Taber started a company in 2006 that “help[ed] farms and farmers transition away from traditional crops like tobacco and toward non-traditional but highly lucrative forms of agriculture — growing food under glass or in water,” according to Watauga Watch. Taber is also under scrutiny for her social media posts. While she deleted many of them, several remained accessible on internet archives, and local farmers like Marlowe Ivey, a fifth-generation North Carolina farmer, has blasted Taber for her remarks, many of which are now-deleted.
In one post, Taber wrote that “the thing about the family farm system is, it makes land ownership hereditary. It’s a very tidy way to make sure land stays in the hands of colonizers. Worker-owned is a lot more flexible & able to accommodate decolonization.”
Taber is facing Republican incumbent Steve Troxler, one of the most electorally-successful Republicans in North Carolina. As the race heats up, a group called NC Ag Action PAC sent out mailers featuring some of Taber’s anti-farmer rhetoric; the mailers were shared with the Reporter.
