Commissioner of Agriculture

Walter Smith – Democrat

Smith has owned and operated a poultry farm for the past 24 years. He was mayor of Boonville and worked as the executive director of the Yadkin County Office for the US Dept. of Agriculture Farm Service Agency.

• Wants to help family farms diversify their crops
• Focuses on sustainable agriculture
• Wants farms to partner with local sellers to create sustainable markets throughout North Carolina
• Does not want to increasing food safety regulations, but instead wants to enforce them more effectively to stop food contamination before it happens

Steve Troxler* – Republican

Troxler founded and runs Troxler Farms. He has served on various agriculture and food safety organizations, such as the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. He opened an N.C. Department of Agriculture trade office in Beijing.

Agrees that the state should eliminate all targeted tax credits and subsidies for businesses and instead tax all businesses the same, according to a 2012 N.C. Civitas Institute candidate survey

• Lists one of his top priorities as preserving working farms and farmland, according to WRAL
• Believes the state’s agricultural strength comes from a diversity of farm products, according to WRAL