Land, Food, and Farm Work: North Carolina’s History and Now

By: Erin Krauss

There are reminders all around us that North Carolina is a state born and bred on agriculture. Many folks who live in the Triangle live in geographic regions that shelter agriculture from regular view. But despite the urban routines, hustle and bustle of traffic and at least the perception that we are urban…on the whole, we are not. Even in urban settings hot with pavement, back yard farms are popping up more and more in between city blocks. We are indeed a state that thrives on the land. North Carolina’s history and its future depend wholeheartedly on the agriculture sector. Even popular culture is leaning more in the direction of recognizing the power, the trend, and the sources of food. The last few years have seen an upsurge in the “foodie” scene, farmers markets, and programming that supports small-scale farm efforts and education for people interested in farming. One example of our community’s embrace of farming as a valid lifestyle and business venture lies in the upcoming Piedmont Farm Tour. This farm tour event provides an opportunity for locals to connect with small & medium sized farms in action and to support local and organic agriculture.

Then, there are reminders from the large-scale industrial community about the crucial and precarious nature of agriculture. Still dominant over NC’s food production, this sector (produce, poultry, hog farms, tree production, tobacco, etc.) also sustains the state’s economy and provides massive exports nationwide. Recent news from this sector has stressed the importance of the ability to hire willing workers in order to sustain this essential economic backbone. Amidst the prospect of potential immigration reform in the near future, as well as new E-Verify legislation in NC, agribusiness leaders have been speaking out locally and nationally. Their message reminds us that we are all dependent on human labor to supply our food, and securing employees to do this labor can be difficult. In light of this, farm owners are asking to be granted more legal ways (agriculture visas) to hire workers. While having more legal means is a valid ask, we in the farmworker justice movement know there are many other factors involved in the challenging nature of finding workers – including the demanding nature of the work and the blatant mistreatment the workers endure.

North Carolina’s connection to land and food production is all around us. From trendy food trucks, to educational farm programs, to community events that use visiting farms as a source of entertainment, to large-scale mono-crops– agriculture is vital to NC. But more often than not, our attention is focused on three things: 1. Enjoying tasty products of agriculture (local, organic &large-scale industrial.) 2. Learning the art of agriculture (reviving the business and the integrity behind it.) 3. Upholding concern and respect for farm owners (small, medium and large.) But let’s not forget that among all the subgroups affected by agriculture in NC, there lives a vast population of farmworkers who often are invisible. As we venture out to the farm-tours this weekend, and admire the work of small and medium farmers, let us also remember the many farms in NC where adults and children are working in the fields, often without the same rights as those in other sectors. As we enjoy the ever growing “foodie” sector in the Triangle, let us remember that vendors exist because of the 178,000 farm and poultry workers who make food products possible in NC. And as we hear more about NC’s large scale farmers advocating for legal means by which to hire willing labor for back-braking work in the fields, we must not allow this sector nor the government to the forget the rights of the workers amidst this debate. While farm owners desire to expand access to guest-worker visas, workers that are involved in the guest worker program now (and those who work on farms with no documentation) face extreme challenges and unjust treatment. As we reap the benefits of living in this agriculture state, let’s also work for change and justice in agriculture. Justice...A word that historically has hardly been a tenant of NC’s guiding principals for farming, but should be our vision for NC's farming future.