Kenansville, NC: A large gathering of over 2,000 hog farmers, pork industry employees, and supporters filled the Duplin County Events Center Wednesday evening to hear from industry leaders, elected officials and fellow farmers about attacks on their industry at Rally ‘Round the Farm, the inaugural event of NC Farm Families (NCFF).
“It is time for us to stand up and speak out,” said Ed Emory, President of NC Farm Families.
NC Farm Families was formed to tell the positive story of the pork industry, including its record of environmental responsibility and its economic importance to the state. NC Farm Families will also be actively defending farmers against unfair attacks by the Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization headquartered in New York City.
“Our industry is under attack. We at the North Carolina Pork Council strongly support NC Farm Families and its mission to counter the false and unfair attacks,” said Deborah Johnson, CEO of the North Carolina Pork Council.
During the rally, NC Farm Families screened a short film detailing the plight of the Taylor Family from Pink Hill. In 2010, their world was turned upside down when they learned they were going to be sued by the Waterkeeper Alliance and Neuse Riverkeeper for alleged environmental violations by a previous owner. After $600,000 in legal fees and with no end in sight, the Taylors have declared bankruptcy. https://youtu.be/tozzvFUSy0M
“We all know that farm families built North Carolina. How can anyone be against those growing the food? Enough is enough. We are fighting for the right to be able to work. We have to stand together. We have a hungry world to feed,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in his keynote address.
Other elected officials who addressed the crowd with words of encouragement included, Lt. Governor Dan Forrest, state Sen. Brent Jackson (R-Sampson) and state Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin).
Closing the rally, attendees were encouraged to sign petitions supporting farm families. By the end of the evening, organizers collected over 1,300 new signatures bringing the total to over 8,700.
NCFF plans to present the signed petitions to Gov. Pat McCrory in Raleigh later this summer.
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