Robeson County, the largest county in North Carolina by land area, is known for its natural resources and historical sites. Scotland County in North Carolina is named after the Scottish settlers who occupied the area in the 1700s. During a recent visit to the region, President Tom Barkin and Regional Executive Matt Martin met with local community and business leaders from these two southeastern counties to understand the economic strengths and opportunities facing the region as part of the Bank’s Community Conversations program. The discussions covered various topics including economic development, health care, education, and the impact of federal policies on the local community.
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe with approximately 55,000 enrolled members, most residing in Robeson, Scotland, and adjacent counties in south-central North Carolina with their headquarters in Pembroke in Robeson County. Tribal leaders discussed their ongoing community development initiatives with the Richmond Fed team. With a long history in the region, the Lumbee Tribe is actively working on housing projects, including developing housing units for the tribe, rebuilding and repairing homes affected by natural disasters, and promoting home ownership through down payment assistance.
In 1956, Congress passed the Lumbee Act, which recognized the tribe as Indian, but they were not granted full benefits since their recognition came during a period of assimilation that curtailed benefits. Efforts are currently underway to pass federal legislation that grants full recognition and access to a broader range of benefits and funding for the Lumbee Tribe.
Agribusiness is a major economic engine in Robeson and Scotland counties, with more than 850 farms accounting for over 314,000 acres of land. Ag Credit, a lending organization that provides credit services to farmers and ranchers, noted that many local farmers are dealing with issues resulting from the 2024 agricultural disaster where major weather and fire events led to total losses in U.S. crops and rangeland in the tens of billions.
Murphy Family Ventures (MFV), a farming business and management company that provides a wide array of support services to businesses including restaurant and hospitality, technology, home, automotive and boating, employs around 1,000 people and is heavily involved in farming, growing millions of chickens and hogs annually. With Mexico and China being the top export destinations for a significant portion of their protein production, the company is facing challenges due to tariffs, which will likely also affect some of their other ventures.
From the Richmond Fed May business survey, we found that 72 percent of respondent businesses have adjusted their operations in response to tariffs on imports including increasing prices, cancelling or delaying expenditures and adjusting hiring plans.
Robeson County has been consistently ranked as one of the least healthy counties in the state by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report. They face numerous health challenges, including high murder rates and poor health outcomes. While the county’s lone hospital, UNC Health Southeastern at Lumberton, has a strong nursing staff, they’re still in need of specialty nurses and recruiting doctors has been quite difficult.
The Scotland Health Care System serves multiple counties, including Scotland, Robeson and Marlboro County in South Carolina, which are all among the counties with the worst health outcomes in their states. They are facing challenges in recruiting doctors and dealing with managed care issues. To assist with meeting those challenges, they’ve implemented programs to support their workforce and attract medical professionals to the region, including tuition assistance and stipends for surgical tech students and a community health worker program that helps connect patients with resources.
The community conversation in Robeson and Scotland Counties highlighted several critical issues currently facing the region. Economic development, health care, education and the impact of federal policies are all areas that have the immediate attention of residents and business leaders. The counties’ approach to tackling these issues emphasizes the need for continued collaboration and support from each other to effectively work toward the future goals for their communities.
— news from Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
— News Original —
Supporting Economic and Community Development in Robeson and Scotland Counties, North Carolina
Situated between the beaches and the mountains of North Carolina, Robeson County is the largest county in the state by land area and is known for its beautiful natural resources and historical sites. Nearby Scotland County in North Carolina is named in honor of the Scottish settlers who occupied the area in the 1700s. During a recent visit to the region, President Tom Barkin and Regional Executive Matt Martin met with local community and business leaders from the two counties in the Southeastern portion of North Carolina to gain a fuller understanding of the economic strengths and opportunities facing the region as part of the Bank’s Community Conversations program. The discussions covered a wide range of topics, including economic development, health care, education, and the impact of federal policies on the local community.
Direct Community Investment Initiatives Within the Tribal Population
The Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina is a state-recognized tribe with approximately 55,000 enrolled members, most of them residing in Robeson, Scotland and adjacent counties in south-central North Carolina with their headquarters in the town of Pembroke in Robeson County. Tribal leaders spoke with the Richmond Fed team about their ongoing community development initiatives. With a long history in the region, the Lumbee Tribe is actively working on projects focused on housing, including developing housing units for the tribe, rebuilding and repairing homes that were affected by natural disasters and promoting home ownership through downpayment assistance, making it easier for members of the tribe to purchase their own homes and achieve financial stability.
In 1956, Congress passed the Lumbee Act, which recognized the tribe as Indian, but they were not granted full benefits since their recognition came during a period of assimilation that curtailed benefits. Efforts are currently underway to pass federal legislation that grants full recognition and access to a broader range of benefits and funding for the Lumbee Tribe.
These efforts reflect the Lumbee Tribe ‘s commitment to improving the quality of life for their members through comprehensive housing initiatives and strategic use of federal grants and commercial ventures to help manage their resources effectively and ensure continuity in their programs.
Counties Rooted in Agribusiness
With more than 850 farms accounting for over 314,000 acres of land, agribusiness – the production, processing and distribution of farm-based goods and the businesses that support it – is a major economic engine in Robeson and Scotland counties. Ag Credit, a lending organization that provides credit services to farmers and ranchers, noted that many local farmers are dealing with issues resulting from the 2024 agricultural disaster where major weather and fire events led to total losses in U.S. crops and rangeland in the tens of billions.
Murphy Family Ventures (MFV), a farming business and management company that provides a wide array of support services to businesses including restaurant and hospitality, technology, home, automotive and boating, among others.
MFV employs around 1,000 people and is heavily involved in farming, growing millions of chickens and hogs annually. With Mexico and China being the top export destinations for a significant portion of their protein production, the company is facing challenges due to tariffs, which will likely also affect some of their other ventures, such as the automotive and boat businesses.
From the Richmond Fed May business survey, we found that 72 percent of respondent businesses have adjusted their operations in response to tariffs on imports including increasing prices, cancelling or delaying expenditures and adjusting hiring plans.
The H-2A temporary agricultural program allows agricultural employers to bring workers from other countries to the U.S. for temporary or seasonal agricultural labor services. This program has helped farmers with filling labor gaps but carries a number of costs associated with it and administrative constraints for the employer.
Strengthening Community Health Care
Robeson County has been consistently ranked as one of the least healthy counties in the state by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report. They face numerous health challenges, including high murder rates and poor health outcomes. While the county’s lone hospital, UNC Health Southeastern at Lumberton, has a strong nursing staff, they’re still in need of specialty nurses and recruiting doctors has been quite difficult. They serve patients throughout southeastern North Carolina and are challenged by issues related to insurance approvals and the uncertainty caused by federal policies.
The Scotland Health Care System serves multiple counties, including Scotland, Robeson and Marlboro County in South Carolina, which are all among the counties with the worst health outcomes in their states. They are also facing challenges in recruiting doctors and dealing with managed care issues. To assist with meeting those challenges, they’ve implemented a range of programs to support their workforce and attract medical professionals to the region, including tuition assistance and stipends for surgical tech students and a community health worker program that helps connect patients with resources. The hospital has recently had its bond rating upgraded to “A,” which is uncommon for a rural hospital and a major achievement.
Business Leaders Roundtable
During the business leaders roundtable, the discussion centered around the long-term impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on the region, post-COVID employment gaps and impacts from changes in federal grants and policies. Manufacturing employment has significantly declined since the implementation of NAFTA, and the region has struggled to recover. Business leaders also expressed concerns about the impact of tariffs and the challenges of sourcing raw materials. Hiring has remained difficult among local businesses, despite offering competitive pay. The regional airport is facing challenges in maintaining operations and securing funding for future projects and processing future FAA grants, a direct effect of recent federal layoffs.
The community conversation in Robeson and Scotland Counties highlighted several critical issues currently facing the region. Economic development, health care, education and the impact of federal policies are all areas that have the immediate attention of residents and business leaders. The counties’ approach to tackling these issues emphasize the need for continued collaboration and support from each other to effectively work toward the future goals for their communities.