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.
- “Henderson County to hire agri-business director,” Hendersonville Times News: The pieces appear to finally be in place for Henderson County to move forward with the search for an agri-business economic development director, who those in the agricultural community believe will serve a critical need. …
- “Tobacco manufacturers must report ingredients to FDA,” Winston-Salem Journal: The Food and Drug Administration is giving tobacco manufacturers less than three months to provide proof that any product introduced since February 2007 is “substantially equivalent” to products already in the marketplace. …
- “Study promotes poultry plant’s economic impact,” Rocky Mount Telegram: A proposed chicken processing plant in Southern Nash County would have a total economic impact of $5.5 billion over 10 years in Nash, Edgecombe and Wilson counties, according to a consultant’s study. …
- “Campaign asks consumers, businesses to buy 10 percent of their food locally,” Shelby Star: Carolina Farm Credit is partnering with the Center for Environmental Fanning Systems to promote North Carolina’s local food economy through the 10 percent campaign. …
- “Best Dish in N.C. contest expands,” News & Observer: The annual Best Dish in North Carolina contest is doing things a little different this year. …
- “2010’s newsmakers: From politicians to activists, soccer stars to boosters, people made 2010 a lively year,” Eastern Wake News: People make news. And in 2010, lots of people made lots of news. … It’s not everyday a private citizen starts a movement. James Dunn did just that when he rounded up farmers to meet to inform them of Knightdale’s plans to extend its extraterritorial jurisdiction. …
- “Land purchase paves the way for largest conservation in WNC,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Conservation groups secured a prime piece of real estate before ringing in the new year. The Conservation Fund’s purchase of 786 acres on the North Carolina-South Carolina state line marks the first step toward permanently protecting the largest undeveloped, privately owned tract in Western North Carolina. …
- “N.C. farmers learn about biotechnology,” Fayetteville Observer: Imagine a soybean that grows with the makings of a vaccine in it, ready to be crushed and mixed with water like a pack of Kool-Aid. Or a sweet potato as purple as a plum, grown to make dye for clothing. Or corn that can flourish in the driest North Carolina summer. …
- “Beekeepers buzz with enthusiasm, even in winter,” Charlotte Observer: As the mercury dips into the teens, you are not likely to envision burgers on the grill and honeybees dancing on freshly blooming wildflowers that make mid-April evenings so pleasant in the Queen City. Honeybees? Did I just mention honeybees in the throes of winter? Yep, and if you are one of the hundreds of urban beekeepers in Mecklenburg County, the tiny insects are never far from your thoughts, regardless of the season. …