Archive for the ‘Agriculture and Food’ Category
Workshops show urban farms how to utilize compost
New guidelines will allow urban farms and community gardens to compost up to 1,000 lbs. of food waste each week. Learn how to safely convert food waste to rich compost at two workshops — May 14 and June 17 — offered by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems.
Ag continues to grow in North Carolina
Agriculture and agribusiness — food, fiber, and forestry — continue to grow in North Carolina, according to a new study from N.C. State University.
Study sheds light on invasive fruit pest
Humans aren’t the only species with a sweet tooth. N.C. State University researchers and Extension specialists have found that the invasive spotted-wing vinegar fly (Drosophila suzukii) also prefers sweet, soft fruit. Their study sheds new light on a species that has spread across the United States over the past four years and threatens to cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to U.S. fruit crops.
Pilot program focuses on food safety in cantaloupes
Fresh produce safety is the focus of a pilot cantaloupe program being offered by North Carolina Cooperative Extension and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Young agricultural entrepreneur gets start through 4-H
For Taylor Farley, the chickens definitely came first, then the eggs. Hundreds of them. Then thousands of them. Enough for the 14-year-old budding agricultural entrepreneur to pay for piano lessons and to begin saving for college.
Growing green
The loss of burley tobacco production and a glut in the Christmas tree market delivered a one-two punch to rural Madison County in recent years, but North Carolina Cooperative Extension and partner Madison Family Farms are helping the agricultural industry rebound through a grant-funded project aimed at opening up retail markets for locally produced Christmas trees and wreaths.
Food safety expert talks turkey
With turkey roasting, a few simple steps will go a long way when it comes to food safety. In a new infosheet and through four short videos, North Carolina Cooperative Extension food safety expert Benjamin Chapman gives tips on thawing a turkey, cooking it and saving leftovers.
Extension offers disaster preparedness expertise
With Hurricane Sandy possibly sweeping North Carolina’s coast, news media looking for information on a variety of hurricane topics can turn to North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s disaster page at http://ncdisaster.com or they can directly contact Extension experts in the following areas. Information will also be available on Twitter @ncce_news.
N.C. 10% Campaign reaches $25 million mark
Break out a bottle of your favorite North Carolina wine and raise a toast: the N.C. 10% Campaign has hit a big milestone. The 10% Campaign, a Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) initiative, encourages all North Carolinians to spend 10 percent of their food dollars on locally grown and produced foods. The campaign has now recorded more than $25 million in local food purchases since its launch in July 2010.
Conference helps ag agents hone skills
For Cooperative Extension agricultural agents, keeping skills current and being informed about the industry issues of the day are key to doing the job well. This summer, 64 agricultural agents from around the state came to Raleigh for N.C. Cooperative Extension’s seventh Livestock/Forage/Field Crop Agent Training Conference.
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North Carolina’s economy and quality of life are linked inextricably with natural resources — the air, land and water upon which we all depend. To help protect the environment today and into the future, CALS faculty members have wide-ranging expertise they put to use through teaching, research and extension programs. Read More >>
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