Agriculture
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Frost and freeze protection for vegetable crops
Weather predictions for this weekend include clear skies with minimal or calm winds, which are conducive to cold temperatures and could lead to freeze or frost conditions in North Carolina. Sunday morning, May 10, low temperatures are predicted to drop into the 30s with some temperatures possibly below freezing in…
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Farmworkers, advocates call on Gov. Cooper for COVID-19 protections
DUNN – Members of the Farmworker Advocacy Network, their partner organizations, and other individuals are calling on Governor Cooper to take critical action in support of agricultural workers in response to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The first confirmed and suspected farmworker cases of COVID-19 have already appeared in NC, making it…
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Try growing ginger at home
The ginger plant (Zingiber officinale) is grown for its spicy, flavorful taste. The active ingredient in ginger is called gingerols. Gingerols are found in the rhizomes, which are different than roots. Rhizomes are considered underground stems with the ability to produce roots and shoots at each node. Buy ginger rhizomes…
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Selecting and growing trees, shrubs
Thinking about planting a tree or some shrubbery this spring? This is an excellent time to get them in the ground and off to a great start. Here are some things you may find helpful in your new plantings and perhaps guide you along the way. Trees and shrubs are…
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FIGHT FOR SURVIVAL
AKRON, Iowa — In recent years, Fred Zenk built two barns housing about 2,400 hogs between them — long, white, concrete-and-metal structures that are ubiquitous in the Midwestern countryside. The Iowa farmer didn’t follow state requirements to get construction approval and file a manure disposal plan. But Zenk’s operation initially…
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Rising NC farm bankruptcies could signal broader rural crisis
RALEIGH — Family farm bankruptcies are on the rise in North Carolina, a signal the rest of the state’s farm economy could be in trouble. North Carolina saw a 33% increase in Chapter 12 family farm bankruptcies from 2018 to 2019, with 16 filings, says a study by the American…
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Hemp farmers uncertain in countdown to new regulations
RALEIGH — The clock is ticking on hemp licenses for North Carolina farmers. N.C. farmers now are licensed under the federal government’s 2014 hemp pilot program. If the state’s 2019 Farm Act doesn’t pass in the next couple months, farmers will have to register for licenses under U.S. Department of…
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Gardeners, it’s time to start your seeds
It’s that time of year when the seed catalogs start arriving in the mail. The glossy photos of veggies and flowers spill from the pages while you glance out the window at gray skies and bare branches. But to make the transition from drab beds to beautiful vegetables and flowers…
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Care for your holiday plants
It’s the time of year plants are given and received as holiday gifts. Poinsettias, Christmas Cactus and Amaryllis are the most often chosen plants. They bring a splash of color during our drab winter months. General tips for holiday plants: Keep in mind most holiday plants are tropical plants that…
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Area pecan trees aren’t producing
LUMBERTON – The pecans that Robeson County residents buy in order to make holiday desserts will be more expensive this year, and they will likely come from California or Mexico. Local experts and pecan buyers cannot remember a time when nearly all the pecan trees in Robeson County refused to…
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2020 Extension Gardener Class Series scheduled
LAURINBURG — Interested in gardening? Learn about sustainable, science-based gardening practices from N.C. Cooperative Extension, Scotland County Center. Extension Gardener classes are a series of lectures and hands-on workshops for home and community gardeners. Using the latest research in applied horticultural science from NC State Extension and other land grant…
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New federal rules could stifle developing hemp industry
RALEIGH — North Carolina hemp farmers are bracing for an onslaught of federal regulation. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Oct. 31 released a new interim final rule that will govern all state hemp programs. While many of the federal stipulations for testing the intoxicating substances in hemp are similar…
