We Are Agriculture is a year-long series that will highlight the hard-work done by employees across the Department of Agriculture. Tracy Taylor, Superintendent of the Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs, is one of those employees. Stay tuned each...
Fraser fir
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.
News Roundup: Dec 1 – 7
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. “We waste a lot of food. These people are doing something about it.” News & Observer: Oddly shaped produce can make for a fun conversation. But most produce that doesn’t […]
News Roundup: Nov. 11-16
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. “Amid salmonella outbreak, experts say NC turkeys are safe to eat this Thanksgiving,” WRAL: With one week to go before Thanksgiving, many are wondering if turkey is safe to eat. The concerns […]
News Roundup: Dec. 16-22
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. “Thieves fooled by hemp in farmer’s field,” Southeast Farm Press: Back in September, industrial hemp made the news in eastern North Carolina when five Edgecombe County men were arrested for […]
How the Bug Stole Christmas: Balsam woolly adelgid and America’s favorite Christmas tree
The most popular Christmas tree in the U.S. is a tree native to the mountains of western North Carolina. Often called the “Cadillac of Christmas trees” and dubbed the “Nation’s Best” by the National Christmas Tree Association, Fraser fir is beloved for its exceptional aroma, unparalleled needle retention, strong yet flexible branches (for those […]
News Roundup: Nov. 26-Dec. 2
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. “Family Trees: Selling Christmas trees more of a passion than a business,” Winston-Salem Journal: When Christmas tree lots start popping up all over the city, the horticulturist inside of me gets […]
North Carolina puts the ‘merry’ in the holidays
If it weren’t for North Carolina farmers, Christmas and other winter holidays just wouldn’t be the same. The Tar Heel state plays an international role in holiday decorating with millions of real, fragrant Christmas trees, greenery and poinsettias coming from North Carolina soils each year. And, it’s not just the decorating, the Tar Heel state […]
News Roundup: Dec. 5-11
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 Weekend in Christmas Tree Country,” Garden & Gun’s Daily Shot Blog: Deep in the forested heart of northwestern North Carolina lies Watauga County, the self-proclaimed “Choose and Cut Christmas Tree […]
News Roundup: Dec. 20 – Jan. 2
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. Click on the links to go straight to the full story. “Christmas tree farms a gift for beneficial bugs,” Hendersonville Times-News: Sweat bees, like this one on a black-eyed Susan, […]
Nature’s Grinch: Balsam woolly adelgid bullies N.C. Christmas trees
The N.C. Fraser fir is the most popular Christmas tree around. It has been dubbed the “Nation’s Best” by the National Christmas Tree Association and has been selected as the official White House Christmas tree more than any other tree. Each year, millions of homes become more festive with ornamented N.C. Fraser firs. North Carolina […]
News Roundup: Sept. 29-Oct. 5
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. Click on the links to go straight to the full story. “Bumper crop of fun at state fair,” The Apex Herald: I can feel it in the air. Fall has […]