Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets 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.
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Sheriff: Kennel ‘a puppy mill out of control’,” Greensboro News & Record: Authorities have seized 97 dogs from a Pleasant Garden kennel as part of a four-month investigation into what Sheriff BJ Barnes called “a puppy mill out of control.” …
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“NC pollen levels reach highest amounts in years,” News & Observer: Allergy sufferers can already attest to what government officials now confirm – North Carolina’s pollen season is an itchy, watery nuisance. The state Division of Air Quality said the pollen count of 3,524 grains per cubic meter at its Raleigh central office on Wednesday was the highest reading since at least 2003. …
- “Biodynamic farmers connect to earth’s rhythms,” Charlotte Observer: When vintner Randall Grahm chose the softly sloping hillside and time to plant his new pinot noir vines, he weighed all the things farmers usually consider: drainage, soil quality and weather. Then he considered less orthodox factors: the cosmic and seasonal rhythms at play and how they might be harnessed to help the clippings take root. …
- “Vaughan area to get gypsy moth treatment,” The Warren Record: The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will be treating a localized gypsy moth infestation in the Vaughan area around April 14. Warren is one of five North Carolina counties targeted for treatment. …
- “Land trusts plan to use money to save lands,” Winston-Salem Journal: Ten land trusts collaborating as the Blue Ridge Forever coalition hope to increase their ability to permanently protect western North Carolina’s agricultural lands this year through a $25,000 grant from the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area. …
- “State to grow more cotton, peanuts; county plants corn, soybeans,” Burlington Times-News: State farming trends won’t apply to Alamance County farms in 2010, says the director of Alamance County’s N.C. Cooperative Extension office. The N.C. Department of Agriculture expects sharp increases in cotton, peanuts and sweet potato harvests this year and a drop in wheat, soybean and tobacco production…
- “Ranchers see need for processer,” Henderson Times-News: Farmer George Lenze owns a cattle ranch in Pisgah Forest. Up until last year, he ran a cow/calf operation, where the farm raises calves and sells the young animals to feedlots in the fall. Because of the increased demand for locally grown meat, Lenze changed his business model. He decided to sell his meat locally at restaurants and directly to consumers. …
- “Internet a vital tool for farmers,” Hendersonville Times-News: The Internet is rapidly becoming one of the best tools for businesses, including farms, to market their products. More than 77 percent of American adults use the Internet. Of these, 81 percent are searching the Web for information that will help them make decisions on what they purchase. …