This week marked six months since Hurricane Helene devastated rural communities in western North Carolina. The storm ravaged apple orchards in an area known as Apple Alley, in the southern hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Farmers fear that their greatest hurdles are yet to come, with the storm threatening their future. Growers are still waiting on federal and state aid to help them in the recovery process. One local Extension official says that farmers are growing frustrated, and he worries without direct payments arriving soon, many will give up.
Last week, North Carolina Governor Josh Stein signed a fourth spending package to help Helene survivors. That brings state relief to $1.4 billion.
Federal funding is even higher, with FEMA pledging $9 billion. State officials say damage from Helene could top $60 billion.
A congressional hearing on FEMA’s efforts was scheduled for this week but has been postponed with no new date set.
According to the new report, seven out of ten rural bankers support President Trump’s recent trade steps with China, expressing cautious optimism about future export potential.
November 03, 2025 01:36 PM
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November 03, 2025 01:29 PM
Laramie Sandquist discusses Nationwide Agribusiness’s commitment to grain bin safety initiatives, including providing life-saving equipment and training to fire departments across the country.
November 03, 2025 01:13 PM
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Brooks York with Agri-Sompo discusses how this year’s pricing period played out and what it could mean for farmers heading into the end of the season.
November 03, 2025 12:54 PM
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An import lag for ground beef will likely look different than last year’s egg shortage. The difference comes down to biosecurity and market flexibility.
November 03, 2025 12:07 PM
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The WASDE/Crop Production combo will be the first full read on supply, demand, and yield that could move basis and hedging plans since the government shutdown more than a month ago.
November 03, 2025 09:34 AM
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