DERBY — Richmond County farmer Jim Lambeth was recently nominated to his second term on the N.C. Board of Agriculture.
The nomination was announced in a Feb. 25 press release from Gov. Roy Cooper’s office.
From peaches to pine needles, tobacco to chickens, the Lambeth family farm in the Derby community has stayed productive for four generations.
Lambeth and his twin brother, Joe, both attended N.C. State University — at the same time as current state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler — and returned to work on the family farm after graduation, though Jim Lambeth first worked for a year in the forestry industry.
Along with their father, Mike, the twins formed Triple L Farms in 1977 and later opened a produce stand at the old general store selling strawberries and other produce after the tobacco buyout.
The Lambeths’ peach farm is an extension of the original farms of the Sandhills that started the peach industry in North Carolina in the early 1900s, Cooperative Extension Director Paige Burns said in 2019 when Triple L was named the county’s Farm of the Year.
In addition to peaches, Lambeth grows watermelons, cantaloupes and vegetables, which are sold at the produce stand.
Lambeth, named as a poultry representative, was originally appointed to the Ag Board in 2016, along with Faylene Whitaker of Climax, who was also re-nominated last month.
The other two recent nominees are dairy farmer D. Reid Smith III of Lexington and Ada Draughon Beatty of Harrells.
According to the website, the board “is a policy- and rule-making body that adopts regulations for many of the programs administered by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.”
Cooper has made at least a dozen appointments involving individuals from Richmond County since taking office. They include:
- Monty Crump – N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission (now serves as chair)
- Gene McLaurin – Economic Development Partnership of N.C. ( now serves as chair)
- William R. “Bill” Webb – Rural Infrastructure Authority of N.C. Commerce
- Dr. John Stevenson, Melanie Carroll and Robert Lee Wallace – Richmond Community College Board of Trustees
- Dr. Cindy Goodman – N.C. School of Science and Math Board of Trustees
- Ken Goodman – N.C. Industrial Commission
- Steve Futrell and Dawn Layton – Superior Court
- Bryan Land – N.C. Forestry Advisory Council
- Maddie Ash – N.C. Respiratory Care Board
- Neil Robinette – N.C. Interagency Coordinating Council for Children from Birth to Five with Disabilities
