WHO/WHAT:The N.C. State Fair mock tobacco auction, featuring retired auctioneers and tobacco company buyers re-creating a typical tobacco auction. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will also be on hand.
Press Releases
WHO/ WHAT: The N.C. State Fair will host its annual food donation drive for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina on Thursday. Like every year since 1993, each fairgoer who donates food will gain free admission at any gate. A donation of six non-perishable food items will be accepted for one gate admission ticket.Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler, Smithfield Foods President of Hog Production Kraig Westerbeek and CEO of the Food Bank Amy Beros will hold a brief program in honor of Smithfield Foods Hunger Relief Day.
RALEIGH – The Maple Hill Loopers continued their winning streak in the N.C. State Fair’s Tobacco Stringing Contest Friday, Oct. 17, notching the team’s fifth straight win. The team is made up of husband and wife Sandy and Ken Jones of Maple Hill and Michael Sunday of Hendersonville.
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RALEIGH – A backyard flock in Rutherford County has tested positive for High Path Avian Influenza (HPAI). The positive sample was identified by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Veterinary Diagnostic Lab in Raleigh. This is the first confirmed positive in Rutherford County. In the last 30 days, there have been three backyard flocks with confirmed positives in North Carolina. Cases have also been confirmed in Guilford and Union counties.
RALEIGH – A site-record and big prizes were awarded at the giant pumpkin and watermelon competition at the N.C.
RALEIGH – Fairgoers hungry for inspiration will find it sizzling at the Got to Be NC Agriculture Pavilion at this year’s N.C. State Fair. From savory Southern classics to inventive twists on North Carolina-grown products, the Got to Be NC Chef’s Stage brings together the state’s top culinary talent to showcase why the best ingredients start right here at home.
RALEIGH – Fourteen North Carolina dairies entered more than 48 milk and cheese products in the 2025 Got to Be NC Dairy Competition, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
After four years of extensive testing, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is employing a new method for analyzing nitrogen in swine, dairy and poultry lagoon samples that will produce quicker more accurate results, reduce costs and increase safety for employees conducting tests.The lab recently moved from Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN) testing to the Total Nitrogen by chemiluminescence (TNb) method for analyzing nitrogen in manure.