The Tobacco Trust Fund Christmas Tree Seed Center of Excellence is officially open. A ribbon cutting at the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Upper Mountain Research Station not only marked the formal grand opening, but also the beginning of a new chapter for North Carolina’s Christmas tree industry. NCDA&CS and NC State University … Read more
Perched more than 3,200 feet above sea level in Ashe County, the Upper Mountain Research Station occupies a place unlike any other in North Carolina’s statewide research network. As the highest-elevation station operated by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), Upper Mountain provides a climate, growing conditions, and research environment that simply … Read more
As the Christmas season shifts into high gear, it’s a busy time for growers of all types of Christmas trees, and chief among them in North Carolina is the Fraser fir, which has become the state’s – and much of the country’s – favorite type of Christmas tree. To kick of the season early, the … Read more
Christmas tree research in North Carolina is entering a new chapter after a groundbreaking at the Upper Mountain Research Station. The event in late November marked the official beginning of a new building on the research station that will house a seedbank for the most elite Fraser fir seeds in the world. Agriculture Commissioner Steve … Read more
We Are Agriculture is a year-long series that will highlight the hard-work done by employees across the Department of Agriculture. Tracy Taylor, Superintendent of the Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs, is one of those employees. Stay tuned each Wednesday here on the blog or any of our social media accounts and join us … Read more
Like any other farmers, Christmas trees growers in western North Carolina are always looking for ways to grow more and better product.
In mid-December, the N.C. Department of Agriculture lost an employee who not only meant a lot to the research station where he worked but to the community around the station. Dale Sheets had worked at the Upper Mountain Research Station in Ashe County since 2013, but he had a much longer, rich heritage with the … Read more
A Christmas tree from North Carolina is now on display as the official White House Christmas tree and the centerpiece of the home’s Christmas decorations. The Fraser fir from Peak Farms in Ashe County is in the Blue Room. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden officially revealed the decorated tree along with the other White House … Read more
Less that 24 hours after remnants of Tropical Storm Fred flooded areas of western North Carolina, staff at the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville began mobilizing to help farmers who needed a hand to recover. The flooding rains came on a Monday. On Tuesday, the aid effort began. “The morning following the flooding, we started … Read more
One of the things in N.C. agriculture that is helping 2021 feel a little more normal is the return of field days at the state’s agricultural research stations. During 2020, several of the field days were cancelled, and others switched to a virtual online format. This year, the calendar has a few field days that … Read more
