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. damage estimates from Irene more than $190 million,” Fayetteville Observer: Damage estimates for North Carolina inched up Thursday as teams assessing the impact of Hurricane Irene tallied the costs and two new counties were added to the list state officials thought should qualify for federal help. …
- “North Carolina offers hurricane hotline for growers,” Southeast Farm Press: The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is offering a toll-free hotline to help farmers affected by Hurricane Irene connect with resources that can assist their recovery. Farmers can call the agricultural disaster hotline at 1-866-506-6222. It will be staffed 24 hours a day through Sept. 6. …
- “Hurricane Irene damages tobacco crop,” News & Observer: Before Hurricane Irene smacked his tender tobacco plants sideways, David Parker was headed for a terrific crop, maybe his best in 32 years of farming. Now, as Parker rushes to save a few acres of shredded leaves before they rot on the dying stalks, the math looks different. …
- “Irene treats local farmers poorly,” Greenville Daily Reflector: Hurricane Irene has caused the worst loss of crops in decades, Pitt County farmers said Wednesday. Unrelenting rain and fierce wind trampled unharvested tobacco. Corn that wasn’t damaged by drought blew over. Much of the cotton crop is expected to be a loss. …
- “Irene helps tame refuge wildfire,” News & Observer: A fire in the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge is 90 percent contained, thanks to a drenching from Hurricane Irene. But the storm has left firefighters with a new challenge. …
- “Technology Crops launching new crop,” Triad Business Journal: Technology Crops International and Perdue AgriBusiness are encouraging North Carolina farmers to plant what they say will be a profitable new crop this fall, according to an announcement. The crop is known as Hear, for “high erucic acid rapeseed” and is a renewable raw material that can be used in the manufacture of polymers, petroleum additives, pharmaceuticals, foods and personal care products. …
- “Community Briefs: Acrobats coming to mountain fair,” Hendersonville Times-News: High-flying acrobatics and homegrown music are a part of all the “Farm Fresh Fun” waiting for fair goers at the N.C. Mountain State Fair at the Western N.C. Ag Center, Sept. 9-18. …
- “Kudzu-eating bug spreads in South, scientists say,” Greensboro News & Record: Researchers say a kudzu-eating bug first spotted in Georgia a couple of years ago has now spread to Alabama, South Carolina and North Carolina. …
- “UNC-TV launches ‘Flavor, NC’ show,” News & Observer: A new North Carolina food-focused television series called “Flavor, NC” will debut at 10:30 a.m. Saturday on UNC-TV. The show host is Lisa Prince, whom you may recognize from WRAL’s “Local Dish” cooking segments with anchor Brian Shrader. Prince will take viewers on culinary trips across the state from Hillsborough to discuss heirloom tomatoes in the series premiere to the coast to ponder North Carolina beers. …