Press Releases

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will open the application period for Phase II of the state’s Swine and Dairy Assistance COVID program beginning Feb. 23. 

North Carolina cotton growers will vote March 31 on whether to continue a checkoff program that supports their industry.The referendum would authorize an assessment of up to $1.20 per bale of cotton, however, the North Carolina Cotton Producers Association Board of Directors plans to continue the assessment at the current rate of $1 per bale. If approved the assessment would be in effect for another six years.The checkoff program supports improvements in cotton production, marketing and research, and also promotes the general interests of North Carolina’s cotton industry.

 Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler has recently promoted Evan Davis of Wake Forest to serve as director of the Farmland Preservation Division and Jon Lanier of Raleigh to serve as General Counsel. 

The N.C. Pesticide Board recently approved the following settlement agreements for cases in Cabarrus, Currituck, Iredell, Lenoir, Pasquotank, Pitt and Union counties. Settlements involved cases of pesticide drift and improper selling and application of pesticides. Settlements are listed by county below: 

Planning is underway for the 2022 Got to Be NC Festival and organizers are looking for the best of North Carolina to participate. Outdoor food and retail product vendors and farm-equipment hobbyists can apply at ncstatefair.org. The Got to Be NC Festival will be held at the N.C. State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, May 20-22.The annual event features food, wine and beer from across North Carolina, farm animals, music, rides and games, and one of the largest displays of antique tractors and farm equipment in the Southeast.

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division has collected fines from stores in Camden, Chowan, Durham, Hertford, Nash, New Hanover, Moore, Randolph, Sampson, Surry, Union, Vance, Wake, Watauga, Wayne, and Yadkin counties because of excessive price-scanner errors. 

The board of the Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation of North Carolina has set the 2022 boll weevil assessment at 75 cents per acre of cotton. The amount remains the same as in 2021.  The fee supports the foundation’s efforts to monitor cotton acreage in North Carolina for any re-introduction of the boll weevil and to respond promptly with eradication treatments if necessary. 

The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has opened the application period for the Agricultural Crop Loss Program for farmers that suffered losses due to Tropical Storm Fred. The program will cover losses of crops, feed, livestock, aquaculture and farm infrastructure for farmers in Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, Mitchell, McDowell, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties.  The agricultural commodities must have been planted but not harvested, or for aquaculture commodities raised on or before, Aug. 17, 2021.

Over half of North Carolina's private forestland is owned by individuals and families, collectively making them the largest group of forest owners in the state. The N.C. Forest Service offers many programs and services to help owners manage their woodlands and Avery County Ranger D.J. Whitson is available to help.The amount of privately owned timberland in Avery County is about 98,000 acres. Individual landowners play an important part in keeping the forests of Avery County healthy and growing.

North Carolina’s updated forest action plan has been approved by the USDA Forest Service and is now ready to be implemented by forestry stakeholders across the state. The plan is a thorough review of the state’s forestland, focusing on changes and trends that have occurred since 2010. The plan not only evaluates past and current forest conditions, but also addresses factors that may impact forest health and sustainability moving forward.