Archive for Today’s Topic on Southern Farm Network

Today’s Topic: N.C. Forest Service identifies laurel wilt in New Hanover County

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Last week, the N.C. Forest Service announced the detection of laurel wilt in New Hanover County. The disease, which is devastating to redbay and other plants in the laurel family, was identified near the western edge of [...]

Today’s Topic: 2013 Got to Be NC Festival takes place May 17-19 at State Fairgrounds

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The 2013 Got to Be NC Festival will take place May 17-19 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The annual event celebrates North Carolina’s agricultural heritage and the great food produced in the state. This year, the [...]

Today’s Topic: Senators introduce legislation to eliminate redundant regulations on pesticides

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Last week, Sens. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) introduced a bipartisan bill that seeks to eliminate redundant federal regulations on pesticides. The bill is known as the Sensible Environmental Protection Act, and it would clarify [...]

Today’s Topic: Troxler co-chairing Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The Southeast Regional Partnership for Planning and Sustainability is meeting April 23 and 24 at Camp Lejeune to address a variety of topics in six action areas: Working Lands; Off-Installation Military Mission Protection; Threatened, Endangered and At-Risk [...]

Today’s Topic: Economic impact of N.C. agriculture, agribusiness increases to $77 billion

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The economic impact of agriculture and agribusiness in North Carolina was $77 billion in 2011, according to a study by N.C. State University economist Mike Walden. That’s a 7.5 percent increase over 2010. The various sectors of [...]

Today’s Topic: Specialty-crop grants available

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” The NCDA&CS is offering about $1 million in grants to government, collegiate and nonprofit agencies interested in improving the competitiveness of specialty crops across the state. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program is funded by the U.S. [...]

Today’s Topic: N.C. farmers say they’ll plant more corn, tobacco, wheat this year

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” USDA released its 2013 Prospective Plantings report March 28, and North Carolina farmers have indicated they intend to plant more corn, wheat and tobacco this year. Corn plantings are projected to total 890,000 acres, up 3 percent [...]

Today’s Topic: The governor’s proposed budget for NCDA&CS

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Last week, Gov. Pat McCrory released his state budget proposal, officially kicking off the budget-writing season in North Carolina. Commissioner Troxler points out that the governor’s budget includes funding for the Ag Water Resources Assistance Program, or [...]

Today’s Topic: National Ag Day

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” Today is National Ag Day, and Commissioner Troxler tells Rhonda that North Carolinians have many reasons to be appreciative of agriculture. In addition to providing the food we eat, clothes we wear and scores of products we [...]

Today’s Topic: N.C. Cantaloupe Pilot Program

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler sits down each week with Southern Farm Network’s Rhonda Garrison to discuss “Today’s Topic.” This week, the Commissioner and Rhonda discuss a project to help North Carolina cantaloupe producers develop strategies for reducing the risk of food contamination. A partnership between the NCDA&CS and N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, the education and [...]