RALEIGH -- Many North Carolinians utilize their wood-burning stoves and fireplaces throughout the winter. The N.C. Forest Service is reminding stove users to never dump hot ashes or coals into a wooded area. If you do, you’re risking not only your home, but your neighbor’s as well.Multiple wildfires spanning several Western North Carolina counties have ignited due to improper discarding of hot ashes from wood-burning stoves and fireplaces. Despite recent winter weather, low humidity and dry fuels can cause wildfires to spread quickly, threatening lives and property.
Press Releases
CLAYTON – Clemmons Educational State Forest (ESF) located in Clayton is planning to conduct multiple prescribed burns throughout February and into early March. The purpose for these prescribed burns is to reduce current fuel loads on the forest while improving forest health, promoting new growth and benefiting wildlife habitat.
Youth who exhibited livestock at the N.C. State Fair are eligible to apply for N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Scholarships. The application period is open through March 1.Up to 25 $2,000 scholarships are available, in addition to one $2,500 Farm Credit of N.C. Premier Scholarship.
RALEIGH – Now is the time for North Carolinians to act on wildfire mitigation practices and Firewise principles. By taking appropriate action, residents can help protect their homes and communities from wildfires by creating a defensible space while reducing risk.
RALEIGH – A commercial turkey operation in Sampson County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza. The positive sample was first identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh and confirmed by the USDA APHIS National Veterinary Services Lab in Ames, Iowa.
WHO/WHAT: Hosted by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and its Got to Be NC program, the annual Flavors of Carolina food show is moving to the Triad in 2025, connecting more than 100 local food and beverage producers with more than 800 buyers from the retail, wholesale and foodservice industries. This private event is a chance for food businesses to sample their products and facilitate product sales to regional, governmental, national and international buyers.
“It was encouraging to see that Western North Carolina and disaster relief efforts were top of mind for President Trump and the First Lady, because the commitment of federal resources will be critical for recovery and rebuilding,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
The Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of North Carolina Board of Directors has set the 2025 boll weevil assessment at 75 cents per acre of cotton. This marks the eighth year where the rate has remained the same. The fee supports the foundation’s efforts to monitor cotton acreage in North Carolina for any reintroduction of the boll weevil and to respond promptly with eradication treatments if necessary.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture’s Research Stations Division recently awarded $1.5 million in grants for agricultural research. The funded projects aim to boost new crop production or involve innovative research to advance the agricultural economy in the state.Since 2013, the General Assembly has allocated funding for special agricultural research – first through the Bioenergy Research Initiative and then later with an expansion to include the New and Emerging Crops Program in 2018.
RALEIGH - The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division fined 14 stores in 12 counties for price scanning errors during the final quarter of 2024.“Our Standards Division remained committed to protecting consumers across the state,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Our inspectors continue to find errors among price scanners at stores in the state, and consumers should be mindful. Take time to check your receipts and notify store managers if you find an error.”