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.
- “One more weekend for the Mountain State Fair near Asheville,” Asheville Citizen-Times: The N. C. Mountain State Fair is wrapping up this weekend, but there’s plenty of fun to be found for the next three days at the WNC Agricultural Center. …
- “Honeybees: an endangered $186M industry,” Durham Herald-Sun: Honeybees are responsible for approximately $186 million of North Carolina’s agricultural production annually, from apples and carrots to alfalfa and soybeans, according to the N.C. Zoo’s website. As the environment’s primary pollinator, honeybees are essential to the state’s agricultural economy. …
- “Looking to tall grass to fuel future in Asheville area,” Asheville Citizen-Times: A plot of grasses waving 20 feet high under the September sun could be the cash crop of the future for farmers and a source of fuel for your car in the coming decades. …
- “Temporary disaster recovery center to open in Edgecombe County,” WRAL: A short-term disaster recovery center will open in Tarboro at noon Thursday and remain open until Sept. 19 at 7 p.m. The center, located in the Edgecombe County Administration Building at 201 Saint Andrew St., will be open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday. …
- “N.C. Senate panel on Irene holds initial meeting,” Greensboro News & Record: The state agency overseeing North Carolina’s response to Hurricane Irene estimates the price tag on helping individuals and governments recover from Hurricane Irene so far at about $125 million. …
- “Government to expand E. coli tests in meat,” Charlotte Observer: The government is expanding its testing of E. coli in meat, a move that will hasten recalls and help authorities identify more foodborne illnesses. …
- “NC agriculture chief: ‘We lost payday this year’,” WRAL: North Carolina farms suffered “terrible losses” in the wake of Hurricane Irene, and the state needs to take short- and long-term steps to help farmers, who face “totally inadequate” federal disaster response, the state’s agriculture chief says. …
- “Restaurants get award,” Greensboro News & Record: Yancey House Restaurant in Yanceyville took first place for Casual Dining in the Eastern Piedmont/Coastal Region for the Best Dish in North Carolina competition. …
- “Western NC fairgoers get a chance to make history,” News & Observer: Visitors to the Mountain State Fair in Fletcher can do more than enjoy the food and rides this year: they can make history. The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project, in partnership with other groups, is giving fairgoers a chance to record local food and farming stories to pass on to future generations. …