Growing tobacco in North Carolina is nothing new, but tobacco that can sell for nearly $6 per pound certainly is. The recent norm for the state’s traditional flue cured or burley varieties is close to $2 per pound. However, some work at the state’s agricultural research stations means the jaw-dropping $6 figure may become more […]
It’s not uncommon for a woman who grew up helping on the farm to embrace the term “farm girl,” but what do you call a woman who grew up on one of North Carolina’s agriculture research stations where farming meets academic research? In one case, you could call that woman the division director. Teresa Lambert […]
A farmer’s work is never done, even in what’s sometimes called the “dead of winter.” The same is true for North Carolina’s agricultural research stations. They operate as working farms with a platform for agricultural research. So even if there’s not as much activity as the summer, the state’s 18 research stations are far from […]
Managing a farm of any size is a tough job, so it’s hard to imagine the challenge of overseeing 18 different farms with around 90 different commodities across nearly 25,000 acres. Tommy Corbett in the N.C. Department of Agriculture doesn’t have to imagine. For him it’s a reality. Corbett is the assistant director of operations […]
This time of year muscadine grapes are a hot commodity in North Carolina and the southeast. The juicy and sweet grapes are native to the region, and now is the time to find them from backyards to small farms and farmers markets, and even in grocery stores. While the old traditional varieties are loved by […]
This morning before a single ray of sunlight hit the Cherry Research Farm, two workers showed up to milk the cows. In the dark of 4 a.m. their shift began on the farm in Goldsboro. About 140 dairy cows need milking every day, twice a day – seven days a week, 365 days a year. […]
Purple carrots may seem like a fantasy right out of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – a quirky little snack you’d only find by following a white hare down a rabbit hole. They’re no fantasy though. Instead, purple carrots are a reality at some research stations in North Carolina. They’re stars of some serious research to […]
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. “Taming the dangerous – yet beautiful and profitable – castor bean plant,” The News & Observer: Novo Synthetix, a […]
This month, two research stations operated in partnership between the department, N.C. State University and N.C. A&T State University celebrate a centennial. The Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth celebrated 100 years last week, and the Oxford Tobacco Research Station will hold its celebration this week. In honor of these accomplishments, we pulled some photos and […]
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. “Fair offers fun on final weekend,” Asheville Citizen-Times: Time is running short to visit the 19th annual North Carolina […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” September is a notable month for the NCDA&CS Research Stations Division, as two stations will be celebrating their 100th anniversaries. The Oxford Tobacco Research Station in Oxford and the Tidewater Research Station in Plymouth have reached that […]
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” This week, Commissioner Troxler gives Rhonda an update on the state’s budget process. The state House recently adopted its version of the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Commissioner Troxler tells Rhonda that the […]