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.
- “Report: Drought intensifies in Kansas, Nebraska,” Charlotte Observer: A new report suggests that while recent rains stabilized the devastating drought gripping Iowa and other key farming states, the dry conditions intensified in Kansas and Nebraska. …
- “Farmers could get help in new markets,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Family farms, hit hard by the loss of tobacco as a cash crop, could be crucial to growing more jobs throughout Western North Carolina, creating new supply chains for local foods and meats, craft brewing, forestry and fiber product and renewable energy. …
- “Historic Farm Offers Heirloom Berries,” Southern Pines Pilot: It’s rare these days to find a 200-year-old family farm exhibit such endurance. Such is the history of the McLeod farm located in Carthage. The farm began in 1777 when the McLeod family emigrated from Scotland and continues to exist in the 21st century. …
- “N.C. corn growers have good crop in year of record prices,” News & Observer: If it’s true that farmers only remember their worst years and their best ones, 2012 will stand out in their memories for a long while. For corn growers in the drought-plagued Midwest, it may be one of the worst. For those who grow corn in North Carolina, it’s looking like one of the best. …
- “Permits to harvest ginseng on sale soon,” Hendersonville Times-News: The U.S. Forest Service is reminding visitors to the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests that they will need permits to collect ginseng. The designated harvest season begins Sept. 1 and runs through the end of the month. …
- “Kids experience week of gardening, farming and caring for animals at ‘Adventures in Agriculture’ camp,” Fayetteville Observer: Austin Gottfried said he might like to be a farmer someday. “If my mom helps,” he quickly added, ” ’cause I can’t do it by myself.” …
- “USDA buying meat to help drought-stricken farmers,” Winston-Salem Journal: The government will buy up to $170 million worth of pork, lamb, chicken and catfish to help drought-stricken farmers, the White House said Monday…
- “NC Forest Service sending crews to battle Idaho fires,” NBC-17: Forty firefighters with the N.C. Forest Service will head out to help fight the wildfires in Idaho. Firefighters from the coast and Piedmont will gather at the regional headquarters in Chatham County to board a bus according to Forest Service officials. …
- “NCSU opens three greenhouses at N.C. Research Campus,” WRAL: N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute has started operations in three new greenhouses near the North Carolina Research Campus. The $340,000 greenhouse complex will strengthen N.C. State’s infrastructure at the life sciences hub, the university said. …