Accomplishments of North Carolina Department of Agriculture under Commissioner Steve Troxler’s Leadership:
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A Trade Office is now open in Beijing, China, which is quickly becoming North Carolina’s top destination for exports of agricultural products.
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The North Carolina State Fair welcomed more than a million visits in both 2010 and 2011. The International Association of Fairs and Exhibitions has honored both the State Fair and the Mountain State Fair for their innovative programs.
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In the vitally important area of food safety, the Department earned the 2011 Food Safety Award from the Association of Food and Drug Officials. Our Department was the first state agricultural agency to receive the award.
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The Food and Drug Protection Lab has been ISO 17025 accredited in both chemical and biological testing, one of only five such accredited labs in the country.
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The U. S. Food and Drug Administration has cited the Department’s Rapid Response Manual produced by the Food and Drug Protection Division as a national model.
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More than 6,000 acres of farmland and forest have been preserved through our Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund.
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The ADFP Trust Fund has also helped 83 counties establish Voluntary Agricultural Districts to preserve farmland for future generations, and 38 counties now have farmland protection programs in place.
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Our Got to Be NC program to market North Carolina agricultural products has been honored by Produce Magazine with its Marketing Excellence Award.