Lumbee Tribe of NC kicks off a new tribal department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR)

This week, the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina kicked off the new tribal department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR). The new department was approved by the Lumbee Tribal Council in April, but since that time the Lumbee Tribe has raised one million dollars for department initiatives. ANR will address needs to strengthen farming communities in the Lumbee Tribe by advocating for Lumbee agricultural opportunities and promoting tribal food sovereignty. The department will also look to address issues relating to food distribution, agricultural educational opportunities, financial training, resource networking, Agri-tourism, forestry and natural resources and rural development which strengthens the agricultural economy within our tribal communities. Dr. Alex White from Virginia Tech presented a workshop during the kick off to assist farm families with transitioning farm properties and more information to help farmers. The new Lumbee Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources manager is Millard Locklear. Funding support for the ANR department is provided by the Native American Agriculture Fund, the State of North Carolina, and the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation. Lumbee Producers are asked to participate in a online survey by scanning this QR Code. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/lumbeeagproducersurvey