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.
- “Sessions to explore agri-business,” Triad Business Journal: Three information sessions are planned in March to help N.C. farmers explore funding opportunities for value-added agricultural operations, an emerging sector of the state’s agriculture. The sessions will explain funding programs available through USDA Value-Added Producer Grants and North Carolina’s new Value-Added Cost Share program, which is accepting applications for the spring funding cycle. …
- “Farmers Market returns, expands on campus,” The Technician: The semester’s first Campus Farmers Market opened in the Brickyard Wednesday, with five new and four familiar local vendors selling foods ranging from fresh vegetables, meat and dairy, to peanut treats and natural soaps. The market was started at the University to “provide access to local foods and education on why it is important to buy local foods,” Ariel Fugate, market manager and sophomore in fisheries and wildlife sciences, said. All of the vendors are small, local companies. …
- “Under the Dome: Troxler on campus,” News & Observer: Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is hosting and moderating a three-part speaker series for agriculture students at N.C. State University. Troxler, an N.C. State graduate, will be host of the first session, “International Agriculture Marketing: Lessons from North Carolina’s Experts,” on Thursday. The series is meant to supplement lab and classroom work with stories from farmers, exporters and business executives. “We want them to give the students information and inspiration,” Troxler said. Other topics to be covered in the series are “The Realities and Rewards of Farming as a Career Choice” in March and “Innovation in Agriculture: What’s the Next ‘Big Thing’?” in April.
- “Best Dish contest looking for chefs,” Durham Herald-Sun: The Best Dish in N.C. restaurant contest is calling for North Carolina chefs to enter this year’s competition to determine which restaurant serves the best dish using products grown or produced in the state. “I’m excited about this year’s competition, because we have such great culinary talent in this state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The Best Dish competition has grown in size and popularity each year, and we are hoping this year will be the biggest and best yet.” …
- “Treatments credited with helping bees,” Fayetteville Observer: Experts say they are gaining ground on a parasite that once threatened to decimate the honeybee population. As a result, the bee population is growing, and so are the number of people who want to become beekeepers. The decline in varroa mites and tracheal mites can be credited to tending to beehives with natural substances, said Hugh Madison, a 73-year-old master beekeeper from Aberdeen. “We’re trying to go more and more toward organically treating the mites, and it seems to be working,” Madison said. …