Each week we 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.
- “Basics of exporting taught,” Wilkes Patriot Journal: Americans make the best quality products but aren’t good at selling them overseas because they often don’t understand how the rest of the world works, said an organizer of a series of exporting classes under way at Wilkes Community College. “Americans have a bad reputation in other countries for not knowing what they’re doing because we only know the way it’s done” in the United States added Daniel W. Holt, an international finance specialist with the U.S. Small Business Administration in Charlotte. Speaking Thursday during the introductory session of “Export University 201” at the Brushy Mountain Smokehouse Restaurant in North Wilkesboro, Holt said Americans need to learn to do business overseas because most of the world’s customers are in countries other than the United States. …
- “Summit weighs health of agriculture industry,” Statesville Record & Landmark: If North Carolina were a cruise ship, state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler said on Tuesday, agriculture would be the engine propelling it forward. In an address to officials from both the agriculture and political landscape across the Piedmont, Troxler and Secretary of Commerce Keith Crisco stressed the importance of finding a balance to preserve the state’s $70 billion agricultural industry during an agriculture summit at the Statesville Civic Center. The two state officials were the keynote speakers at the Regional Agriculture Symposium Agricultural Support and Farmland Preservation held by the Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and The Land Trust for Central North Carolina (LTCN). …
- “‘Farm to fork’ offers fresh produce to community,” Davidson Dispatch: Vine-ripened juicy tomatoes, sweet melons, crunchy broccoli, crisp peppers and fresh herbs are just some of the bounty subscribers in a new Community Supported Agriculture program can soon enjoy on a weekly basis. “Community Supported Agriculture is subscription farming,” explained Amy-Lynn Albertson, an agricultural extension agent with the Davidson County Cooperative Extension Service. “The consumer pays a certain amount up front and in return they receive a weekly amount of produce.” Albertson said this is the first year any local farms have participated in a CSA program, which is not an extension program, but the office helped three local farms start their programs – Cid Farm in Silver Valley, Shoaf Plantation in Tyro and Ledford Growers in the northeastern area of the county. …
- “Agriculture Awareness Week stakes claim on the Brickyard,” The Technician: Loud moos and other barnyard noises will continue to fill the Brickyard this week through Thursday as part of Alpha Zeta’s Agriculture Awareness Week, which features tents with information booths and live animals such as baby chicks, cattle and pigs. “We’re out here to educate the students and public about where their food comes from,” Amanda Novle, a junior in plant and soil science, said. “It doesn’t just come from the grocery store.” Included in the week’s activities are opportunities to pet animals, eat lunch and watch contests. “[Monday] we had the administrative agriculture Olympics. …
- “Dog Groomer Charged with Cruelty; 38 Pets Seized,” WGHP-TV: Thirty-eight animals belonging to the owner of a pet boarding facility were seized last week after the state Department of Agriculture revoked the facility’s license and alerted animal control to “unsanitary conditions” there. Thirty-five dogs — mostly small breeds like Malteses and Toy Poodles — and three cats belonging to Kaye Jones were taken from the Battleground Pet Inn, where Jones grooms and boards animals, to the Guilford County Animal Shelter. Jones herself was charged with animal cruelty. …