Troxler, Steve

N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler was raised in the Guilford County community of Browns Summit and has spent his entire career in agriculture as founder, owner and operator of Troxler Farms. Over the years, the family-owned farm has produced tobacco, wheat, vegetables and soybeans.

Troxler was elected Commissioner of Agriculture in 2004. Since taking office in early 2005, he has focused on developing new domestic and international markets for North Carolina agricultural products, preserving working farms and protecting the state’s food supply.

Troxler is active in the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and will become president of the organization in September 2012. He currently serves as first vice president of NASDA and chairs its Tobacco Task Force and Food Regulation and Nutrition Committee. He served as president of the Southern Association of State Departments of Agriculture in 2010-2011.

During his career in farming and public service, Troxler has received numerous honors. He was recognized with the 2012 Meritorious Service Award from the N.C. Soybean Producers Association. In 2011, he received the Elliot O. Grosvenor Food Safety Award from the Association of Food and Drug Officials, the Distinguished Service Award from the N.C. Agricultural Foundation, and a leadership award from the Western North Carolina Livestock Center and WNC Communities.

He also has been honored with the Tobacco Farm Life Museum’s Excellence in Agriculture Award; the Phillip Morris Outstanding Young Tobacco Farmer Award; the N.C. Agricultural Extension Service’s Outstanding Service Award; and an Honorary State FFA Degree. His family was named “Tobacco Farm Family of the Year” by the Tobacco Growers Association of North Carolina.

Troxler is a 1974 graduate of N.C. State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in conservation and a concentration in environmental studies. He and his wife, Sharon, have two grown sons, two daughters-in-law and four grandchildren. In his spare time, Troxler enjoys restoring antique farm equipment and playing with his dog, Kate.