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.
- “Families take on the locavore challenge,” Greensboro News and Record: Their journey together began with a simple meal. Tender, slow-cooked beef brisket. Fresh ears of bi-colored white and yellow corn. Oven-roasted potatoes and green beans strung that morning. Soft rolls and rich, creamy butter. A fresh salad, with tomatoes from a neighbor’s garden. Most of the food was locally raised or produced. It’s the first meal shared by three families embarking on a yearlong journey to eating less fast food and preparing more meals at home with fresh, local or organic ingredients. …
- “Save money on N.C. State Fair tickets and do it in Burlington,” Burlington Times-News: Beginning Thursday, you’ll be able to buy tickets and ride coupons for the N.C. State Fair and you’ll be able to do it in Burlington.
Discounted tickets for the fair, which will be held Oct. 15 through 25 in Raleigh, will be available at Burlington Square Mall Oct. 1 through 15. Tickets will be available during the mall’s regular business hours except on Thursday, Oct. 15, when they will end at 6 p.m. You can pay with cash, Visa or MasterCard. …
- “Waynesville chef’s sauce crowned state champion,” Asheville Citizen-Times: A contest run by the N.C. Specialty Food Association has crowned its grand champion: Ricardo’s Tomato Sauce, made by chef Ricardo Fernandez of Waynesville. The sauce won in the packaging category, and was named champion based on winning the highest score of all products entered into the contest, the N.C. Department of Agriculture said. …
- “FDA officials tour N.C. farms during regulation discussion,” News 14 Carolina: Officials from the FDA toured two of the state’s farms Monday and heard concerns about proposed food safety regulations from farmers. The listening tour goes on as Congress considers tougher rules regarding everything from irrigation to storage following food safety scares in recent months. “The ramifications of new rules and regulations on food safety can adversely affect our farmers, our agribusiness, and we’re an economy in North Carolina that’s built on agribusiness,” State Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said. …
- “Ag commissioners propose dairy, pork, poultry plan,” Southeast Farm Press: North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and his counterparts across the country have offered the federal government a new proposal to help struggling dairy, pork and poultry farmers. The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) has put forward a plan to take extra dairy, pork and poultry supplies off the market, stabilizing prices paid to producers while making more protein-rich foods available to food banks, school lunch programs and other food assistance programs, Troxler said. …
- “Regional Briefs: North Carolina’s biggest-ever pumpkin will be on display at Dixie Classic Fair,” Winston-Salem Journal: The largest pumpkin in state history will be displayed at the Dixie Classic Fair, which begins today.
The pumpkin, which was grown by Ricky Holder, weighs 1,258 pounds, fair organizers said in a news release. The previous record for a pumpkin was 960 pounds. …