Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler

The State Fair’s blacksmith shop is new — and old

Flying Bob October 15 October 16

The N.C. State Fair’s newest building is actually quite old. The new blacksmith shop, a replacement for the one that sat in Heritage Circle since the late 1980s, was built with wood from two barns, each more than a century old. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler donated the barns, which he bought from a family in Guilford County five years ago. “I had seen how bad the old blacksmith shop looked and I knew it needed to be replaced,” Troxler said. “One morning I woke up thinking this would be a good use of the buildings I had. They turned out to be a perfect fit.” The…

Trace Adkins’ career has expanded beyond country music

Fried Oreo August 15 August 22

Each week until the start of the State Fair, the Deep Fried Crew will highlight one of the 2014 Dorton Arena entertainers. Tickets for all concerts and advance admission and ride tickets are on sale online here. Get your tickets early to save time and money, and to reserve your seat for your favorite Dorton Arena performer. Check out this year’s lineup here. This week we highlight country singer Trace Adkins. With more than 10 million album sales, 30 Billboard Top 40 hits, five No. 1 singles and four Grammy nominations, Trace Adkins is a country music superstar. He blew…

A rookie at the Sale of Champions

Jane Deere October 19 October 19

Before covering the junior livestock Sale of Champions this year, I had never been to a livestock auction. I knew that the Sale of Champions was the auction of junior livestock grand and reserve grand champion steer, barrows, lambs, goats and turkeys. Beyond that, I didn’t know what to expect. Inside the Jim Graham Building, it took me a few seconds to acclimate to the sounds and smells of the animals, as bleating goats and mooing cows are not something I hear very often. The show ring was set up nicely for the auction, with a small seating area reserved for N.C….

Announcing Commissioner’s Challenge for Food Lion Hunger Relief Day

Bearded Lady October 9 October 9

Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the N.C. State Fair is just around the corner. On Thursday, Oct. 18, you can bring four cans of Food Lion-brand food with you to the fair and get free gate admission all day. All food collected during the event will be donated to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. The food bank helps more than 560,000 people annually in a 34-county area surrounding Raleigh. About 73,000 people receive emergency food assistance in any given week from the food bank. With such a great need in our community, Agriculture Commissioner Steve…

Icon retiring from State Fair livestock shows

Flying Bob October 20 October 20

Bruce Shankle, whose career in livestock marketing spans 40 years, is retiring as livestock marketing director with the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and as director of the N.C. State Fair livestock shows. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, who refers to Shankle as an icon in North Carolina’s livestock industry, keeps trying to talk him out of retiring, but so far his pleas haven’t worked. Shankle grew up on a livestock farm in Anson County, but didn’t get his first taste of State Fair livestock shows until he was a freshman at N.C. State University. On Oct. 15, he…

A 300,000 pound challenge

Bearded Lady October 18 October 18

Food Lion Hunger Relief Day, our annual benefit for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, is Thursday, Oct. 20, when fairgoers can bring four cans of Food Lion brand food to the fair in exchange for admission to the fair for that day. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler wants this year to be the largest food drive yet, and he’s willing to put some money on it. If fairgoers break last year’s record of 247,569 pounds of canned food, the fair will donate $1,000 to the food bank. If collections top 275,000 pounds, the fair will kick in…

Photos from the Fair: 50 years of State Fair fun

Flying Bob October 16 October 16

Former Raleigh resident Tom Vestal has attended 50 consecutive N.C. State Fairs, beginning in 1960 when he was a freshman at N.C. State University. Vestal, a retired pastor who now splits his time between Yadkin County and Mouth of Wilson, Va., spent a few minutes Friday visiting with Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler in Heritage Circle. Want to know more about Vestal’s 50 years at the Fair? Check out the WRAL story below. Note: If video doesn’t appear, try refreshing the browser.

Tractors rolling in to the Got to Be NC Festival

Merrie Go Round May 21 June 14

If you love old tractors, the State Fairgrounds is your place to be this weekend. More than 1,000 tractors and pieces of antique farm equipment will be on display at the Got to Be NC Festival. A quick look around the grounds revealed tractors in nearly every color — orange, green, red, blue, pink and grey. One especially impressive tractor spotted is a big orange 1964 Allis Chalmers D-21 with tires that are more than 5 and half feet tall. It is owned by Curtis Mabe of Parkton. It’s neighbor is an equally impressive 1928 Twin City Minneapolis 27-44 with steel…

Chinese tobacco buyers get a taste of the State Fair

Flying Bob October 25 October 25

Asian visitors to the N.C. State Fair are becoming a tradition. Last year, Japan’s ambassador to the U.S. visited. Saturday, a group of 22 Chinese tobacco buyers toured the Fair. The group has been in North Carolina for almost a week, meeting with representatives of U.S. Tobacco Cooperative and others involved in exporting N.C. tobacco to China. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler took a few members of the delegation for short rides on the Big Cart. Afterward, the group visited the Got to Be NC Agriculture exhibit, sampled homemade ice cream and strung tobacco in Heritage Circle, saw dairy cattle in…

Tag: Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler