ROCKINGHAM — With agriculture being the state’s largest industry, Thursday has been designated the inaugural North Carolina Farmers Appreciation Day.
The initiative was spearheaded by the N.C. Grange, along with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the N.C. Farm Bureau, and a bill to recognize the day was introduced by Duplin County state Rep. Jimmy Dixon.
In subsequent years, Farmers Appreciation Day will be held the second Thursday of November.
“… we feel strongly that North Carolina Farmers are deserving of a day set aside for all they do to provide food and fiber to all of us,” reads a press release. “They help make North Carolina the great state that it is. Nobody does agriculture with such compassion and collaboration than North Carolina. We have so much to be proud of.”
According to a fact sheet, there are more than 74,000 farmers who work 48,000 farms in the Tar Heel state, 96% of which are family farms.
North Carolina is a top producer of various commodities, including sweet potatoes, eggs and poultry, Christmas trees, turkeys, pork, flue-cured tobacco and cucumbers — with an economic impact of more than $100 billion annually.
In May 2003, Ag Commissioner Steve Troxler announced that state had set a new record at $103.2 billion.
The state began recognizing its agricultural heritage with Century Farm status in 1970, and currently boasts more than 1800.
Richmond County has 14 Century Farms listed, including Bynum Peach Farm in Windblow, which received its designation last year.
Click here to read more about the Bynum farm.
Each year, the local office of the N.C. Cooperative Extension hosts a Farmers Appreciation luncheon as part of Farm-City Week. For the past several years, the event has been held at Millstone 4-H Camp outside of Ellerbe.
During the luncheon, a farmer or agricultural family has been honored for their work in the field. Bill Comniaki of Belveu Farm in Hoffman was recognized.
Click here to read about the 2023 luncheon.
This year’s luncheon is scheduled for noon on Nov. 25 at Millstone.
Another event for Farm-City Week is the annual Farmers Day Parade in Ellerbe.
The parade is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, and will also include craft and food vendors, as well as a “Tractor Meet and Greet” behind Food King afterward.
Click here to see photos of the 2023 parade.
Entry forms for the parade are available at the offices of the Cooperative Extension, Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Contact Jamie English at Ellerbe Town Hall for vendor applications: 910-652-6251.
