Visiting Our NC Farms
I joined many of my fellow members for a great, bi-partisan tour of Eastern North Carolina's hog, turkey, and chicken farms last week. We also visited a Smithfield feed mill and a U.S. Cold Storage warehouse and shipping operation. We then had lunch with farm families as we learned about this very important pillar of our state's economy.

  • North Carolina agriculture contributed $91.8 billion to our state's economy in 2017!
We visited a half-dozen sizable family farms in Sampson and Dublin Counties, the top two agriculture counties in North Carolina. Our group learned a lot about farmers and farm families as well as the crops and livestock they are raising. The amount of data, technology, and hard work that goes into our state's farming operations is impressive.
The Warsaw Feed Mill was a sight to see! It processes 10,000 tons of grain per week. Its operators tailor the grain mixture to each animal they feed, based on age, weight, and a number of other factors. They have 11 specialized diets to ensure that all animals get exactly the nutrients they need, when they need them.
North Carolina is the #2 hog-producing state in the U.S. with more than 9 million hogs. That's a lot of hog waste! As a part of our farm tour, we got to see how our farming families are addressing concerns about hog waste and hog lagoons. In the picture below, we are standing beside a covered lagoon, which siphons off the methane gas from hog waste. The gas is then transported to a refinery and turned into natural bio-gas.

Be sure to read my notes at the end of this newsletter for my perspective on the renewable energy benefit that we, as a state, could harness from these hog farms.
If you are wondering about the blue shoes, they are for bio-security. We changed shoes at every farm we visited. These farmers are very protective of everything that comes in and out of the farms, including what we might track in on our feet!
Much of North Carolina's farming economy is in Eastern North Carolina, but Christmas trees and trout are the pride of WNC!
Last Week
Fire chiefs

I met with a great group of our fire chiefs last week. We discussed many important issues, both for our firefighters and the communities that they serve.

First, we discussed important legislation this session to benefit our North Carolina firefighters, like SB 349, the "Protect Benefits For Firefighters Act."

Second, we talked about just how necessary it is for North Carolina to have a true workers' compensation policy. It must be fair and robust, not just for our firefighters but for ALL of the workers in our state.

Third, the fire chiefs stepped up to advocate for free and reduced breakfast and lunch for school children. They know the communities they serve, and they understand just how important these programs are for our children.

I am 100% behind our fire chiefs in Western North Carolina, and we all appreciate the great service that our firefighters give!
From left to right, Andrew Messer, Bob Messer, Allen Stewart, Joey Webb, myself, and Dean Coward.
WCU Grad Students

I was inspired to meet with a fantastic delegation from Western Carolina University on Graduate Student Day here in Raleigh. These bright young innovators articulated the positive impact higher education has on North Carolina's economy and future, and emphasized how important it is that we support our Universities' graduate programs.
From left to right: Brian Kloeppel, Dean of the Graduate School at WCU; Maria Hammon, a Doctor of Physical Therapy student; Sara Method, a Master's of Fine Arts candidate; myself; and Michael Sands, a graduate student studying chemistry.
Cashiers Chamber

I appreciated the opportunity to present an overview of the issues, including the various competing budget proposals currently in play in this session of the Legislature, to the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce. I explained my efforts on the part of Cashiers and all of Western North Carolina on three of the most important issues: 1) Education, 2) Healthcare, and 3) High-speed Internet. It was clear from the questions and comments that these three issues are important to the people in the Cashiers area.

Here are the choices in play:

First, do we expand Medicaid now... or do we continue to waste another $5 billion of our tax dollars this session?

Second, do we go with Governor Roy Cooper's proposed $3.9 billion education bond, which would specifically allocate...

  • $12 million for Jackson County Schools
  • $13.7 million for Haywood County Schools
  • $11.2 million for Swain County Schools
  • $4.5 million for Southwestern Community College
  • $10.9 million for Western Carolina University
  • $2.7 million for Haywood Community Colllege

Or do we go with the SCIF SCAM pay-as-you-go plan where nothing is timely, certain, transparent, or fair.

Third, do we raise our investment in broadband expansion for rural North Carolina and clear the obstacles preventing broadband's natural partners from incentivizing expansion across the state?

Or, do we just go with the status quo and pretend that there is nothing wrong that time won't cure.

These are Big Billion Dollar differences, and I'll tell you I'm working to Expand Medicaid Now. I'm working with our Governor to pass his $3.9 billion Invest NC Bond that get's it done. And, it is time that we have high-speed internet everywhere we have electricity. These are my priorities.
On Friday I joined the Cashiers Area Chamber of Commerce for its Annual Legislative Update. I spoke to an engaging crowd about the important work we still have to do in the Legislature.
Joe Sam's Notes
NC's Renewable Energy-Agriculture Economy

North Carolina has one of the strongest renewable energy economies in the nation with our solar, wind, and hydro energy. This $20 billion industry is creating jobs, growing our economy, and preparing our state to meet the energy needs of the 21 st century. We are about to add bio-gas to the mix as well.

On our farm tour last week, I learned a lot about our state's effort to cover hog lagoons and how our farmers are turning harmful methane gas from hog waste into good, clean, renewable energy. This will add a new alternative energy asset for our state to an already strong inventory of solar, wind, and hydro energy.
This covered lagoon is capturing a sea of methane from thousands of hogs. That methane is refined and sold as high-quality natural gas, a good renewable energy and a great source of additional income for our hog farming families.
North Carolina has the third richest bio-gas resources in the United States, which primarily comes from the agricultural industry. Smithfield, which contracts with about half of North Carolina's hog farmers, has announced a plan to capture methane and produce natural gas from 90% of its hogs. This plan, which is already underway, could power more than 180,000 homes. This is a win-win, for our economy and the environment.

Our friends at the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association identify bioenergy as one of their top nine unique sectors of our state's clean energy economy.

The NCSEA launched a podcast about all things renewable energy this week. If this sparks your interest, be sure to check it out: https://energync.org/podcast/
Sincerely,
Please share this with your friends!

P.S. check out our legislative web page at www.joesamqueennc.com . You can find all of my previous newsletters and more!