YOUR TRUSTED AGRICULTURE SOURCE IN THE CAROLINAS SINCE 1974

Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Detected in South Carolina

Invasive Spotted Lanternfly Detected in South Carolina

Jul 11, 2025 | 9:33am
The spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula), an invasive insect known for damaging grapes, hops, stone fruits and hardwood trees, has been detected for the first time in South Carolina. Clemson University’s Department of Plant Industry (DPI) confirmed the presence of the pest in the cities of Greenville and Seneca. The insect, originally from Asia, has now spread […]
Chantal Leaves NC with Rising Rivers

Chantal Leaves NC with Rising Rivers

Jul 11, 2025 | 4:40am
Tropical Storm Chantal really left an impact on parts of central North Carolina last week. Corey Davis from the state climate office of North Carolina Joining me now, and we really saw I know most of the attention nationally has been on Texas, and I don’t want to downplay that at all, because that has […]
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Friday July 11

Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Friday July 11

Jul 11, 2025 | 1:55am
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Corn and soybeans have tried a few times this week to get off the mat but have not been able to stage any recovery. The euphoria on rumors of trade deals and chinese purchases from last week […]
Corn Crop Off to a Good Start

Corn Crop Off to a Good Start

Jul 10, 2025 | 1:07pm
Last week, USDA rated more than 80% of the corn crop in three of the top 18 corn growing states as good to excellent. Those states include Pennsylvania, Iowa, and North Carolina, which has 82% rated good to excellent. Zach Webb is a Bayer technical agronomist, and says in his region of North Carolina, growers […]
USDA Closes Southern Ports as Screwworm Moves North

USDA Closes Southern Ports as Screwworm Moves North

Jul 10, 2025 | 12:18pm
(Washington, D.C., July 9, 2025)- Yesterday, Mexico’s National Service of Agro-Alimentary Health, Safety, and Quality (SENASICA) reported a new case of New World Screwworm (NWS) in Ixhuatlan de Madero, Veracruz in Mexico, which is approximately 160 miles northward of the current sterile fly dispersal grid, on the eastern side of the country and 370 miles […]
USDA Announces Expedited Congressionally Mandated Disaster Assistance for Farmers

USDA Announces Expedited Congressionally Mandated Disaster Assistance for Farmers

Jul 10, 2025 | 12:04pm
(Washington, D.C., July 9, 2025) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins announced today that agricultural producers who suffered eligible crop losses due to natural disasters in 2023 and 2024 can now apply for $16 billion in assistance through the Supplemental Disaster Relief Program (SDRP). To expedite the implementation of SDRP, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) […]
Flamingos are stirring up trouble and ravaging rice for risotto in Italy’s northeast

Flamingos are stirring up trouble and ravaging rice for risotto in Italy’s northeast

Jul 10, 2025 | 10:58am
JOLANDA DI SAVOIA, Italy (AP) — Farmers in Italy’s northeastern Po Delta region are battling an unusual pest: flamingos. These birds have been invading rice paddies and damaging crops while searching for food like mollusks and insects. Farmers are using noisy tactics such as gas cannons and banging barrels to scare them off, but the birds often move to nearby fields. Some farmers report losing up to 90% of their crops. There have been no studies to determine why flamingos seek food inland where farmers flood fields from late spring to early summer. Ornithologists suggest humane solutions like planting hedges or lowering water levels in paddies to deter the birds while protecting the rice.
NC Commissioner Troxler: Peanut Grading Job Fairs

NC Commissioner Troxler: Peanut Grading Job Fairs

Jul 8, 2025 | 4:26am
The department’s Cooperative Grading Service is looking to hire peanut graders for the upcoming peanut season. Twelve peanut grading job fairs will be held in Eastern NC starting mid-July. These seasonal jobs pay $15.50-$16 an hour with paid training provided.
Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Tuesday July 8

Brooks Schaffer Market Report for Tuesday July 8

Jul 8, 2025 | 2:59am
This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Markets opened Sunday night with a bang after the Independence Day holiday, but it was not the direction we wanted. Corn and soybeans traded with some decent strength ahead of the holiday weekend. There were rumors that […]