By Margaret Lawrence
A group of North Carolina farmers say if the move is done with care and under guidance, changing a farm’s main commodity offers both financial and experiential rewards.
During the last two years, two groups of North Carolina farmers have taken that leap, transitioning from producing tobacco and other crops to producing pork and pork products, with the help of North Carolina A&T (N.C. A&T) Cooperative Extension’s “From Bright Leaf to Berkshires” program.
Dr. Derrick Coble, N.C. A&T Extension swine specialist and program director said the program’s goal is to provide tobacco farmers who have been financially impacted by tobacco policy and social changes with options to improve their farms’ profitability.