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.
- “Seafood processor Acme hits its local stride,” Wilmington StarNews: The first time Richard Nordt scouted the plot of land now home to the Pender Commerce Park, the thick brush of trees made it accessible only by foot. But he had a vision for the space. That was July 2013. Today, his office looks out on Acme Smoked Fish Corp.’s 100,000-square-foot processing plant, the first tenant of the park that straddles the New Hanover-Pender county line on U.S. 421 North. With just eight months of operations under its belt, the plant has already hit its stride. When the New York-based company first announced plans to open up shop in Pender County in October 2013, it did so with the vow of creating 120 jobs for the local economy within its first year. Commencing operations Feb. 2, the plant now boasts a staff of 141. …
- “Pine straw is a plentiful fall crop,” Fayetteville Observer: Two workers attack a 5-foot-high pile of longleaf pine straw with pitchforks. With practiced moves, they stuff the needles into balers, then lace the bales with string. Within an hour, the pile is gone and 44 bales of pine straw stand stacked, waiting for delivery to landscapers and garden centers. It’s a busy time of year at Julian Johnson’s Hoke County pine straw farm. With the needles falling like copper rain, there is plenty of work to be done. The reason is that the pine straw is prized by gardeners, who use it to line flower beds and provide landscaping around garden pathways. And no matter how much straw the trees produce, there is always a demand for the product. “It’s an inexpensive mulch,” said Tim Owen of Owen Garden Center and Nursery. “It falls from heaven twice a year.” …
- “A young competitor shows at the NC State Fair,” The News & Observer: Don’t let the big bow on top of Sloane Hinnant’s head fool you. Hinnant, a 4-year-old competitor in the Junior Market Lamb Showmanship Champion contest, doesn’t let the grit of the barn get in the way of taking home a blue ribbon from the N.C. State Fair. The Hinnants left their farm in Kenly for their annual two-day trip to the State Fair. Sloane and her siblings Kate, 6, and Ross, 8, are no strangers to the livestock showing community. The family set up camp outside the exposition center beneath a white tent with their lambs and everything needed to get ready for the competitions. Sloane spent the day bathing, drying and prepping her lamb, a male that she affectionately named “Isabelle.” Her father, Clay Hinnant, helped with tougher tasks. He guided Sloane’s small hands on hair clippers and helped her dry the top of the lamb. Sloane had a moment of hesitation, doubting her desire to compete in the showmanship competition. Minutes later she was determined to take over the lamb-grooming task her father had begun. …
- “What is that? talking trees at Holmes Forest,” Hendersonville Times-News: In the heart of Holmes Educational State Forest, a tune cranks up and a voice fills the air. The voice talks of trees and history. It’s the voice of “talking trees.” And the kids love them. “I want to push the button,” said 5-year-old Sloan Romanelli, who was exploring the Talking Tree Trail on Oct. 7 with her grandparents. With a wide smile and beaming eyes, she pressed the button to hear the welcome greeting of the first tree they would hear talk in their journey. There are seven talking trees along the nearly half-mile Talking Tree Trail at the forest. Amy Kinsella, an educational ranger at the park, said they have probably had them since the late ’80s. There are seven educational state forests across North Carolina and most of them have talking trees, she added, but Holmes is the only one with the lecturing lumber in Western North Carolina. …
- “North Carolina brewers turn to foragers, farmers,” The News & Observer: To most, 75 pounds of persimmons would seem plenty. But for Sean Lilly Wilson, it was just enough to brew the inaugural batch of Fullsteam Brewery’s First Frost. Five years later, and the Durham brewery still produces the persimmon-packed winter ale. They recently released this year’s version on draft at the taproom, and plan to release bottles of the beer in November. The brewery produces much more of the beer now than they did their first year in business, and so naturally they use more persimmons. Right now, the brewery has nearly a ton on hand for the next batch. No, literally: they have 1,500 pounds of persimmons that will be frozen and used next year (the beer is brewed in the late spring so it will be ready around – you guessed it – the time of the first frost). Where does one get a ton of persimmons? “We know you can’t go into a Food Lion or even a farmers market and get persimmons or pawpaws or some of these ingredients, but you can crowdsource them,” said Wilson. “We want to do so by paying people market rate and giving them an incentive.” …
- “Hard cider maker planning Triad operation inks distribution deal,” Triad Business Journal: Bull City Ciderworks now has a partner to distribute the kegs of hard cider that will be rolling off the line at its new Lexington cidery. The Durham-based cider maker has partnered with Craft Central, a division of Greensboro-based Caffey Distributing, for distribution in the Triad and Charlotte markets. “We’ve had the desire to bring a locally made craft cider to our markets for several months, but wanted to make sure that brand shared our passion for North Carolina’s craft culture,” said Chris Caffey, president and CEO of Craft Central. “The craft drinkers within our markets are already eager to explore these unique offerings as Bull City makes their way into our region.” Bull City launched as the first cider bar in the Triangle and announced in June that it will move its production to Lexington, where it is building a 33,000-square-foot ciderworks within the Depot District in downtown. …