Press Releases
Thirty-one North Carolina students have been named recipients of 2023 N.C. State Fair Youth Livestock Scholarships, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced.The scholarships are designed for high school seniors and students currently enrolled in an institute of higher education who have participated in the junior livestock or market turkey shows at the N.C. State Fair.
The N.C. Structural Pest Control Committee has approved settlement agreements for 11 cases. Settlements involved cases in Beaufort, Caldwell, Chatham, Cumberland, Gaston and Wake counties. Following are the agreements listed by county:
North Carolina’s strawberry season is well underway and to celebrate this sweet and tasty season, the State Farmers Market will be hosting Strawberry Day Thursday, May 4, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Visitors can enjoy free samples, free recipes, live music, a performance from the N.C. State University clogging team, and a visit from Suzy the Strawberry.The N.C. Strawberry Association and the market are hosting a strawberry dessert contest with a total of $400 in prize money offered to the top three winners. First place wins $200, second wins $125 and third takes home $75.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has secured $7.6 million in USDA-AMS funding to support the continuation and expansion of the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s FarmsSHARE program that provides food assistance to those in need by purchasing fresh, local food from small farmers, socially disadvantaged farmers and small businesses.
North Carolina veterinary officials have received reports of several cases of Canine Infectious Respiratory Disease Complex (CIRDC) that have been confirmed to have been caused by the H3N2 canine influenza virus. To date, all of these cases involve dogs that had been boarding at North Carolina boarding and/or dog day care facilities within the past two weeks.
The Western N.C. Farmers Market will host its free Spring Festival & Growing in the Mountain Plant Sale, April 22 through 23 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests can meet and shop with local farmers, plant growers and craft makers at the popular event. Local food trucks will be on hand featuring ramps and strawberries, and visitors won’t want to miss the daily Food Truck Cook-off at 11 a.m.The WNC Farmers Market, which is open seven days a week, is located at 570 Brevard Road, Asheville.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division has collected fines from 37 stores in 22 counties because of excessive price-scanner errors.“Our Standards Division closely watches stores to ensure that consumers are protected,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This is an important function to make sure North Carolinians are being charged the prices they see on shelves. While our work will continue, it is important for consumers to check their receipts regularly and notify store managers if they see a discrepancy.”
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus.“Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated,” Troxler said. “EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. However, both diseases are preventable by vaccination.”
The Got to Be NC Festival will honor farmers aged 18-40 through the Young Farmer of the Day program. The program, sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina, celebrates our state’s agricultural future and three young farmers who are behind our state’s $92.9 billion agriculture and agribusiness industry.
The N.C. Board of Agriculture will hold a meeting Monday, April 17, at 1 p.m. in the training room of the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center in Raleigh.The board will take up the following items: