2009 YF&R State Committee
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Madam Chairperson - Farrah Hargett
Farrah & Brad Hargett – Union County
Dry Fork Creek Farms originated in 1991 in Monroe, NC, owned and operated by Brad and Farrah Hargett. The focus of DFC Farms is beef cattle, bloodhounds, and BBQ hogs.
The cattle operation at DFC Farms is based with Simmental and Santa Gertrudis bloodlines. Crossing the positive qualities of the Simmental's feed efficiency, docile nature, calving ease, low birth weights, and the fast growth rates with Santa Gertrudis's heat tolerance, durability, calving ease, maternal trails, muscling, rapid growth rates, and higher weaning weight; we feel our calves offer high quality and extreme durability to the beef production market. DFC farms sales hand-raised bull calves, feeder calves, and occasionally heifer calves. We feel working with our cattle on a daily bases with a "hands on" approach creates a more mild mannered temperament, allowing cattle than can be worked with ease.
DFC farms raises hogs for BBQ at various times of the year. Our hogs are open range hogs fed quality feed to produce the maximum quality meat for BBQ.
DFC Farms raises bloodhounds as Hargett's Hounds, specializing in raising bloodhounds that are from championship lines, are excellent search and rescue dogs (SAR), but most importantly family members. At Hargett's Hounds family member pets are the most important and enjoyable aspect of raising hounds. Our hounds are raised in a family environment with lots of love, attention and care. Pups are socialized to be members of the family from day one until they are perfectly ready to become an important and very essential member of the family.
Beyond owning and operating Dry Fork Creek Farms, Brad and Farrah are also extremely involved in the greater agricultural community. Brad is President of the Union County Farm Bureau and Farrah is Madam Chairperson of the North Carolina Young Farmers and Ranchers program. In the occupational field Brad works as a grading foreman for JB Preslar Grading Co. Farrah is co-owner and operator of AAA Suburban Fence Inc.
AFBF Committee Members
Ex-officio
Dawson & Bethany Pugh - Hyde County
Dawson and Bethany Pugh along with their two children, Stephen and Ginny Grace, live in Hyde County, NC.
After having farmed for many years with his father, Dawson had the opportunity to begin farming on his own. In 2004 they formed Middle Creek Farms, Inc. Today the Pugh’s raise corn, soybeans, cotton and wheat. Dawson and Bethany are beginning their 2 year term on the American Farm Bureau Committee in March 2008.
District 1 - Betsy Morris
2nd Year Member
David Baker – Bertie County
David Baker is a resident in Bertie County. He farms with his dad. They grow cotton, corn, soybeans, peanuts and wheat. They also have a peanut cooking business.
1st Year Member
David Hight, Jr. – Warren County
David resides in Warren County. He works along side his father Mike and his brother Matt with their 1,000 acre farm operation. The farming operation consist of tobacco, soybeans, corn, wheat, hogs and cattle.
David is also involved in his community thru the Macon Fire Department and the Warren County Jaycees. He is also a member of the Macon Baptist Church
District 2 - Mac Hodges
2nd Year Member
Ashlee & Steven King – Tyrrell County
Steven and Ashlee King live in Columbia, NC. They farm 3400 acres of corn, wheat and double cropped soybeans with Ashlee's family. Steven and Ashlee are also in charge of the farm's Augusta Seed Dealership.
Steven and Ashlee attend Creswell Baptist Church in Creswell, NC, where they are involved in the choir, young adult program and children's church ministry.
In their time off they enjoy hunting and taking pictures. They also visit Steven's hometown of Denton, NC whenever possible.
1st Year Member
Ruffin & Nicole Prince – Beaufort County
Ruffin and Nicole with their daughter, Madison, age 2, live in Belhaven. Where they grew up loving the “Farm Life”.
Ruffin farms about 200 acres of cotton and corn, which he markets and manages these crops. He also farms with another family, about 4,000 acres of cotton, corn, soybeans and wheat, he assists with all farm operation.
Nicole owns “Shear Elegance”, a salon and spa in Belhaven. She works in the salon 3 days and in the farm office 1 day, the rest of her time is spent with Madison.
In their spare time they enjoy Wolfpack ball, being on the water, and leading the youth at their church.
District 3 - Audrey Brown
2nd Year Member
Trent & Rebecca Scott – Jones County
Trent and Rebecca Scott live in Rhems, NC. Trent owns Scott Farm Organics and farms USDA certified organic produce on approximately 5 acres of his family farm. He also serves on Jones County's Farm Bureau Board, the Fruits and Vegetable Commodity Committee, and as Jones County's YF&R Chairman.
Rebecca works as Accounting Supervisor at Eastern Carolina Internal Medicine and also keeps the books for Scott Farm Organics. Trent and Rebecca are second year members of NC Farm Bureau State Young Farmers and Ranchers committee in 2009.
1st Year Member
Marc & Blair Green – Brunswick County
Marc and Blair reside in Winnabow, which is located between Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach, SC.
Marc is the General Farm Manager of Funston Farms which includes a farrow-to-wean hog operation, finishing houses, beef cattle and row crops.
Blair serves as the 4-H Youth Development Agent in Brunswick County at the NC Cooperative Extension office. They attend First Baptist Church of Boiling Springs Lake, in their spare time they enjoy horseback riding and team roping. They currently have no children but 5 horses and 2 Australian Shepherds make up their family.
District 4 - DeShon Cromartie
2nd Year Member
John Tripp – Columbus County
John lives in Ash, NC. He works on Tripp Farms as a partner with his father. They farm in both Brunswick and Columbus County. They farm 135 acres of tobacco. They also farm corn, soybeans and wheat.
1st Year Member
Andrew Gillis – Cumberland County
I am an eighth generation farmer and I farm along side my father, John D. Gillis II, my brother, William J. Gillis, and my mother, Rena Gillis. My ancestors came from Scotland in the mid 1700s. We farm about 2,000 acres, including corn, soybeans, oats and hay. We also raise about 75 head of beef cattle.We also are an agritourism farm. We do school tours from March till November. We operate a homemade ice cream shop and bakery from April to October. I am very active in my church, Cross Creek Presbyterian (PCA). I have been on several missions trips including, the inner-cities of Miami and Atlanta, the town of Merida in Mexico, and to Patrocinio, Brazil where my cousin is an active missionary in a Bible Institute. I actively volunteer in the nursery and am a part of the church's Singles Group Bible Study. I am also a member of the Fayetteville Kiwanis Club, where I am chairman of the Key Club Committee. I am also very active in several political groups here in Fayetteville. I am currently serving as Chairman of the Cumberland County Young Republicans and serve as an At Large Executive Board Member of the Cumberland County Republican Party.
District 5 - Susan Britt
2nd Year Member
Jason & Amanda Aycock – Franklin County
Jason and Amanda Aycock live in Franklin County. Jason owns and operates a stocker cattle operation. He buys cattle, raises them and sells to various feedlots around the country. He runs approximately 1000 head of cattle per year. Amanda is a critical care nurse at Wake Med in Raleigh. Jason and Amanda have a beautiful daughter, Kaylin Ray, born January 2008.
1st Year Member
Josh & Sara Warren – Nash County
Josh and Sara live in Nash County with their yellow lab, Jake.
Josh graduated from NC State University with degrees in Agribusiness Management and Agronomy. He is
Sara graduated from Campbell University with a degree in Exercise Science, she also has a Nursing degree from Nash Community College.
Josh is employed with Universal Leaf Tobacco, in the Lead Department.
They raise soybeans and wheat. They are involved with the youth group at their church and enjoy attending NC State football games.
District 6 - Jim Roney
2nd Year Member
Matt & Stephanie Bowman – Guilford County
Matt and Stephanie Bowman live in Guilford County on a family owned and operated dairy farm. Matt works on the dairy farm full time and Stephanie is employed with SunTrust Bank. Matt and Stephanie are both very active in the community and with Guilford County Farm Bureau.
Matt and Stephanie have one daughter named Aubrie.
1st Year Member
Barton & Marion Mitchell – Chatham County
In 2001 we, Barton and Marion Mitchell were wed and moved to Chatham County to start our farming career. We partnered with our parents to create JM Johnson Farm. Now, we have approximately 85 brood cows. We produce our own hay for the livestock and have three broiler houses. In addition, Barton co-owns B&B Fencing, which is an agricultural fencing business. Along the way, Hannah, age 2, and David, age 10 months, have blessed our lives.
Our family is actively involved at Joy Baptist Church. Barton has participated in the community as a member of the Cattlemen's Association, Agribusiness Council, and Ruritans. He served as Vice President of the Cattlemen's Association.
District 7 - Karen McKnight
2nd Year Member
Jason & Robin Starnes – Rowan County
Jason and Robin Starnes live in Rowan County. Their farm consists of row crops, beef cattle and poultry. The farm covers 700 acres near the town of Spencer.
Robin works as a paralegal for Sherrill & Cameron, PLLC in Salisbury. Robin and Jason both attend Calvary Baptist Tabernacle where they teach 4-6 year olds during worship service.
1st Year Member
Terry & Sue Hoffner – Rowan County
Terry and Sue live in Mt. Ulla. Terry works on the family farm where they milk 200 cows and work 1,100 acres of corn, wheat and soybeans.
They also do custom field work including all silage and manure hauling for a nearby diary farm that milks 160 cows.
Sue works at the Statesville Auto Auction where she has been for the last 6 years.
They have 2 children, Brooklyn, age7 and Katie, age 14 months.
District 8 - Howard Reinhardt
2nd Year Member
Lucas Richard – Catawba County
Lucas Richard is the owner and operator of L.F.R. Farms and Greenhouses and L.F.R. Grain and Chemical in Catawba County. L.F.R. Farms and Greenhouses consists of 600 acres of corn for grain, 600 acres of soft red winter wheat, 600 acres of double cropped soybeans, 40 acres of canola, 4 acres of strawberries and 4 acres of cantaloupe. They also have 6000 square feet of greenhouses where they have hanging baskets and vegetable and bedding plants.
L.F.R. Grain and Chemical is a full service grain facility buying, hedging, drying, storing and transporting grain. Also they are a UAP-Duro that sells chemicals, seeds, fertilizer and various other agriculture products.
Besides maintaining the day to day operations of his two businesses Lucas currently serves as President of the NCSGGA, he is on the Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers committee and he is on the board of directors for the Propst Crossroads Volunteer Fire Department.
1st Year Member
Phillip & Dana McLain – Iredell County
Phillip and Dana along with their 2 year old son, Weston are from Iredell County.
Phillip farms with his father and uncle and he also maintains a portion of his cropland. They grow corn silage, corn grain, wheat, soybeans, canola and sunflowers.
Phillip, his father and uncle are also partners in a grain marketing/oil press business. In addition to this Phillip owns and operates an animal waste hauling business.
Dana is a full-time mother and assists with the day to day business at home. They are members of First Baptist church where Phillip serves as a deacon and Sunday school teacher.
District 9 - Ronald Hawkins
2nd Year Member
Brian & Mandi Parker – Cleveland County
Brian and Mandi are from Cleveland County NC. They live on a family farm owned by Brian’s father. They have 2 children; Ashton and Kadence.
The farm, about 198 acre operation, They raise beef cattle, poultry, corn, oats, fescue, and 3 horses. With a 34 year poultry business with 4 broiler houses, they produce 216,000 chickens annually for Case Farms. Limousin Farm is the cattle operation with 97 head.
Brian also works for Golden P Farms and Lattimore and Peeler Surveying. Mandi works for Frye Regional Medical Center in mammography.
1st Year Member
Kevin & Charity Johnson – Avery County
Kevin and Charity live in Crossnore. They farm approximately 400 acres of Fraser Fir Christmas trees, along with a few landscaping plants. Kevin is a 4th generation christmas tree farmer.
Johnson Holler trees has had the prestigious honor of providing the White House with a tree.
Kevin and Charity are members of Crossnore First Baptist Church. They have one daughter, Addison, that is 2 1/2 years old. In their spare time they enjoy hunting, fishing, camping and horseback riding.
Kevin has been a volunteer fireman for 9 years at Crossnore Fire Department.
District 10 - Jimmy Cowan
2nd Year Member
Adam & Elizabeth Pryor – Henderson County
Adam and Elizabeth are part of a 3rd generation farming operation in the beautiful mountains of Henderson County.
With his father, Adam produces corn for grain in the rolling hills and fertile river bottoms of Henderson and Transylvania counties.
Apples are grown under contract processing with some packed for produce markets. They also produce some fescue hay.
Adam is beginning to serve his 3rd tern as President of the Blue Ridge Apple Growers Association. Promoting Agriculture is priority for Adam, he has taken on the role of spokesperson for the apple growers in the county.
When Elizabeth is not advising students at WCU, she is keeping bees, learning to play the dulcimer, and supplying the family with cheese through her cheese making hobby.
1st Year Member
Ronnie & Jessica Ross
Ronnie and Jessica live in Waynesville, where Ronnie runs the family business, H. Dean Ross and Sons Dairy.
Both Ronnie and Jessica graduated from Western Carolina University, Jessica is currently employed at the university.
The dairy milks about 300 head of Holstein and Holstein/Jersey cross. Ronnie is in business with his father, Dean and his brother, Andy. Ronnie mainly focuses on the dairy operation while Dean and Andy grow more than 100 acres of silage corn in NC and 500 acres of corn silage and hay in Morristown, TN. Much of silage grown in Tennessee is sold to dairies in that area. Dean also grows out the replacement heifers on their farm in Tennessee.