Press Releases

FLETCHER – The 2022 N.C. Mountain State Fair cooking competitions are off to a great start for Jennifer Currie of Clyde, after she won first place this weekend in both the tomato and trout cooking contests.

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. 

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

WHAT:Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will officially open the 2022 N.C. Mountain State Fair with a short ribbon cutting ceremony.WHEN:Friday, Sept. 9, noonWHERE:Western N.C. Ag Center Heritage Circle stageWHO:Agriculture Commissioner Steve TroxlerSean McKeon, N.C. Mountain State Fair general managerJim Drew, Drew ExpositionsN.C. Apple Ambassador

WHAT:Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson, N.C. Mountain State Fair officials and others will discuss grounds safety, traffic control, midway operations and animal exhibits.WHEN:         Thursday, Sept. 8, 11 a.m.WHERE:Upper chairlift landing pad, WNC Agricultural Center1301 Fanning Bridge Road, Fletcher

North Carolina’s newest invasive pest was recently found in Surry and Stokes counties by Elizabeth Edwards, the N.C. Forest Service’s Surry County assistant ranger. The detection was made just north of Pilot Mountain in the Westfield community. The elm zigzag sawfly had only been previously found in Québec, Canada in 2020 and Virginia in 2021. This pest is native to Asia but has spread to numerous countries outside of its native range.

WHO/WHAT:The Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund will hold an advisory committee meeting to review the trust fund budget and hear reports on easement closings, Cycle XVI applications and other trust fund activity. 

WHO/WHAT:    The North Carolina Sentinel Landscape Committee will hold a meeting to hear committee member reports pertaining to Sentinel Landscape activities and reports on other Sentinel Landscape programs.    WHEN:    Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022  1:30 p.m.    

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 N.C. State Fair is looking for home chefs to spice up the competitions at the fair with 11 days of cooking challenges. Included are loaded nachos, ultimate brownies, spirited pies, quirky cobbler, a make-ahead breakfast challenge, chili cook-off, grain bowls, sirloin salad, fair food featuring bacon and chicken casserole.