By Clint Thompson North Carolina (N.C.) State Extension reminds the state’s strawberry growers the Western North Carolina Strawberry Preplant Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 21, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the N.C. Extension, Wilkes County Center in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Matthew Clay, N.C. State Extension agent, talked about the importance of the meeting with planting season looming. …
Downy Mildew Confirmed on North Carolina Cucumber
By Clint Thompson North Carolina (N.C.) vegetable growers should be mindful that cucumber downy mildew has been confirmed on cucumber plant samples from a research plot at the Mountain Research Station in Haywood County, North Carolina. It was detected on July 30. Inga Meadows, N.C. State Extension Associate in Vegetable and Herbaceous Ornamental Pathology, noted that water-soaked lesions on the …
Southeast Strawberry Expo Registration Ongoing
Registration is ongoing for the annual Southeast Strawberry Expo, scheduled for Nov. 11-14 at the Raleigh Hilton at North Hills. There will be a new grower workshop or inline drip fumigation workshop on Nov. 11 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. On Nov. 12, there will be a farm tour from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. followed by a welcome …
Specialty Crop Grower Magazine: N.C. Marketing Programs Provide Local Link to Growers
By Frank Giles Editor’s Note: This is the second in a series featuring state marketing programs for specialty crops. The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services (NCDACS) offers a state program to help growers brand their locally grown produce. The program is called Got to Be NC (gottobenc.com), and its mission is to expand markets in North Carolina …
N.C. Peach Season Arrives Ahead of Schedule
RALEIGH – North Carolina’s (N.C.) peach season is arriving a bit earlier than expected this year, with growers across the state beginning to harvest a bumper crop of high-quality fruit. A stretch of warmer-than-average temperatures has advanced the growing timeline, making fresh peaches available to consumers ahead of their normal mid-July peak. “This run of hot days means peaches are …
Attention N.C. Producers: 2025 Spanish Language Preparation Courses for Pesticide Applicator Exam
North Carolina (N.C.) State Extension will be hosting a two-day, in-person learning workshop for Spanish speakers to prepare to take the N.C. Private Pesticide Applicator certification exam. This free preparation course will take place May 5-6 at the Wayne County Cooperative Extension Center. It will prepare participants to take the private pesticide applicator exam and obtain pesticide certification. Topics that …
N.C. Application Period Open to Apply for Disaster Assistance for Crop Losses in 2024
RALEIGH – North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced last week that the Agricultural Disaster Crop Loss Program is open and accepting online applications through May 4 from farmers who suffered crop losses from Hurricane Helene, Tropical Storm Debby, drought and other weather-related conditions in 2024. The North Carolina (N.C.) Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is administering the statewide …
Burn Ban Issued for All North Carolina Counties Due to Hazardous Forest Fire Conditions
RALEIGH – Due to increased fire risk, the North Carolina (N.C.) Forest Service issued a ban on all open burning and has canceled all burning permits statewide effective 8 a.m. Friday, March 21, until further notice. “It is spring wildfire season in North Carolina, and we are seeing wildfire activity increase due to dry conditions,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. …
NCDA&CS Offers Free Agronomic Services for Western N.C. Growers
RALEIGH — It has been months since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina (N.C.), and recovery is still ongoing throughout the region. Many residents and growers had devastating losses, but work is under way to rebuild and move forward in 2025. To help with recovery, the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agronomic Services Division is offering all of …
North Carolina Specialty Crops Update
By Maegan Beatty North Carolina is a large contributor of specialty crops in the southeast. From peaches to seedless watermelon, the state grows a diverse set of fruits and vegetables for most of the year. In a recent interview with AgNet Media, North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler provides an optimistic outlook for 2025 and how the specialty crop …