Brandon Herring
Brandon joined the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services in September of 2019 after more than 15 years as a reporter, anchor, photographer and producer in local TV news. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Growing up, Brandon spent many summers in tobacco fields helping on the family farm just east of Lumberton. He started out driving the tractor in front of the harvester at about age 7, and by the summers in college was cropping and racking tobacco. His father, cousin, mother and sister still keep the farm going. While they no longer grow tobacco, several other field crops remain, along with a peach orchard and roadside produce market.
Grape picking and wine sipping; vineyards welcome fall guests
As we get into the fall season, North Carolina’s vineyards are an attractive option to get your agritourism fix. You can visit some vineyards to pick muscadine grapes or just buy the sweet native grapes already picked. The other big
It’s a fine time for muscadines
This time of year muscadine grapes are a hot commodity in North Carolina and the southeast. The juicy and sweet grapes are native to the region, and now is the time to find them from backyards to small farms and
Dozens of department employees recognized for project to save trees that “get in people’s hearts.”
“The project was very complex and difficult.” That’s just part of the way Robert Trickel with the N.C. Forest Service described a project that prompted a recent award for 41 Forest Service employees. Their success in rising to the challenge
Department funding helps save N.C. town’s economy
Funding from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is helping protect about $12.7 million of property and business in one eastern North Carolina town. That estimate comes from the town of Oriental in Pamlico County. The project
Among city streets, urban farm connects people to agriculture
National Farmers’ Market Week takes place Aug. 2-8, 2020. Farmers’ markets across North Carolina offer communities access to fresh, nutritious food, while also stimulating local economies. National Farmers’ Market Week is a time to celebrate those who produce fresh foods
North Carolina’s “Tomato Man” makes a mark saving and sharing heirloom tomatoes
Many North Carolinians may know Craig LeHoullier simply as “the Tomato Man” or maybe “the North Carolina Tomato Man” if they’re being specific. …but he never even ate a tomato until he was a teenager. It’s an odd fact in
As summer pests multiply, so do your options for handling them
Now that summer is fully upon us, you may be encountering some typical summertime pests around North Carolina. It may not help that you’re probably home more, giving you more opportunity to notice the critters around the house. The North
Farmers Market Managers Recognized for COVID-19 Response
These days, the four NCDA&CS farmers markets are still operating with modifications due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been three and a half months since the markets plunged into emergency response mode – having to make immediate adjustments for public
State Forests offer great options for Father’s Day outings
Father’s Day is just a couple of days away, and North Carolina’s state forests are great options for dads to get outside with their families. There are 10 state forests throughout the state – all managed by the N.C. Forest
Hemp added to registry in effort to protect it
From grapes to cotton, tobacco to Christmas trees, any crop can be harmed if the wrong herbicide or pesticide comes in contact with it. Certain specialty crops are especially vulnerable because they can be damaged by lots of normal herbicides