I have the opportunity to share more good news with you this week. Rodney McLaurin has joined the Cooperative Extension staff in Robeson County as Field Crops Agent. He began work this past Monday assuming responsibilities for corn, soybeans, tobacco, wheat, cotton, peanuts, and pesticide education.

Rodney is a native of the Eastover area of Cumberland County. Although his parents were not farmers, he grew up in a farming community, and many of his friends lived on farms. He developed a love for agriculture early in life, and when he finished Cape Fear High School, he enrolled in North Carolina State University majoring in Agriculture and Extension Education. When he graduated from State this past May, he immediately began to look for an opportunity to work as closely as possible with farmers and with production agriculture.

While in college, he completed a summer internship with Cooperative Extension in Chatham County. This is where he learned just how closely Cooperative Extension works with local farmers and the role of Extension Agents in helping farmers and agribusinessmen keep up with the latest technology related to production agriculture.

It is fortunate that the crops agent position in this county was available when he graduated. He is now able to work close to his family and where he grew up - in an area of the state where he is very familiar with the crops and with many of the farmers of the area. Although there is a lot to learn about Cooperative Extension and the crops he will be responsible for, Rodney should quickly adjust to his new responsibilities.

I am really pleased to have Rodney join our staff, because this is an especially difficult time for farmers and landowners. Although prices for most commodities have reached record high levels during the past two years, bad weather has limited yields and production costs have gone out of sight. Many farmers are experiencing the highest levels of income they have ever seen, but their net profit levels have been so low they can barely meet their financial obligations. High fuel prices, scarce labor, and the unstable economy have just added to their problems.

Research and science are providing realistic answers for many of the problems facing production agriculture, but it takes time for this information to flow through the system to the local farmers. Additionally, not all of this information is realistic and practical for all farmers. Rodney's role will be to help our farmers gather the information that is available, to access the services they need, and to learn how to properly apply what will work best in their individual situations.

Many of our farmers are changing their production systems quite drastically. Some are shifting to different crops, some are shifting to contract animals, and some are even shifting to agritourism and value-added products. As they do this, they are faced with entirely different demands and problems. They can easily turn to Rodney and the other agricultural agents on our staff to make these transitions as quickly and as profitably as possible.

Rodney will also be responsible for pesticide education and helping our farmers and agribusinessmen keep their pesticide license up to date. In addition, he will coordinate pesticide container recycling and unwanted pesticide collection days.

We have had some pretty heavy frosts this past week. Most soybean fields have lost their leaves, and with a few days of dry, windy weather, the plants will be dried down enough for harvest. Because of frequent showers we received during the past four months, our farmers are not facing disaster yield problems like they did last year. In fact, the yield potential for soybeans is especially good, and it is possible we might see some record-breaking soybeans yields in Robeson County and across the state.

Rodney is prepared to certify soybean yields for the local, regional, and state soybean yield contests. There are some fantastic prizes available this year, including a $5,000 reward from the North Carolina Soybean Producers Association for the first and highest yield above 100 bushels per acre. A minimum of three acres in a plot with four straight sides is required for official entries. Farmers wishing to enter the soybean yield contest are urged to contact Rodney at least one day before harvesting the field to make arrangements to have the yield certified.

Rodney will be visiting throughout the county for the next several months trying to meet as many of our farmers and agribusinessmen as possible. I encourage you to stop by our office and introduce yourself or give him a call and invite him to come by your farm.

On a final note, I would like to share with you that North Carolina Farm Bureau is conducting a series of meetings across the state to help farmers learn how to make their farms more energy efficient. Energy is one of the largest expenses on any farm - no matter what is produced.

We are fortunate that one of these meetings will be held at the Robeson County Farm Bureau Office right here in Lumberton. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. next Monday, November 10. If you are interested in attending, please call Scott Wellborn, state coordinator for this project, at 919-782-1705, ext. 8209. Or you can call the local Farm Bureau Office at 738-7171.

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 11/05/08