Today’s Topic

Food Distribution trucks and staff keep food moving to places of need

In a time when very little is predictable or consistent, the department’s 18 Food Distribution truck drivers have kept food moving to places that need it most. Those drivers are moving USDA commodities available through The Emergency Food Assistance Program to schools, food banks, soup kitchens and other distribution sites And, that has been a […]

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Today’s Topic: It’s almost time to sign up for NC State Fair competitions

Today’s Topic: It’s almost time to sign up for NC State Fair competitions

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” If you’re interested in entering a competition at the 2017 N.C. State Fair, it’s almost time to start signing up. Online registration for the competitions opens Aug. 1. To celebrate the 150th N.C. State Fair, several competitions will […]

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Today’s Topic: 28 receive NC State Fair youth livestock scholarships for 2017-18 school year

Today’s Topic: 28 receive NC State Fair youth livestock scholarships for 2017-18 school year

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” It won’t be long before young folks are starting a new year of college. And 28 North Carolina students will be getting some financial help through the N.C. State Fair Youth Livestock Scholarship Program. The scholarships are […]

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Today’s Topic: Consumers are important, too

Today’s Topic: Consumers are important, too

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” July marks a milestone for the NCDA&CS. Until 20 years ago, the department was known simply as the N.C. Department of Agriculture (NCDA for short). But that all changed in July 1997 when then-Agriculture Commissioner Jim Graham […]

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Today’s Topic: Industrial hemp being planted under NC’s pilot program

Today’s Topic: Industrial hemp being planted under NC’s pilot program

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” North Carolina’s goal of having an industrial hemp crop this year is being achieved. More than 60 farmers have had permits approved by the N.C. Industrial Hemp Commission, and they have begun planting the crop. Even with […]

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Today’s Topic: 2017 Census of Agriculture is coming

Today’s Topic: 2017 Census of Agriculture is coming

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The USDA will begin collecting data for the 2017 Census of Agriculture later this year, and there are some changes this time around. This year, the census will include a question about farmers who are active-duty or […]

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Today’s Topic: NC horse owners should have animals vaccinated against EEE

Today’s Topic: NC horse owners should have animals vaccinated against EEE

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Note: This week, State Veterinarian Doug Meckes fills in for Commissioner Troxler. Summer is here, which means it’s mosquito season in North Carolina, which could spell trouble for owners of horses, donkeys and mules. Summer is typically […]

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Today’s Topic: Hurricane season is here

Today’s Topic: Hurricane season is here

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Hurricane season begins June 1, and Commissioner Troxler says it’s time for farmers to get ready for it. Researchers at N.C. State University say this year will be in line with the overall averages since 1950; the […]

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Today’s Topic: Emerging root-knot nematode threatens sweet potatoes

Today’s Topic: Emerging root-knot nematode threatens sweet potatoes

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Sweet potato growers should be aware of an emerging root-knot nematode that has been identified in fields in Eastern North Carolina. The nematode’s Latin name is Meloidogyne enterolobii, but it’s also known as the pacara earpod. It has been […]

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Today’s Topic: Celebrate agriculture at Got to Be NC Festival May 19-21

Today’s Topic: Celebrate agriculture at Got to Be NC Festival May 19-21

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The Got to Be NC Festival makes its annual appearance at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh May 19-21. Admission and parking are free. Several new attractions have been added to the festival’s annual celebration of N.C. agriculture: The […]

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Today’s Topic: NC wins federal grant to protect farms, forests, military training

Today’s Topic: NC wins federal grant to protect farms, forests, military training

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has secured $9.2 million in federal funding to protect farm and forest lands from development and help the military maintain its training. The grant, from the Defense Department’s Readiness […]

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Today’s Topic: Field days are learning opportunities for farmers

Today’s Topic: Field days are learning opportunities for farmers

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Spring is a very busy time on the farm, but it also offers educational opportunities for farmers. Several field days are coming up in the next couple of months, offering farmers a chance to talk with researchers […]

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