North Carolina

USDA data shows nearly 70% of crop workers from 2020-22 were foreign-born, and the number of seasonal H-2A visa workers has increased over seven-fold since '05.

Officials with the White House, Department of Labor, and USDA recently hosted a roundtable with farmers and ranchers to talk about labor challenges facing agriculture.  North Carolina Farm Bureau member Faylene Whitaker says the conversation centered around two main topics.   “...

The Trump USDA is considering a vaccine as the next step in the battle against High Path Avian Influenza, but it's a nuanced conversation.   “We do have an approved vaccine for USDA Centers for Veterinary Biologics," noted North Carolina state veterinarian, Dr. Mike Mart...

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins surveyed damage from natural disasters and met with U.S. Forest Service members in western North Carolina late last week.  Recent wildfires and hurricanes have caused significant destruction throughout the region.  Du...

As farmers look in the rearview mirror at the season just completed, they have concerns about the planting season up ahead.  Zack Webb is a technical agronomist with Deltapine in North and South Carolina, and at farmers meetings he's attended, he's hearing a lot   "The biggest thing is, what are we going to plant to try to not only make money, but just to stay in business for another year? Be

On Monday, the Blue Dog Coalition announced its new leadership for the 119th Congress.  Southwest Washington Representative Marie Gluesenkamp Perez will serve as Co-Chair for Administration, California Representative Lou Correa will serve as Co-Chair for Policy and Legislative Strategy, while Texas Representative Vicente Gonzalez will serve as Co-Chair for Communications and Outreach, and Californ

Regenerative agriculture continues to gain momentum as more practices and offerings become available for both growers looking for additional revenue streams and companies looking to reduce their Scope 3 carbon emissions.  Dustin Madison, who manages the agronomic, conservation, and fertility operations of the Engle Family Farms in Virginia and North Carolina, is part of the Perdue Sustainability P

New research launched this fall at Washington State University looks to help apple growers better understand how their trees respond to increasingly unpredictable cold snaps that freeze buds and destroy harvests.  Funded by an $850,000 grant from the USDA’s Specialty Crop Multi-State Grant Program, the four-state study led by WSU's Stefano Musacchi, will gather new data on dormancy in Gala, Honeyc

Nearly 300,000 pounds of Washington apples are on their way to assist people impacted by the recent hurricanes that have struck the southeastern portion of the country.  Seven 42,000-pound shipments of apples are being delivered to Georgia, Florida, and North Carolina as part of an effort coordinated by Feeding the Northwest   The regional organization working with local agricultural producers to

Tractor Supply Company surprised five high school FFA chapters across the country with the funds needed for students to attend the 97th Annual National FFA Convention and Expo.  The convention will take place later this month in Indianapolis.  It’...