[Agriculture and Farming]

sebbs_05 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:05:15 -0400

Although the number of farms and farm acres in North Carolina has decreased over the years, farming is still a multi-billion dollar industry in our state. North Carolina ranks number 1 in the U.S. for tobacco sales, and is number 2 for both the number of turkeys and number of hogs and pigs. We are also number 2 nationally in sales of cut Christmas trees.

General
N.C. Dept. of Agriculture

The N.C. State Fair
Yes, there are rides. But the North Carolina State Fair is also an agricultural fair, with judging in livestock, poultry, rabbits, goats, horses, vegetables, fruits, flowers, bees, honey, and ... well, if it's part of North Carolina agriculture you'll see it at the fair!

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture

USDA Amber Waves
A monthly look at the economics of food, farming, natural resources and more.

USDA Economic Research Service
ERS is the main source of economic information and research from the Department of Agriculture.

Agribusiness Center
The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy promotes resilient family farms, rural communities and ecosystems around the world. The Agribusiness Center provides information on corporate farms, and includes a searchable database of agriculture companies.

National Black Farmers Association
News relevant to black farmers, information on black farmers lawsuit.

Sustainable Agriculture

Farmland Information Center
Clearinghouse for information about farmland protection and stewardship. Some statistics available at state and national level.

National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
News on sustainable agriculture and organic farming.

Tobacco

Council for Tobacco Research
A good starting point for information on tobacco lawsuits.

The Tobacco Institute
More information on tobacco lawsuits and settlements.

Tobacco.org
The latest news on tobacco issues such as smoke-free policies, teen smoking, advertising, cessation and agriculture. Includes a blog. NOTE: This web site, while rich in information, appears to be a one-man crusade to bring tobacco information to the public.

Look It Up

N.C. Dept. of Agriculture -- Statistics
Starting point for statistics and data on the state's agriculture and livestock. In particular, see county statistics, and a ranking of N.C. agriculture and livestock products compared to other states.

USDA National Agriculture Statistics Service
NASS covers virtually every facet of U.S. agriculture. Lots of statistics, historical data, charts, and the 2002 Agriculture Census. (Note: 2007 Agriculture Census questionnaires will be sent in December 2007, with data compiled within two years.) Also, see the Ag Census' profiles for North Carolina and its counties.

Farm Subsidy Database
Billions of federal dollars are given each year to farms as part of a subsidy program to help farmers. But of course when there's money involved, there is the potential for abuse, and the Farm Subsidy Database names names. Use the Database to track where subsidy money is going. The FSD is provided by the Environmental Working Group, and is based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

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[Agriculture and Farming]