Politics

TRUMP TO VISIT MILLS RIVER PACKING HOUSE MONDAY

By Lightning Reports, Published: August 21, 2020

President Donald Trump plans to visit Flavor 1st in Mills River to highlight the administration's Farmers to Families Food Box program, the White House announced.

Trump will and deliver remarks on the administration’s support for American farmers and families through the coronavirus food assistance program.

The president will tour Flavor 1st Growers and Packers, which partners with Baptists on Mission to build the Farmers to Families Food Boxes and how the boxes are packaged and placed into refrigerated trucks and then delivered to families in need. Following the tour, he will deliver remarks outside.

"Nervous as a cat shot in the butt," Flavor 1st owner Kirby Johnson said Friday when asked how the preparations were going. "I've been in briefings all morning. They won't let me leave."

Mark Williams, director of the farm-promoting agency AgHC, said he expected to attend the event. Johnson and Williams said many local Republicans had already committed to attend the event.

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue toured Flavor 1st last month and showcased the program. Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and a senior adviser, tout the program for putting American farmers, ranchers and distributors of all sizes back to work while supporting over-burdened food banks and food-insecure families. Perdue and Ivanka Trump will join the President on the trip.

“I am incredibly excited to join the President in North Carolina as he sees first-hand the incredible work being done through our Farmers to Families Food Box program,” Ivanka Trump said. “With nearly 70 million boxes of nutritious, locally-sourced fresh fruit, vegetable, milk and meat delivered to date, we are deeply appreciative of our strong and innovative partners like Baptists on Mission and Flavor First Growers and Packers that allow us to continue the fight to feed our nation’s hungry, support our farmers and strengthen our workforce.”