Farmer advocates for conservation, federal support

Farmers and legislators joined together in Wilson on Tuesday to voice support for the federal Inflation Reduction Act that's funding climate-smart agricultural practices on North Carolina farms.

Wilson livestock farmer R.C. Hunt, a past president of the National Pork Producers Council, said some $19.5 billion has been allocated to U.S. Department of Agriculture conservation programs that help farmers address climate change.

Hunt said he's dismantling a Wilson County hog farm that he began some 35 years ago between Black Creek and Stantonsburg.

Hunt was joined by state Rep.-elect Rodney D. Pierce, D-Halifax, and Rep. Eric Ager, D-Buncombe, at the Wilson Rose Garden for a press conference focusing on the subject.

The farm has produced some 1.5 million pigs for market in its life.

"I don't know what the future of that farm holds, but my goal is to go in there and clean it back up to kind of the way I found it 35 years ago," Hunt said.

During the farm's life, Hunt said he tried to network and obtain government funding when available.

"For example, that farm 35 years ago qualified for some cost-share funds, so we were able to get a technical specialist to come in and design that animal waste lagoon to make sure that it was built correctly and reduced any risk of any breaching or having a dam breach," Hunt said. "It was a small amount of money, but it entitled us to built that facility correctly — and that's what we did."

Using cost-share funds, the farm has also received some assistance with composting for waste disposal and fencing to fence off streams, creeks and ditches.

"We have tried very hard to go the extra mile, and we have the opportunity," Hunt said. "There is a very real possibility that we could qualify for some assistance in helping us convert this animal waste lagoon into a freshwater pond, so that is what we are pursuing."

"The climate-smart programs funded by the IRA are invaluable," he added. "These programs benefit North Carolina hog farmers as we seek to preserve our land and reduce our carbon footprint, ensuring we can continue to operate sustainably for generations to come."

Agriculture and agribusiness contributes some $103 billion to the state's economy annually.

"The Inflation Reduction Act is pivotal for our rural communities," Pierce said. "It not only supports the adoption of sustainable practices that will benefit our entire region's environment, but also drives job creation in our rural communities. By investing in renewable energy and conservation methods, we are ensuring a sustainable future for our agriculture economy while driving economic growth."

Ager, a former director of business operations at Hickory Nut Gap Farm, said federal programs help farmers modernize.

"This financial support is crucial for our farmers to afford and implement sustainable practices, helping to reduce pollution," Ager said. "The agriculture sector is both contributing to and suffering from the effects of the climate crisis. More frequent and intense storms, drought, air pollution and other climate-related impacts are resulting in crop loss, land degradation, unhealthy conditions for farmworkers, higher costs to farmers and ranchers, greater challenges for communities experiencing food insecurity and more unpredictable seasons affecting planting and harvest."