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.
- “Ground beef recalled over E. coli,” News & Observer: Tyson Fresh Meats is recalling about 131,300 pounds of ground beef because a family in Ohio fell ill after eating meat produced by the company that was contaminated with E. coli, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Wednesday. The recall involves Butcher’s Beef sold at Food Lion supermarkets, beef sold as Kroger and generic brands at Kroger supermarkets. …
- “$152 million in ag losses to Texas wildfires,” Charlotte Observer: Enough fencing to cross Texas from east to west nearly seven times, more than 1,500 head of livestock and swaths of pasture nearly twice the area of Delaware have burned in Texas wildfires this year. …
- “Cantaloupe illnesses and deaths expected to rise,” Charlotte Observer: Federal health officials said Wednesday more illnesses and possibly more deaths may be linked to an outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe in coming weeks. So far, the outbreak has caused at least 72 illnesses – including up to 16 deaths – in 18 states, making it the deadliest food outbreak in the United States in more than a decade. …
- “Amid recalls, smart food preparation at home can prevent illness,” NBC-17: The state monitors distribution of recalled items, contacting the retailers or distributors, according to Brian Long, spokesman for the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. “We make sure that the recall is being complied with. We want to make sure that any recalled product is being removed from sale in North Carolina,” he said. …
- “Fair tickets ready Thursday,” News & Observer: Purchasing advance tickets will save fairgoers $2 per adult admission and $8 per sheet of ride coupons. Advance admission tickets cost $6 for adults and $2 for children ages 6-12. Adult admission tickets for groups of 40 or more are $5. Ride sheets cost $10 in advance. …
- “It’s apple time at farmers markets,” News & Observer: Fall to many North Carolinians means a trip to the mountains for leaf peeping, cider drinking and apple picking. If all you truly crave is North Carolina apples, you only have to travel as far as your local farmers market. For the next three weeks, you will see an abundance of early season, fresh-picked North Carolina apples from Gala to Honeycrisp. …
- “REVIEW: ‘Flavor NC’ a local taste of what’s great,” Durham Herald-Sun: Saturday mornings on UNC-TV, the show “Flavor NC” is a combination of farm tour, cooking show, state history and tidbits of knowledge you can use to impress even the oldest Old North Stater. Hosted by Lisa Prince of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the public television show produced by BlueWater Media is on at 10:30 a.m. Saturdays through Nov. 12. …
- “Best Dish in N.C. contest winners announced,” News & Observer: The N.C. Department of Agriculture has announced the winners of its annual Best Dish in North Carolina contest, which encourages restaurants to feature North Carolina products on their menus. …
- “Part-time jobs available at state fair,” WRAL-TV: Individuals interested in working at this year’s North Carolina State Fair can apply for a number of jobs through the Employment Security Commission, the commission said Monday. …
- “Fall is time to focus on area farms,” Hendersonville Times-News: As the weather starts turning colder and fields are full of pumpkins, families can find fun at area events that focus on farm, forest and the great outdoors. One of the oldest Henderson County traditions for kicking off fall is Farm City Day on the first Saturday in October. …