Today Governor Josh Stein joined the North Carolina Farm Bureau for its 90th annual convention, underscoring how essential agriculture is to North Carolina’s economy and heritage.
“Agriculture and North Carolina's hardworking farmers are critical to our economic strength as a state,” said Governor Josh Stein. “This past year has brought real hardships from tariffs – from rising production costs to the lowest row crop prices we’ve seen in more than a decade. I’m committed to working alongside our farmers to strengthen this industry, protect our farmland, and ensure that agriculture remains central to North Carolina’s future.”
The North Carolina Farm Bureau has advocated for North Carolina farmers since 1936; the convention marks the start of its 90th year of operation. Its continued support of more than 650,000 member families has been instrumental in making North Carolina the top state in the nation for sweet potatoes, tobacco, and turkeys and one of the top producers of cucumbers, hogs, broilers, and Christmas trees.
Agriculture is North Carolina’s No. 1 industry, and in the midst of rising costs and a changing export environment, Governor Stein is committed to supporting farmers. This year, the Governor signed the Disaster Recovery Act of 2025, establishing the Agricultural Disaster Crop Loss Program to support farmers with verifiable losses from declared agricultural disasters. He has also signed additional bills into law that bring the total state assistance to farmers to more than $478 million.
While in the Triad, Governor Stein stopped by Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina to tour the facility, volunteer, and present a $2.185 million check from the State of North Carolina supporting their efforts to keep North Carolinians from going hungry.
“Second Harvest appreciates this significant investment from Governor Stein and the State of North Carolina,’’ said Eric Aft, Chief Executive Office for Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina. "These funds will be an integral part of our work to address the needs of our residents impacted by the federal government shutdown and ensure that our robust response to the historic demand for food assistance remains strong."