Farmers, homeowners and small businesses are invited to safely dispose of unwanted pesticides Tuesday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Mountain Research Station, 265 Test Farm Road, Waynesville.

This free collection, sponsored by the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and N.C. Cooperative Extension, is open to individuals, farmers and small businesses—no dealers or large retailers. 

The Haywood County Farm Bureau will hold its annual meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20 at the Haywood County Extension Office.

This annual gathering provides members an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s work and to recognize individuals and community members who have made outstanding contributions to agriculture in Haywood County. 

Eligible livestock producers will receive disaster recovery assistance through the Emergency Livestock Relief Program for 2023 and 2024 Flood and Wildfire to help offset increased supplemental feed costs due to a qualifying flood or qualifying wildfire in calendar years 2023 and 2024.

Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and USDA Deputy Secretary Stephen Vaden signed a $221 million federal block grant agreement that targets aid to North Carolina farmers who sustained losses and damages from Hurricane Helene in 2024. 

The first group of checks have been sent to farmers who applied for disaster assistance through the 2024 Ag Disaster Crop Loss, with more to follow in the coming weeks, said North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. The first round of checks was sent to farmers in Western North Carolina. 

Local elected leaders and farmers, along with state and federal officials, gathered April 14 over bacon and eggs to tackle twin challenges facing Western North Carolina’s agricultural sector — ongoing recovery from Hurricane Helene and the accelerating loss of prime farmland. 

N.C. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler announced that the Agricultural Disaster Crop Loss Program is open and accepting online applications through May 4 from farmers who suffered crop losses from Hurricane Helene, Tropical Storm Debby and drought and other weather-related conditions in 2024. 

On the six-month anniversary of Hurricane Helene, Governor Josh Stein and Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler sent a letter to US Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, requesting that USDA approve a block grant to support the recovery efforts of farmers in Western North Carolina.  

To the Editor:

I want to let Sen. Tillis, Sen. Budd and Rep. Chuck Edwards know that it’s difficult to understand why Congress expects me to pay federal taxes. 

It has been months since Hurricane Helene devastated western North Carolina and recovery is still ongoing throughout the region. Many residents and growers had devastating losses, but work is under way to rebuild and move forward in 2025.