First of Three Peanut Field Days Gets Underway this Morning

An avalanche of peanut field days gets underway this morning at 9:00 am at the Lewiston-Woodville peanut research station. Bob Sutter, CEO of NC Peanut Growers Association explains an honored guest will be the featured speaker:
 

“We will be honoring Johnny Wynne, who is a retired Dean of the College of Ag & Life Science at NC State. He was a peanut breeder who developed a lot of important varieties that farmers have used over the past three decades. He will be sharing with us what he knows about peanuts as well as his time at NC State. We will be honoring and thanking him for all of the work that he has done. In addition, the growers will hear updates from the marketing side as well as legislative issues.”
 

Today’s field day gets underway at 9:00 am. For more information visit our calendar. 

Another Party Weighs in on Savannah River Channel Project
 

Another South Carolina agency wants to enter the federal lawsuit challenging the $650 million dredging of the Savannah River shipping channel.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control says it should be allowed to participate because it would have to issue a Pollution Control Act permit for the dredging if the court requires one.
 

Last month, U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel agreed that both the South Carolina Savannah River Maritime Commission and the Georgia Ports Authority could also enter the case.
 

Gergel also appointed former South Carolina Congress John Spratt to mediate the suit.
 
 

After Delivering a Blow to the Coast, Isaac Delivers Needed Rains

The remnants of Hurricane Isaac actually brought several days of rain to the nation’s midsection – giving farmers a much needed break. Parts of Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana and Missouri received several inches of rain – with some spots reporting more than a half-foot of rain. As far as corn and soybeans are concerned – the rain came too late to make much difference.
 

Food Insecurity Among Americans Increases
 

For the most part, Americans are fortunate when it comes to having enough food to eat. But the latest government report on food insecurity shows many of us are struggling. CBS News Correspondent Barry Bagnato explains…

“Nearly 7 million American households had very low food security last year, meaning some people had to change their eating patterns or consume less because of dwindling resources. That is slightly more than in previous years. Eighty five percent of households had enough to eat, the typical secure home spends 24% more on food than one that is struggling. Food insecurity shot up in 2008 as the recession expanded and has remained stable ever since.”

California Raisins in Peril
 

You would think a crop that set price records for several years in a row would be safe from being replaced – but California's raisin grapes are seeing acreage decrease. Glen Goto of the Raisin Bargaining Association says while raisins make a lot of money – two-percent of the vineyards were yanked out just last year…

“It’s a matter of the labor issues that we are dealing with and there are alternative crops out there that are so mechanically inclined that growers are looking to those as their alternative options.”

Those options are mostly nut crops – like almonds and pistachios. While raisins are fetching 95-cents a pound this year for farmers – almonds can command two-dollars a pound. That's not retail – that's to the grower. This is leading to vineyards being pulled up and nut trees planted in their place