Below is a summary of local interest stories that have recently been highlighted on the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ In the Field Blog and social media sites. Please feel free to use any of this content or contact us if you have any additional questions.
Eastern NC:
(Northampton) With “Black Cotton,” N.C. farmer works to revamp the impression of Black Americans in cotton
Julius Tillery is proud of his family’s history and his heritage of Black farmers in Northampton County, but he’s much more focused on the future than the past. He sees his company Black Cotton as a way to revamp the image often associated with Black Americans and cotton. That’s not to say the history of slaves picking cotton is no longer relevant, or that there’s not a history of Black American’s picking someone else’s cotton for low wages. That history matters, but Tillery is building on his family’s unique story in hopes of creating a new narrative. …
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/02/01/with-black-cotton-n-c-farmer-works-to-revamp-the-impression-of-black-americans-in-cotton/
(New Hanover) Cultivating beautiful flowers and greenhouse vegetables at Castle Hayne Farms
Growing up in the Netherlands, Mark Hommes was raised on horticulture and a love of Dutch iris. Current co-owner of Castle Hayne Farms, Mark always knew he would become a commercial-flower grower, learning the trade from his father, but what he didn’t realize is the amount of rich history both his farmland and his family legacy would carry in Castle Hayne.
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/01/15/cultivating-beautiful-flowers-and-greenhouse-vegetables-at-castle-hayne-farms/
(Sampson County) NCDA helps Coharie Tribe revive river, reduce flooding
“I saw something in his eyes that longed for the river to be healthy and be important to people again.” That’s how Greg Jacobs describes part of a conversation he had with a Coharie Tribe member several years ago regarding The Big Coharie River in Sampson County. Jacobs is the tribal administrator for the tribe. He said that conversation was one of the things that sparked a revitalization of the river with funding made available through the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. That revitalization is a prime example of the stream debris removal program that the department has helped administer in dozens of areas after Hurricane Matthew and Hurricane Florence.
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2020/12/14/ncda-helps-coharie-tribe-revive-river-reduce-flooding/
Piedmont area:
(Johnston County) A legacy of farming fresh fruits and vegetables at Ronnie Moore’s Fruits & Veggies
Growing up in the farming industry instilled a passion for agriculture in Ronnie Moore that he could never shake. Although his current farm, Ronnie Moore’s Fruits & Veggies, was not started until 2000, his family farmed tobacco, beans and sweet potatoes for nearly 80 years. “The 200-acre farm in Newton Grove has stayed in Ronnie’s family and mine for many generations,” Stephanie, Ronnie’s wife, said, “and we still have all the original tobacco barns, but today we use them for growing hemp instead.” In addition to hemp, the Moore’s currently grow a variety of vegetables, herbs and fresh cut flowers, including tomatoes and basil. “Growing up I knew that I wanted to be in horticulture because I have a strong love for flowers,” Stephanie said, “and when I married a farmer, we decided to go in together to operate the current farm you see today.” …
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/01/29/a-legacy-of-farming-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables-at-ronnie-moores-fruits-veggies/
(Wake) Pandemic prompts installation of ‘air cleaning technology’ in fairgrounds buildings
Several buildings on the grounds of the N.C. State Fair and the N.C. Mountain State Fair/WNC Agricultural Center now have advanced technology added to their air filtration systems. The technology comes with new equipment that’s been installed with health and safety in mind, as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. You could think of the new equipment as magic, but as neat as that sounds, the actual science sounds pretty neat on its own. It’s not too complicated to understand either. ...
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/01/25/pandemic-prompts-installation-of-air-cleaning-technology-in-fairgrounds-buildings/
Western NC:
(Buncombe) Pandemic prompts installation of ‘air cleaning technology’ in fairgrounds buildings
Several buildings on the grounds of the N.C. State Fair and the N.C. Mountain State Fair/WNC Agricultural Center now have advanced technology added to their air filtration systems. The technology comes with new equipment that’s been installed with health and safety in mind, as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic. You could think of the new equipment as magic, but as neat as that sounds, the actual science sounds pretty neat on its own. It’s not too complicated to understand either. ...
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/01/25/pandemic-prompts-installation-of-air-cleaning-technology-in-fairgrounds-buildings/
(Catawba) High-Quality Caviar grown and raised at Marshallberg Farms
Historically, sturgeon has been a part of the fishing industry in the United States but it is native to Europe and Russia. Through a passion for fish farming and and a little help from experts at N.C. State University, Marshallberg Farm has grown to be the largest producer of Russian Sturgeon and Ostera Caviar in North America. Brian Reburn, Farm Manager at Marshallberg Farm, married into the fish farming industry and joined the company in 2011. “My father-in-law always knew he wanted to be a fish farmer,” Brian said, “and thanks to N.C. State University, he got started farming in 2003 with about 3,000 Russian Sturgeon.” Today, the farm is home to about 25,000 fish and operates two facilities, one near the N.C. mountains and the other near the coast. Each year they produce roughly one ton of caviar for their consumers. …
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/01/22/high-quality-caviar-grown-and-raised-at-marshallberg-farms/
(Transylvania County) More than ever, “Bob’s List” helps school nutrition programs feed children
The Food Distribution Division was busier than ever in 2020. An extra way the division provides food to schools has also been busier than ever during the coronavirus pandemic. It’s called Bob’s List, and it’s enabled many school nutrition programs to keep their operations on budget and get food to the children who need it. “We still aren’t in a normal operating mode, and all of our programs need as much help as possible to stabilize themselves and continue to operate,” said Carolyn Barton, the director of school nutrition services in Transylvania County Schools. …
http://info.ncagr.gov/blog/2021/01/19/more-than-ever-bobs-list-helps-school-nutrition-programs-feed-children/