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.
- “High thrips numbers reported in North Carolina tobacco,” Southeast Farm Press: Tobacco growers and consultants reported unusually high thrips numbers in North Carolina tobacco the last week of May, according to the state’s tobacco entomologist. Should growers be more concerned about tomato spotted wilt virus infection in the state? In her May 29 blog post, Hannah Burrack, NC State University Extension entomologist, says thrips counts at the time ranged from 30 to 50 thrips per tobacco leaf, along with the classic signs of silver-leafing foliar damage. …
- “Debate over insecticides and bee health carries high stakes for Triangle,” News & Observer: Bayer CropScience’s shiny new $2.4 million North American Bee Care Center demonstrates the company’s commitment to finding ways to improve the health of these vitally important winged insects. But the very existence of the center is also a symbol of the high stakes at play for Bayer, as well as several other agribusinesses operating in the Triangle, in the debate about insecticides and the alarming rate of bee colony deaths. …
- “Farm tour draws visitors from throughout the state,” Stokes News: Foodies from all over the state were in Stokes County this weekend as part of the first Triad Farm Tour. The self-guided driving tour, created by the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, provided an opportunity for people interested in locally grown foods a chance to visit 17 farms in the Triad area and learn how each farm operated. It included two farms in Stokes County, Plum Granny Farm and Keep Your Fork Farm, and several farms in neighboring Forsyth County, Harmony Ridge Farms, Horne Creek Farm, Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery and Yellow Wolf Farm. “This has been excellent,” said Kara Chambers, a Winston-Salem resident who traveled north for the tour on Saturday. “A friend of mine emailed me the information and I got together a carload of friends to come with me. It has been so much fun.” Chambers, like many of the people on the tour, is part of a growing trend of consumers interested in buying locally and knowing how their food is produced. …
- “Unmanned aerial vehicles are flying to the farm,” Charlotte Observer: A Georgia consortium is poised to be a leader in unmanned aerial vehicle technologies for farming. A statewide working group that includes state and federal government, industry and academia, has been working since 2009 to develop a type of drone that can save a farmer’s time and resources during the growing season. At a recent flight demonstration over a working research farm on the grounds of the Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, members of the project discussed the enterprise. “We’ve been working between the Center for Innovation for Aerospace, and the Center for Innovation for Agribusiness on how to take that aerospace technology of unmanned systems and apply it to agriculture, and to increase the yield and the profits in our agricultural sector,” said Steve Justice, director of the Georgia Center of Innovation for Aerospace. …
- “Hypoallergenic peanut closer to reality,” Winston-Salem Journal: N.C. A&T announced Tuesday that it has signed a licensing deal with a Canadian firm. The company, Xemerge, will look for commercial applications for a hypoallergenic peanut developed by A&T researchers. This development could be good news for about 3 million Americans who suffer from potentially fatal peanut allergies. “This opens the door for applications where people can use the peanuts that have undergone this process,” said Wayne Szafranski, A&T’s assistant vice chancellor for outreach and economic development. “We think the technology is really strong.” …
- “Blackberries evoke tasty memories,” Rocky Mount Telegram: The summers of childhood in the 1950s and ’60s meant blackberry picking followed by tasty dishes filled with the juicy, black fruit. I hold treasured memories of those berry-picking days in Western North Carolina and still love the taste of blackberries, now touted for nutritional qualities. Blackberry is a popular flavor in food from ice cream to yogurt, and recipes range from salmon with blackberry glaze to cream cheese blackberry muffins. Blackberry cobbler is always sure to please. …