Donate Deer to Feed the Hungry and Help Farmers

The North Carolina Wildlife Federation and the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission have partnered on a program to help farmers manage whitetailed deer through hunting and to help local food banks through donations of venison.  The program works through local civic organizations, youth groups and hunt clubs that seek to encourage donations of venison to…

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Fall is the Time to Sample for Nematodes

As we move into September, preparing for harvest is on everyone’s mind, but now is also the time to think about nematode numbers in your fields. Nematodes are microscopic roundworms which may feed on the roots of plants. There are hundreds of different species of nematodes, but most are not economically important. Two that are…

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September 22 Soybean Rust Update

  From Jim Dunphy, Crop Science Extension Specialist (Soybeans) and Lindsey Thiessen, Extension Plant Pathologist Although Asiatic Soybean Rust may be moving up the Mississippi River valley pretty rapidly, it seems to be moving more slowly up the east coast.  This week, rust was confirmed in Arkansas County, AR, Caldwell County, KY, and Williamson County, IL,…

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The Future of Drone Technology

Drones are very useful, especially for data gathering. They can capture real-time data, can cover areas not feasible with ground methods and capture data not available through remote-sensing methods. It is possible to fly a drone in the morning and get data to evaluate issues to be addressed in the afternoon, limiting down time for…

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New Video on Sustainable Farming from USFRA

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance just released a new video to inform consumers about advanced farming and ranching practices that help production agriculture with sustainable food production called Farm On: Sustainable Food Production. CLICK HERE to view the video on Youtube, or it is also posted on the USFRA Facebook page. The key takeaways…

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Release of New Soy Varieties

In July, NCSU announced the release of three new conventional group VI and VII soybean varieties. The development and release of these three high yielding varieties are the culmination of many years of joint research projects and collaboration between the USDA and NCSU, much of which was funded by either the North Carolina Soybean Producers…

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Time to Work on Disaster Recovery

We will post information on USDA Farm Service Agency, USDA Risk Management Agency, USDA Rural Development, USDA NRCS and other agencies and programs offering disaster assistance to farmers. Hurricane Matthew made a greater than anticipated impact on central and coastal North Carolina and with rivers and streams continuing to rise as floodwaters drain to the…

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Marketing Flooded and Moisture-Damaged Soy

We will provide information on scouting and handling moisture-damaged soy and flooded soy in the coming days.  Floodwaters continue to rise in some areas, and it is too soon for many farmers to assess damage to crops and facilities. Our goal is to publish information that can be helpful in making decisions about marketing, insurance,…

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Managing Flood Damaged Soybeans

As flood waters recede across eastern North Carolina, disaster assessment begins. For soybean farmers one of the first things is to attempt to estimate crop damage. Unfortunately, this can be a difficult task. The extent of damage is dependent on a number of factors including plant growth stage, depth of flood waters, days of flooding,…

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Report Your Farm Damage to County FSA Office

All producers impacted by Hurricane Matthew winds, rain or flooding are encouraged to document and report damage to the county USDA Farm Service Agency office.  The FSA provides a Loss Estimates Worksheet which should be completed to the extent possible and turned in to the county FSA office. download the worksheet here. Even if the…

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How Will Grain Dealers Treat Flooded Grain?

How to grade, handle and market flooded grain?  There may not be an opportunity, according to the federal Food and Drug Administration, if toxins and contaminants are present.  Soybeans submerged in flood waters originating off the farm are considered by the U.S. FDA to be adulterated and unfit for consumption.  Farmers should discuss this with…

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