Each week we’ll round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from newspapers across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. Click on the links to go straight to each paper’s full story.
- “A rough ride into farm history,” Raleigh News & Observer: Navigating the uneven streets of downtown Raleigh on an antique tractor was no easy task for N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler as he wrestled with manual steering and brakes, trailed bicycles that easily whipped past him, and bounced over the broken pavement of construction zones. …
- “Farming remains WNC institution,” Asheville Citizen-Times: On the surface, the picture looks grim: Farms continue to disappear in the mountains, as developers plant houses and families opt out of labor-intensive, low-paying agricultural work. But in Western North Carolina, the farming tradition remains strong, as resilient as the pioneers who eked out a living on subsistence farms. …
- “Good weather boosts Virginia/Carolina wheat crop,” Southeast Farm Press: The weather took a favorable turn in April for wheat growers in Virginia and North Carolina. Thanks to cool temperatures and plentiful rain, the prospects for wheat in those states were greatly improved. “The weather helped our wheat catch up,” said Randy Weisz, North Carolina Extension small grains specialist in mid-May. …
- “NC bee farm touted as lean manufacturing exemplar,” Raleigh News & Observer: As pressures build on businesses everywhere to do more with less, a North Carolina beekeeping supply company is being recognized for changes that allowed it to add $2 million in sales. …
- “Keeping farming in the family,” Raleigh News & Observer: Linda Leach-Hughes, a retired community college administrator, jokes that she’s been asking her husband, Stanley, about when he might retire from farming. His reply: He would probably keel over while driving a tractor. “It’s in his blood and the flesh can’t help it,” says Leach-Hughes. Stanley Hughes, 61, runs Pine Knot Farm, about 80 acres along Hester Road in northern Orange County. …
- “BLOG: Farming in the Blood,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Although farming remains a strong tradition locally, Western North Carolina lost 679 farms and 115,447 acres of farm land from 2002 to 2007. Citizen-Times reporter John Boyle and photographer Erin Brethauer are following three local farmers through the growing season to chronicle the challenges they face. …
- “Easements protect Fairview farms from development,” Asheville Citizen-Times: As a fourth-generation farmer in the Fairview valley, Annie Louise Perkinson wants to make sure her fields provide produce for Asheville families and restaurants well into the future. …