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10/19/2026

10/03/2026

So many good regenerative ag conferences coming to NC!

Connect with other farmers from across the Carolinas at this year's Carolina Soil Health Conference! 🌱

You can get your tickets today: https://www.ncsoilhealth.org/carolina-soil-health-conference

This year, we'll be joined by Lance Gunderson from Regen Ag Lab to learn about making better management decisions to improve soil health and profitability.

We'll also hear from farms around the Carolinas about the latest tools they're using to manage nutrients, integrate cover crops, and reach customers with nutrient dense foods.

The winner of the 2026 Carolinas Leopold Conservation Award will be announced at the event by Sand County Foundation!

As always, we'll share a regeneratively raised meal, this year with beef from Harris Homeplace Farm!

Share the event with another farmer who will benefit from attending. Resilient farms are built on healthy soil! Let's grow together and benefit agriculture across the Carolinas!

📆 Friday, December 4th, 2026
📍 Chatham County Agriculture and Conference Center, Pittsboro, NC
🔎 Tickets and Event Details: https://www.ncsoilhealth.org/carolina-soil-health-conference

Thank you to our Bedrock Sponsors: Southeast AgriSeeds, North Carolina Farm Bureau, and Farmers for Soil Health!

10/02/2026

Exciting research recently published in the ISA's Journal of Arboriculture & Urban Forestry explored the efficacy of commercially available strains of the biological control bassiana against various life stages of the invasive . Researchers tested direct (contact) applications, as well as indirect and residual exposure.

Key findings: This fascinating entomopathogen can be highly effective against SLF under field conditions, with strain GHA achieving up to 95% mortality in adults after 2 weeks when applied directly as contact sprays. Limited control was seen in egg masses and by residual applications. Questions of ideal temperature, humidity, application frequency, and non-target impact remain, yet this study advances our understanding of how mycoinsecticides may fit into sustainable SLF management programs in the .

Congratulations to our Dr. Chris Riley and his co-authors from U.S. Department of Agriculture-ARS, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), and University of Maryland on this valuable contribution to invasive pest management research. We appreciate Dr. Eric Clifton for the amazing images and his significant contributions in the research of .

Full research, open-access (free!) here: https://doi.org/10.48044/jauf.2026.023

09/16/2026

How biodiverse your farm is directly influences your pest pressure

Spotted Lanternflies are a hot topic lately, and we love seeing the public take interest in invasive species! We are ALL citizen conservationists (yes, you too!), and we ALL are responsible for the ecosystems we live in.

This colorful leaf-jumper drinks sap from its host plants, which can damage native trees and woody flora that haven't co-evolved to handle the pressure from SLFs. They threaten crops such as cultivated grape vines, with some farmers reporting a 90% decrease in crop production due to SLF infestations. 🤯

Trees can suffer from leaf wilting, reduced crowns, and eventual death as a result of prolonged infestations. The sappy residue SLFs leave behind can increase the possibility of black mold growth, as well (but more research is needed here to understand the full implications!). Their eggs are well-camouflaged, making it hard to find and remove them.

Some stages of SLFs show a strong preference for the invasive Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus altissima). There is some evidence that removing the ToH can help combat Spotted Lanternflies, too!

Plus, researchers are beginning to observe several NATIVE species who are learning to eat SLFs! Several species of bats, spiders, the Carolina Chickadee, and the Red-bellied Woodpecker are slowly learning to treat the SLF as a food source. This could help keep their numbers from exploding too far out of control, but certainly isn't a cure for the problem.

Removal of SLFs is still encouraged, but not all methods are equal! For example, do NOT USE GLUE TRAPS! Sticky traps are indiscriminate and inhumane, even when they have a "wildlife guard" over them.

09/16/2026

1. Our economy is already based on the fertility and productivity of the land we live on
2. Just as biology and life are inherently regenerative, our economy must also be structured as a regenerative system
✌️

North Carolina A&T University is part of the National Science Foundation BRIDGES Engine, a federal partnership that could receive up to $160 million over 10 years to build a rural "bioeconomy" around renewable, plant-based materials. The project’s core work is in Alabama and Tennessee, but for North Carolina, A&T’s announced role is workforce development.

Michael Curry, Ph.D., professor at NC A&T University told Cardinal & Pine that the project would "create pathways to jobs for geneticists, Ag-tech researchers, laboratory technicians, engineers, data scientists, skilled manufacturing professionals, and other specialized workers."

For more on the story, be sure to follow

✏️: Jessica F. Simmons