Our year-long We are Agriculture social media campaign has launched, highlighting employees of the department and work we do to support and promote agriculture and protect consumers.
Through this radio program, my Ag Review column and other media requests, I try to keep residents of the state up to date on the work and programs of the department.
But I really only get to the scratch the surface of all the things the department is responsible for. There are so many things we inspect and so many programs we oversee that people do not realize.
This year, we are launching a year-long social media campaign highlighting the employees of the department, along with the work that they do.
I want people to better understand the services and support the department provides, but I also want people to see the variety of career opportunities in agriculture and support industries, and how high-tech this industry is.
Our series is called “We Are Agriculture” and each Wednesday we will post an employee profile on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – someone we think has an interesting job or someone who is committed to public service.
I tell people all the time we have the best employees in all of state government and they are committed to their work. Our first employee profile is an excellent example of dedication to public service.
The series kicked off with Chief Deputy Commissioner David Smith who has worked with the department for 49 years.
He has held many jobs along the way since beginning his career as an engineer and he is the longest serving employee in the department. David is not alone as we have many employees who have spent their entire careers working in the N.C. Department of Agriculture.
Many of our employees, such as David, grew up on a farm, so their passion for the industry runs deep.
In our series, you will learn about agronomists, scientists, marketing specialists, foresters, administrative assistants, accountants and many others who are employed by the department.
One of the things I try to make people understand is that North Carolina agriculture and agribusiness are very diverse, and the industry uses cutting edge technology more than ever in production. Often people think of Old Macdonald when they think of farmers, but that could not be farther from the truth about modern agriculture.
I hope many of you followed along on our social media pages last year when we highlighted young farmers. If you do not follow our Facebook, Instagram of Twitter accounts, it is a perfect time to do so.
You can find us on Facebook and Twitter at NCAgriculture, or at Got to Be NC on Instagram. I hope you will check out these features to learn more about the department and the people behind the scenes working hard for farmers, agribusiness owners and consumers.
I am proud of the work we do, especially as agriculture moves closer to reaching $100 billion in economic impact.