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Agricultural
Moles and voles — good and bad for landscape
Question: What makes raised tunnels throughout my landscape? Answer: Two possibilities come to mind when someone asks this question. They are small furry pests often referred to as moles and voles. These animals can tunnel all around your plants and even in your lawn. They are not completely bad for our landscapes; in fact they do have several positive benefits. A vole is a small like rodent that lives around shrubbery and field type habi...
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Forages for summer grazing
Livestock producers and horse owners who use summer annuals for grazing and/or haying are probably thinking about what to plant this year. Most will probably choose the old standards, pearl millet or sorghum-sudan hybrids. Some producers are now relying on crabgrass as well. Others may even be trying “unique” forages such as lespedeza. Lets discus each a little and you can decide what you would like to try. Pearl millet is probably the annu...
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Late winter the time to prune blueberry bushes
Question: When is the best time to prune blueberry bushes? Answer: Blueberries can be a great plant to have in the home garden. Blueberries are a great tasty fruit during the summer months. Besides having fruit in the summer, blueberries have attractive white or pink flowers in the spring and red to yellow foliage in the fall. Now that we are in late winter with spring just around the corner, now is the time to prune blueberry bushes before...
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New Microloans expand Sampson County small farm finance options
New and beginning farmers and producers in Sampson County now have an agricultural Microloan credit option to consider. On Jan. 15, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) began offering its customers a Microloan designed to help farmers and producers with credit needs of $35,000 or less. This loan features a streamlined application and a simplified qualification process built to fit the needs of new and smaller ...
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Selecting alternative enterprises for your farm
Change is continuous in farming. Prices, farm programs, trade policies, technology, markets, and consumer preferences all change continuously just to name some of the causes. Some farm enterprises benefit from these changes and some are harmed, so the search for profitable alternatives is a continuous challenge. There are seven important questions that should guide the search for alternative enterprises. Answering each one of these is importa...
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Joel Coleman, left, general manager for international sales, and Scott Singleton, international sales manager, accept the 2013 N.C. Exporter of the Year award on behalf of Butterball. (Courtesy photo)
Butterball named Exporter of the Year
RALEIGH — The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services named Garner-based Butterball as the 2013 N.C. Exporter of the Year. “From 2009 to 2011, we saw turkey exports nearly double in North Carolina,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Butterball makes up a significant percentage of those exports and is deserving of this honor.” Company representatives were recognized at a presentation during the annual Ag Developmen...
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MOC holding farm transition and estate planning conference
MOUNT OLIVE – Mount Olive College’s Lois G. Britt Agribusiness Center, along with the USDA Risk Management Agency, NC Cooperative Extension, Duplin County Young Farmers and Ranchers and other multiple partners are preparing for a regional conference surrounding farm transition and estate planning. The conference will take place on March 7 from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in Raper Hall on the campus of Mount Olive College. Pre-registration is requeste...
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Poultry Federation inducts Faison into Hall of Fame
The late Ferdinand J. “Sonny” Faison Jr. was recently inducted into the North Carolina Poultry Federation Hall of Fame. His wife, Dorthy, accepted the 2012 honor during an event in December. NCPF president Scott Prestage made the presentation on behalf of the federation. Faison was born in Sampson County, son of the late Nellie Peterson and Ferdinand Johnson Faison Sr., and graduated from Clinton High School. He attended Wake Forest Colle...
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Conference gives annual pork industry awards
The awardees honored recently during the North Carolina pork industry’s annual conference include a young Bladen County farmer with a passion for agriculture and a Kenansville farmer who has been a tireless leader and volunteer in his hometown. Presented by the North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC), the conference host at the Raleigh event, this year’s award for Outstanding Pork Producer went to Stephen Williamson Jr. of Kenansville who operat...
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Lakewood FFA raises money for needy families Lakewood FFA members collected spare change to support Heifer International. This non-profit organization provides families in need with agricultural resources and knowledge to manage crops and livestock. Their goals is to end world hunger by teaching agricultural skills and helping communities become self sufficient and independent. Lakewood's FFA raised over $300 and members were able to sponsor the purchase of a pig, honeybees, two flocks of chickens, and a goat and the agricultural education needed to care for and manage these resources. Pictured, front, from left, are members Tyler Sparling, Cassidy Hobbs, Emily Povazsay, Brittany Carnley, Amanda Kook; and back row, from left: Coleman Simpson, Johnathan Coble. (Courtesy photo)
Lakewood FFA raises money for needy families
Courtesy photo Lakewood FFA members collected spare change to support Heifer International. This non-profit organization provides families in need with agricultural resources and knowledge to manage crops and livestock. Their goals is to end world hunger by teaching agricultural skills and helping communities become self sufficient and independent. Lakewood’s FFA raised over $300 and members were able to sponsor the purchase of a pig, honey...
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What is the Swine Identification Bill and does it pertain to me?
The Swine Identification Bill states that all live swine that are transported on public roads must have a form of identification that is approved by the State Veterinarian. This bill was brought about in an attempt to hinder the illegal movement of feral swine in North Carolina. Most people in North Carolina are unaware of this bill even though breaking this new law can result in a large penalty. The penalty for transporting feral swine is $5...
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Pruning key to healthy grape vines
Question: When is the best time to prune my muscadine grape vines? Answer: One of the biggest pruning chores for many during this time of the year is pruning grapevines. Due to the popularity of muscadines in this area many have vines in their home gardens. Muscadine grapes are native to the Southeastern United States and are a popular fruit throughout Eastern North Carolina. Muscadines are easier to grow than many other plants because th...
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Presenters Bryant Spivey and Kim Griffin pose with Hall of Fame inductee Norman Denning, far right. (Courtesy photo)
Denning enters NC Pork Council Hall of Fame
The North Carolina Pork Council (NCPC) has named Norman C. Denning Sr. to its Hall of Fame, in recognition of Denning’s longtime and significant contributions to the state’s pork industry and the progress of NCPC. The Hall of Fame announcement was made recently during the annual N.C. Pork Conference Awards Breakfast held at the Marriott Crabtree in Raleigh. In receiving his award, Denning, 88, thanked the many acquaintances in attendance ...
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Trim those Crapemyrtles during late winter months
Question: What is the proper way to prune Crapemyrtles? Answer: Crapemyrtles are small trees that are commonly found throughout the Southern landscape. These popular flowering trees are often called the “lilac of the south.” Crapemyrtles have long panicles of flowers that show their bright white, pink, purple or red colors in the summer. If the showy flowers were not attractive enough, crapemyrtles are multi-stemmed trees that have showy ex...
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Nitrate toxicity
Even though we are having some mild weather, I’m sure most of us are feeding hay or if you are not, soon will be. Most nitrate toxicity issues occur when producers are feeding hay. So this week, I thought we would have a refresher on the particulars of nitrate poisoning of livestock. Nitrate poisoning is caused when an animal consumes a feed source that is high in nitrates. In the animal’s stomach that nitrate is converted to nitrite. The n...
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Poultry litter update
I continue to get complaints from citizens about land application of poultry litter to crop and pasture land. Many of the complaints appear to be justified, and include spreading litter across property lines, close to homes and over application of litter. I want to take this opportunity to review regulations pertaining to spreading litter for crop production. Please make sure you apply litter according to regulations. If you use a third party...
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Tests start with collecting samples that represent your soil
Question: How can gardeners collect good soil samples for good results? Answer: Soil test reports provide information that is useful in making decisions about any needed lime and fertilizer. Because the test report is used in making these decisions, a gardener needs and expects reliable results. The reliability of the soil test, however, is no better than the sample submitted. To insure reliable and accurate soil test results, it is importa...
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Pecan, fig, plum some of best fruit trees for area
Question: What are the best fruit trees for our area? Answer: Growing fruit trees in the home garden or landscape can be a challenging yet rewarding activity. The idea of having a fruit tree that produces fresh fruit right in the backyard can be a rewarding hobby. Growing fruit trees can be a challenge because they commonly have disease and insect issues and lets not forget about the unfavorable weather that can affect fruit production. Whe...
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A 4-H thanks Sampson County 4-H and the Happy Feet Club show their appreciation to Mac Maxwell for instructing a photography workshop with their group. Participating youth brought their cameras to this monthly meeting to receive tips on how to use their device and how to take crisp pictures. The Happy Feet Club is pictured surrounding Mr. Mac. If you would like more information on how to get involved with the local 4-H Program, call the Sampson County Extension Office at 910-592-7161. (Courtesy photo)
A 4-H thanks
Courtesy photo Sampson County 4-H and the Happy Feet Club show their appreciation to Mac Maxwell for instructing a photography workshop with their group. Participating youth brought their cameras to this monthly meeting to receive tips on how to use their device and how to take crisp pictures. The Happy Feet Club is pictured surrounding Mr. Mac. If you would like more information on how to get involved with the local 4-H Program, call the S...
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Tobacco Associates referendum Jan. 23
The Tobacco Associates Referendum will be conducted on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Tobacco farmers that are 18 years of age and older — and were engaged in the production of flue-cured tobacco during the 2012 crop year — are eligible to vote. Tobacco Associates’ programs directly create interest and demand for US flue-cured leaf in the export market. Tobacco Associates, Inc. was organized in 1947 and is the only grower financed promotional organiza...
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For gardeners, January all about find the right seeds
Question: What can a gardener do with their spare time in January? Answer: With the holiday season coming to an end, January can be a long, dull month but for gardeners January is an exciting time. January is the month that garden enthusiast spend hours looking through seed catalogs, dreaming and planning for they’re upcoming spring garden. Eventually the gardener decides what new vegetable or flower varieties to order along with ordering...
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Good management helps handle plant disease
Question: What plants can be utilized in an area with a history of disease problems? Answer: Have you ever had Phytopthora Root Rot or Crown Rot diagnosed in your landscape? Typically, the best way to handle disease problems is by implementing the cultural management practices, especially if your plants have been diagnosed with one of the above-mentioned rots. First, remove any of the severely affected plant material. Before replanted, be...
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