Farmkeepers Blog
The Farmkeepers is the official blog of NC Farm Families. It is here that words will flow, our voice will be heard, a stand will be made, and the farm families of North Carolina will be protected. In these posts, we'll set the record straight. You'll see the faces of the families who feed us. Here, you'll receive all the updates and news. It is here that we will fight for farmers and be the keepers of the farm in NC. We hope you'll join us. Follow along on social media and by joining our email list.
Ripe for attack: When it comes to hog farms, nothing can appease an activist on a mission.
No matter what North Carolina hog farmers do to improve their operations, there is always an activist group eager to attack them.
Take renewable natural gas, for example.
More and more North Carolina hog farmers are interested in covering their lagoons, capturing methane emissions, and generating renewable natural gas. The benefits are immense. Aside from the environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and generating clean energy, the covered lagoons reduce odor and minimize the potential for flooding during hurricanes.
Sounds incredibly positive, right?
Food & Water Watch just posted an article — Shit Storms: Factory Farm Pollution, Hurricanes, and Climate Change — arguing that hog farms are “a driving force” behind climate change. It points to our farms as a major source of methane emissions, saying it leads to intense hurricanes that flood hog lagoons and cause water pollution.
Now, we can argue the facts around hurricanes and hog farms (read the truth of the matter here), but the reality is that renewable natural gas projects address the article’s two main points of concern: the potential flooding of lagoons from hurricanes, and the impact of methane emissions from animal agriculture on climate change.
But hold on… here comes another attack from the Sierra Club.
A recent story in Sierra magazine criticizes North Carolina hog farms for — wait for it — “ramping up efforts to convert methane from swine waste into biogas.”
The 3,500-word article — A biogas boondoggle — accuses the pork industry of using renewable natural gas projects to “greenwash” its image. In other words, these biogas projects on hog farms aren’t really environmentally friendly…
Except they are.
The EPA says that methane emissions are 28 times more potent that carbon dioxide, so there’s clearly a value in capturing these gases on farms and converting that gas into renewable energy that can be used to power homes.
If you’re concerned about climate change, this is clearly a positive development.
And the benefits to the local community — in the form of reducing odors and minimizing the potential for flooding during hurricanes — are equally valuable to the people who live near hog farms. (Learn more here about the value of renewable natural gas projects.)
No one really expects groups like the Sierra Club or Food & Water Watch to present a balanced view of these issues. But when you read these two articles back to back, it simply defies logic.
These activists plead with farms: Stop lagoons from flooding during hurricanes! Reduce methane emissions that contribute to climate change!
Then, when farmers make improvements that address those two concerns, they launch another attack.
Don’t do it that way! Renewable natural gas is bad!
There’s no winning with these folks. Which is why we’re simply going to keep our heads down and continue doing what we do best: providing Americans with safe, affordable food that’s raised responsibly and sustainably.
Waterkeepers say hog farms not the problem in recent survey
Breaking News: We agree with the Waterkeepers!
No, we didn't stutter. In a recent survey conducted by the Coastal Carolina Riverwatch and contracted with ECU's Center for Survey Research, an overwhelming amount of respondents were positive about living within 5 miles of industrial farms. The majority of respondents said:
Air quality was excellent
Rarely noticed odors
Farms (CAFOs) had no impact on air quality
Farms (CAFOs) had no impact to water quality
On the whole, the Waterkeeper’s opinions about our farm families don’t match the opinions of local, everyday people. We wanted to highlight the true picture of communities and hog farms in North Carolina. This is also a great example of how groups make mountains out of mole hills. Activists like the Waterkeepers often are very loud, but small in number. They are also unwavering in their ambitions to eliminate animal agriculture.
Vote for agriculture in upcoming NC elections
As we look ahead at what issues will impact North Carolina’s farm families this year, the upcoming elections are front and center. There will be important elections taking place at the local, state, and national level, and we encourage everyone to understand the candidates’ views on agriculture.
Agriculture remains the largest industry in North Carolina, employing about 20 percent of the state’s workforce and providing an economic impact that exceeds $100 billion a year. That includes about 45,000 family farms.
Two of the biggest statewide races on our radar screen this year are the elections for Governor and Commissioner of Agriculture. With Gov. Roy Cooper’s eight years in office coming to an end, there is a crowded field of Republicans and Democrats vying for the state’s top job.
There are three candidates running for the Republican nomination, including Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, State Treasurer Dale Folwell, and trial lawyer Bill Graham. Graham’s law firm, you may recall, led the nuisance lawsuits against Smithfield Foods.
The Democratic field includes five candidates, led by Attorney General Josh Stein and former NC Supreme Court Justice Mike Morgan. Lesser known candidates include Chrelle Booker, Gary Foxx, and Marcus Williams. Stein has been endorsed by Gov. Cooper, former Gov. Jim Hunt, and much of the Democratic Party establishment.
Incumbent Steve Troxler, a family farmer from Browns Summit, is running for reelection as Commissioner of Agriculture. He has served in that role since 2005 and has been a strong advocate for family farmers during his tenure. Troxler has received many honors and awards during his career, including the “Order of the Golden Pig” from the NC Pork Council for his longstanding service and valuable contributions to the pork industry.
Colby Hammonds, a family farmer who produces pasture-raised beef, pork, and free-range brown eggs in Wake County, is challenging Troxler for the Republican nomination. Dr. Sarah Taber, a farm operations specialist from Fayetteville, is the only candidate on the Democratic side. Neither Hammonds nor Taber have ever previously held elected office.
The primary election will be held on Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Early voting begins on February 15.