Farming

NC Farmers Wait For Details Of Federal Farm Bill

Will Michaels — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:31:52 +0000

Farmers in North Carolina and around the country are keeping their eyes on Washington, where Congress is crafting a new Farm Bill.

The Senate's version cuts more than $2 billion in agricultural spending per year, but includes about $100 billion in subsides over the next five years. President Obama has asked Senators to find more ways to save money, including cuts to a farm insurance program.

Still A Little Cold And Wet For NC Crops

Leoneda Inge — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 12:23:03 +0000

The cold, damp weather so far this spring is causing problems for North Carolina farmers trying to get crops into the ground. Farmers say they can deal with the rain because of the most recent drought, but the cold is a problem.

Roy Thagard is a Field Crop Agent at the Greene County Cooperative Extension Office. He says farmers haven’t been able to get the soil weeded and prepared for planting corn and tobacco. Thagard says the soil needs to be 55 to 60 degrees for plants to germinate or sprout.

Exploring Gaps In America's Food System From The Farm To The Table

Nicole Campbell and Frank Stasio — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:17:55 +0000

Starvation is often considered a problem distant from the American experience. But for many United States citizens, hunger is a way of life. And many of them live right here in North Carolinians.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about 636,000 households in the state have been labeled “food insecure” within the past year. This means that over 17 percent of our families lack consistent access to nutritious food. Families hit hardest by food insecurity are Black, Latino and homes led by single mothers.

Carolina Meat Conference

Frank Stasio and Susan Davis — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:15:00 +0000

North Carolina has a significant number of local, niche and pasture based meat producers and consumers, but it lacks enough processors to make the farm to market meat supply chain run as smoothly as possible. On December 3rd and 4th, people involved in all aspects of the meat business in North Carolina will gather in Bermuda Run to work on streamlining the process during the Carolina Meat Conference.

Apple Crop Worst in Decades

Isaac-Davy Aronson — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 14:39:00 +0000

North Carolina's top apple-producing county is experiencing its worst crop in decades. That's according to growers and agriculture officials who say this year's unusual weather has devastated many of Henderson County's orchards.

Adam Pryor is a farmer and President of the Blue Ridge Apple Growers Association. He says the crop was hit hard in April by an overnight frost, after unusually warm weather had caused the trees to start blooming.

Six NC Hog Farms Get Notice Of Suit

Leoneda Inge — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:40:00 +0000

The Humane Society of the United States is serving notice to 51 different hog facilities that it will sue over the amount of toxic air pollution they produce.

Leoneda Inge: Six of the farms are in Edgecombe County and they are all owned by Hanor of Wisconsin. Peter Brandt is the senior attorney for Farm Animals at the Humane Society. He says the high level of ammonia produced by these hog farms shows a disregard for the environment, communities and federal law.

Vittles Films

Frank Stasio and Lindsay Foster Thomas — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 15:12:00 +0000

“One Man…Two Titanium Legs…100 Chickens.” That’s the tag line for a forthcoming documentary called “The Farmer Veteran Project” produced by Vittles Films. The movie centers around the story of Alex Sutton, a veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who was seriously injured on his final tour of duty.

Forum to Address NC Farming Economy

Eric Hodge — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 09:30:00 +0000

North Carolina's farm economy is one of the biggest industries in the state. That's one of the reasons for a forum today on trends that affect the agriculture economy. State officials say farm safety, exports and drought will be some of the topics. Brian Long is with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. He says there's another problem that doesn't get as much attention.

Ag Leaders Plan for Next Big Storm

Leoneda Inge — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:00:00 +0000

State Agriculture leaders have come up with a “wish list” for the legislature. They say the measures will help farmers weather future disasters.

Farmers – mainly in eastern North Carolina – are continuing to feel the wrath of Hurricane Irene. Early estimates put damage to Agriculture at 325-million dollars. The state Ag Board met at the fairgrounds yesterday to discuss how to help. Ag department spokesman Brain Long says one idea is for there to be “bridge” loans available for farmers devastated by a disaster.

USDA Prepares to Pay Native American Farmers

Leoneda Inge — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:00:00 +0000

There’s a section of eastern North Carolina where the Lumbee Indians call home. The Lumbee have a long history of farming and ranching. But just like African American and women farmers, they were discriminated against by the federal government. And just like those groups – Native Americans filed a class-action lawsuit – and won. This week – lawyers are back in Pembroke, North Carolina helping the Lumbees file their claims for long-awaited compensation.