MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2007
| Contact: |
Brian Long, director
NCDA&CS Public Affairs
(919) 733-4216, ext 242 |
Commissioner Troxler to view drought's impact on farms
in Western North Carolina Thursday, Friday
| WHO/WHAT: |
Agriculture Commissioner Steve
Troxler will view the drought's impact on trout and hay farms in Western
North Carolina. |
| WHEN: |
Thursday, July
19, and Friday, July 20 |
| SCHEDULE: |
Thursday
12:30 p.m. - Troxler will speak at the Hay Field Day at the Mountain
Research Station in Waynesville. He will also be available for interviews
about how the drought is affecting Western North Carolina farms.
Afterward, Troxler
will visit Sunburst Trout Co. and Sorrels Creek Trout Farm in Haywood
County, which have been affected by the drought.
Friday's
schedule will focus on forage and pasture losses.
8:30 a.m. - David Wyatt's farm in Mars Hill.
9:30 a.m. - Jake Griggs' farm in Mars Hill.
11 a.m. - Jason Hensley's dairy in Yancey County.
2 p.m. - Tommy Phillips' farm in Mitchell County.
|
| OTHER INFO: |
The counties on Troxler's
tour are experiencing severe drought. In the mountain region, 70
percent of topsoil moisture is rated either very short or short,
meaning it is dry enough to stunt, or even stop, seed germination
and crop growth.
Drought affects trout farms
when water levels in the flowing creeks supplying the farms dip
too low, raising the water temperature and lowering oxygen levels.
Higher temperatures and lower water flows require trout farmers
to sharpen their best management practices.
On-site media contact for
Thursday and Friday is Bill Yarborough, regional agronomist with
the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, (828)
507-2273 (cell).
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