Sarah Taber, a Democratic candidate for North Carolina’s agricultural commissioner, is under scrutiny for her farming credentials and the veracity of her self-proclaimed experience.
In response to a questionnaire from The News & Observer, Taber described herself as a smallholder farmer with 27 years of farming experience. She stated that she started her career at the age of 14 with practical jobs in the fields, eventually working her way through agricultural school to later “combine practical knowledge with technical training to help farmers improve their livelihoods.”
Taber said all of its customers remain active and are collectively valued at $4 billion, some of which have exceeded small business status. She has similar information on her campaign website.
Taber is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Steve Troxler, who has held the position since 2005. In November, Taber and Libertarian Sean Haugh will compete to unseat Troxler.
However, questions have been raised about the specifics of Taber’s agricultural activities and the extent of its involvement in the development of its clients’ businesses: the Assembly first reported that its role in their development may be limited.
Several of Troxler’s supporters have also raised concerns about Taber’s self-description as a “small farmer,” an issue The Assembly also investigated.
Defining ‘farmer’
According to Zillow, Taber’s address is listed on voter rolls as a house on a quarter-acre lot in Fayetteville.
Taber told The N&O in an email Thursday that the quarter-acre property is her home and that: “It is a normal part of a farm career for beginning farmers to own very little property of their own. In fact, many farmers spend the majority of their careers managing the properties of others – as I have done and will continue to do. ‘She only has a quarter of an acre’ is not a ‘gotcha’ and people who farm for a living know that.”
Taber said in an email that she produces vegetables, nuts and herbs, with her main crops being pecans, berries, figs and greens.
Under North Carolina law, the Agriculture Commissioner and members of the Board of Agriculture must “practice farming engaged in their occupation.”
No specific licenses or certifications are required to become a farmer, according to NC State University, which provides education, research and services focused on agriculture and agricultural practices.
However, different federal, state and local agencies define “farmer,” “farming” and “agriculture,” according to NC State.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services – headed by the Agriculture Commissioner – defines a farm “as an tract of land cultivated for the purpose of agricultural production” on which $1,000 or more worth of agricultural products is produced or sold. The department defines a “small farm” as one that covers 179 acres or less or earns $50,000 or less in gross income per year.
Meanwhile, for tax purposes, a farm includes “livestock, dairy, poultry, fish, fur, fruit, and truck farms. It also includes plantations, ranches, forest areas, and orchards and groves.” Not considered agriculture: offering agricultural activities as a service, such as custom harvesting and custom farming. Farmers report profits and losses on Schedule F, a tax form.
Asked to release her tax forms, Taber said by phone that she would “be happy to release them” if her opponent does so. Troxler declined to release his tax forms, but said he was looking into declarations of economic interest that would shed light on his business.
Taber said via email that she had made all required financial disclosures when submitting the application. She added that “stating ‘I file Schedule Fs’” has long been accepted as evidence that Troxler is a farmer, and said she has been filing them since 2019.
“The Troxler farm is only 10 acres – the minimum size required for a tax credit. Three of those hectares are forestry. His own supporters have described small farms like his as not ‘real farms’ but ‘gardens,'” she said.
Involvement in companies
Founders of companies contacted by The Assembly said they did a small amount of work or focused primarily on food safety certification, which occurred before these companies expanded significantly. The Assembly also noted that one operation is no longer active, prompting Taber to retract its previous claims that all of its customers were still operational.
But Taber said claims about her involvement in a small amount of work or just food safety “are not accurate.” That comes from founders and CEOs who were not involved in the day-to-day running of their companies. I have worked with each of these companies for one to four years on many different issues, not just food safety.”
Taber said she has worked with several companies, helping GreenLife with water chemistry and pest control, Superior Fresh with equipment design and wastewater management, Bowery with facility design and addressing plankton blooms, Iron Ox with robotic harvesting equipment and facilities design, and Plenty in resolving operational issues and ensuring safety, while also handling recruitment.
She also said she had worked with Falling Waters Farm, which eventually closed in 2023, and missed the company’s bankruptcy. “Honest mistake,” she said. She suggested contacting employees who had worked at these six companies.
As for the directors of these companies, five told The Assembly that her advice focused on food safety, while a sixth acknowledged her involvement but could not recall her specific role. Jon Shope, founder of Falling Waters Farm, the company that closed, told The Assembly that Taber’s advice early on was important.
The Assembly contacted seven companies where Taber claimed to have worked. Five directors confirmed that her advice focused mainly on food safety, while a sixth acknowledged her involvement but could not recall her specific role. One company is no longer active.
Taber also said she worked with these companies during “their rapid expansions” and that the $4 billion figure came from valuations of the companies mentioned above.
Troxler’s work
The N&O contacted Troxler’s campaign for comment and asked him to release his tax forms. Nathan Babcock said Troxler had no comment and that regarding the Schedule F forms, he would refer to the economic interest forms filed with the state. Forms show income from The Homeplace of Browns Summit, LLC. The State Secretary’s website shows that Troxler is a member of that company.
Troxler’s address on public records is a home in Guilford County. According to Zillow, he is listed as the owner of several other properties in the county, including a property spanning more than 25 acres.
The business address listed on the beneficial interest forms is one of the addresses listed as owned by him.
Babcock said The Homeplace of Browns Summit LLC is Troxler’s farm.
Troxler is an NC State graduate from Guilford County and owns a farm that grows tobacco, wheat, vegetables and soybeans, according to the Agriculture Department website.
He is a former president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, an organization that represents, among other things, the elected and appointed officials of state agriculture departments.
Haugh said in his questionnaire that he is “best known for delivering pizzas,” a nod to the media attention he received when he unsuccessfully campaigned for the U.S. Senate in 2014 and 2016. He also sought a state House seat in 2020 and 2022. In his responses, he indicated that he is retired, has attended “some college” and has played a major role in the development of the Libertarian Party of North since 1994 Carolina.
Under the Dome
Get the latest news on North Carolina politics from The News & Observer’s award-winning team. Get the free summary in your inbox by signing up here.
