WHO/WHAT: The Farmland Preservation Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will hold Farmland Preservation Advocacy Day in Raleigh to highlight the importance of farmland preservation in the state and the demand for increased funding. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, division staff and stakeholders will appeal to state representatives, advocating for increased funding and support for farmland preservation in North Carolina. Goals of the day include:
Press Releases
RALEIGH – Effective at 8 a.m. Friday, May 8, the N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning for Alamance, Anson, Cabarrus, Chatham, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Moore, Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan, Stanly, Stokes and Union counties.The ban, which went into effect statewide March 28 due to hazardous forest fire conditions, was lifted for 81 other counties May 3.
RALEIGH -- The Got to Be NC Festival returns to the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh May 15-17, bringing a full weekend of free family friendly fun and a celebration of North Carolina’s rich agricultural heritage. Explore the best of the state’s food, farming and agribusiness with agricultural exhibits, live music, carnival rides, food, tractors and more.
The statewide burn ban remains in effect until further notice despite weekend rain in some areas. Persistent dry weather and increasing rainfall deficits from the last several months have left most of the state needing 10 inches of rain or more.
RALEIGH – The application period will open April 20 for landowners to apply for assistance for timber losses from Hurricane Helene as part of the $221 million USDA block grant the state received. It is the last of four categories of assistance that will be provided through this block grant program.The Timber Loss Relief Program (TLRP) will be administered by the N.C. Forest Service and designed to partially compensate private landowners with at least 10 contiguous acres of moderate to catastrophic timber loss. The deadline for applying is June 12.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division collected fines from 11 stores in 10 counties for price scanning errors during the first quarter of 2026. “Inspecting price-scanner systems is one of the more direct ways our department protects shoppers across our state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Even small discrepancies can add up. When a shopper picks up an item, they deserve to have confidence that the price they see is the price they’ll pay.”
Below is a summary of local interest stories that have recently been highlighted on the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ In the Field Blog. Please feel free to use any of this content or photos in your publications or contact us if you have any additional questions.
RALEIGH – Since the state-issued ban on open burning was enacted March 28, a total of 554 wildfires has burned more than 2,200 acres across the state. With little rainfall or improvement expected over the next 7-10 days, the statewide burn ban and enforcement action will continue until further notice.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has issued a stop-sale order for the Ignik TapRack 4 Refillable Propane System. This device failed to meet several safety standards enforced by the department’s Standards Division.Manufacturers and distributors will have six months to remove these products from retail locations. Online sales shall include a note that these products are not legal in North Carolina.The device failed to meet the following criteria: