Top Agriculture News

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is on the ground in the western part of the state, supporting farmers and rural communities there recovering from Hurricane Helene. Kaleb Rathbone is the department assistant commissioner for the western part of North Carolina, and told the Commstock Channel he lives and works there too. […]

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Officials say federal disaster workers have resumed door-to-door visits as part of hurricane recovery efforts in North Carolina. The visits were temporarily suspended after reports emerged over the weekend that Federal Emergency Management Agency employees could be targeted by a militia members. The government response to Hurricane Helene has become a rampant subject of disinformation. A sheriff’s office says one man was arrested in connection with the investigation into threats, but that suspect acted alone. FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell says the agency isn’t going anywhere. She and Gov. Roy Cooper called on people to stop spreading falsehoods about the recovery efforts so that people who need help can get it.

The N.C. State Fair is well known for its offering of creative deep-fried delicacies and wide range of global cuisines. Every year, fair vendors come up with new dishes, in hopes their foods will call to fairgoers’ taste buds. This year’s new dishes represent cuisines from around the world and reimagine some classic fair offerings, […]

USDA economist Bart Kenner works in Kansas City, where these days there is a lot of talk about sports. Bart loves to talk sports all the time. Exports that is, agricultural. Bart’s out there now with trade numbers for the first 11 months of the 2024 fiscal year, October through August, and the figures boil […]

What to make of USDA’s October crop production forecast? Chief Economist Seth Meyer starts with analysis. “We had a little bit of a yield increase in corn. Yield was up two tenths of a bushel from the previous estimate, and that was pretty much in line with what trade expectations were. Let’s note that this […]

NEW YORK (AP) — The Small Business Administration has run out of money for its disaster assistance loans, delaying much needed relief for people applying for aid in the wake of the destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to businesses and people affected by disasters. The organization said earlier this month that it expected to soon run out of funding. Congress can approve more funds, but doesn’t reconvene until after the election. The SBA is pausing new loan offers until it gets more funding. SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman said people should keep applying for the loans, however.

Friday’s USDA Crop Production Report showed corn production is forecast at 15.2 billion bushels, up less than one percent from the previous forecast, but down one percent from last year. Soybean growers are expected to increase their production by ten percent from 2023, with the forecast at 4.58 billion bushels. Based on conditions as of […]

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Officials say federal disaster workers paused and then changed some of their hurricane-recovery efforts in North Carolina, including abandoning door-to-door visits, after receiving threats. The threats that they could be targeted by a militia emerged over the weekend, at a time when the government response to Helene is being targeted by rampant disinformation. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call about a man with an assault rifle who commented about possibly harming employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency working in the hard-hit areas of Lake Lure and Chimney Rock, in the North Carolina mountains. The man was later arrested charged with a misdemeanor.

In just a few short days, the 156th N.C. State Fair kicks off, and so does the N.C. State Fair Farm Family of the Day, sponsored by the Tractor Supply Company. One North Carolina farm family will be recognized every day of the fair, highlighting the contributions of family farms to our state’s $111 billion […]

The U.S. Sustainability Alliance was formed to share the stories and values of U.S. farmers, fisherman, and foresters with European audiences. Zippy Duvall, American Farm Bureau Federation President, talked with EU officials about the sustainable practices and conservation programs in U.S. agriculture. “We met with them because agriculture in the United States has a great […]