U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin was treated to an afternoon of digital agriculture and ice cream from the A&T Creamery during his visit to the University Farm on June 12.
The administrator’s visit was among several scheduled stops within Triad and surrounding counties, including the Toyota Battery Plant in Randolph County. He came to the farm to see the college’s digital agriculture platforms in action.
Gregory Goins, Ph.D,, associate dean of research in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, addressed the college’s implementation of precision agriculture and digital/AI technology to better help stakeholders locally and within the state.
“North Carolina was well-off for two centuries due to tobacco [farming],” said Goins. “For thin soil with not much organic matter, we need to come up with technologies, now that we’re transitioning out of tobacco, that are still profitable for farmers, including alternative and specialty crops. For our students, we provide technical know-how so that, even if they don’t go into the ag sector, it’s still the same type of technology.”
Zeldin’s team got a look at aerial and ground-based drone technology, including a robot “dog” used to scan individual rows of crops for disease and insect blight; no-till drilling tractors; the college’s solar-powered charging trailer, used for demonstrations in areas without broadband access; and the Dairy Unit’s voluntarily milking system, the “milking robot.”
At the Pavilion, Zeldin got a sample of ice cream developed by A&T’s creamery, part of the farm’s new Urban and Community Food Complex, set to open later this year as a food entrepreneurship hub.
“I haven’t been able to visit a lot of universities for their precision ag programs, but I really enjoyed being able to see this,” said Zeldin. “It’s great what you guys are doing here, and being able to see it first-hand.”
Zeldin is the 17th EPA Administrator, appointed in January 2025. Previously, he served in the United States House of Representatives and the New York State Senate.
“We were honored to host Administrator Zeldin at the N.C. A&T University Farm,” said Radiah C. Minor, Ph.D., interim dean. “His visit provided a valuable opportunity to showcase the ways we’re advancing precision agriculture through innovative, field-based solutions. and how we’re preparing the next generation of agricultural leaders to address real-world challenges.”
