Since 1936, the North Carolina Farm Bureau (NCFB) has been advocating for farm families who grow and raise our food. Celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2026, the organization honors its history as a voice for farmers and rural North Carolina. Four farm families share their NCFB stories.
The Byrd Family
Located in Harnett County, Byrd Family Farms is a seventh-generation farm owned by R.H. Byrd Jr., and his son, James Michael Byrd. In operation for more than 150 years, the family currently farms about 1,800 acres of corn, tobacco, soybeans, grain and baled straw. Also on the farm are R.H.’s wife, Sherrie, who also grew up in agriculture, and their daughter, Sarah. In different ways, all the Byrds have been involved with NCFB.
“We’ve really gotten to connect with our community through Farm Bureau,” Sherrie Byrd says. “It’s been amazing to network with farmers and farm families like us, and make friends across the state who share both best practices and concerns. NCFB commodity experts are always available to help with discussions or issues, and at the county level, we feel connected.”
She adds that the Young Farmers and Ranchers program was invaluable for James Michael and his wife, Lakean, opening their eyes to the state of agriculture nationwide.
R.H. and Sherrie have both been Harnett County Farm Bureau members for more than 40 years, serving in various roles, including president, board member and, for Sherrie, N.C. Farm Bureau Women’s Committee member. James Michael and Lakean have been members for 10 years and serve on the state YF&R committee.
“Over the last 40 years, NCFB has given us peace of mind,” Byrd says. “We worry about weather, commodity prices, people not understanding the importance of farming and more, but we know as Farm Bureau members, we have the resources to communicate with officials at our grassroots, state and federal levels. Farm Bureau is our heads, hands and feet while we’re turning the dirt, planting and growing our communities.”
Lee Rankin
As someone much newer to NCFB, Apple Hill Farm owner Lee Rankin also appreciates the organization’s local approach.
“NCFB is at the forefront of advocating for farmers while staying true to their grassroots nature,” she says. “It’s unusual for an organization to be so big and still be truly grassroots. As the farming landscape changes, Farm Bureau changes with it, and they really embraced me as a female alpaca farmer, which wasn’t common when I began farming.”
Rankin started her Wautaga County farm in 2023 after she fell in love with alpacas. She didn’t have an agricultural background but decided to raise and sell alpacas and Angora goats for fiber, and has a plethora of other animals, too. Rankin invites the public to the farm to learn about her animals and holds shearing events each year.
“We consider ourselves a livestock and education farm,” she says.
She currently serves as president of the Wautaga County Farm Bureau and has sat on specialty livestock and agritourism committees, helping to educate not only the public but other farmers as well.
See more: Apple Hill Farm Spreads Alpaca Love
Lee Herman
At the other end of the Farm Bureau membership spectrum, Lee Herman has had a lifelong connection to the organization.
“Farm Bureau has always been a part of my life,” says Herman, who raises beef cows, sheep and some hay in Taylorsville. “My grandfather was the county president, and my dad was on the county board. I don’t remember not being involved.”
Herman started his journey as part of the Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee and was active in FFA, creating a community with other young farmers. Now, as president of the Alexander County Farm Bureau, he shares the importance of membership to ensure North Carolina farmers are heard at home and across the country.
“You have a voice not only in Raleigh but Washington, too,” he says. “And you can help people in the nonagricultural community understand that if they want to eat, farms are vital.”
John Ashe
Fourth-generation farmer John Ashe is a Rockingham County Farm Bureau board member. He raises tobacco, soybeans, wheat, and some hogs and cows in Reidsville, and has been involved with NCFB most of his life.
“We’ve done a lot to reach more parts of the county in recent years, and I’m thrilled to be part of it,” Ashe says. “We initially didn’t have a Young Farmers and Ranchers program. We do now, and to me, that’s a sign of the times of more young people wanting to come back to the land and understand where their food comes from.”
Ashe says that NCFB has been at the forefront of farmer advocacy, taking an issue that might start in Rockingham County all the way to D.C.
“I’m really proud of what Farm Bureau has been able to do,” he says. “We’re a very diverse state and have been able to use our voices to get our points across on a national level. I hope we get 90 more years of NCFB.”
