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.
- “States expand efforts to combat ‘funny honey’,” Greensboro News & Record: You might call them the Honey Police — beekeepers and honey producers ready to comb through North Carolina to nab unscrupulous sellers of sweet-but-bogus “funny honey.” …
- “Discount advance State Fair tickets go on sale next week,” WRAL-TV: Discount advance tickets for the 2010 North Carolina State Fair go on sale next week at five area malls and four other locations, fair organizers announced Tuesday. …
- “Troxler encourages farmers to have corn tested for aflatoxin,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging farmers to have their corn tested for aflatoxin to prevent contamination of feeds and food. Aflatoxin is a byproduct of the mold Aspergillus flavus and can be harmful to humans and livestock. …
- “Layoffs lead to the land,” News & Observer: Layoffs led Audrey Lin and Debbie Donnald to organic farming. The owners of Two Chicks Farm outside Hillsborough originally met in the Triangle in the 1980s. …
- “September Drought Hurts NC Farmers,” WUNC-FM: A summer-long drought continues to plague farmers in North Carolina. Crop production in the coastal plain and Piedmont region has been severely impaired by hot, dry weather, with corn and soy beans hit the hardest. To date, the drought has spread to 30 counties. …
- “Ease end-of-summer blues with fresh apple harvest,” Hendersonville Times-News: Although I’m sad that summertime in the South is coming to an end, fall brings a whole new basket of great produce. This time of year, Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina are producing some awesome apples that will help us accept the departure of bathing suits and welcome the forthcoming chilly autumn nights. …
- “Clear skies bring near record attendance to N.C. Mountain State Fair,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Dayne Grigg doesn’t need an official count to know it was a good year for the N.C. Mountain State Fair. Grigg sold nearly 100 pounds of spaghetti and potato soup over the fair’s 10 days at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center. …