Farm families: Stand up and speak out

by Courtney Kilpatrick Tieman, Jones and Blount, July 18, 2015.

“Every blade of grass is a study; and to produce two, where there was but one, is both a profit and a pleasure. And not grass alone; but soils, seeds, and seasons – hedges, ditches, and fences, draining, droughts, and irrigation – plowing, hoeing, and harrowing – reaping, mowing, and threshing – saving crops, pests of crops, diseases of crops, and what will prevent or cure them – implements, utensils, and machines, their relative merits and how to improve them – hogs, horses, and cattle – sheep, goats, and poultry – trees, shrubs, fruits, plants, and flowers – the thousand things of which these are specimens – each a world of study within itself.”

Abraham Lincoln

There are few delicacies quite as tasty and revered in eastern North Carolina as a warm pork tenderloin sandwiched between two slices of buttered bread. Whether you glaze it in a honey BBQ sauce or smother it with yellow mustard, that savory treat is always a favorite.

On Wednesday evening, N.C. Farm Families Rallied ‘Round the Farm in support of North Carolina’s leading industry. The $78 billion dollar contributor to our state’s economy has recently been attacked by special interest groups aiming to stifle the industry one farm at a time.

Commissioner Steve Troxler reminded the group of over three thousand, “It is beyond common sense for anyone who depends upon food to attack the producer. Those attackers mistakenly believe access to food is a right, instead of understanding it’s this nation’s greatest blessing. The sole reason this nation has remained free is the ability to produce its own food and feed its own people.”

Joined by Lt. Governor Dan Forest, Senator Brent Jackson and Representative Jimmy Dixon, Troxler reminded the group that the agriculture industry in North Carolina is the most regulated, most environmentally conscious industry in the state. North Carolina Farm Families is a nonprofit coalition designed to combat these recent attacks and provide a voice for North Carolina’s farming families and agriculture dependent industry. The coalition also provides accurate statistical information concerning the farming industry in North Carolina.  

Written by Courtney Kilpatrick Tieman – For more information on this movement, please visit www.ncfarmfamilies.com and Stand Up. Speak Out.

http://jonesandblount.com/2015/07/16/n-c-farm-families-stand-up-and-speak-out/