David Burbage has always been a gambler with an insatiable desire to be the best that he can be in whatever venture he undertakes.

He was born in 1937, the second of four children. At that time his parents, Rufus and Pearlie Burbage, owned and operated a seven acre farm on Sidney Road in northeastern Beaufort County. Like most other families in this area during the depression years there was little money - and virtually none to spend on anything but bare necessities. The primary source of cash for the Burbage family was the receipts from the sale of four acres of tobacco. As David was growing up the farm expanded to 13 acres and the tobacco allotment to 8 acres.

David graduated from John A. Wilkinson High School in 1955. By 1954 the farm had increased to 80 acres and Mr. Rufus bought a 2 row Ford Tractor to augment the mules that had been used exclusively up to that time.

David was drafted into the army in 1956 and was discharged in 1958. Upon returning home he worked for National Spinning Company in Washington, NC for a year and then for John Radcliff in his Pantego store for another year. He married Linda Waters in 1959 and shortly thereafter took a job with Ward Bread Company (TipTop) that was to last well into 1970. By this time he had two small children, Robin and David Jr.

In October of that year the entrepreneurial urge started him on an incredible agricultural venture that began with 1000 biddies that would soon become young laying hens providing a significant portion of the family income for the next few years. By 1971 he had accumulated, mostly through lease, 70 acres of land with 17 acres of tobacco allotment. Having both the chicken operation and the farming operation presented a formidable challenge to him, Linda, and two pre-teen children. For David and Linda a sixteen hour day was not uncommon. For more than two years, beginning in 1972 he made twice-weekly trips through Hyde County and on to the outer banks – from Kitty Hawk to Nags Head – marketing eggs. He also picked up and delivered other packages, primarily for the residents of Ocracoke.

But about a year later the chain grocery stores began to service the outer banks and by 1975 the demand for locally produced commodities had diminished to the point that the egg route was abandoned and his chicken operation was reduced and shortly thereafter terminated. He had seen this situation developing early on and began increasing his farming operation. He bought his first real combine, a use 4 row Gleaner, and by 1976 he was farming just over 400 acres including 25 acres of tobacco.

In 1982 David Jr. graduated from Bath High School and Robin graduated from Pitt Community College.

More land had to be acquired when after graduation from high school David Jr. expressed a strong desire to continue farming with his Dad, rather than pursue more formal education. That year – 1982 - they farmed 600 acres including 60 acres of tobacco. Three years later they planted over 900 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat while continuing with 60 acres of tobacco.

Robin’s Husband, Jay Morgan, came to the farm in 1984. He managed and expanded the small hog operation begun in 1976. He increased the operation from 60 sows to 250 before downsizing in the early 90s. The operation was discontinued in the mid 90s and this freed up Jay to participate more in crop operations.

Robin became the Office Manager in 1988, making this truly a whole family operation.

Note: David Jr.'s wife Zina is a para-legal working outside the farming operation.

Until 1977 David had been curing his tobacco the old fashioned way, with tier-pole flue cured barns, but in 1977 he started transitioning to the newer style fuel oil or propane fired bulk barns. The transition was completed in 1984.

There were a couple of years in the early 80s that neither the weather nor commodity prices were favorable to farmers. Quite a few of the small to medium size farms in eastern North Carolina were unable to continue and some were forced to liquidate all or part of their property to satisfy accumulated debt.

David survived this period but cash flow was low and credit was tight. Then in the middle 80s conditions began to improve and in 1985 David began to accelerate the overall farm acreage with an emphasis on tobacco which peaked at 150 acres by 1990. That year David, unable to find local workers to assist in tending and harvesting that size tobacco crop became one of the first in this area to employ migrant workers.

Every year since the mid 90s tobacco allotments have been reduced by the Stabilization Board. In 2003 David's allotment was 86 acres.

In that same year, 2003, the pooled farmland of David, David Jr., and Jay was 3200 acres.

While David’s Farm Management overall is excellent, it is his expertise in growing and curing tobacco that sets him apart. Virtually anyone familiar with the tobacco industry in Beaufort County would attest to the fact that few, if any, bring higher quality tobacco to market, year in and year out, than David Burbage.

At this time, January 2004, Robin and Jay have two children. Jay IV is 15 and Dustin is 13. Zina and David Jr. also have two children. Davey Ann is 13 and Gray is 10.