Business

U.S. agriculture secretary to highlight Mills River grower

By Lightning Reports, Published: July 24, 2020

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will visit a large commercial vegetable grower in Mills River to highlight the agency's Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

Perdue and North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler will visit Kirby Johnson's Flavor 1st farm and packing facility on Banner Farm Road during the secretary's trip to Western North Carolina. The Farmers to Families Food Box Program has distributed nearly 50 million food boxes in support of American farmers and families affected by the covid-19 pandemic.

A seventh generation farmer, Johnson has large farm operations in Mills River, Georgia and Florida and is a leading producer of tomatoes and other produce for grocery chains and other markets.

The secretary will also hold a forestry roundtable on shared stewardship with USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen and participate in a broadband ReConnect Program Announcement. Millions of dollars in ReConnect funding announced Monday will deploy high-speed broadband in rural North Carolina, benefitting thousands of people in Madison County, the USDA said.