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.
- “FDA Holds Listening Session on Food Safety Rules,” Time Warner Cable News: North Carolina produce farmers and animal-food manufacturers are learning about updated rules proposed under the Federal Food Safety Modernization Act. The FDA is holding meetings across the country to get industry input. The law goes into full effect in about three years and is said to be the most sweeping reform of US food safety laws in more than 70 years. Signed into law in 2011, the Food Safety Modernization Act marks a major shift in food safety, changing the federal strategy from responding to contamination to preventing it. …
- “Dixon: Farm finds a niche in baby ginger, turmeric,” Winston-Salem Journal: One of the best parts about writing this column is discovering new places, new people and new plants. Recently, I discovered Plum Granny Farm in Stokes County — and the unique crops that they cultivate. Owners Cheryl Ferguson and Ray Tuegel are best known for garlic. Growing more than 20 varieties has put them on the food map. …
- “Local TV show features Lejeune mess hall,” DVIDS: Local TV station UNC-TV’s program Flavor, NC is dedicated to showcasing local food producers, their products and restaurants who prepare dishes with those ingredients. Mess Hall 82 aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune will be featured in an upcoming episode of Flavor, NC. “The show features a variety of local ingredients from fresh fruits and vegetables to dried goods and meats,” said Paul Friday, director of government and external relations with Marine Corps Installations East. “Not only do we provide wholesome, nutritious food for service members, but we also recognize local food producers.” Flavor, NC starts at the origin of produce, and describes the process the food takes to arrive at its final destination. …
- “Tree-mendous Haul For NC Forest Service,” WFAE: An unusual North Carolina Forest Service program has staff compete to collect tree seeds. After a fertile year, the service is touting the results. James West manages a nursery and publishes a most-wanted list—both for the North Carolina Forest Service. The list names types of seeds state and county forest officials might find as they patrol the woods. They bring them back to grow into seedlings in the nursery, West says. “It’s really interesting to watch how much comes in,” says West. …
- “Keep an eye on gas receipts to find inaccurate pumps,” WRAL: When filling up at the pump, most of us just set it and forget it. And for the most part, people trust the numbers on the pump. A woman who contacted 5 on Your Side was on empty when she filled up, which may have helped her catch a problem with her gas pump. “According to my owner’s manual, I have 13.2 gallons capacity in my car, but the pump went over 16 gallons,” Kathy Potter said. Potter needed gas when she stopped at the WilcoHess on Western Boulevard in October. “When I saw that hit 13 gallons, I got concerned, and then when it kept going I was really, you know, puzzled,” Potter said. “I thought wow, I was really on empty.” Her receipt shows the pump finally cut off at more than 16 gallons. “Over three gallons is a pretty pricey error margin,” Potter said. “That cost me over $10 and if we’re doing that every time we fill up, that’s a lot of money out of my pocket.” Potter said the clerk wasn’t worried about the difference. “She didn’t seem very concerned, she just kind of laughed and shrugged it off,” said Potter. So the Potters called state inspectors, who tested the pump and shut it down. “It’s nothing the store did on purpose, it’s just equipment and it does go bad,” said Jerry Butler with the state Department of Agriculture. Butler said the inspector pumped 20 gallons but was charged for 26.6 gallons. He ended up closing both sides of the pump. …
- “Tobacco Trust Fund provides $500k for agricultural projects at NC State,” The Technician: The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund provided $500,000 to two agricultural projects based at NC State geared toward helping struggling farmers during what has been a difficult economy for agriculturalists. The organization announced that it will provide about $300,000 to fund NC AgVentures, a new program that will seek to help tobacco farmers update and revamp farms through the use of individual grants. The Tobacco Trust Fund will also give about $200,000 to Developing Future NC Farmers, a program that hopes to encourage college students to develop a career in the agriculture industry. “The money goes directly to the farmers so they can implement new projects on their farm,” said Jacqueline Murphy Miller, the extension assistant of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. There has been a significant decline of tobacco growth in the United States, according to Miller. However, North Carolina remains the number one producer of flue-cured tobacco, the primary ingredient in cigarettes in the country. “The bottom line is we want to keep farmers in business,” said Jeff Jennings, program officer of the Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. …
- “Conference unites women across meat industry supply chain to address common issues,” Indy Week: Bacon is easy. I want to say that loud and clear. Bacon is easy.” That’s Tray Satterfield, meat associate at Skagit Valley Cured Meats in Washington State and she’s speaking about curing pork to 36 women gathered for a three-day conversation about all things meat. Now in its second year, Women Working in the Meat Business is a conference hosted by NC Choices, a program of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems. …
- “Farm-City Week showcases local agriculture,” Richmond County Daily Journal: Culture and agriculture will meet here Saturday as Farm-City Week kicks off, bringing those in the city and those in the country closer together. This year’s theme is “Who’s Your Farmer?” and Susan Kelly of the Richmond County Cooperative Extension office believes it’s a way for those unfamiliar with farming to become a little more educated. “Farm-City is a national movement. City folks and country folks getting together,” said Kelly. “This is a fairly rural county, but a lot of people don’t know about agriculture.” The agriculture agencies in the local N.C. Cooperative Extension office are in charge of this year’s festivities, said Kelly, along with several Richmond County residents. …
- “NC-inspired menu creates a Tar Heel Thanksgiving,” Charlotte Observer: At least we spared you the possum. There was a time, according to Southern food historian David Shields, when hotels in the Carolinas featured the critter instead of turkey at their Thanksgiving feasts. But when we decided to dig into some of North Carolina’s most beloved cookbooks for a Tar Heel-centric Thanksgiving menu, we decided that turkey, as one of the state’s leading products, really should stay on the table. Same for sweet potatoes. We’re No. 1 in the country in sweet potato production.And there are plenty of other holiday foods that we could find around the state. How about scuppernongs? And cranberries, of course. …
- “Raleigh drone company looks to farmers for business,” WRAL: Most people associate drones with the military. They have played a major role in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. A Raleigh company is trying to change that impression. Precision Hawk believes drones can be money-makers. A North Carolina State University farm serves as a test site for Precision Hawk near Bahama. Motors start, propellers spin and, with a gentle toss into the wind, aircraft take flight.”The term drone has such a negative connotation, you see it on the news all the time,” said Tyler Collins, Precision Hawk’s director of business development. …
- “AdvantageWest gets $1.2 million for ScaleUp WNC,” Asheville Citizen-Times: With 14,000 gallons produced this year, Noble Cider is not the same company it was two years ago when the market’s big thirst for their small batch of 2,000 gallons caused the barrels to run dry before the next apple season. “That’s when we had our first realization that we needed to make a lot more because we can’t just stop selling. We have to continue to have something to sell in order to still be a business,” said Trevor Baker, co-founder of Noble Cider. …