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.
- “Workshop to explore ways to grow farmers markets,” Lexington Dispatch: The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Farmers Market Manger workshop will return with a one-day session scheduled in March. The workshop, geared toward market managers, their board members and market vendors, will cover such topics as customer service, farmers market food safety and grant opportunities. …
- “Atlantic sturgeon declared endangered,” Wilmington Star-News: The National Marine Fisheries Service last week declared the Cape Fear River’s population of Atlantic sturgeon an endangered species, a move that could lead to measures protecting the habitat of the large, bony-scaled fish. …
- “Who is making sure you’re not over-charged?,” WBTV: How much attention do you pay while you’re shopping? Are you on the lookout to be sure the price an item is listed for on the store shelf is really what you pay at the checkout? With a cart full of items it’s impossible to keep track. However, there is someone working behind the scenes to be sure you’re not being over-charged when you shop at Charlotte-area stores. …
- “Prescribed Fire Awareness Week is Feb. 13-19,” FireEngineering.com: Feb. 13-19 is Prescribed Fire Awareness Week in North Carolina. Prescribed fires are important for managing forests and wildlife habitat, and for reducing the risk of harmful wildfires throughout North Carolina, said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. …
- “Point of View: Crop insurance’s growing value,” News & Observer: As a former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture I can attest to the fact that farming is indeed a risky business. …
- “Company claims diagnostic test will save dairy farmers money,” Durham Herald-Sun: A Durham-based company is looking to launch a diagnostic test later this year that company officials say will help milk producers save money by allowing them to catch a bacterial infection in dairy cows quickly. …
- “Blue Ridge Biofuels wins break-through business competition,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Entrepreneurs advancing biofuels, bike repairs and nut butters have taken top awards in a break-through business competition. The employee-owned Blue Ridge Biofuels won first place and $5,000 in the first Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council Break-Through Business Challenge. …
- “Grandfather District gets $605K from USDA,” Ashville Citizen-Times: A surprise announcement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture will allow John Crockett, Grandfather District Ranger, to speed up improvement of forest health by setting prescribed fires and beating back invasive plants and bugs. …
- “From war to farming, Woosley carved his own path,” Winston-Salem Journal: Most days, Wayne Woosley wakes before sunrise, slips into a pair of overalls and boots, slaps a straw hat atop a head of long white and ginger curls, and tends to what needs tending….His stint as a Marine in Vietnam left him unsettled at times, but ultimately, it shaped his view of life, convincing him that he could find happiness outside the bounds of the mainstream, back on the family farm.