Steve Troxler, Commissioner of Agriculture
By Bob Barber
                    
David Zimmerman introduced Steve Troxler, the North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture. Steve is a graduate of North Carolina State University, is the owner and operator of Troxler Farms, and has the distinction of being a Republican that was elected to a state-wide Council of State office.
 
Commissioner Troxler reported that the NC Department of Agriculture's budget is only 3/10ths of one percent of the NC budget and with that they regulate, support, and promote the state's largest industry-agriculture-and its $70 billion contribution to the state's economy. NC agriculture exported $2.2 billion of agricultural products to world markets last year.
 
The Department of Agriculture has responsibility for food safety for NC citizens. Commissioner Troxler reminded us of the recent food scares, including the spinach scare, the tomato scare, the jalapeno scare, and the current peanut scare. These all affected NC agriculture to some extent, however, the jalapeno scare had a serious impact as NC is the 8th largest producer of jalapeno peppers in the nation. The peanut scare has affected peanut growers right at a time when they were harvesting NC's largest ever peanut crop. That crop is not infected by the salmonella bacteria but the crop is sitting in warehouses because public fear and lack of confidence have made it impossible to market the products.
 
Commissioner Troxler reported that the NC Department of Agriculture is nationally recognized for the efficiency with which unsafe products can be recalled and removed from retailers' shelves.
 
He reported that the biggest problem facing NC agriculture is the disappearance of farmland in NC. Every year about 120,000 acres are lost to development and along with that loss is the loss of the human capital needed to grow food for the state and nation. With NC expected to grow by 3 million people in the next decades, about 2.5 acres for each person will be lost to infrastructure requirements-roads, schools, shopping centers, etc.
 
He reported that his answer to this problem has been the development of the Farmland Preservation Fund, from which farmland is bought and resold with permanent easements to keep the land in agricultural production. This is a very cost-effective program, because keeping an acre of land in agricultural production only costs $.34 in supporting infrastructure, while an acre of developed land requires $1.15 of infrastructure and an acre of urban land requires $1.54 of infrastructure costs. It is also environmentally beneficial as farmland is open space where water can percolate and recharge the underground water supply.
 
Commissioner Troxler asked everyone to look for and ask for foods with the "Got to be NC" logo in stores. These are NC agricultural products.
      
   
Head Table: Marcus Lee, Natalie English, Mac McCarley, David Zimmerman, Harriman Jett, John Lassiter;
Invocation: Jan Thompson;
Visitors & Guests: Lee Tabor

• Volunteers needed: Habitat for Humanity kicks off March 19. Review the schedule or register here; 87 cases of dictionaries are stacked in the Rotary office and 6 to 10 volunteers are needed to affix a label to the inside covers. A District Simplified Grant and funding from the club will enable 2,088 third graders in the Northeast School Community to receive a personalized dictionary. The labeling will be done at the Rotary office March 26. Email Sandy or Carol Jordan if you can participate. A time will be announced once the volunteers are in place.
          
• This year's District Conference will be a reunion for Districts 7670 and 7680. All are invited to attend what promises to be a great event! May 1-3, Marriott Resort & Spa at Grande Dunes, Myrtle Beach, SC. Registration forms for the conference and hotel can be found on the District's website, http://rotarydistrict7680.org.
 
• Well Wishes to Charlie Greer following double bypass surgery on Monday and to Lee Tabor who broke her foot over the weekend.

Charlotte Rotary's Cumulative Donation to The Rotary Foundation
 
President Mac opened the St. Patrick's Day meeting of the Rotary Club of Charlotte with a review of the results of the recent Rotary Foundation Challenge. The Challenge arose from a $5,000 challenge grant from Rotarian Ken Samuelson. That initial challenge grant produced 19 new Paul Harris Fellows, 43 Paul Harris Fellows that were advanced to the next higher giving level, and 11 members whose matched contributions moved them closer to the award of their Paul Harris Fellow. Over all, the generous contribution from Ken Samuelson resulted in $26,000 of new contributions and put the club over the $1 million all time giving threshold. John Tabor then briefly reviewed the various uses that are made of the monies contributed to the Rotary Foundation.
 
President Mac and Marilyn Bowler then presented the awards to winners of the drawings for those who had participated in the RF Challenge: