The Farm to School Program through the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services helps get North Carolina-grown fruits and vegetables onto school cafeteria trays across the state, and it all started with strawberries. According to Heather Lifsey, NCDA&CS marketing specialist, the program is a win-win-win – it helps schools provide fresh foods to kids, … Read more
Summary: North Carolina farmers have been able to supply over $3.6 million worth of food products to schools across the state, which is a new record for the N.C. Farm to School program. Schools have increased their purchases of North Carolina products thanks to USDA funding through the Local Food for Schools Cooperative. In addition … Read more
Summary: N.C. Farm to School calendar contest sponsored by the NC Grange awards young artists, 13 elementary-age students announced as this year’s winners. Today’s Topic with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis I am constantly amazed by the outstanding talent that is held in North Carolina No matter the age, I enjoy seeing the capabilities … Read more
The artwork of 13 elementary school students will be featured in the 2022-2023 North Carolina Farm to School calendar. This is the 11th year for the calendar, which features daily agricultural facts and highlights the N.C. Farm to School program and agriculture’s role in food production. “It’s important for kids to learn that their food … Read more
This past spring, when Gary Gay retired as the director of the Food Distribution Division after 36 years with NCDA&CS, the division staff wanted to celebrate his retirement with a special gift. That gift also turned into a way to honor another long-time employee. They created the Gary W. Gay Award of Excellence as a … Read more
After 36 years working in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Gary Gay is retiring at the end of this week. He’s been the director of the Food Distribution Division since 1994. When he started with the department in 1985, he didn’t imagine he’d stay for more than three decades, and he certainly … Read more
This week NCDA&CS will deliver four tractor-trailer loads of North Carolina-grown strawberries to schools across the state. The deliveries happen thanks to the N.C. Farm to School program – a collaborative effort between the department’s Food Distribution and Marketing divisions. The program offers 26 North Carolina-grown foods to the state’s schools – from strawberries, apples, … Read more
NCDA&CS is recognizing the Food Distribution division’s Butner and Salisbury warehouse staff for their extraordinary work as a team in this busy season. This was a great year for the team but both warehouse staff have been working extremely hard with disaster relief with Hurricane Matthew and Florence. In addition to these duties, both of … Read more
With over 2,000 employees in 20 divisions and a presence in all 100 counties, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services touches the lives of North Carolinians every day. We have regulatory and service responsibilities that are wide-ranging, but all seek to support and promote the health and welfare of the residents of this state. … Read more
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. “INCREASED FOCUS ON SENECAVIRUS A IN SWINE,” Southern Farm Network: (Audio)Animal health officials are conducting more tests related to a relatively low-impact swine disease which symptoms mimic a major disease … Read more
