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...
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...
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]