Agricultural fairs are fun AND educational, showcasing the state’s $111 billion agriculture and agribusiness industry and celebrating everything that makes North Carolina unique. The registration period is open for the N.C. State Fair and the N.C. Mountain State Fair to sign up for competitions and advance tickets to both are on sale now. Mark your … Read more
It’s a New Year and we have a lot of exciting new things to share with you. As we wrapped up 2023, we launched the department’s new website after close to a year’s worth of work behind the scenes to create this new, more user friendly site. And, as with the start of every New … Read more
Summer months might be the fastest months of the year. When you are a kid, you looked forward to being out of school and then before you know it, you are back in school wondering where June, July and August went. When I was growing up, I remember my summers being pretty busy. In high … Read more
MacKenna Clifton made history last fall when she became the first female from North Carolina to represent the 850,000 members of the National FFA Organization as Southern Region Vice President. Clifton is also the first North Carolina representative since 1996 and just the 14th person from the state to serve on the national board since … Read more
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler inducted two men into the N.C. Mountain State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame during the fair’s opening weekend. Troxler recognized Jerry Plemmons and Jerry Roberts, both lifelong Buncombe County residents, for their longtime support to the fair and the livestock industry in Western North Carolina. “We couldn’t have built this livestock … Read more
22-year-old Emory New is polished and proficient, especially when it comes to all things agriculture. This year she graduated from N.C. State University with a bachelor’s in biological and agricultural engineering. She is continuing her education in business and biotechnology, earning her second degree, both within five years. Emory grew up in the rural town … Read more
Summary: The N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Sale of Champions each year raises money for show winners, but also for junior livestock show participants through scholarships. Since this program started in 2015, nearly $400,000 in scholarships have been awarded to young people who have participated in the junior livestock shows. I was recently able to … Read more
25 college students were recently notified they received $1,000 scholarships through the N.C. State Fair Livestock Scholarship program. In addition, another student received the $1,500 Farm Credit Association of N.C. Premier Scholarship. In total, $27,500 was awarded for higher education expenses. Mike, we made 26 college students and their parents pretty happy last week. We … 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
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Mike Davis to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The N.C. State Fair Livestock Scholarship program awarded 33 scholarships this year for students to continue their education. Twenty-nine students received $2,000 scholarships that were funded through proceeds from the Junior Livestock Sale of Champions during the … Read more
