a state like N.C.”
And with the Wilson Tobacco Market now celebrating its 135th year, tobacco continues to be a lucrative crop for North Carolina.
“Going back to 1890, that’s a long time to maintain anything,” said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “I think of all the things we’ve
been through in North Carolina in that time, and one thing that remains is that tobacco is still the top growing crop that we’ve had.”
Troxler said he remembers when tobacco fields were plowed by mule. He remembers tying tobacco to sticks and curing it in the barn. And he remembers when it changed to bulk barns.
“Everything is different, but it’s not,” Troxler said. “We’re still a tobacco family, and it’s still important to the state of North Carolina. We can never let that legacy die. No matter how much we’ve grown, the legacy is that tobacco built the state of North Carolina. We have always got to remember that.”
Rob Boyette, chairman of the Wilson County Board of Commissioners, said he remembers working in tobacco fields growing up as well.
“On my farm when I was growing up, I could set out tobacco, I could reset it, I could chop it, I could help plow it,” he said. “I could do all those things, including topping and suckering and bringing it in to the barn, taking it out of the barn. I could get into this warehouse and help sell the tobacco, but my daddy picked up the check. I’ve never forgotten that.”
To Troxler, opening day of the tobacco market meant pay day.
“Most of the time when you got to opening day, you were broke and it sure was going to be nice to get a check,” he said. “At that time, the kids always needed clothes, they needed shoes, they needed school supplies. What a glorious day that was.”
Boyette called Wilson County “the home of the best flue-cured tobacco anywhere in the world,” and indeed, the tobacco market there grew to be the largest in the world.
In fact, a historical marker stating as much was also dedicated after the 135th anniversary celebration. It reads: “Founded in 1890, the Wilson tobacco market grew to become the world’s largest flue-cured market. Local tobacco board of trade, located here, from 1926 to circa 2004.”
“That is a wonderful thing for everybody that lives here because that money that flows through this county is important to not just our agribusiness community and our farmers, it’s important to all the citizens of our county,” Boyette said. “It’s one of the best things happening in our county.”
When introducing Rep. Donald Davis at the celebration, Sharp said the U.S. congressman used to get “his school
PHOTOS BY ABBY CAVENAUGH / NORTH CAROLINA FARM LIFE
Top: Kenneth Kelly, owner of Horizon Ltd. warehouse, is shown during the tobacco auction at the 135th anniversary celebration of the Wilson Tobacco Market on Aug. 14. Middle: Congressman Donald Davis, who represents the 1st District of North Carolina in the U.S. House of Representatives, gave remarks during the 135th anniversary celebration for Wilson’s tobacco market. Bottom left: A closeup of the golden leaf at the 135th opening of the Wilson Tobacco Market. Bottom right: Parker Phillips wrote and recited a poem for the 135th anniversary of the Wilson Tobacco Market.
clothes from working in tobacco.”
Davis, who represents North Carolina’s 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives, said, “To me, this is bigger than the New York (Stock) Exchange as we gather for the opening of the Wilson Tobacco Market.”
He said he grew up “cropping tobacco,” and that the crop is part of the state’s heritage.
“Let’s break down what this really is and what it has been,” Davis said. “This is a way we have paid for our kids to go to school. For me growing up, a way that I went to go to work like this and get supplies for school. Tobacco, in the 1st Congressional District of N.C., we lead the nation. We’ve been in so many fights in D.C., but I want to let you know, no matter where I go, we’re not going to ever lose sight of our roots and our heritage.”
Sharp reminded the audience that everywhere you go in Wilson County, you see tobacco fields.
“Every tobacco plant in that field generates about 75 cents for the farmer that tends to it and grows it,” he said. “About 75 pennies for that plant. Every time he plants a seed, it generates $20 in taxes, state, federal and local taxes.”
That’s why Parker Phillips of Edgecombe County wrote a special poem for the 135th anniversary. It reads, in part:
“The sidewalks of Wilson are paved with gold,
Not with precious metals
But with tobacco bought and sold.”
Boyd said the tobacco grown in North Carolina is unlike anywhere else in the world.
“The reason that the United States and North Carolina in particular is so successful, what we describe as the premium style of flavored leaf, really has to do with where we’re positioned on the globe,” he explained. “We have the perfect climate — warm, humid summers. We have the ideal soil types, in the Piedmont in particular. Our climate, our soil, our temperatures demographically are all the leading factors.”
The farmers make the difference, too.
“Tobacco is different from other commodities in that it changes daily,” Boyd said. “You get weather events like we just had with Tropical Storm Debby, so the farmer has to go with a completely different plan than what he had for August. That is the skill set of the American tobacco farmer that is also unique.”
At its core, the fair is a celebratory recognition of farming in
By Dan Reeves
FROM THE IRRESISTIBLE aroma of the season’s featured deep-fried delicacy, to thrilling rides, prizes and live entertainment, the time -honored tradition of the North Carolina State Fair beckons people from across the state to the fairgrounds in Raleigh every October. Everyone goes to the fair for the fun, fanfare and, yes, stomach aches, but at its core, the fair is a celebratory
recognition of farming in the state.
Dating back to humble beginnings in 1853 on 16 acres of land in east Raleigh, the North Carolina State Agricultural Society created the first fair to promote farmers’ agricultural produce and foster unity among farmers and people across the Tarheel state. The event welcomed growers to showcase their crops while political speakers, horse races and parades of marching bands served as entertainment.
Since 1937, the N.C. Department of Agriculture has overseen the state fair, which now occurs on more than 300 acres at the corner of Blue Ridge
Road and Hillsborough Street. It has evolved into a sprawling showcase of North Carolina’s craftsmanship and agricultural feats in various categories. It has also grown to include 100 rides, carnival games, concessions and competitions, and it boasts the Homegrown Music Festival, which features more than 100 concerts by local musical acts. The North Carolina State Fair attracts hundreds of thousands of
attendees each fall, drawing more than 925,000 visitors in 2023.
“This year, it’s going to be special,” N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler said.
With the exponential growth and the number of visitors skyrocketing, upgrades and utility work to meet demands have begun.
“Last year, we built the Cardinal parking lot adjacent to the fairgrounds,
which was a significant convenience for visitors,” said Troxler.
Under Troxler’s leadership, the fair has become a leader in the nation, ranking among the top five in attendance.
“We compete with everything from NASCAR races to football games and every other type of amusement, so we work year-round to make it fresh and exciting,” he said.
Troxler and the Department of
“We compete with everything from NASCAR races to football games and every other type of amusement, so we work year-round to make it fresh and exciting.”
N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler
Colorful stands deck the fairgrounds as thousands of visitors make their way into the N.C. State Fair to purchase their favorite foods, from fresh produce to mouth-watering vendor specialties like a bacon-wrapped jalapeno pimento cheese sandwich.
Agriculture announced a plan for a significant renovation, replacing an outdated lunch stand with a $25 million food court.
“The No. 1 reason people come to the fair is for the food,” Troxler said. “We’re going to have the best food court you can imagine with the best food, of course.”
The state fair is centered around artisan crafts. Local products, grown
or prepared in North Carolina, will be showcased alongside the bustling rides and carnival atmosphere.
“The flower show is one of the most beautiful things you can see,” Troxler said.
The fair will honor 11 families through the Farm Family of the Day program, presented by Tractor Supply Company.
Commissioner Troxler will recognize one family on each of the fair’s 11 days.
“The Farm Family of the Day program has become a popular way to spotlight the individuals behind the state’s $111.1 billion agriculture and agribusiness industry and emphasize the focus on agriculture at the N.C. State Fair,” he said. “This is the program’s fourth year, and each year, it has grown with an increasing number of nominations for outstanding farm families dedicated to our state’s No. 1 industry.”
By Melinda Burris KENANSVILLE — Ron Simmons
of Master Blend Family Farms in Kenansville realized that by working hard and seeking out those who had achieved the level of success he believed himself capable of, he could get closer to realizing his dreams.
“I wanted to learn from the individuals I felt were great,” said Simmons.
Today, the visionary entrepreneur who decided to give farming a try over a decade ago has made a name for himself in the agriculture industry and continues to grow the Master Blend Family Farms brand. He is also employed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture as a multimedia marketing specialist and a brand ambassador for the Got to Be NC program. Simmons credits multiple mentors for encouraging him as he pursued his goal of becoming a farmer.
Looking back at his career, Simmons recalled a conversation that inspired him, ultimately leading to becoming an entrepreneur.
At the time, he was working for Murphy Family Farms managing the intercompany mail for the eastern division. One day, while filling up his vehicle at the company fuel pump, he met a gentleman driving a white Cadillac. Simmons was impressed and wasn’t shy about expressing it, telling the stranger he loved his car.
The two men struck up a lighthearted conversation, and Simmons recognized he had an excellent opportunity to question someone, who was obviously in a leadership role at Murphy Family Farms, about the feasibility of him making a successful career in agriculture.
Simmons recalls asking, “While I have you, let me ask you this because you probably know. ... Do you think there's any chance a young guy like me can get into agriculture and potentially grow to the size of this organization?”
That man, who turned out to be Wendell Murphy, the owner of Murphy Family Farms, replied without
From left, N.C. Department of Agriculture senior marketing specialist Jack Nales, Ron Simmons, NC State basketball player DJ
and N.C. Department of Agriculture assistant director of marketing John Hammond pose as Simmons holds up a Got To Be NC license plate.
hesitation that “there was no doubt” in his mind Simmons had what it took to be a success.
Inspired by those words of encouragement, Simmons decided to focus on his education.
Wanting to learn about finance
and gain an understanding of capital endeavors, Simmons enrolled in a six-week seminar at the Small Business and Technology Development Center in Wilmington. Keen to learn more, Simmons went to the small business office at James Sprunt Community
“If you keep positive people around you, you can be a success story.”
Ron Simmons
College in Duplin County and began taking certification courses. He followed this up by attending business classes at Mount Olive University.
When his father-in-law began talking about retiring from farming, Simmons asked if he could take over the farm. His father-in-law laughed and advised him that before he started planning to become a farmer, it would be a good idea to learn about it. He suggested attending the meetings at the Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Simmons quickly established a reputation with the organization. Whenever a new training seminar was offered, he was there looking to take advantage of new learning opportunities. In 2012, Simmons established Master Blend Family Farms. He quickly gained recognition for his skill and the quality of his pasture-raised
pork products. In 2018, Simmons was named N.C. A&T's Small Farmer of the Year. Then in 2021, Simmons was honored with the Kingsford Charcoal Preserve the Pit Fellowship, an organization that offers training, tools and mentorship to members of the black community working to preserve cultural barbecue traditions.
Simmons joined the Got To Be NC program shortly after opening his farm. Because the organization tends to meet in the Raleigh area, Simmons couldn’t attend many of the meetings or trainings the program offered.
Membership still proved to be an asset. Simmons said creating a membership profile on the Got To Be NC website gave him and his business exposure that helped raise awareness about his products.
Simmons really got involved with the program when he did a video for
Ron Simmons seasons pork during a cooking demonstration at Pinehurst Country Club on May 16, 2023, during National Barbecue Day.
Got To Be NC while cooking at the embassy for the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission. He worked with the program for a few weeks to produce the video. After being contacted by the group to review and approve the video for distribution, he jokingly asked, “Why don't you go ahead and just hire me?” To his surprise, they loved the idea, and he’s been working to raise awareness about the program ever since.
Simmons loves the work he does, seeing it as a chance to mentor ambitious young people with an interest in the agriculture industry.
“If you keep positive people around you, you can be a success story,” said Simmons. He advises people to stay optimistic. “Even when you encounter challenging moments, instead of being defeated because of what you didn't receive, be grateful for what you already have.”
Thank you for twenty years of promoting the heritage of tobacco and working for the economic success of its future.
TGANC Encourages everyone to visit the NC State Fair this October 17-27 and see the excellent exhibits on display that were all the vision of Commissioner Steve Troxler.
Visit the Heritage Circle area of the State Fair with special events happening
• Friday, October 18th: fill the antique stick barn at 11:00 am and cure it with wood continuously the next 8 days. At 2:00 pm try your skills at the “open to the public” looping contest
• Friday, October 25th, take a trip down memory lane and come to the Tobacco Pavilion to see the “mock tobacco auction” that includes many original buyers and auctioneers from past decades.
• Best in class blue ribbon contest winners will be on display throughout the fair from farmers all across NC competing for the grand champion bundle.
