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.
- “How a Cabarrus farm is growing the next generation of farmers,” Charlotte Observer: As squash, okra and Swiss chard bask on a sunny slope outside town, another crop is also taking root: budding farmers. Cabarrus County’s answer to consumers clamoring for locally grown foods – a demand undercut by aging growers – is to teach a new generation how to work the land. …
- “Hops may become WNC’s next hot crop,” Hendersonville Times-News: The next time you pick up a pint of locally brewed beer, it might contain local ingredients. In conjunction with North Carolina Cooperative Extension, mountain farmers are being encouraged to try something new – grow hops. Jeanine Davis, associate professor and extension specialist at the Mountain Horticulture Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River, said the extension is encouraging farmers to develop alternative crops in North Carolina. …
- Interview: Steve Troxler, North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner, 680 WPTF: Audio of Commissioner Troxler’s interview with WPTF’s Scott Fitzgerald. Topics include NCFarmFresh.com, food safety and the OLF.
- “Efland farm comes full circle — naturally,” Raleigh News & Observer: Ten years ago, walking around a certain 61-acre parcel of land in Efland was more like off-roading. All you could see were overgrown weeds and trees coming out of nutritionally parched soil that had been slashed and burned several times in previous decades. Ben Bergmann and Noah Ranells, then N.C. State University professors teaching and researching agro-forestry and soil science, could see much more. …
- “Fruits of N.C. farmers shine in ‘Best Dish’ competition,” Durham Herald-Sun: Chef Patrick Cowden of The Weathervane restaurant at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill isn’t too surprised about being a finalist in the “Best Dish in North Carolina” contest of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The dishes he entered are tasty and creative for sure, but Cowden said the contest isn’t just about a few dishes, but a restaurant’s dedication to using North Carolina food. That’s something that’s already a Weathervane priority. …
- “Venus’ flytraps: Comeback of the clones,” Fayetteville Observer: The creepy, subterranean Venus’ flytrap has blossomed into a rock star at Southeastern Community College. Near the heart of where the carnivorous plant once thrived, students are cultivating these wonders of nature in campus laboratories. … “It’s rare, but it’s not endangered. It’s a step down from endangered,” said Laura Gadd, a botanist with the N.C. Plant Conservation program. …