Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Five North Carolina restaurants were recognized recently for featuring locally grown, raised, caught and made products during the second annual “Dig Into Local Best Menu NC” contest. Menus were judged on a variety of criteria, including clear […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The NCDA&CS is offering organic growers the opportunity to apply for partial reimbursement of the cost of becoming certified or recertified. Organic growers who are certified or recertified between Oct. 1, 2013, and Sept. 30, 2014, can […]
A new commercial will start airing across the state today featuring North Carolina agricultural products. The commercial was produced by the NCDA&CS Marketing Division and timed to air during Got to Be NC Month. The commercial features the division’s newest marketing slogan, Grown. Raised. Caught. Made. The commercial narrative goes like this: In North Carolina, […]
[FieldNotes]lYJeMgTTDG0[/FieldNotes] Some people uncork a fine bottle of wine to celebrate a special occasion. Samantha Swan prefers to crack open a 20-year-old jar of her grandfather’s pepper relish. The coveted relish was made using cayenne peppers grown in the front yard of her family’s home on Cottage Lane in Chapel Hill. Since 2011, Cottage Lane […]
Cathy Ma, an international trade specialist with the department, received the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Outstanding State Government Service Tuesday during a ceremony at the N.C. Museum of History. Through the International Trade Office, Ma works with processed food, meat and seafood producers across the state to identify market opportunities abroad. She also coordinates […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler recognized Dianne Farrer and Ron Stamey as employees of the month for their contributions to the department. The two were presented a plaque for their accomplishments during a ceremony held last week in Raleigh. Regional agronomist Dianne Farrer was named the June 2012 NCDA&CS Employee of the Month. As a regional […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” This week, Commissioner Troxler and Rhonda talk about a project aimed at helping farmers markets in North Carolina with their advertising costs. Beginning March 1, the NCDA&CS will accept applications from local farmers markets interested in cost-share […]
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. “Workshop to explore ways to grow farmers markets,” Lexington Dispatch: The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Farmers […]
As you might expect, the department is full of employees who have a strong passion for agriculture. NCDA&CS marketing specialist Heather Barnes’ passion paid off recently as she took first place in the Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet held in Honolulu earlier this year. Barnes will receive a 2012 Chevrolet Silverado and free registration […]
In a state where agriculture is the top industry, it seems appropriate that the “buy local” movement should apply to food products as well as other merchandise. It’s no surprise, then, that the N.C. Specialty Foods Association exhibit at the 2011 Southern Christmas Show did so well in its sophomore year. Twenty-five local food companies […]
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will hit the road this July with the Got to Be NC Big Cart to spread the word that you can find fresh, local North Carolina food products at your neighborhood Walmart. That’s the idea behind the Got to Be NC Walmart Tour, which started Tuesday at […]
As the 2010-2011 school year comes to a close, the North Carolina Farm to School Program has posted its best year ever, closing in on nearly $1 million in sales. The program, which began in 1998, brings fresh, locally grown produce to North Carolina school children, providing a new market for the state’s farmers to sell their crops. Blueberries, […]