Media Releases
For assistance in setting up an interview with N.C. MarketReady team members or other N.C. State University faculty, please contact:
Leah Chester-Davis
Coordinator of Communications and Community Outreach
leah_chester-davis@ncsu.edu
(704) 250-5406 or (704) 617-0502 (cell)
N.C. MarketReady Adds Farm & Agribusiness Management Position
N.C. MarketReady welcomes Jonathan Baros as the new farm and agribusiness management specialist. He will develop and sustain programs that help N.C. agricultural producers explore efficient economic options and optimize profits for their farming operations.
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N.C. Research Campus Administrative Forum Puts Blueberry Research Under the Microscope
The director of N.C. State University’s Plants for Human Health Institute will share nutrition information and research updates on blueberries, a “superfruit,” during an administrative forum at the N.C. Research Campus on February 17, 2011.
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Strawberry Breakfast a Sweet Start to Valentine’s Day
Just six weeks after many people begin the most popular New Year’s resolution – losing weight – nearly half of U.S. consumers will exchange candy for Valentine’s Day, about $1 billion worth of sweets, according to the National Retail Federation. As an alternative to many unhealthy sweet treats, Johnson & Wales University (JWU) student, Emily Towner, created a healthy strawberry muffin.
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Students Battle in Strawberry Cook-off Competition
Three Johnson & Wales University students will put their skills to the test in a cook-off competition featuring North Carolina strawberries. The competition is part of the N.C. Strawberry Project, a joint partnership between N.C. State University at the N.C. Research Campus and Johnson & Wales University.
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Plant Breeder and Chef Team Up, Introduce Project at Southeast Strawberry Expo
Dr. Jeremy Pattison, a strawberry breeder with N.C. State Plants for Human Health Institute, and Mark Allison, dean of culinary education at Johnson & Wales and internationally recognized chef, will introduce the N.C. Strawberry Project at the 2010 Southeast Strawberry Expo.
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Scientists, Chefs Cook Up Partnership to Grow N.C. Agriculture
N.C. State University agricultural researchers and Johnson & Wales University culinary professionals and students are working together in a first-of-its-kind project: “The N.C. Strawberry Project.” It is a dynamic effort created to strengthen the agricultural sector of the N.C. economy.
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‘The Produce Lady’ Launches E-newsletter to Promote N.C. Fruits & Veggies
The Produce Lady continues its educational outreach to North Carolina fresh produce growers and consumers with the launch of an e-newsletter. The monthly newsletter encourages N.C. families to eat healthy fruits and vegetables purchased at local farmers markets. It includes selection tips, health benefits and recipes.
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N.C. Cooperative Extension Hosts Fresh Produce Safety Trainings for Farmers
N.C MarketReady Fresh Produce Safety – Field to Family is an N.C. Cooperative Extension program that educates fruit and vegetable growers about measures to minimize food safety risks. Its training curriculum addresses specific areas of Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) and managing risks from field to market. Training dates and locations for farmers across the state have been announced.
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Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Hyde County Vegetable Growers Venture into Processed, Fresh Vegetables
Wilson and Debbie Daughtry, owners of Alligator River Growers in Engelhard, N.C., on behalf of three Hyde county farms and Parker Farms, in southeastern Virginia, were recipients of an N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) award. These vegetable growers are looking to establish a packaging business for fresh produce, including snap beans, sweet corn and broccoli florets, creating a ready to cook product.
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Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Bobcat Farms: A Family Livestock Operation Looking to Diversify
Henry and Tracy Moore of Bobcat Farms in Clinton, N.C., recently received an N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) award. The Moore’s began their farming operation as pork production, but have been adding Black Angus cattle to their livestock mix. They plan to expand their beef business through branding and marketing to provide further financial diversity and security for the farm.
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Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Nooherooka Natural: Delivering Value-Added Beef in Eastern North Carolina
Ossie and Mary Betty Kearney, along with son Andrew, all farmers in Snow Hill, N.C., were recipients of an N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) award. The Kearneys own and operate Nooherooka Natural, a farm that specializes in Black Angus beef raised without added hormones or antibiotics. Their beef is distributed to retail locations, restaurants and individual families throughout eastern North Carolina. The business is at a pivotal stage of growth where demand for their product could outpace supply without careful inventory management.
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Governor Expands N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Gov. Beverly Perdue announced a package of programs, the Family Farm Innovation Fund, to help North Carolina farmers rebound from the recession. The N.C. Value-Added Cost Share program (NCVACS), administered by N.C. MarketReady, will receive $150,000 from the Family Farm Innovation Fund, as well as an additional $150,000 from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to expand its equipment cost share program for value-added producers and processors of N.C. agricultural commodities.
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Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Ramping up Production and Marketing of Ramps
The Smoky Mountain Native Plants Association (SMNPA), based in Graham County, was a recipient of an N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) award. The mission of SMNPA is to help farmers earn income through growing, collecting, processing and marketing Appalachian native plants, including ramps, while preserving those plants and the culture and heritage of the region.
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Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Muscadine Wine from Vineyards on the Scuppernong River
Jack and Grace Bishop, owners of Vineyards on the Scuppernong in Columbia, N.C., were recipients of an N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) award. Having planted the first vines in 2005 the Bishops are still growing their business. They are establishing a customer base through their retail shop, through chain supermarkets and by participating in festival events.
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Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Tobacco Farm Turned Goat Dairy, SleepyGoat Cheese Produces Flavored Chevre
SleepyGoat Farm, owned and operated by Jon Dorman and Della Williams in Pelham, N.C., received one of nine N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) awards. While they once shared a neurology practice, the husband and wife team of Dorman and Williams now share farm chores at SleepyGoat Farm, a goat dairy and cheese-making facility.
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The Produce Lady Program Grows with New Grant
N.C. MarketReady was awarded nearly $100,000 in grant funding from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to expand The Produce Lady program. The grant, focused on strengthening markets for farmers and educating consumers, provides funding through 2012.
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Farmers Market Opens at N.C. Research Campus
The sweet smells and flavors of locally-grown fruits and vegetables return to downtown Kannapolis on Thursday, May 20, as the N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market kicks off its third year. The 2010 market, operated by Piedmont Farmers Market, will be open on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. until September 30.
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N.C. MarketReady Opens New Grant Cycle for N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program; Announces Award Recipients from First Round of Funding
The third cycle of funding offered by the N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program is now open. The NCVACS program provides financial support, through matching funds, to producers who are applying for the USDA Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG), a nationally competitive program. NCVACS is funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and administered by N.C. MarketReady, a program of Cooperative Extension located at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis. Nine value-added producers in North Carolina received a financial boost as recipients of the first NCVACS cycle, awarded in late 2009.
N.C. MarketReady Announces Spring Cost Share Cycle for Equipment
The North Carolina Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, administered by N.C. MarketReady, is now accepting applications for the spring funding cycle, Equipment Cost Share. This program is funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to support the development of value-added agricultural operations, an emerging sector of North Carolina agriculture.
Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
From Raw Peanuts to Candy Bars, Value-Added Product has Potential for Sweet Returns
Lee Swinson, peanut farmer and owner of Golden Grove Candy Company, in Warsaw, N.C., was one of nine recipients of the N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) awards. The move toward a value-added product line allows him to use a few ounces of nuts to create a convenient, affordable sweet treat that generates a higher return for the business.
Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Windcrest Farm Finds Niche with Grafted Heirloom Tomato Transplants
Mary Roberts of Windcrest Farm in Monroe, N.C., was one of nine recipients of the N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) awards. Roberts is looking to expand her business of grafted tomato transplants. The grafted plants offer heirloom fruit and disease resistance, which is conveyed through a hybrid rootstock.
Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Local Farmer Awarded Funding from N.C. Value-Added Cost Share Program
Rick Parker of Mary L Farm in Mt. Ulla, N.C., was one of nine recipients of the N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) awards. Parker is pursuing a new venture by producing artisan cheeses. A cheese-making enterprise will offer the farm some degree of self-sufficiency that is difficult to obtain in the Grade A, fluid milk market where price fluctuation is a constant issue.
N.C. State University Announces Spring Seminar Series at the N.C. Research Campus
N.C. State University has a research and Cooperative Extension presence at the N.C. Research Campus. Faculty from the Plants for Human Health Institute and N.C. MarketReady will deliver weekly seminars to discuss the programs they lead. This will give the public an opportunity to learn more about the research and outreach conducted at Kannapolis for the benefit of the entire state. Presentations are free and open to the public each Tuesday in May from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Event Room on the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.
The Produce Lady Offers Healthy, Economical Options for Easter Eating
The Produce Lady is encouraging North Carolinians to invest more of their holiday food budgets in local foods and healthy eating this Easter. Find recipes and tips to share a community’s fresh produce to family and friends while supporting the local economy.
Time is Ripe for New Tomato Growers Website from N.C. State
As greenhouse tomato growers in North Carolina are gearing up for the season, N.C. MarketReady, a program of N.C. Cooperative Extension, has launched the Tomato Growers Information Portal. The new Web resource is the third in a series of “grower information portals” developed by the program that provide N.C. producers with one-stop shopping for their fruit and vegetable production needs.
N.C. MarketReady Is New Name for the Value-Added Agriculture Program
N.C. State University's Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture will become N.C. MarketReady, effective Oct. 20.
"We are excited about this new name," said Dr. Blake Brown, the director of the program. “The new name, N.C. MarketReady, more accurately communicates the scope of our program’s work.”
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September Is Food Safety Month
N.C. Cooperative Extension, in cooperation with the N.C. Fresh Produce Safety Task Force, is leading an initiative to educate fruit and vegetable growers and consumers about measures that can minimize food safety risks. The organization has received more than $250,000 in grant funding to support the statewide Extension and research effort.
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N.C. State Announces $1.2 Million Value-Added Cost Share Program to Help Farmers
The N.C. State University Program for Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture, in cooperation with the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, announces the N.C. Value-Added Cost Share (NCVACS) program, which is designed to enhance rural economic development and strengthen farm families. This new $1.2 million effort is funded by the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission to support the development of value-added agricultural operations.
N.C. State University Introduces Online Tools to Grow N.C. Farmers’ Businesses
The “Business Development Files,” for small- to mid-size farmers, offer step-by-step advice for those interested in building or expanding an agricultural business. This new resource consists of seven files, or steps, that each provide guidance on various aspects of developing an agricultural business, from estimating market potential to marketing and promotion.
Zucchini 500 Has Fresh Produce Going Fast at the NCRC Farmers Market
June 25, 2009 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Children, start your imaginations! N.C. Cooperative Extension staff and N.C. State University host the first ever Zucchini 500 at the N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market. Children can create a race car from a zucchini – think pinewood derby – and compete for prizes in five categories. Bobby Waltrip, of the legendary Waltrip race family, will be on hand to call the races.
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The Produce Lady Extols Virtues of Local Fresh Fruits and Vegetables
The Produce Lady video series tells farmers and consumers the wonders of locally grown fruits and vegetables – the nutrition they provide, the delicious meals or snacks families can enjoy with each vegetable or fruit and how to prepare them as tasty meals and snacks or freeze them to use throughout the year.
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South Rowan High School Students Shadow N.C. State Staff at the Research Campus
Two South Rowan High School students are part of a new program that N.C. State University has implemented at the N.C. Research Campus to expose local teens to the many possibilities when it comes to the work world. The teens were selected to “shadow” or spend at least one and one-half hours each week for a semester with N.C. State faculty and staff at the campus.
Cooperative Extension Presents Free Events at the NCRC Farmers Market
N.C. Cooperative Extension staff from Cabarrus and Rowan counties will present fun-to-learn educational opportunities at the 2009 N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market. The events take place at the Farmers Market on Thursday evenings from 4 to 7 p.m. on West Avenue in Kannapolis. Events are scheduled throughout the 2009 Farmers Market, with the season ending on October 29.
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2009 N.C. Research Campus Calendar of Events
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N.C. Cooperative Extension Training Agents in Produce Safety Guidelines
North Carolina Cooperative Extension faculty are in the midst of training Extension agents in all 100 counties to teach Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) to help farmers minimize risks when it come to fresh produce safety.
Almost three dozen Cooperative Extension agents are scheduled to attend a training session April 30 and May 1 at Mills River Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center outside of Asheville.
The fresh produce safety training session will be the third such workshop held by N.C. Cooperative Extension. Previous training sessions were held in November at the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis and in March at the Wilson County Cooperative Extension Center.
Photos are available for use by the media.
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Research Campus Farmers Market Opening with Reinforced LOCAL Brand
The Farmers Market on the N.C. Research Campus opens for its second year beginning on Thursday, May 7. New to the market this year are rules that ensure a LOCAL brand on all the strawberries, broccoli, lettuce, onions and other produce sold there.
All produce sold at the market is grown within 100 miles of Kannapolis and vendors must display a card telling customers the farm where each type of produce is grown.
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Discovering Nature's Possibilities – N.C. State University Seminar Series at the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory, N.C. Research Campus, Kannapolis
“What does N.C. State do on the new N.C. Research Campus?” N.C. State University will answer this popular question with “Discovering Nature’s Possibilities,” a free seminar series taking place this spring.
Presentations are open to the public and will take place each Tuesday in May from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the David H. Murdock Core Laboratory Event Room on the N.C. Research Campus in Kannapolis.
The seminars are free but registration is required due to limited seating. Media are encouraged to attend.
NC State and NC Dept. of Agriculture Research Yields a Sweetheart for North Carolina
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N.C. State University Hosts Agricultural Advancement Consortium
State agricultural leaders meet with members of N.C. State University's Program for Value-Added and Alternative Agriculture to discuss the team's fresh produce safety initiatives and other efforts and tour the new research campus in Kannapolis
News Media Representatives:
Feel free to contact our faculty directly. If you would like assistance in setting up an interview or contacting these or other NC State University faculty, please contact:
Leah Chester-Davis
Coordinator of Communications and Community Outreach
leah_chester-davis@ncsu.edu
(704) 250-5406 or (704) 617-0502 (cell)
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