News Roundup: June 30-July6

by | Jul 6, 2012

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.

  • There’s a strong interest in Friends of Agriculture,” Mecklenburg County Extension Blog: The 20 or so farmers and food system activists looked a bit out of place Tuesday morning, clustered around tables in an ornate room generally reserved for high-class weddings and corporate powwows at the posh Ballantyne Resort Hotel in South Charlotte. …
  • Drought conditions return to N.C. after scorching heat,” Fayetteville Observer: North Carolina didn’t stay drought-free for long. Below-normal rainfall and record-breaking temperatures have brought moderate drought conditions to 17 counties, state officials said. …
  • Locally raised meats get a boost from new Cabarrus facility,” Charlotte Observer: It has a cryptic name: “The Cruse Meats Harvest Facility.” It has a use that some people may find unsettling: It’s where livestock – mostly cows, pigs, sheep and goats – will come to end their lives before they become steaks and sausage. …
  • Ethanol makers idle plants amid high corn prices,” Charlotte Observer: Ethanol makers are cutting production, and some are temporarily idling plants in the Midwest, as corn prices skyrocket and demand for gasoline falls because people are driving less. …