Eddie Moore, right, received the Farmer of the Year Award from Eugene Smith, Cape Fear Farm Credit, during the Robeson County Crop Promotion Association Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet.

Last week, the Robeson County Crop Promotion Association and the Robeson County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service conducted our Annual Awards and Recognition Banquet. This is the highlight of the year for agriculture in Robeson County. This banquet provides the setting for public recognition of those who have excelled in agricultural production during the past year and to recognize special individuals or groups for their accomplishments and achievements.

The Robeson County Crop Promotion Association was established in 1964. This association is made up of the agribusinessmen and agricultural suppliers in the region that provide products and services to our farmers. The primary mission of this association is to promote agriculture as a major component of the economy of Robeson County, to recognize our faming community and the farmers who make up those communities, and to provide financial assistance to Cooperative Extension and other groups that strive to keep agriculture strong and viable within the county.

During this banquet each year, several major awards are presented. The recipients of these awards are determined by a Selection Committee made up of representatives from each of the communities within the county. This committee seeks input from other businessmen in the county as well as from farmers and others involved in agriculture. Specific criteria have been established for each award. Recipients are selected based not only on their performance in their career or profession but also on how involved they are in their community. Consideration is given to how well they participate in local, regional, state, and national associations representing various aspects of agriculture and how they are perceived as role models by their peers.

One of the major awards is the Robeson County Farmer of the Year. The recipient this year was Eddie Moore of the Prospect Community. Eddie manages a diversified farm operation along with his brother Luther. In addition to producing tobacco and row crops, Eddie has been successful in developing a natural beef operation. Prime animals are selected from a highly managed, grass-fed herd and carried to market for slaughter and processing. This beef is then sold not only locally but also throughout the state. Eddie is a past member of the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association and is now serving on the Board of Directors of the North Carolina Small Grain Growers Association.

Mitch Britt, from the McDonald Community, was selected to receive the Robeson County Young Farmer of the Year Award. After completing an associates degree in Business Management at Robeson Community College, Mitch returned to the family farm to pursue a career in his first love, agriculture. He farms along with his father and brother, growing tobacco, corn, soybeans, and wheat.

Edgar Edens, from the Red Springs - Raeford area, was presented the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. In addition to operating and managing a 5,000- acre farm operation that spreads into Robeson, Hoke, and Scotland Counties, Edgar also owns and operates the Hoke-Robeson Cotton Gin. He is a strong advocate for agriculture and farm families and serves on numerous local and state boards. Each year, he provides educational tours of his farm and cotton gin for school children and assists local farmers in selling their unwanted equipment. He provides an annual celebration of farm life for over 500 people each year by hosting a huge barbecue dinner with all the trimmings.

The Jack Leggett Farm was selected to receive the Farm Family of the Year Award. Jack and his wife Milla Gray started the farm operation over 40 years ago with a few acres of tobacco and corn. Today, this family farm of more than 4,000 acres of tobacco, corn, soybeans, and wheat involves three generations. In addition to Jack and Milla Gray, their son Darwin and his wife and son Chad perform most of the day-to-day duties of the farm.

The McLaurin Memorial Tobacco Award was presented to S & P Tobacco Marketing. Tom Stephenson and Sally Powers accepted this award in appreciation for their role in providing a convenient marketing option for tobacco growers throughout southeastern North Carolina as the tobacco industry changed from an auction market system to a contract buying system. Not only has this business provided a marketing location, the owners of this business have always been very strong advocates for tobacco growers and have assisted these growers in many ways as they made the transition to a new type of marketing system.

Two Breaking New Ground Awards were presented to farmers in the county who have developed new and different ways to make money from their farm operations. Lucius Epps, from the Maxton Community, was recognized for his large intensive vegetable operation, selling not only to local customers but also wholesale to many grocery stores in the region. Kerry Bodenhamer, from the Alfordsville Community, was recognized for transitioning into grapes not specifically for the wine business but for the medicinal benefits derived from the hulls and seeds. In addition, Kerry has shifted his production from tobacco to over 1,000 acres of peanuts.

An Honorary Membership to the association was presented toMartin Brewington who recently retired from Cooperative Extension. While working with Extension, Martin assisted the association in many ways, including verifying yields checks for many farmers throughout the county.

The keynote speaker for the banquet was Norris Tolson, Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Revenue. Mr. Tolson shared comments about how North Carolina has overcome severe budget problems and how this has helped increase jobs within the state. He also shared information about why the state is so supportive of the biotechnology and alternative fuels industry, since they create tremendous potential for new jobs and provide higher wages and greater stability than many of the low-wage jobs that have left the state in recent years.

Various trophies were presented to several local farmers for their high yields in the corn, soybean, and wheat yield contests. Space does not allow me to share this information in detail today, so I will share it in next week's column.

This was an interesting and informative banquet. It is presented each year about this time of the year. If you are a farmer or if you have interest in agriculture in Robeson County, I urge you to make plans to attend next year.

E-mail address: Everett_Davis@ncsu.edu

Mailing Address:
P. O. Box 2280
Lumberton, NC 28359-2280

Phone: 910-671-3276
Fax: 910-671-6278

Date Created 02/22/07