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.
- “Steve Troxler, guest columnist: Despite reports, liquefied-petroleum gas monitor is responsible,” Winston-Salem Journal: There has been right much criticism lately about the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ regulation of the liquefied-petroleum gas industry in North Carolina. This criticism lacks merit. …
- “Farmers get access to more help after Irene,” News & Observer: North Carolina farmers affected by Hurricane Irene last August and by tornadoes in April can get more help from the federal government with more loan options and payments to recover from crop losses. …
- “Unique meat processing plant opens in McDowell,” The McDowell News: McDowell County is now the home of the first community-administered, non-profit meat processing plant in the United States that is also USDA inspected. This new facility should also help small-scale meat growers expand their operations and get their products out to more consumers. …
- “Celebrating our foodiness,” Durham Herald-Sun: One of the great characteristics of the Bull City is its continually emerging gastronome profile. We are a food-loving city, from barbecue (be it Eastern-style, Western-style, Texas-style or our most recent addition of Korean-style) to burgers to more refined and innovative fare. Try narrowing a list to the top 10 places in Durham you would recommend someone eat, and it gets tricky. …
- “Closing of 259 USDA offices raises safety concerns,” Charlotte Observer: The U.S. Agriculture Department announced Monday it will close nearly 260 offices nationwide, a move that won praise for cutting costs but raised concerns about the possible effect on food safety. …
- “Farmers can reap computers’ benefits,” Hendersonville Times-News: The N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, in cooperation with North Carolina A&T State University and JobLink, is offering a 58-hour free computer course, Farmers Adopting Computer Training, for beginners at Blue Ridge Community College. …
- “Young Farmers and Ranchers take top honors,” American Farm Bureau Federation: Winners of the Young Farmers & Ranchers Achievement Award, Discussion Meet and Excellence in Agriculture competitions were announced today at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 93rd Annual Meeting. …Heather Barnes of North Carolina won the Discussion Meet. …
- “FSA seeking minority farmers for community voice,” Richmond County Daily Journal: The Richmond County Farm Service Agency (FSA) is in the process of selecting advisers for its County Committee (COC). …