The Tobacco Farm Life Museum (TFLM) held its 15th annual “Breakfast with the Commissioner” benefit on February 7th with Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler at the Southern Farm Show on the NC State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The annual event raises funds to support the Kenly Museum’s mission to preserve and present the history and heritage of the rural farming community though collection care, research and public tours.
Two awards were presented to the farming community at the event.
Mrs. Alice Scott, co-owner and executive secretary of Scott Farms, a sixth-generation family farm in Lucama, was being honored with the “Excellence in Agriculture” award for her comprehensive involvement in the promotion and continued growth of the agriculture community in North Carolina. The “Excellence in Agriculture” award is sponsored by Southern Bank.
The “Innovative Young Farmer of the Year” award, sponsored by Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina, was presented to Michelle Pace Davis, who operates Pace Family Farms located in Clayton. The winner of this award is chosen based on their dedication to the progression of technology and accuracy in agriculture and educational outreach to members of the general public. Davis has been instrumental in opening the Pace Family Farms as an agri-tourism location and in instituting creative solutions to prevent produce waste.
Special guests at the Breakfast with the Commissioner included Zippy Duvall, President of the American Farm Bureau Federation, and Shawn Harding, the newly elected President of North Carolina Farm Bureau. Over 500 agribusiness leaders from across the state attended.
