Imagine this: You’re outside grilling burgers from locally raised cattle that, according to the label, have only eaten non-GMO feed. It’s hot outside, and the heat from the grill isn’t helping, so you begin to wonder, "how hard is it to get non-GMO feed?" You turn over the certified organic corn on your grill, and wonder, "is anyone helping organic farmers grow better corn?" You have opened up the proverbial can of worms with your questions.

For years, politicians have slashed public research funding. What does this mean? For one thing, it means that more and more of the money spent on research to improve yield and disease resistance of crops has come from the private sector, which needs to provide a return to investors. Organic and other farms that don’t use gentically engineered varities have been hit hard by the shift from public to privately funded research.

What can you do about it? A lot! North Carolina voters passed a bond referendum earlier this year, and some of the money will build a Plant Sciences Initiative (PSI) at NC State University. PSI will bring together scientists in state-of-the-art labs to solve some of agriculture’s pressing crop concerns. But without your help, there’s no guarantee that the work done there will devote any attention to the huge need to breed plant varieties that meet the needs of farmers who need organic seed, or plants shown to thrive on farms that rely on few inputs.

Over the next month, NC State will be holding listening sessions around the state to hear from interested people about what PSI should do. Check out the dates, times and locations below, and click here to sign up to attend one of the sessions.

Tuesday, August 16, 2016 ~ 1:30PM – 3:30 PM

Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Center

455 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759

Monday, August 29, 2016 ~ 1:30PM – 3:30PM

Vernon G. James Research & Extension Center

207 Research Station Rd, Plymouth, NC 27962

Tuesday, August 30, 2016 ~ 1:00PM – 3:00PM

North Carolina Farm Bureau Conference Center – 3rd Floor

5301 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27612

Thursday, September 1, 2016 ~ 3:00PM – 5:00PM

Sampson County Livestock Facility – Conference Room

93 Agriculture Place, Clinton, NC 28328

September 12, 1:30-3:30 PM

Guilford County Agricultural Center

3309 Burlington Road, Greensboro, NC 27405​

Attend one of these session and let NC State know that traditional plant breeding is a huge need in the state. The inability of farmers in North Carolina and in the southeast generally to get the varieties they need to meet market demand is making it difficult for them to compete in the organic and non-GMO markets. NC State should use this facility to encourage scientists to engage in traditional plant breeding for the benefit of southeastern farmers looking for new varieties to help increase yield, improve flavor, address climate change related stress, and fend off pests.

Thanks for all that you do to support local, organic agriculture in North Carolina.

Warmly,

CFSA’s Policy Team​