RALEIGH – This holiday season, give the gift of local flavor. The N.C. Specialty Foods Association’s 2024 ‘Best in Taste’ award winners showcase the best of N.C. handcrafted goods perfect for gift-giving. From savory sauces to artisanal sweets, the competition celebrates small-batch producers from across the state for top honors.
Press Releases
RALEIGH – State Veterinarian Mike Martin has granted entry into North Carolina to Santa Claus and his magical reindeer. This ensures that Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and yes, even Rudolph will be allowed into the state on Christmas Eve. Reindeer are part of the cervid family that include deer, elk, moose and caribou. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services provides oversight of the movement of captive cervid into the state.
RALEIGH – Effective at 8 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 18, the N.C. Forest Service reinstates the requirement for open burning permits in Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties. The requirement for open burning permits was waived Oct. 12 through the authorization of House Bill 149, the Disaster Recovery Act of 2024.
RALEIGH – In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Western North Carolina wine, cider and mead industry is facing significant challenges as vineyards, tasting rooms and production facilities across the region grapple with damages and distribution disruptions. With the holiday season in full swing, farmers and producers are asking consumers to pour it forward and shop local as the industry continues to recover and rebuild.
RALEIGH – Following are winners in the 2024 N.C. State Fair livestock shows.Open Dairy Cattle – AyrshireGrand champion female and senior champion female shown by Kylie Ward of Lexington (Davidson)Reserve grand champion female, junior champion female, reserve junior champion female and reserve senior champion female shown by Russell Isley of Burlington (Alamance)Open Dairy Cattle – Brown Swiss
RALEIGH — N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler encourages communities impacted by Hurricane Helene to apply for the Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) program, which responds to emergencies created by natural disasters. It is not necessary for a national emergency to be declared for an area to be eligible for assistance.
RALEIGH – 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. Please feel free to use any of this content or photos in your publications or contact us if you have any additional questions.
WHO/WHAT: The North Carolina Sentinel Landscape Committee will hold a meeting to hear committee member reports and conduct other Sentinel Landscape business. WHEN: Monday, Dec. 9, 2 p.m. WHERE: Hall of Fame Room, Agriculture Building, 2 W. Edenton St., Raleigh. The public may also join in on the meeting via conference number 984-204-1487. The conference ID is 489 346 810, followed by the # key.
WHO/WHAT: The Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund will hold an advisory committee meeting to:• Review the trust fund budget and open grantee contracts.• Hear trust fund reports on open conservation easement projects; county program maps and updates; grant monitoring and stewardship updates; and an easement status report involving recent and upcoming closings.
RALEIGH – Nothing ushers in the holiday season like seeing roadside Christmas tree lots pop up across the state or fresh trees outside grocery stores or retailers. The 940 farmers who grow the trees that bring you the nostalgic smell and feeling of a traditional North Carolina Christmas need your help. In a year where many saw the total devastation of the infrastructure around their farms and the loss of thousands of trees, the resiliency of our state’s growers is tremendous.