‘From the tractor’ is published in the monthly Agricultural Review. This column appears in the October 2026 edition of the paper. We open the N.C. State Fair Oct. 15 at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh, and this year will mark the return of country ham competitions at the Fair. I believe the last country ham competition … 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
Fair season? But it’s only August! When you think of the fair, you may picture carved pumpkins, flannel and the scent of kettle corn in the brisk fall air. Even though the summer heat is still upon us, fair season is almost here, with nearly two dozen fairs scheduled across the state over the next … Read more
An exhibition highlighting the contributions of artists to state fairs across the United States is currently on display in Washington, D.C. And the ribbon-winning work of a few North Carolina artists is featured there, just steps away from the White House. State Fairs: Growing American Craft is an exhibition dedicated to artists’ contributions to the … Read more
High school seniors and college students who participated in the N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock shows are eligible to apply for a $2,000 scholarship for an institute of higher learning. The deadline to apply is March 1. Every year since 2015, the N.C. State Fair has awarded $2,000 scholarships for higher education to youth … Read more
Every year the N.C. State Fair thrills people of all ages and backgrounds from across the state for 11 exciting days. Fairgoers get the chance to enjoy exciting rides and delicious new foods. The State Fair is also a time to celebrate N.C. agriculture and the hardworking families who make it our state’s leading industry. … Read more
At the Oxford Tobacco Research Station, there’s a little more than an acre of tobacco planted each year with one very special purpose. Instead of being destined for market or research trials, the plot is reserved for the N.C. State Fair, where it’s used in the annual tobacco stringing competition and then hung in the … Read more
For the kids, it’s about more than just showing animals. If you were to ask high school teacher Justin Gillespie, he’d tell you that the point of agricultural education is to help students with their growth personally, professionally and as leaders. “You know with agriculture—a lot of people when you say that word think you … Read more
As of November 8, 2024, Rameses, the live animal mascot for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, has been around for 100 years, but that’s relatively recent history for the farm where he lives. When Rameses debuted at a VMI vs. UNC football game in 1924, Jimmy Carter was five weeks old. Ace … Read more
At roughly the halfway point from when allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy to embark on the liberation of Western Europe (June 6) and Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s successful reelection bid that made him the only U.S. President to serve a fourth term (Nov. 7), another iconic household name took shape in 1944. Smokey Bear … Read more
