LXXXV - No. 1 January 2010 On the horizon NCDA&CS offers price-risk management workshops Small Farms Week The North Carolina Depart- futures, energy derivatives, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at each Thursday, Feb. 11 – Halifax ment of Agriculture and Con- and options trading on futures, location, with an on-your-own Community College, Weldon, runs March 21-27 sumer Services will host seven equities and indices. There will lunch break. Registration is not (252) 536-6343; free price-risk management also be information on trading required. Tuesday, Feb. 16 – Pasquotank Each year a small farm in workshops across the state to help strategies to manage exposure to Following are the schedule Cooperative Extension Center, North Carolina is honored farmers better understand the fl uctuations in energy costs. and locations: Elizabeth City, (252) 338-3954; with the Gilmer L. and Clara futures market and other trading “The information covered Tuesday, March 2 – Stanly Y. Dudley Small Farmer of the options to sell their commodities. in these workshops can help Tuesday, Jan. 19 – Robeson Community College, Crutchfi eld Year Award in recognition of The series, “Managing Price farmers improve their bottom County Agriculture Building, Campus, Locust, (704) 991- Small Farms Week. The award Volatility by Using Futures and line, which is critical in today’s Lumberton, (910) 671-3276; 0378; will be presented March 24 at Options,” features workshops challenging economic climate,” Tuesday, Jan. 26 – Wayne Thursday, March 4 – N.C. A & T State University in conducted by NCDA&CS staff said Agri-culture Commissioner Community College, Goldsboro, Carolina Farm Credit, Statesville, Greensboro. between Jan. 19 and March 4. Steve Troxler. “Farmers are (919) 735-5151; (800) 521-9952. Small Farms Week runs Topics to be covered include encouraged to take advantage of Friday, Jan. 29 – Pitt For more, contact Nick March 21-27 with events an introduction to grain hedging, these classes.” Community College, Greenville, Lassiter, NCDA&CS marketing planned at the university. basis trading, cost of carry, cotton The workshops will be held (252) 493-7200; specialist, at (919) 733-7887. This annual event is designed to recognize a farmer who exemplifi es success, State Fair and Mountain Fairgrounds hosts Southern innovation and leadership in small-scale agriculture. Small State Fair honored by peers Farm Show and Ag Forum farms are described as those The North Carolina State Fair category for its Green NC exhibit. The State Fairgrounds in Raleigh will play host to the N.C. with a net farm income of recently won six awards from The Got to Be NC Festival, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Annual Ag $100,000 or less. the International Association which takes place on the State Development Forum and the Southern Farm Show Feb. 3-5. The 2009 Small Farmer of of Fairs and Expositions at the Fairgrounds in May, won second- The Ag Development Forum will be held Feb. 4 from 9:30 a.m. the Year was John L. Council association’s annual meeting in place honors in the category for to 12:30 p.m. in the Holshouser Building. Farms of Hoke County. Las Vegas. non-fair agricultural event or Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler will deliver his annual The farm is owned by John In addition, the N.C. Mountain program. State of Agriculture address, and the program will focus on the L. Council, and includes State Fair won nine awards, The Mountain State Fair won economic outlook for animal agriculture and federal ag policy. Council’s team of daughter including three fi rst places. two fi rsts in the agricultural The event is free, but participants are asked to register by Jacquie Rogers, Ted Smith The State Fair, which competition for overall program contacting Christina Waggett at (919) 733-7125, or by e-mailing at and Paul Raymond. competes against other fairs for commercial agricultural [email protected]. The 68-acre farm produces with an attendance of 500,001 exhibitors and for newly The Southern Farm Show will be held Feb. 3-5, with activities pastured-raised hogs, chickens to 1 million, took home a fi rst- established or developed exhibit and farm equipment displays throughout the grounds. Admission is and turkeys, cows, goats and place communications award to promote agriculture. The free and hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. rabbits. The operation also for its Web site. The fair also fair also earned fi rst for use of A number of special events will be held, including: the Wake produces hay and vegetables. won second-place honors for theme throughout competitive County Agribusiness Meeting Feb. 3 at 7:30 a.m. ($10); FFA Tractor television commercial, third place exhibits and new or unique and Truck Driving Competition, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m.; Breakfast with for best use of social media and strategy to increase the number of the Commissioner: Benefi t for the Tobacco Farm Life Museum, third place for black-and-white competitive exhibitors. Feb. 5, 8 a.m. -9 a.m. ($25); Tobacco Growers Association of N.C. newspaper advertisement. The Mountain Fair took Annual Meeting, Feb. 5 at 10 a.m.; and the 27th Annual Southern In the agricultural competition, second-place honors for National Draft Horse Pull, Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. the State Fair received second competitive exhibit display For more about the Farm show, contact David Zimmerman at place in the new green program (See Fair awards, pg. 3) (800) 849-0248, ext. 114. From the tractor by Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler Every year, our Agricultural year’s book; things that show the fl oriculture represent the largest Statistics Division, working impact of agriculture in this state crop and third-largest commodity, with the U.S. Department of along with our top commodities with an income of $777 million. Agriculture, releases a yearbook and the diversity of production. Tobacco was the second-leading of statistical information on North Carolina farmers had crop at $687 million. North Carolina agriculture. more than $9.7 billion in income Not so long ago, tobacco was There is a lot of information from the sale of crops, livestock the leading commodity and was included in these books, and related products. That was the primary crop produced in the including the amount of fertilizer up $1 billion from 2007. It is state. Our farmers have diversifi ed materials shipped, farm real important to note that this number over the years, and while tobacco estate values, number of farms does not factor in the agribusiness is still a signifi cant industry, and land in farms, a breakdown impact, it is solely cash receipts. we now rank as the fourth most on commodity statistics and Of that, 66 percent of cash agriculturally diverse state in the agricultural cash receipts, receipts came from the livestock country. cucumbers and strawberries. along with a snapshot of the sales, and 34 percent was from In fact, we rank in the top Duplin, Sampson and Union agricultural impact on a county- crops. 10 nationally in 27 different counties are tops in agricultural by-county basis. This collection Not surprisingly then, our top commodities. We are fi rst in production in the state. Duplin of information gathered in 2008 two commodities were broilers -- tobacco and sweet potatoes, has more than $968 million makes a handy book and a great with cash receipts of nearly $2.7 second in hogs, turkeys and in cash receipts, Sampson has resource. billion -- and hogs at about $2.2 Christmas trees. We rank third in more than $913 million and I wanted to share with you billion. processing cucumbers and trout Union counts more than $454 some of the numbers from this Greenhouse, nursery and sold and fourth in fresh market See Yearbook, pg. 4) Page 2 AGRICULTURAL REVIEW January 2010 33,000 copies of this public document were printed at a cost of $1,544.19 or 4 cents Bucolic briefs per copy. The N.C. Aquaculture Development Conference will be held Jan. 22 and 23 at the Sheraton Atlantic Brian Long ...................................Editor DIVISIONS Beach. The conference features presentations and panel discussions from industry leaders and researchers Andrea E. Ashby .................Mng. Editor Agronomic ........... Dr. Colleen Hudak-Wise and special interest workshops on fi nfi sh and shell fi sh. Participants can take self-guided farm tours on Terri Allen ..................Advertising Mgr. Emergency Programs .........Sharron Stewart Jan. 21. For more, call (252) 633-1477 or go to www.ncaquaculture.org. The event is sponsored by the N.C. Jen Nixon .............................Web Editor Food Distribution .........................Gary Gay Aquaculture Association, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. Farm Bureau, N.C. Karlie Justus ................Circulation Mgr. Food & Drug ..............................Dan Ragan Sea Grant Program, N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center and N.C. State University. Human Resources ...................Ben Harward *** Marketing ....................................Tom Slade AGRICULTURAL REVIEW (ISSN Meat & Poultry Inspection ...Don Delozier The Johnston County Horse Show Series has announced its 2010 schedule, which is open to riders and 07445466) is published monthly by the N.C. State Fair ........................Wesley Wyatt horses from all riding levels, breeds and disciplines. All events will be held at the Johnston County Livestock N.C. Department of Agriculture and Plant Industry ............................ Gene Cross Arena in Smithfi eld. Following are upcoming dates and start times: Jan. 23 at 10 a.m.; Feb. 20 at 10 a.m.; Consumer Services, 2 W. Edenton St., Property & Construction ......Kent Yelverton March 20 at 8:30 a.m.; April 17 at 8:30 a.m.; May 22 at 8:30 a.m.; June 26 at 8:30 a.m.