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.
- “N.C. Farm to School sales top $1 million,” Greensboro News & Record: The state agriculture department reached a milestone in its 15-year-old Farm to School program in that its produce sales to public schools reached $1 million this year for the first time. …
- “North Carolina drought-free for first time in nearly two years,” News & Observer: The remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl helped end a moderate drought in southeastern North Carolina, leaving the state drought-free for the first time since late June 2010. …
- “Emerald ash borer confirmed in Smokies,” Greenville Daily Reflector: The destructive emerald ash borer has been found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In a news release sent Thursday, park management stated the beetles were discovered last week in traps at the Sugarlands Visitor Center and in the Greenbrier area — both on the Tennessee side of the 500,000-acre park that lies partly in North Carolina. …
- “Corporations boost agricultural research funding,” Charlotte Observer: The gap between federal support for agricultural research at large public universities and private investment continues to grow – and the divide comes with increased threats to academic freedom and more instances of meddling in the lab, a new research report suggests. ….
- “Brewers competition added to State Fair,” WRAL: For the first time, the N.C. State Fair will feature a beer competition. The North Carolina Brewers’ Cup will feature categories for home and professional brewers. …
- “Some North Carolina growers turning to late-planted corn,” Southeast Farm Press: Corn has been a big success story the past few years for growers across the country, but in some Southeastern states, the average corn yield has been trending downward, leaving some to wonder about the options for planting and managing corn a little differently. …
- “NC homeowners, farmers poised to battle kudzu bugs,” WRAL: Homeowners and soybean growers in North Carolina are witnessing a continuing invasion of kudzu bugs. The insects were first found in Georgia in 2009, and since then, they have been found in soybean fields there and in South Carolina in large numbers. …