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.
Animal care, other work continues on research stations despite pandemic
This morning before a single ray of sunlight hit the Cherry Research Farm, two workers showed up to milk the cows. In the dark of 4 a.m. their shift began on the farm in Goldsboro. About 140 dairy cows need
Delayed but not denied: revamped field day shares ag info
“The show must go on!” That’s the proverbial phrase that could be applied to a recent event at one of North Carolina’s agriculture research stations. While the planned Small Grains Field Day didn’t go on exactly as planned, it did
Recipe: Swiss Chard Pickles
There’s a bit of a buzz about Swiss chard right now. Maybe it’s a small buzz, but just go with it. A couple of mentions and re-shares on social media are enough to proclaim Swiss chard is the new “it”
NCDA&CS employees receive awards for actions in extraordinary circumstances
Recently the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recognized two teams of employees for extraordinary service. The employees received “Excellence in Team Accomplishment” awards. A rescue from floodwaters One team was more specifically a pair. Matthew Massey and Jordan Johnson
Faces in the Field: Brad Allen – 2019 NCDA&CS Employee of the Year
Brad Allen has earned a reputation for going above and beyond, and that earned him recognition as the 2019 Employee of the Year in the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Chief Deputy Commissioner David Smith presented Allen with
Recipe: slow cooker sweet potato bisque
This time of year it’s pretty difficult to find truly local produce that’s in season in North Carolina. Collards certainly are an option, and there may be some goodies growing in greenhouses. There’s certainly not an abundance of local farm-fresh
Could purple carrots bring the green for N.C. farmers?
Purple carrots may seem like a fantasy right out of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – a quirky little snack you’d only find by following a white hare down a rabbit hole. They’re no fantasy though. Instead, purple carrots are a
Scotland County farm still delivers a go-to collard variety developed in N.C.
Most southerners with any trace of agricultural roots are familiar with the New Year’s Day tradition of cooking and eating collard greens and black-eyed peas. An article in the January 2013 edition of “Our State” magazine explained “some say the
Not just for holidays, sweet potatoes make it from field to fork in a simple process
Sweet potatoes experience a bit of a zenith during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays when their popularity soars. Sweet potato pies and casseroles are pretty popular, and lots of folks also enjoy what many people may call “candied yams.” In
CREP becomes solution for one woman’s farmland preservation dilemma
Many North Carolinians (and people around the country) face a dilemma these days – what to do with farmland they’ve inherited if they have no desire or means to farm. Jenell Young has a story about that. She moved away