Below is a summary of local interest stories that have recently been highlighted on the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ In the Field Blog. Please feel free to use any of this content or contact us if you have any additional questions.
Eastern:
(Beaufort) Expansion and Innovation at Griffin Farms Inc.
All of us want to make a difference with our lives and leave behind a lasting legacy. For Archie Griffin, of Griffin Farms Inc., this meant returning to the family farm after college and being a young leader in the agriculture industry. “I love being a young person in this industry and carrying on a tradition that has not only meant a lot to my family through the years but to our state as a whole,” Archie said. Established in 1996, Griffin Farms was started by Archie’s grandfather and has since expanded from its original 20 acres to 2,000 acres today. ...
(Hyde) Seafood processors share improvements thanks to NCDA&CS grant assistance
Two North Carolina seafood processors that have received grant money through a NCDA&CS grant program hosted a tour recently to show off their facilities. While the point of the tour wasn’t to highlight the improvements made with the grant money, those improvements couldn’t be ignored. They have become an important part of each business’s operations and plans for improvement. The tour was part of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission Agricultural Leadership Development Program. Participants were getting a firsthand look at some agriculture in eastern North Carolina, which brought them to Hyde County – specifically Mattamuskeet Seafood/Shell Point Shellfish in Swan Quarter and Engelhard Mattamuskeet Seafood/Diamond Shoal Shrimp Co. in Engelhard. ...
(Pasquotank) Century Farm Spotlight: Warriors Ridge Farm’s lasting legacy
To say that Wade Reid was born into farming would be true. His 450-acre farm, named Warriors Ridge, has been in his family since at least 1717, although many of the official records from the farm that would have dated back to this time were destroyed when the Union Army burned the Pasquotank County Courthouse in 1862. Reid’s 10th great-grandfather is George Durant, who is sometimes called “the father of North Carolina.” The Durant Family bible, printed in 1599, is displayed at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Reid family is also a direct descendant of William Reed, who served at Governor of North Carolina from 1722-1724. They also have an ancestor, Thomas Reed, that served in George Washington’s army. “My ancestors set a standard to follow,” Reid said. “They bought the land, they fought for their country and their legacy lives on through me and my children.” Today the farm is still very involved in production agriculture, growing hay, corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, alfalfa, pumpkins and raising Santa Gertrudis cattle. ...
(Sampson) Pursuing a passion in agriculture and animal science
Agriculture leaves a lasting impression on the land, the community and the people involved in the industry, including Megan Merritt. Megan grew up on a small family farm in Sampson County, where she had a love of agriculture instilled in her at a young age. She has fond memories of riding with her grandfather to feed and tag cattle on the farm and helping her parents in the chicken houses they managed for Sanderson Farms Chicken. “Agriculture is an innate passion of mine,” Megan said, “I enjoy working with crops here and there but I love working with farm animals like horses, chickens and pigs.” It was that love for animals that led Megan to pursue her bachelor’s degree at the University of Mount Olive in Animal Science. Mt. Olive is known for their hands-on experience, which was one of Megan’s favorite parts about each class because she learned how to execute many necessary farm tasks, including ear tagging animals. “Animal behavior is intriguing and amazing. My education at Mt. Olive really helped me be able to understand what might be wrong with an animal even though they can’t tell me,” she said, “now I can communicate with them and that inspires me every day.” ...
(Wilson) Making life sweeter at Scott Farms
Javan Harrell grew up with a love for agriculture that was shaped through a variety of programs, including Hunt FFA and Wilson County 4-H. “Ever since I was a little boy, I have always been interested in agriculture,” Javan said, “I have been very involved in Wilson County 4-H and Hunt FFA, where I attend several activities throughout the year to learn leadership and life skills in the industry. All of these experiences have helped me decide on a future career in agriculture.” In addition to being shaped by our state’s agriculture programs, Javan’s father is the County Director for NC Cooperative Extension in Wilson County and his mother works at Scott Farms, a six-generation family farm in Wilson where Javan is also currently working to learn the trade. “Going to work with my father is what started my passion and fascination for agriculture growing up,” he said, “furthermore, my passion for agriculture has been influenced through my time at Scott Farms because I have learned a lot from my supervisor, the precision agronomist, and gained experience in a variety of areas, including soil sampling and drone usage.” Currently a senior at James B. Hunt High School, Javan is preparing to continue his education at NC State University in the Fall with a major in Agronomy. ...
(Wilson) A sweet life of farming at Vick Family Farms
What started as a leap of faith by Jerome and Diane Vick has grown today into an 8,000-acre family operation known as Vick Family Farms. Both Jerome and Diane left their jobs in 1975 to farm tobacco on their small piece of land. Today, the family continues to keep the tobacco crop going and has expanded by adding sweet potatoes, soybeans, cotton, corn and wheat. Grayson Ferrell is the third generation to help on the farm and she has loved it from the very beginning. “I always had an interest in the farm growing up,” she said, “I think I realized the opportunities that our farm had right in front of my eyes and didn’t really even look into doing much else.” Grayson recently graduated from the Ag Institute at NC State University where she double majored in Ag Business Management and Livestock and Poultry Management. ...
Piedmont:
(Orange) Providing local products to the community at Coon Rock Farms
Some people are born with an innate love of agriculture and others stumble upon it in the middle of their life journey. In his early 20’s, Evan Clendening started experimenting with making his own cider, not realizing it would lead to a career in farming. “I wanted a cider that tasted just like apple pie right out of the still,” he said, “but once I got into it, I realized that I wanted to grow everything that went into the cider, like the apples. Ever since then, I haven’t been able to find a single thing that I don’t enjoy growing.” Currently the farm manager at Coon Rock Farms, Evan is learning everything he can and gaining hands-on experience that will one day help him start a farm of his own. Since the 2004, Coon Rock Farm in Hillsborough has been providing fresh fruits, vegetables and meat products for their customers. Their sister company, Bella Bean Organics, provides organic fruits and vegetables to individuals across the state. ...
(Rockingham) New fairgrounds building made of N.C. native wood now bears name of ‘Renaissance man’ who managed construction
The newest building at the N.C. State Fair now has its official name. During the 2021 fair, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced the name at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and with that announcement he surprised the man who supervised the building’s construction. The building was completed just before the 2021 fair, and Troxler revealed the name as the James Robert “Bob” Stanfield Natural Resources Center. “I kept looking to see if his fingers were crossed,” Bob Stanfield said shortly after the ribbon cutting. “I’m more flabbergasted than any kid over in that fair [midway].” ...
(Wake) Plant Industry to add two furry friends
Man’s best friend will soon have a brand-new job in North Carolina — hunting down invasive bugs. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Service’s Plant Industry division will soon welcome a pair of working dogs named Kita and Neeko to the state to help detect Spotted Lanternfly. The destructive pest, which causes severe damage to trees and vineyards, is a serious problem in 10 northern states and is spreading quickly. Just this week, live adult Spotted Lanternfly insects were found 15 miles from the North Carolina border and the division’s regulatory entomologists believe it is likely already in the state, so the canine teams are coming to the state at a critical time to help find and treat infestations early and prevent establishment. Jackie Fredieu and Chad Taylor are the pair of plant protection specialists who will take on the role of handlers for the new dogs. Fredieu said that the dogs will help sniff out SLF in places where people would likely miss them. ...
(Wake) U.S. Army and National Guard veteran Dr. Bruce Akers brings lifetime of experience to NCDA&CS emergency programs
Over a career spanning nearly 50 years, Dr. Bruce Akers has made a habit of saying “yes” to new things. Akers, the NCDA&CS Central Region EP Veterinarian has worn more than a few hats over the years, from educator to helicopter pilot and even bomb disposal expert in the U.S. Army. Born and raised in the coal country of Hatfield Bottom in Matewan, West Virginia, Akers first began considering a military career while studying for a biology teaching degree at a local community college. “I happened to get a visit from an ROTC recruiter from Marshall University, which was where I was planning on going to finish my four-year degree,” he said. “He interested me in ROTC a little bit, and I said I’d try it out.” ...
Western:
(Catawba) Fostering family love and flourishing flowers at Summer Fresh
Farming creates strong ties within those who love agriculture, but for Der Xiong of Summer Fresh Flower Farm, it’s more than a passion for the industry that keeps her going day in and day out. It is a love for her family and a desire to keep their legacy alive. After Der’s parents immigrated to the United States, they moved around a few times before settling in North Carolina. “I remember my mother farming everywhere we went,” Der said, “it was always a huge passion for her and it’s what led her to starting the flower farm in 2003.” ...
(Gaston) Farming is the definition of passion at Lineberger’s Farm
Lineberger’s Maple Springs Farm in Dallas strives for diversity in all aspects of its operation. Although the family specializes in strawberries, blackberries, muscadines and pumpkins, the farm is also home to a variety of other produce items, including blueberries, tomatoes, peaches and cucumbers.The farm was started in the 1920’s originally as a flower farm. However, sometime during the second generation of farmers it transitioned to a strawberry operation and ventured into the agritourism sector to help educate the community about farming and the importance of eating local. Today, farm manager Ethan, his wife Frankie, his sister Erin and her husband Aaron are the fourth-generation of family to work on the farm and to say they love what they do would be an understatement. ...
(Surry) Woman-owned Haynes Farm aims for the blue at the fair
Haynes Farm in Dobson is a fourth generation family farm that has a rich history of farming in our state and has diversified many times through the years. Where the farm sits today was actually a sawmill run by current owner Hannah Hayne’s great-grandfather years ago and expanded upon by her grandfather. It was Hannah’s father who actually transitioned the farm into a produce growing operation with corn, soybeans, tobacco and pullets as well as beef cattle. Hannah took over the family farm when her father passed away and is immensely proud to be carrying on the family legacy. “I am an only child, grandchild and great-grandchild on the ‘farm’ side of my family,” she said, “while I have had to adapt to make the farm manageable for me as a female, I am very proud of what my family bestowed upon me.”
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