News Roundup: Aug. 10-16

by | Aug 16, 2013

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.

  • “Wake County Commissioners focus on agriculture,” Wake Forest Weekly:  Four years after work on it began, the Wake County Commissioners unanimously approved the Wake County Agricultural Economic Development Plan (AEDP) Monday. The plan was then presented to and certified by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Sciences (NCDA&CS) on Tuesday. …
  • “Peak-season soil-test fee coming this fall,” Chatham Journal: The 2013 Appropriations Act passed by the General Assembly approved a $4 fee for soil samples analyzed by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for the period from December through March. The fee is an attempt to lessen the backlog associated with the busy season when the lab is routinely inundated with tens of thousands of samples. …
  • “Vetoed bill would have helped local ag community,” Hendersonville Times-News: Gov. Pat McCrory vetoed a bill Thursday that would have helped the agricultural community hire seasonal workers, said Mark Williams, executive director of Agribusiness Henderson County. Under current law, E-Verify screening to determine a worker’s immigration status is required after 90 days of employment. …
  • “Cabarrus News: Annual Agricultural Celebration puts focus on farmers,” Charlotte Observer: There was no red carpet or phalanx of photographers, but there was a buzz of celebration and excitement in the air as folks gathered for the eighth annual Agricultural Celebration on July 30. Instead of evening gowns and tuxedos, attendees wore T-shirts and dungarees to this event where farmers have the rare opportunity to socialize. …