Joey Pitchford There are few things that connect people around the world like agriculture. Everywhere people live, and across the thousands of years they have lived there, agriculture has been a foundational part of what makes human civilization possible. The sharing of agricultural knowledge has helped people all around the world become happier, live healthier and uplift … Read more
It’s official: the invasive Spotted lanternfly has made its way to North Carolina. Ever since the destructive pest was found near Kernersville in late July, the NCDA&CS Plant Industry team, North Carolina Forest Service and USDA-APHIS-PPQ have been hard at work surveying and treating for this pest. Spotted lanternfly poses a serious threat to … Read more
Since its inception in 2005, the NCDA&CS Farmland Preservation Division has had a somewhat self-explanatory mission: keep farms as farms. This simple goal has proven to be a great deal more complicated, still Farmland Preservation recently hit a significant milestone in that mission: 30,000 acres of land protected. Hitting that mark may seem like … Read more
Warm weather is here, and with it comes the yearly threat of hurricane season. For North Carolinians, it’s not exactly a new phenomenon – hurricanes are a part of life here – but in recent years the storms have grown both more intense and more frequent than past forecasting models were designed for. These stronger, … Read more
It started with a simple question: how do we get rid of those Bradford Pears? A simple premise, but complicated in execution. So when Dr. Kelly Oten of NC State University Extension began looking at ways to start reducing the numbers of the invasive tree species in North Carolina, she took inspiration from a program … Read more
The sun is shining and the bees are buzzing – but not the Asian Giant Hornets. As the weather gets warmer and insects like bees and wasps become more active, NCDA&CS has seen an uptick in calls from people who believe they have seen an Asian Giant Hornet, colloquially known as the “murder hornet,” near … Read more
Taking mom out to eat for Mother’s Day is a perfect way to make her feel appreciated, and North Carolina has all kinds of great destinations to choose from. For those who want something with a unique and historic flair to it, Carolina Coffee Shop in Chapel Hill has what you want. A familiar and … Read more
As agriculture continues to grow and expand across North Carolina, small independent meat processors have become a vital part of meeting the growing demand for food both at home and across the nation. That’s where the Improving Meat Production Efficiency and Capacity grant program comes in. Created in September 2020 to help independent processors deal … Read more
Spring is officially here, and with it come all the familiar sights, sounds and smells. Familiar, however, does not always mean “good.” Such is the case with the Bradford Pear, a tree which has become ubiquitous to North Carolinians for its pretty white color and rotten-fish smell. What many may not know, however, is that … Read more
By the time a piece of meat hits your plate, it has gone through a long journey. From the farm to the processing plant to the grocery store and everything in between, meat production is a complicated process which requires up-to-date infrastructure at every stage. That’s why in April 2021, the North Carolina Department of … Read more
