While strawberries are the first fruit of spring, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries quickly follow as spring gives way to summer. They also have a pretty big fan base, which has helped contribute to the success of Dr. Young’s Pond Berry Farm in Harnett County...
Field Trip
Ruby’s presence at the Capitol reflects the robust Christmas tree industry boasted by North Carolina
Around this time each year, people across the globe engage in one of the most heated debates of our time: Whether or not it’s okay to put Christmas decorations out before Thanksgiving. The spectrum seems to split right down the middle relative to when the exact...
New building will aid research into N.C. Christmas tree production
Christmas tree research in North Carolina is entering a new chapter after a groundbreaking at the Upper Mountain Research Station. The event in late November marked the official beginning of a new building on the research station that will house a seedbank for the...
Wildlife and nature have prospered at Pilot Mountain since the presence of fire
Devastating. A word meaning highly destructive, damaging, causing severe shock, distress or grief. It’s also a word that has commonly been associated with the Grindstone Fire that ignited Nov. 27, 2021, at Pilot Mountain State Park. It’s not difficult to see where...
NCDA&CS grants help explore American sycamore trees as revenue stream for farmers
https://youtu.be/8EQJWBIHWAw A research project that has received funding from the NCDA&CS Bioenergy Research Initiative is exploring the possibility of growing American sycamore trees as a farm crop. The head researcher (called a principal investigator) John...
NCDA&CS grant funds helping develop new hops for state’s craft brewing industry
https://youtu.be/_MR6MmRJaSw A research project that’s received funding from the NCDA&CS New and Emerging Crops Program is developing new varieties of hops for use in the state’s craft beer industry. Currently, the state’s breweries depend largely on hops grown in...
“In the Field” tips for picking a ripe watermelon
July is primetime for homegrown watermelons in North Carolina. In the heat of summer, few things are better than the refreshment you can find in a sweet ripe watermelon. Independence Day is certainly a popular time to have watermelon during holiday meals. So if you...
Research station aims to provide world’s best Fraser firs
Like any other farmers, Christmas trees growers in western North Carolina are always looking for ways to grow more and better product.
N.C. tree shines as center of White House Christmas decor
A Christmas tree from North Carolina is now on display as the official White House Christmas tree and the centerpiece of the home’s Christmas decorations. The Fraser fir from Peak Farms in Ashe County is in the Blue Room. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden officially revealed the decorated tree along with the other White House […]
Post-Florence improvements still in the works thanks to disaster recovery funds secured by NCDA&CS
Throughout North Carolina, there are dozens and dozens of disaster recovery projects still in the works in the aftermath of Hurricane Florence in 2018. Many of those are projects that have been made possible with support from the Soil and Water Conservation Division in NCDA&CS. The division has helped fund many projects aimed at stabilizing […]
Food Distribution Division meets challenge of getting more food to more people
To say the NCDA&CS Food Distribution Division has had two monumental years may seem like a bit of exaggeration. The numbers make it clear though. Division director Gary Gay says the division has nearly doubled the amount of food its moved through its warehouses in the past two years. Some of the increase obviously came […]
With End of Days comes spirits to enjoy, not fear
[This article is the first in a series about North Carolina distilleries in honor of N.C. Spirits Month, which was first proclaimed in 2017. Each article is part of a “spooky spirits” theme ahead of Halloween.] Not far from the banks of the Cape Fear River you’ll find the End of Days Distillery. While a […]