The synchronized sounds from the shoes of cloggers, the aroma of sweet treats in the air, and the incredible view of the Blue Ridge from atop a Ferris wheel are sure signs the North Carolina Mountain State Fair is underway. The event kicked off Sept. 11 at the WNC Agriculture Center outside of Asheville and … Read more
A new biochar program in the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services traces its roots to a trifecta of problems affecting Western North Carolina, but it ultimately aims to improve soil and water on farms across the state. Biochar is a carbon-rich soil amendment made by heating organic material in a very low-oxygen … Read more
‘From the tractor’ is published in the monthly Agricultural Review. This column appears in the September 2026 edition of the paper. Back in August I attended the 137th opening of the Wilson Tobacco Market and it was a great event that reminded me so much of the days when Sharon and I would haul bales of … Read more
Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun … Read more
Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun … Read more
Twenty-one years ago, a change to a North Carolina law would not only transform the state’s beer industry, it would also create new opportunities for some of the state’s farmers. To celebrate the anniversary of that change, a crowd gathered in Durham on Aug. 13, exactly 21 years after Gov. Mike Easley signed House Bill … Read more
Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun … Read more
Efforts to repair, improve and maintain waterways in North Carolina are getting a boost thanks to a relatively new tool developed by employees in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Division of Soil and Water Conservation. The new tool called the Disaster Assessment and Reporting Tool or “DART” focuses on specific kinds of … Read more
Discovering NC Agriculture is a social media series focusing on N.C. grown, raised, caught, and made commodities. Originally started in 2025, this series has been renewed to run for another year! Tune in each month to see how an N.C. commodity is grown, harvested, packed for consumer use and more. Learn nutritional value, find fun … Read more
The 137th opening of the Wilson Tobacco Market drew a crowd Wednesday, Aug. 12, setting a festive and hopeful tone for the start of the tobacco buying season that felt equal parts family reunion and pep rally. With America also celebrating its 250th anniversary, many speakers included tributes to America’s first crop and its role … Read more
