Top Agriculture News

U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Stephen Vaden announced on Friday the approval of a $221.2 million disaster assistance grants for North Carolina farmers recovering from Hurricane Helene. The grant is part of a broader federal effort to support agricultural producers impacted by recent natural disasters. During a visit to Asheville, Vaden signed a block grant […]

After a wet July, it’s kind of been a real dry August. Really haven’t seen much in the way of precipitation. I’ve got state assistant climatologist Corey Davis here. Corey, what’s going on with this dry weather pattern, and is it going to continue, or is the trend going to maybe get a little wetter […]

This is the SFN Market Report with Brooks Schaffer of Palmetto Grain. Reach him at [email protected] or 843-540-4540. Corn continues to find strength and work its way slowly higher. Most traders feel the crop size is going to come down from USDA’s lofty 188.8 bushel yield estimate on the August report. Since that report, field […]

FLETCHER, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein is taking a more collaborative approach with Republican opponents in his first eight months in office despite disagreeing with them on many issues. Stein succeeded fellow Democrat Roy Cooper in January. He aims to work with the GOP-controlled General Assembly and has built dialogue with them. Stein’s approach contrasts with Democratic governors elsewhere who have taken more combative stances against President Donald Trump and the GOP. Republican leaders have said they appreciate the open lines of communication with Stein. Still, the new governor has vetoed 15 bills, with lawmakers so far overriding eight of them.

Too early for Christmas? That’s not the case for Christmas tree growers. Although real Christmas trees adorn our homes, offices and other locales during the brief holiday season, what Christmas tree farmers — like Western Washington state’s John Tillman — perform is year-round work to make that merchandise available to consumers. Well, OK, maybe not […]

The recent case of a traveler-associated human case of New World screwworm reaffirmed USDA and federal surveillance and trapping measures to keep this threat to U.S. livestock out of our country. “Believe it or not, we have had human cases in the past, including in the past five years. Unfortunately, this happens at times where […]

POWELLS POINT, N.C. (AP) — Republican state Sen. Bobby Hanig has announced his bid for a U.S. House seat in North Carolina. The coastal legislator aims to unseat two-term Democratic Rep. Don Davis. Hanig plans to run for the 1st Congressional District, which is the state’s only swing district and spans 22 counties. Davis has already filed federal candidate paperwork for the 2026 race. Another Republican, Rocky Mount Mayor Sandy Roberson, has filed as well. The official election filing period is in December, with primaries in early March. Republicans currently hold 10 of North Carolina’s 14 U.S. House seats.

Applications are now open for the North Carolina Agriculture Manufacturing and Processing Initiative (NCAMPI), a new $8 million program aimed at strengthening the state’s food and fiber supply chain. Administered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, NCAMPI is designed to support the growth, modernization, and resilience of agricultural manufacturing and processing operations […]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday it is investing more than $8 million in five new projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk, protecting water quality, and improving forest health across the country. The funding, part of the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership Program, supports collaborative efforts between USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and […]

The Environmental Protection Agency recently closed one public comment period associated with the proposed Renewable Fuel Standard for 2026 and 2027 and has another now underway. Agriculture Deputy Secretary Steven Vaden had this to say at the recent Farm Progress Show in Illinois: “We at USDA are very supportive of the Environmental Protection Agency and […]