Joey Pitchford

Spotted Lanternfly has come to NC: Now what?

  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...

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Bradford Pear Bounty program a success

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 […]

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IMPEC Grant helps Fulcher’s Seafood move forward

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 […]

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Bradford Pears: A pretty nuisance

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 […]

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IMPEC program gives processors flexibility

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 […]

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Psyllids may help keep dangerous knotweed in check

In the battle against invasive species, NCDA&CS has a tiny new ally. The invader: Knotweed, a destructive plant which can grow roots systems more than 20 feet wide. The ally: A two-millimeter bug known as a Knotweed psyllid. Nancy Oderkirk, research specialist and quarantine officer with the NCDA&CS Beneficial Insects lab, is a one person […]

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Weights and Measures week recognizes inspectors

If there is anything on the minds of most North Carolinians right now, getting your money’s worth at the gas pump is likely pretty close to the top of the list. Thankfully, NCDA&CS weights and measures inspectors help to do just that. From March 1-7 we celebrate national Weights and Measures week, when we recognize […]

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Sharon Woodard keeps the metrology lab at the top of its game

Sharon Woodard keeps the metrology lab at the top of its game

Keeping North Carolinians safe at the gas pump and the register involves more than a few different things. There’s the technology and expertise needed to carry out inspections. There’s the regulatory and legal knowledge required to enforce safety and accuracy standards. And for Sharon Woodard, there’s a whole lot of math. While for some that […]

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