On the Issues

Between 2010 and 2019 North Carolina has regularly ranked among the top ten states with the highest percentage of  citizens experiencing food shortages. the latest statistics show that over 6000,000 households are food insecure every day.  North Carolina also ranks in the ten worst states in the percentage of children under the age of 18 who are lacking food on a …

Agriculture is the leading industry in North Carolina generating about $91 billion in value added income and accounting for about 663,000 jobs. Between 2007 and 2012 North Carolina lost 660,000 farmed acres and between 2009 and 2015 we lost 3600 farms, almost all of them family farms. Today we are still among the leading states in loss of family farms.The …

The mission of NCDA&CS is to provide services that promote and improve agriculture and agribusiness, protect consumers and businesses, and preserve farmland and natural resources for the prosperity of all North Carolinians. NCDA&CS is a complex agency with 24 Divisions. It affects every person in North Carolina one way or another every day. Some of the Department’s responsibilities include promoting …

The NCDA&CS is responsible for ensuring that animal shelters, kennels, pet shops and public animal auctions are complying with the North Carolina Animal Welfare Act. I take this responsibility seriously. I will ensure that domesticated animals are treated humanely and that the animal welfare laws in North Carolina are enforced. Puppy mills are still a problem in North Carolina. These …

Agriculture is important to a rural community and a strong rural community is vital to the future of North Carolina. Rural areas provide the state with the food we eat, green spaces, tourism, recreation, and hopefully clean a clean water source. Rural communities need the same things urban areas need and that is jobs, education, health care services, utilities, and …

The mission of the Agriculture Research Stations is to manage crop and livestock facilities that serve as a platform for agriculture research to make farming more efficient, productive and profitable, while maintaining a sound environment and providing consumers with safe and affordable products I strongly support keeping all the Agricultural Research Stations open. They are important to the economy of …

Now that the North Carolina Forest Service and the Division of Soil and Water have been moved to the NCDA&CS, the commissioner has the authority and the responsibility to protect our environment and our drinking water.  I have worked closely with both of these divisions in my job with the US Dept. of Agriculture. We worked together to encourage landowners …

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services regulates food, drugs, cosmetics,medical devices, motor fuels and propane, and pesticide licenses. No one wants to eat or feed tainted food to their families. In 2018  the Center for Disease Control estimated that 48 million people in the U.S. got sick, 128,000 were hospitalized, and 3000 people died from food borne …

Marketing is just as important to agriculture and agribusiness as having a product to sell. Farmers can have a bountiful harvest but if they cannot sell their crops they cannot stay in business. Agribusiness can come up with innovative new products, but they must have a buyer. We cannot be content with just finding new crops and products. We must …