From the tractor
by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler

I don’t know about you, but it has been a busy summer. It’s hard to believe, but fall is just around the corner and the N.C. State Fair is a month away.

I hope over the course of this summer, you have been able to enjoy the bounty of harvest that our farmers grow in North Carolina. Farmers markets across the state, roadside stands, grocery stores and community supported agriculture programs remain full of summer commodities fresh from North Carolina farms.

And that freshness translates into great-tasting food.

To share that message and in celebration of July being Got to Be NC Month, we started a new advertising campaign focusing on foods “Grown.Raised.Caught.Made.” in North Carolina. I hope you may have seen commercials for our Got to Be NC program. We want to increase awareness of what farmers grow, what foods agribusinesses produce and what seafood and aquaculture is harvested in the state.

There are still a lot of commodities to enjoy from apples and tomatoes to collards and zucchini, sweet potatoes and muscadine grapes. Be sure to take advantage of this delicious variety before the season for some of these comes to an end. Remember, when you want the best, it’s Got to Be NC.

***

On a more somber note, I want to mention the passing of one of our Forest Service co-workers who was killed in an accident while serving his fellow North Carolinians.

Jimmy Halliburton, 31, was an education ranger at Tuttle Educational State Forest in Lenoir.

Jimmy worked with the Forest Service for nearly 11 years, seven of those serving at Tuttle Forest where he worked with school children and the public to help them better understand our state’s forests and natural resources.

As a father of two, I am sure Jimmy took great pride in sharing his love of the forest and nature with kids.

At the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, employees are like family. Many of our employees have spent their entire careers in state government here with the department, and there is a closeness and bond that exists.

We share in his family’s grief, lift them up in our prayers and extend our sincere condolences.