As spring fire season enters its third month, the USDA Forest Service and N.C. Forest Service are reminding the public to keep drones away from wildfires. Flying drones or unmanned aircraft systems, near wildfire activity is not only extremely dangerous, but illegal.“Flying a drone near or around a wildfire compromises the safety of forest service pilots and ground crews and interferes with firefighting efforts,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “It’s important to remember that if you fly, we can’t.”
Press Releases
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will soon start treating for spongy moth infestations in several areas across the state. Treatments will start as early as June 1 and run through June 16. Spongy moth is the entomological community’s agreed upon name for the insect formerly referred to as the gypsy moth.The areas to be treated include Alleghany, Camden, Caswell, Currituck, Dare, Rockingham, Surry, Vance and Watauga counties.
Twenty-eight North Carolina students have been named recipients of 2022 N.C. State Fair Youth Livestock Scholarships, Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced.The scholarships are designed for high school seniors and students currently enrolled in an institute of higher education who have participated in the junior livestock or market turkey shows at the N.C. State Fair.
The Got to Be NC Festival marks its eagerly awaited return to the fairgrounds May 20-22 following a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Antique tractors, a barbecue buffet fundraiser on May 21, North Carolina food products, rides, games, livestock, kids’ activities, music and entertainment will welcome guests back.
Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging equine owners to have their animals vaccinated against Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis and West Nile Virus.“Mosquito-breeding season in North Carolina lasts from spring until the first frost and horses are at risk if not properly vaccinated,” Troxler said. “EEE is fatal 90 percent of the time in horses and WNV has a fatality rate of 30 percent. But, both diseases are preventable by vaccination.”Last year, there were three recorded cases of EEE and two cases of WNV.
The N.C. Board of Agriculture will hold a meeting Monday, May 2, at 1 p.m. in the training room of the Steve Troxler Agricultural Sciences Center in Raleigh.The board will take up the following items:
RALEIGH – Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler today named Peter Thornton of Cary as the new director of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Marketing Division. Thornton replaces Joe Sanderson, who retired in March after 34 years with the department.
The Got To Be NC Festival is honoring farmers aged 18-40 in a brand-new way this year through the Young Farmer of the Day program. The program, sponsored by the Farm Credit Associations of North Carolina, celebrates our state’s agricultural future and three young farmers who are behind our state’s $95.9 billion agriculture and agribusiness industry.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Standards Division has collected fines from stores in Anson, Durham, Forsyth, Granville, Guilford, Moore, Johnston, Randolph, Stanly, Union, Vance and Wake counties because of excessive price-scanner errors. These stores represent 23 of the 42 stores fined across North Carolina during the first quarter of 2022.