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.
- “Bladenboro farmer producing electricity from hog waste,” Fayetteville Observer: From inside a red metal building on a hog farm, a roaring engine is generating enough electricity to supply about 300 homes. The fuel for the generator comes from the gassy byproduct of decomposing pig manure – waste that until now had been stored in six open-air lagoons spread over 21 acres just outside this Bladen County town of 1,750 residents. …
- “High Point company sets sights on exporting,” High Point Enterprise: Since starting their granola business a few years ago, Rodney and Lavinia Hensley have found that tapping into new markets has been a key to the growth of Big Boss Baking Co. Retail chains like The Fresh Market and Whole Foods carry their homemade products — flavors such as Honey Vanilla, Apple Cinnamon, Honey Almond and Cranberry and Blueberry Walnut are especially popular — on the shelves of their stores all over the country. The High Point husband and wife have now found what they hope will be a vast new frontier of consumers. The Hensleys recently exported their first shipment of granola to China. The purchase came as a result of an inbound trade mission that was held in Concord in March that was organized by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. …
- “For N.C. farmer, growing peaches is a labor of love,” Virginian Pilot: … Peach season is here, and North Carolina experts predict the harvest will be a good one. Growers in the state produce between 10 million and 11 million pounds a year, ranking 13th in the country, according to the National Peach Council. …
- “Minnesota now the No. 2 U.S. hog state,” St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer Press: Minnesota has just surpassed North Carolina to become the nation’s No. 2 hog-and-pig state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Friday. According to the Hog and Pig Inventory taken June 1, Iowa still easily claims the No. 1 spot, with 19.2 million hogs and pigs. But Minnesota has inched past North Carolina, with 7.75 million hogs and pigs. “This marks the first time Minnesota has had the second largest inventory in the U.S. since records began,” USDA’s Minnesota office reported. The new ranking was due more to North Carolina’s losses rather than Minnesota’s gains. North Carolina has 13 percent fewer hogs and pigs than it did a year ago, in part due to outbreaks of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus, which kills young pigs. …
- “John Vollmer was among first in NC to adopt sustainability, move from tobacco,” News & Observer: John Vollmer’s decision in the 1990s to transform Vollmer Farm, which had been in his family for generations, came after a number of omens that seemed worth noting. Vollmer had made his living not only in farming, but also in supplying local farmers with agricultural chemicals. His soil wasn’t rebounding, crop after crop as it once had. New federal regulations were going to make his small-scale tobacco farm far less profitable. …
- “Piedmont blueberry crops ‘incredible’ this summer,” WGHP: If you are going to have crop damage, this is the kind of damage Rick Langhorne wants to see. “The fruit load is incredible,” Langhorne said. “The branches are about ready to snap off. In fact one did snap off at the base.” At Langhorne’s Blueberry Thrill Farm in Gibsonville, his blueberry bushes are loaded with large berries that are easy to pick. On the other side of Guilford County, Bruce Henry’s Blueberry Hill in Colfax also has buckets of blueberries. “We had a cold winter and a late spring. It got the bushes ready for a lot of berries,” Henry said. The North Carolina Blueberry Council is expecting five percent more blueberries this year. …
- “Local restaurant is part of unique ‘week’,” Burlington Times-News: The Eddy Pub is one of 42 restaurants participating in the “Dig Into Local” restaurant week July 14-23. “Dig Into Local” is a program of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Participating restaurants will feature menus showcasing at least four North Carolina-inspired items and one North Carolina wine. The Eddy Pub is at 1715 Saxapahaw-Bethlehem Church Road. …
- “Impact of PEDv Analyzed,” Southern Farm Network: After the latest USDA Hogs and Pigs Report – analysts have questioned what impact will be seen in future hog numbers with the availability of a new PEDv vaccine. Dr. Patrick Webb – Pork Checkoff director of swine health programs – says it will take time to understand that impact. “There is conditional licensing for a product developed. The conditional licensing will make it easier to obtain the product for those producers and vets who want to incorporate it into their health program. It’s one of the factors that is playing into the hog numbers. Over time we will see what effect it has. We don’t have a lot of data yet and we will see the effects in the future.” …
- “Research station to open for Field Day July 10,” Hendersonville Times: When it was first established in 1908, the Mountain Research Station was located in Swannanoa. But as a result of the need for a hospital, the U.S. Army selected the Swannanoa site for its facility in 1944, leading to the relocation of the Mountain Research Station to its current 400-acre site in Waynesville. The station is one of 18 sites located across the state with the mission of providing research to make farming more efficient, productive and profitable. Each research station was strategically placed so that scientists can conduct research in the climate and soil type that are representative of the area. Research conducted at the Mountain Research Station reflects the diverse needs of farmers not only in Western North Carolina but also across the state. Research program areas include livestock, field and forage crops, Christmas trees, burley tobacco and horticultural crops. …
- “July designated Got To Be NC Agriculture Month,” Greensboro News & Record: Farmers across North Carolina are taking their fruits and vegetables to market, and Gov. Pat McCrory has proclaimed July as the month to salute their work. In recognition of agriculture’s importance as the state’s top industry, McCrory has proclaimed July 2014 as Got to Be NC Agriculture Month. …