ELLERBE — Bill Comniaki was honored Monday as the 2023 Richmond County Farmer of the Year.
The award was presented by Anthony Growe — field, crops and livestock agent with the local N.C. Cooperative Extension Office — during the annual Farmers Appreciation Luncheon at Millstone 4-H Camp.
According to the biography read by Growe, Belveu Farm in Hoffman was started in 1968 and Comniaki moved to the farm in 1982 and served as the “support system” before being passed the torch.
Comniaki served on the Richmond County Soil and Water Conservation Board from 2016-2021.
In addition to serving on the N.C. 4-H Horse Advisory Council and the Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association, Comniaki helped start two horse clubs in the state as well as the National Walking Horse Association.
Comniaki has also published three books of cartoons about farm life.
The farm helps train horses for owners across the country, has received multiple accolades and has hosted benefit horse shows and low-cost youth camps.
The luncheon, hosted by the Cooperative Extension office, is held each year to thank the county’s agricultural leaders. It is part of Farm-City Week, which is kicked off each year with the Ellerbe Farmers Day Parade.
Click here to see photos from this year’s parade.
This year’s menu was similar to that in years past: barbecue, served up by Earl Graves; chicken; potatoes; baked beans; coleslaw; and hushpuppies. Another tradition was the farm-related placemats hand-drawn by students of Mineral Springs Elementary.
This year’s guest speaker was Gene McLaurin, chairman of the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina. McLaurin is also a former state senator and Rockingham mayor.
For the past two years, the Tar Heel state has been ranked as the best state for business, bringing in more than 80,000 new jobs with more than 250 “active prospects” looking to come to North Carolina, according to McLaurin.
Many of the prospects, McLaurin added, are “clean-energy” companies, including those previously announced coming to nearby Randolph and Chatham counties.
Agriculture is the state’s leading industry, with Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler announcing in May that it had set a new record at $103.2 billion.
Click here to read that press release.
“It’s a growing sector for new business,” McLaurin said, referencing the recruitment of Believer Meats — which produces lab-grown meat — to Wilson County, and Sopacko — which makes Meals Ready to Eat, or MREs, for the military — to neighboring Scotland County.
McLaurin added that there’s interest in a sweet potato processing facility. North Carolina is No. 1 in growing sweet potatoes, accounting for half of the nation’s crop, according to N.C. Field and Family.
“This list just goes on and on about new projects that would involve agriculture,” McLaurin said. “So the future is bright. And in fact, just last week, the Golden Leaf Foundation … the North Carolina Chamber and the North Carolina Farm Bureau and Google … announced a major initiative to support North Carolina’s global position in agriculture.”
In addition to recruitment, McLaurin said the EDPNC also helps with business expansion and international trade.
“Last year, North Carolina companies exported over $40 billion worth of new products and services,” McLaurin said. Muscadine grapes, which are native to North Carolina, are being sold in Hong Kong for $55 per box, he added.
The five building blocks to grow economic development in rural communities, McLaurin said, are education, healthcare, infrastructure, workforce and local leadership.
“We’ve got a lot of positive things that are going on in our community, and I’m proud of that,” McLaurin said. “And I think the future is bright for Richmond County and agribusiness, which is a big part of that.”
