As of 2026, the N.C. Department of Agriculture has been using a bee protection tool for ten years. That tool is an online-based program called BeeCheck, which is a voluntary bee hive registration system. It involves a database, mapping tools and communication channels. The purpose is to help protect bees from harmful pesticide drift, which … Read more
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
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
There are few things that connect people around the world like agriculture. Everywhere people live, and across the thousands of years they have lived there, agriculture has been a foundational part of what makes human civilization possible. The sharing of agricultural knowledge has helped people all around the world become happier, live healthier and uplift … Read more
When most people hear a buzzing sound, they may begin to panic in fear of being stung. However, honeybees are not harmful. Bees pollinate plants and play an important role in providing us with one out of every three bites of food. So why all this buzz? June is the official start of National Pollinator … 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. “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
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
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
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
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. “These long horns aren’t longhorns. How an NC farmer is sustaining a rare cattle breed,” The News & Observer: When an 800-pound cow stares you down, you take notice. When she’s a … Read more
