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We are amazed but not surprised by gracious offerings for fellow farmers impacted by Hurricane Helene. Our staff is working closely with the N.C. Department of Agriculture to support response efforts. Once we know the full extent of the damages, we will also be engaging with our state and congressional representatives to advocate for help.  […]

The Farmer’s Almanac started in 1818 when farmers didn’t have technology or publications. Farmers in that era depended on the Almanac for weather patterns and projected sunrises and sunsets. Sandi Duncan, editor of the Farmer’s Almanac, says there’s something unique in it for everyone. “Like you said, it’s kind of a calendar of curiosities. It’s […]

Wind storms, hurricanes, derechos and the like can wreak havoc with corn stalks knocking them over and killing the yield. But a short corn developed by Bayer Crop Science is being tested on about 30,000 acres in the Midwest with the promise of offering farmers a variety that can withstand powerful windstorms. Eastern Iowa corn […]

Corn rootworm populations have exploded in recent years, which means more farmers than ever are asking how to get rid of the pest. Ron Roling is an AgriGold Agronomist from eastern Iowa, the self-proclaimed rootworm capital of the world. “Yeah, I do believe it’s possible to maybe control rootworm better. Our populations do tend to […]

Hurricane Helene was big, strong and fast, making it a near-perfect storm to bring widespread death and destruction to the American South. The fast-moving Category 4 storm killed at least 64 people and potentially left thousands homeless throughout the southeastern United States as it hammered its way north. Florida, Georgia and both Carolinas all suffered multiple deaths. In Florida, most drownings were caused by storm surge. In Georgia and South Carolina, falling trees were the primary killers. In North Carolina, massive flooding has cutoff Asheville and the surrounding communities.

PERRY, Fla. (AP) — Massive rains brought by Hurricane Helene have left many people stranded or homeless as the cleanup begins from the monster tempest that killed at least 56 people. Helene has caused billions of dollars in destruction across a wide swath of the southeast U.S. More than 3 million customers were without power Saturday, and some face a continued threat of floods. Helene blew ashore in Florida’s Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday and then quickly moved through Georgia, the Carolinas and Tennessee, uprooting trees, splintering homes and sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams. Deaths from the storm have occurred in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.

BELLVUE, Colo. (AP) — The U.S. is struggling to replant forests destroyed by increasingly destructive wildfires, with some areas unlikely to recover. Researchers are studying which species are likely to survive — and where — as climate change makes it difficult or impossible for many forests to regrow. But researchers say the U.S. also lacks enough seed collection, nursery capacity to grow seedlings and workers trained to plant them on a scale needed to stem accelerating losses. The Forest Service says the biggest roadblock is the yearslong task of completing environmental and cultural assessments and preparing severely burned land for replanting.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — Days of torrential rain in North Carolina culminating with tropical downpours from what was Hurricane Helene have officials keeping a close eye on a major dam. More than a foot of rain has fallen across much of the region in the past several days. The two main interstates in the mountains have closed. Crews have conducted 100 swiftwater rescues as of Friday morning. Officials in Rutherford County were warning residents who live on nearly 30 roads below Lake Lure Dam to evacuate immediately because water was coming over the top of the dam. Winds gusted to 108 mph atop Mount Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi River.

Its enormous size already impacting the Carolinas and very well may cause significant damage to crops in the western portions of North and South Carolina. Linda Pryor is a corn farmer and apple grower in Henderson County, North Carolina. “Over the last 24 hours, we have already received several inches of rain from a separate […]

Another storm is threatening the Carolinas. In fact, we’re already feeling its effects. I’m Mike Davis and I’m talking with Assistant State Climatologist Corey Davis from the State Climate Office of North Carolina. What can you tell us about Helene, and what can we expect? How long is this going to be around? “Well, Mike, […]