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 the full story.
- “N.C. swine farms not making energy from waste,” WRAL-TV: A North Carolina program to turn pig waste into power has failed to produce results and may mean a state mandate to generate potentially thousands of megawatts of electricity from swine waste will not be met by a deadline two years from now. …
- “Crop insurance companies agree to subsidy cuts,” Charlotte Observer: All 16 private insurance companies that participate in a federal crop insurance program have signed off on a plan designed to cut their subsidies by $6 billion over the next 10 years. …
- “Under the Dome: U.S. trade rep to visit,” News & Observer: U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk will be in the Charlotte area Thursday and Friday to talk about ways of increasing exports and growing jobs in the state. Kirk will visit a broiler and sow operation in Concord and hold a roundtable discussion with state Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and farmers in Mount Pleasant. …
- “3 NC towns celebrate watermelons,” Hendersonville Times-News: Many small towns in North Carolina have festivals to celebrate something. In three of them, they celebrate watermelons. …
- “County OKs bid on Caterpillar,” Winston-Salem Journal: Forsyth County’s board of commissioners voted unanimously last night to offer Caterpillar Inc. a $10.15-million incentives deal to help bring the heavy-equipment manufacturer to the county. …
- “Farmers Markets To Feature N.C. Watermelons,” Perishable News: Visitors to the five state-operated farmers markets will be able to sample delicious North Carolina watermelons at Watermelon Day events in July and August. The events celebrate the state’s watermelon season, which runs from July through August. …
- “Home joins local schools in a new venture,” Winston-Salem Journal: A new middle and high school opening this fall comes with 82 head of cattle. Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools and The Children’s Home are entering into a partnership that will enable students to benefit not only from extra attention from teachers and mental-health professionals but also from being on a 212-acre campus on Reynolda Road that has a functioning farm. …
- “State grant goes to protect Alamance County farm,” Burlington Times-News: A state grant announced this week should help preserve an historic Alamance County farm. The Piedmont Land Conservancy received a $300,000 grant from the Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund to purchase a conservation easement on 114 acres of Iseley Farm, just north of Burlington. …