The new state budget officially preserves the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. The Commission’s funding for the next year is limited to $2 million. The budget passed in mid-June, when the legislature overrode the Governor’s veto.
Saving the Trust Fund is a significant victory for all of North Carolina’s small and mid-scale farmers. Your voices, combined with personal visits, passionate letters, and phone calls from farmers, played a critical role getting this important entity back in the final budget. I want to personally thank you for taking the time to act.
There are still questions about what this will mean for the Tobacco Trust Fund’s 2011 grant cycle, including how RAFI’s grant program — the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund — will be affected. I’ll make sure to keep you in the loop as we learn know more.
Thanks again for playing such an important role in saving the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
