When summer arrives, my mind always turns back to my upbringing in Eastern North Carolina on a traditional tobacco farm, the kind I’m sure many of you remember or have heard was a big part of our way of life in rural North Carolina not so long ago.
For both the children and the adults in these communities, summers revolved around the crop, from the labor that went into it to the opportunities those summer jobs working on the farm provided. The farm was where I gained valuable economic lessons, as I learned to save and budget my earnings to buy my own school clothes. It’s also where I met and made so many new friends – most significantly, the young woman who became my wife. I will always credit my work ethic to those long, hot days and the many lessons learned.
Much has changed in the summer landscape here, from the diversity of crops North Carolina farmers grow to the ways those crops are harvested. Back in my childhood on the farm, I would never have dreamed of some of the advancements we have seen in agriculture or some of the interesting crops we can now grow. In this issue, we begin a series on New and Emerging Crops with a highlight on sesame.
I remember fondly the days when we would be treated to a cool watermelon at the end of a long, hot, dusty row of tobacco. Of course, we all assumed we had to put up with the seeds, but that wasn’t the case! Learn about the seedless varieties of watermelons that many of our North Carolina growers produce in this issue. Seedless watermelons are another great example of the amazing advancements that have been made in agricultural technology. Please don’t miss the opportunity this summer to enjoy the fruit that really screams “summer” to me more than any other, and, by the way, we grow some of the best ones right here in North Carolina.
One thing about summer in North Carolina that never changes – it will be hot! And perhaps no treat cools us off better than ice cream. Many of our state’s dairies and other farms have pivoted to making and/or selling ice cream at on-the-farm shops. No matter where you and your family enjoy this classic summertime treat, just pause for a moment and remember it all starts with a farmer somewhere.
– Shawn Harding, President of North Carolina Farm Bureau
