NEWSOMS—Like most college students, Westley Drake is on Facebook, but he’s using the social networking website to help promote the family business.

The North Carolina State University senior wanted to give local farmers and farming advocates a place to learn more about local farming so he created the page titled “Farmers of Southampton County, Virginia.”

“I got the idea from seeing other companies’ Facebook pages and I thought it would be a good way to spread the word about agriculture.”

And spread it has.

The page, which was started last February to “inform the public about agricultural issues and to address misconceptions about agriculture” has over 600 fans.

He said awareness of this becomes even more important as the world’s population growths and famine becomes more prevalent. Drake said the importance of farming will become more apparent as the price of food goes up.

“Farmers aren’t just planting their fields all day,” Drake said. “They have a very influential task in both the country and the world. It’s very important to preserve agriculture to produce more food.”

Drake, who is majoring in field crop technology and agribusiness, plans to return home upon graduation this year and work on his family’s farm in Newsoms.