South Carolina a Tale of Two States when it Comes to Rain

Rain in recent months that has totaled 2 feet in some places has ended the drought along South Carolina’s south coast.

Officials say rains in recent days should help ease the grip of the drought elsewhere in the state.

The South Carolina Drought Response Committee removed Charleston, Jasper and Beaufort counties from drought status late last week. All other areas of the state still remain in the lowest level of drought or in moderate drought.

Some areas of Charleston County have received 16 inches of rain in the past two months. Daufuskie Island on the state’s southern tip received more than 23 inches.

Following weekend rains across the state, the committee meets again next week to re-evaluate the drought status of other counties.

Sanderson Farms to Locate Chicken Barns near Kinston

Sanderson Farms plans to build chicken barns near its feed mill, not near its new plant under construction in Robeson County, N.C.

Residents raised concerns about the environmental impact of the chicken barns at a public hearing last week led by North Carolina’s water resources department, which must approve a permit for Sanderson to build a wastewater treatment plant and irrigation system. A Sanderson official said the chicken farms that will support the new plant will be located near the company’s feed mill in Kinston, to minimize feed hauling expenses.

An environmental group, however, said it still wants to see a full impact study conducted, something it says should have been done before the project was approved.

FFA Membership Grows Again in 2015

With global needs to fight hunger and prepare for the expected population growth, the industry of agriculture needs educated, skilled and passionate people dedicated to sustainability. The National FFA Organization is answering this need, as the record growth of the organization demonstrates.

Today, FFA membership stands at 629,367 students, up from 610,240 in 2014, an increase of 3 percent. The number of chapters grew from 7,665 in 2014 to 7,757 in 2015. The top five membership states are Texas, California, Georgia, Oklahoma and Missouri. Interest in FFA and agricultural education continues to grow, as membership has increased more than 20 percent since 2009-10.