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.
- “For budding farmer, incubator fosters growth,” News & Observer: More than two decades later, the 31-year-old Rowland is on his way to fulfilling the childhood dream that started while spending summers working his grandparents’ farmland in Indiana. …
- “Official: US needs more young farmers, ranchers,” Charlotte Observer: U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic of sorts sweeping across America’s farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, like drought, rising fuel and feed prices or crop-eating pests. The country’s farmers and ranchers are getting older and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. …
- “Feeding future populations is the issue at 2012 Commissioner’s Series kick-off session,” CALS News Center: On March 21, during Agriculture Awareness Week, a panel met with Steve Troxler, state agriculture commissioner, to discuss the topic “Feeding the World in 2020.” …
- “Locally grown food feeding Asheville economy,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Asheville’s burgeoning local food movement soon will be known throughout the Appalachians. After that, who knows? …
- “Warm winter brings early termite problems,” WRAL: Termites – those tiny bugs that look like white ants – play a very important role in the ecosystem, but many homeowners know them as pests that can cause extensive damage to homes and other buildings. …
- “Local farmer gets money to turn strawberries into cider,” Hendersonville Times-News: Local farmer Danny McConnell will soon be equipped to help turn strawberries into wine. His McConnell Farms in Dana was one of 13 agricultural operations statewide to receive a 2012 equipment cost share award from the North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share program. …
- “NC product promoters gear up for race weekend,” Richmond County Daily Journal: The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is sending its newest marketing vehicles to the Rockingham Speedway on April 15, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., during the Good Sam Club Roadside Assistance Carolina 200 presented by Cheerwine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. …
- “Sandhills Area Land Trust partners with Army to provide training sites, conservation,” Fayetteville Observer: A Moore County-based land conservation group has for the past four years partnered with the Army to buy land near Fort Bragg for the military’s survival training. …
- “Bits & Sips – Locals compete for state chef title,” Wilmington Star-News: This week, the preliminary rounds of a statewide cooking competition continue. The coastal leg of the “Iron Chef”-style contest called Fire on the Dock started last week. …
- “NC plans to lay 12,000 traps to catch gypsy moths,” Charlotte Observer: North Carolina agriculture officials are planning to leave 12,000 traps across the state to get a better handle on the size and distribution of the destructive gypsy moth population. …
- “Peanuts up, tobacco down for NC farmers this year,” WTVD: With farmers in eastern North Carolina still recovering from Hurricane Irene, cotton and tobacco crops are expected to drop this year, while some of the state’s other major crops will increase. …