The Got to Be NC Ag Star singing competition wraps up March 4 when a winner will be chosen at the finale concert at 6 p.m. in the Kerr Scott Building on the State Fairgrounds.
Leading up to the finale, semi-final tryouts were held in Fletcher, Greensboro, Mount Olive and Martin County searching for up-and-coming musical performers, with 15 finalists ages 13 to 22 selected.
Residents and visitors looking for farms that offer outdoor experiences and unique gift ideas this holiday season will have plenty of options with many winter agritourism activities planned at farms across the state. Light shows, holiday festivals, craft markets, and wine tasting are among the seasonal offerings.
September marks the peak of grape season in North Carolina and to celebrate this tasty fruit, the Charlotte Regional Farmer’s Market, the N.C. Muscadine Grape Association and the N.C. Wine and Grape Council will host Muscadine Day Friday, Sept. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Kids of all ages can sample muscadine grapes at the event and there will be muscadine wine tastings for those 21 and over. Muscadine grapes and refreshing muscadine slushies will also be available to purchase at the event and visitors can play a game for a chance to win muscadine grape juice.
Organic growers in North Carolina can apply for partial reimbursement of the cost of becoming certified or for recertification through a program offered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Growers who are certified or recertified between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022, can apply for assistance through the program.
The first semifinal audition for the NC Ag Star Talent Search, a vocal competition for singer/songwriters, will be held Friday, Sept. 16, at the N.C. Mountain State Fair in the Chevrolet Davis Event Center. Anyone between the ages of 13 and 22 years who thinks they have what it takes to be an NC Ag Star is encouraged to register by visiting NCAgStar.com.
Registration/check-in is open from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with auditions closing at 4 p.m. Walk-up registrations are also welcome.
The N.C. Specialty Foods Association recently announced winners in its 2022 awards competition, withAlley Twenty Six of Chapel Hill named Grand Champion for its passion fruit syrup. A total of 142 entries were in competition across 11 categories.
The complete list of winners by category follows:
Baked Goods
Seafood processors, dealers and processing vessels who were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for relief funds through a new grant program administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Residents and visitors looking for farms that offer outdoor experiences and local food will have plenty of options with many fall agritourism activities planned at farms across the state.
Tours and workshops, u-pick fruit and nursery plants, crop mazes and pumpkin patches, farm stands, farmers markets, festivals and local foods are among the offerings.
The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has announced the following 2022-23 Got to Be NC team of Culinary Ambassadors, representing restaurants across the state.
The following are winners in the State Farmers Market Watermelon Contest held July 28: