When science picks sides: How agenda-driven research targets NC farmers

A familiar pattern is repeating itself: another round of misleading attacks on North Carolina hog farmers is making headlines. An article recently published by Sentient Media — and republished by NC Health News — repeats a litany of claims that unfairly target family farmers who raise pork for millions of American families.

 At the center of these stories is an air quality study by Johns Hopkins professor Christopher Heaney, a protégé of the late UNC activist Steve Wing. As you may recall, Wing was an avowed and proudly “committed activist” — co-founder of the NC Environmental Justice Network — who acknowledged that he was engaged in political science as much as research.

 Wing focused on environmental justice, working closely with community activists to craft studies that supported his agenda. Despite flaws with his methodology and conclusions, his work continues to influence the media — as well as researchers like Heaney who studied under Wing.

 Heaney is following in Wing’s footsteps, establishing close ties with the Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help (REACH) in Duplin County and the NC Environmental Justice Network. Devon Hall, the executive director of REACH, has even been listed as a co-author on studies conducted by Heaney.

 At Johns Hopkins, Heaney leads an initiative explicitly built to “support movements for environmental justice” through community-driven research around hog farms and other large animal production facilities. The initiative is part of the Center for a Livable Future, an academic organization with fellowship programs named for both Wing and Elsie Herring, a North Carolina resident whose allegations have been well chronicled here.

 All of this is to say that studies like this are purposefully designed from the start to produce an intended outcome. The goal is clear — to portray hog farmers in the worst possible light and generate attention-grabbing headlines that can potentially be used to influence lawmakers or juries.

 What a state air quality study shows

If you want to truly understand air quality around North Carolina hog farms, look at the study conducted by the NC Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Air Quality. It conducted 15 months of ambient air monitoring in Duplin County, the nation’s largest hog producing county, in 2018 and 2019. The study used a series of monitors — located within 0.5 miles to 2.5 miles of one or more hog farms — to collect data on three substances of concern: hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and particulate matter

 And what did it show?

 The study found no concern or exceedance related to hog farms, including in the measure of particulate matter. For hydrogen sulfide, the data showed that 24-hour average concentrations were consistently, throughout the study, 10 times lower than the acceptable “ambient” level. For ammonia, the acceptable level was never exceeded. And there were very few events with even measurable concentrations — the largest being attributed to smoke from open burning unrelated to farms.

 The Division of Air Quality concluded that the results “do not constitute a significant air quality issue in the study area.”

 The results were so clear cut that the department determined no additional testing was needed.

 “The results of this ambient air quality study,” the NC Farm Bureau said, “provide a valuable counter-point to the narrative from (other groups) that swine farms are contributing to poor air quality…”

 So, while some groups continue to chase headlines, North Carolina farmers will keep doing what we’ve always done: raising healthy animals, feeding families, and protecting the land we live on. That’s the real story.

Fueling Bacon: Meet Mrs. Nancy, a Feedtruck Driver

Nancy Kennedy didn’t plan on becoming a feed truck driver, but that’s exactly what she’s been doing for over 30 years at Smithfield Hog Production.

Mrs. Nancy, as she’s often called, doesn’t just deliver feed to farms across eastern North Carolina. She brings a whole lot of heart too. She has a true passion for the agricultural industry and loves to share about it with all ages.

She considers herself one of the “old timers” amongst the other drivers and doesn’t mind acting as a mentor to them if they want. Her favorite part of the job is spending time outside and enjoying the scenery.

“I love I get to see the sun come up every morning, and I just I sing to the cows sometimes when I'm out on the farms; they love for me to sing to them,” said Mrs. Nancy.

She loves to be able to meet and talk to the farmers on her deliveries too. The feeling is mutual among the farmers.  If you ever have the pleasure to meet Mrs. Nancy, you’ll understand why. She is truly one of the good ones with the kindest of souls. Often, when Mrs. Nancy delivers feed, she’ll leave a note with a simple John 3:16.

Apart from the day to day of the job, she also loves to be able to attend ag events and share about her love of agriculture and delivering feed. She has taught and shared with many school groups. The intent is not just to provide agricultural education to students, but also to show them career opportunities in the industry.

You don’t just have to be a farmer to be in the agricultural industry. The amount of jobs is incredible. Feed truck drives are just one example. Goodness knows farmers couldn’t farm without our truck drivers. Much like farmers, truck drivers know the show must go on despite adverse weather conditions. Pigs still need to eat even if it is raining sideways outside their barns.

That is one piece of advice Mrs. Nancy gives to folks interested in becoming a truck driver: “You have to be prepared to and know that animals eat on weekends and holidays and through the summer. They don't take off. It's not a Monday through Friday job; it's not an eight to five job. So, the schedule's demanding, especially in the wintertime.”

Even with a demanding schedule, Mrs. Nancy loves her job! She also still finds time to be an active member of the community. She and her husband invest in many young people’s lives. Her husband is a school teacher and coach. They are both youth leaders in their church. They simply show up for kids in the community and pour into them. They do much of this as a way to honor the memory of their own daughter who they lost in 2010 in a four-wheeler accident.

People like Mrs. Nancy are the ones behind your food. They are your coaches, youth leaders, neighbors, and friends. They are how food gets to the grocery store and ultimately on your plate.  Here is to the Mrs. Nancy’s of the world. The ones working with passion and dedication. The ones who make our days brighter and help produce food for our families.

To listen to more of Mrs. Nancy’s story, listen to Raised on the Farm podcast. 

Support Family Farmers with Your Vote

Our right to farm can be impacted by elected officials at the local, state and national level. Here are some questions to consider:

• Who has a track record of supporting North Carolina farmers?

• Who will ensure that regulations aren’t overly burdensome on our farmers?

• Who supports reigning in mandates like California’s Prop 12?

• Who will promote free trade policies that support agricultural exports?

NC Commissioner of Agriculture

The Commissioner of Agriculture is one race that has a direct impact on North Carolina’ farm families.

Republican Steve Troxler, a family farmer from Browns Summit, has served as our Ag commissioner for nearly 20 years and has always been a strong advocate for family farmers. The economic impact of the agriculture industry has grown from $59 billion to $111.1 billion under his leadership.

Democrat Sarah Taber is a crop scientist and expert in food supply chains, safety, and infrastructure. She advocates for increasing the diversity of the crops we grow in North Carolina — from hemp to hazelnuts — to boost farm income. But she has called America’s love of family farms “unfortunate” and expressed concerning views (add links) about our state’s pork industry on several occasions. Taber has never held elected office.