A summer message about North Carolina agriculture from Shawn Harding, President of North Carolina Farm Bureau.
Ah, summer, that special time of year when the abundance of North Carolina agriculture really starts to shine. We know it’s summer when the sweet corn and fresh tomatoes start showing up, or maybe the taste of the first juicy, sweet cantaloupe or watermelon is your preference. I could go on and on about the variety of fresh, delicious produce that we grow here, and I believe that diversity of North Carolina agriculture is one of the things that really makes our state so special.
Our state’s diverse climate allows us to produce beautiful apples in our mountains, while cotton and peanuts flourish at the coast and everything else you can think of grows in between. While you know about (or at least I hope you do) sweetpotatoes, pork, poultry and tobacco, did you know we are No. 4 in the U.S. for cucumbers? See the great story in this issue about that crop and the No. 1 pickle company in the United States.
See more: Farm Facts: Cucumbers & Pickles
Savoring Summer
It is not just the diverse crops and climate here in our state that make us special; it is also the variety of type and size of farms that is so interesting. From large grain operations in the Northeast to small, urban farms in our metropolitan areas, farmers and farms all over have changed and adapted as our state has changed. I have been fascinated by the rise of the creamery business in the dairy industry, and our story about cheese making shows how dairy farms are changing with consumer demand to offer dairy products they can eat.
But, perhaps the greatest strength of N.C. agriculture is the diverse people who are our farmers. At North Carolina Farm Bureau, we are always proud to represent the folks who bring us some of the greatest seafood in the world, the watermen from Dare County all the way down the coast to Brunswick County. We’re proud to represent the Ashe County Christmas tree growers who make our holiday season so special, and the many great beef producers all over Western North Carolina. We’re proud to represent Piedmont farms that are thriving through direct marketing to the growing Triangle and Triad populations.
See more: Meet Two North Carolina Cheesemakers
Although we speak in many different accents and enjoy at least two styles of barbecue, we share the same resilient spirit that can be found in every corner of the state. Enjoy your summer in N.C. and let us all be proud of the fine folks who make it so delicious!
