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.
Press Releases
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division fined four stores in Forsyth, Mecklenburg and Moore counties for price scanning errors.“Scanner errors cost consumers money,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “With the holiday season approaching fast, our Standards Division remains vigilant in inspecting stores across the state to ensure consumers are not being taken advantage of.”
RALEIGH – Beginning Nov. 11, the N.C. Forest Service is offering a 20% discount on tree seedling orders placed by active, honorably discharged or retired military personnel throughout November. The discount applies to the first $500 of all new orders, up to a $100 discount.
RALEIGH – The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services soil testing lab is about to hit its busy season and growers and homeowners are encouraged to submit soil samples by Nov. 26 to avoid peak-season fees and to get results and recommendations sooner. Peak-season fees will be waived for the Western counties impacted by Hurricane Helene.
After a monthlong break for the N.C. State Fair, the Raleigh Market will re-open Saturday, Nov. 9. The market is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays except during October, when the annual State Fair is held.The Raleigh Market is one of the largest flea markets in the Southeast, offering everything from antiques to handicrafts, furniture and homemade goods. Parking is free. For more information about the market, go to www.theraleighmarket.com.
RALEIGH – The N.C. Board of Agriculture will hold a meeting Monday, Nov. 4, at 1:30 p.m. at the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center in Raleigh.The board will take up the following items:
The N.C. State Fair Junior Livestock Sale of Champions raised $213,000 in bids for the top steers, barrows, lambs, goats and turkeys in the sale on Oct. 27.“Congratulation to all the winners and participants in the N.C. State Fair junior livestock shows,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “This money will help many young people continue their education. We couldn’t do it without the support of all the bidders.”
LAUREL SPRINGS – N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and other dignitaries will light a ceremonial Christmas Tree to signal the start of the state’s annual Christmas tree harvest Wednesday at the Upper Mountain Research Station in Laurel Springs. The event is being held at the Research Station’s Tobacco Trust Fund Christmas Tree Seed Center, a soon-to-be completed facility that will help establish a North Carolina Fraser Fir Christmas tree seedling source for growers.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler inducted three new members into the N.C. State Fair Livestock Hall of Fame Sunday, Oct. 27, at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh.“Agriculture has always been and will forever remain the heart of the N.C. State Fair,” Troxler said. “These inductees have helped make the livestock shows at our fair some of the best in the nation. This is a considerable honor and one that is well-deserved.”Following is the list of this year’s inductees:
RALEIGH – The 2024 N.C. State Fair finished its run with a strong weekend, pushing the overall attendance to just shy of 1 million visitors. The final attendance was 998,926, the sixth largest in the fair’s 156-year history.