State Veterinarian Mike Martin has granted entry into North Carolina to Santa Claus and his magical reindeer. This ensures that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and yes, even Rudolph will be allowed into the state on Christmas Eve. “Santa’s reindeer are magical and pose no health threat to our native deer,” said Martin. “We look forward to welcoming them to North Carolina during Santa’s trek around the world.”
Press Releases
Blue Ridge Beef is voluntarily recalling several lots of its two-pound logs of Kitten Grind, Kitten Mix and Puppy Mix produced at its Statesville facility due to possible contamination of Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes. The firm previously issued a press release but has expanded it to include more lots.
Read the Executive Order HereToday, Governor Roy Cooper declared a State of Emergency for Duplin and Sampson counties in response to the effects of heavy rain and flooding on the agricultural sector in those counties.
RALEIGH – 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.
The N.C. Structural Pest Control Committee approved settlement agreements at its Nov. 29 meeting. Cases approved for settlement came from Durham, Mecklenburg and Wake counties. Following are the agreements listed by county:
RALEIGH – Roy Anthony Potter, 61, of Kelly, pleaded guilty to eight felony counts of intentionally setting fire to grass, brushlands and woodlands with the intent to damage property of another in Bladen and Columbus counties.
The N.C. Pesticide Board recently approved the following settlement agreements in Beaufort, Durham, Cabarrus, Caldwell, Lenoir, New Hanover, Wake and Wayne counties. Settlements involved instances of improper handling or application of pesticides and applying pesticides without the proper license or certification.Settlements are listed by county below:
Effective at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22, the N.C. Forest Service has lifted a ban on all open burning outside of the 100-foot area around an occupied dwelling for the following counties in North Carolina: Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey. Burn bans were issued for these counties due to hazardous forest fire conditions in the area.
RALEIGH – The N.C. Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund recently awarded over $15 million to protect working farms and forests, support county farmland preservation efforts and promote agricultural enterprises. More than $12.8 million went towards securing 46 agricultural conservation easements on 5,000 acres of land across the state. These family farms will be permanently protected from development, becoming North Carolina Forever Farms.
SENT ON BEHALF OF THE N.C. TOBACCO TRUST FUNDFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASETHURSDAY, NOV. 16, 2023The N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission (N.C. TTFC) awarded more than $6.1 million through 30 grants for agricultural and economic initiatives across the state. These grants place a high priority on projects that stimulate the agricultural economy, train current and future farmers and help farmers execute innovative ideas.