From the archives: Make summer even sweeter with these North Carolina honey recipes

From the archives is a series that dives into the archives of the Agricultural Review, the free newspaper published by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, and explores interesting recipes, agriculture news and features from the past century. There’s something special about honey harvested in North Carolina. From the wildflowers of the Piedmont … Read more

NCDA&CS employees work to protect pollinators this week and beyond

It’s estimated that about a third of every bite of food we eat comes from the pollination activity of pollinators. So protecting them is vital to maintaining our food supply. That’s a big reason the national Pollinator Week exists – to remind people about the importance of pollinators and the things we can do to … Read more

June is National Pollinator Month and June 19-25 is National Pollinator Week making it a great time to celebrate bees, butterflies, birds and other pollinators.

Summary: It is well established that pollinators are essential to food production, with a third of every mouthful of food attributed to pollinated crops. Protecting pollinators, especially bees, has been an ongoing focus of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services through the Bee Check Program, new beekeeping and hive health videos and research … Read more

Carpenter bees: a tale of solitude and tolerance

It’s the time of year when you may be seeing more carpenter bees around your house, especially if you’re around your house more these days. Carpenter bees are solitary though, so you won’t find them in hives – probably just one or two at a time in any given area. Right now, lots of male … Read more

Warm weather brings challenges for beekeepers

Bee populations in North Carolina are on the upswing, and that means just one thing for beekeepers: you guessed it, more work. Warmer weather means more bees, and more bees means an increase in the predatory varroa mites that can threaten their broods, according to Don Hopkins, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services … Read more

News Roundup: Sept. 1 – 7

News Roundup

Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. “A de-vine time September is N.C. Wine and Grape Month,” McDowell News:  Wineries, grape growers, restaurateurs and state officials gathered in Raleigh Tuesday to officially kick-off N.C. Wine and Grape Month, … Read more

News Roundup: June 16 – 22

News Roundup

Each week we round up the latest N.C. agricultural headlines from news outlets across the state and country, as well as excerpts from the stories. “MO mayor blasts Farm Bill protest before legislature,” Mount Olive Tribune: The N.C. Farm Act of 2018 is strongly supported by Mount Olive Mayor Joe Scott, who spoke before members … Read more

Celebrate Pollinator Week with the latest buzz from a local startup

If you want to save the bees, you may have to start by thinking like one. That’s the key to sustainable success for 25-year-old Leigh-Kathryn Bonner, founder and CEO of the 2014 Durham startup, Bee Downtown. Bonner claims her passion for beekeeping stems from a simple admiration for their importance in nature. “Everything a bee … Read more

Today’s Topic: New FieldCheck and BeeCheck apps launch for the FieldWatch program. Designed to help protect bees and crops

Today's Topic

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The online mapping programs DriftWatch and BeeCheck were launched two years ago, and the recent addition of two new apps (FieldCheck and BeeCheck) make them even easier to use. The FieldCheck app will allow users to access … Read more