got to be
Published by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Volume: 94 - No. 6
REVIEW
Raleigh, N.C.
Equine Event
Passport ends
June 30
REMINDER: No new
Equine Event Passports will be
issued after June 30
North Carolina’s Equine
Event Passport Program is end¬
ing after this year and will be
replaced with the Extended
Equine Certificate of Veteri¬
nary Inspection Program. All
North Carolina equine pass¬
ports will expire on or before
Dec. 31. Since an equine pass¬
port is valid for six months, no
new passports will be issued
after June 30.
State regulations require an
interstate certificate of veteri¬
nary inspection and a negative
test for Equine Infectious Ane¬
mia for horses, mules, donkeys,
ponies, zebras, miniature hors¬
es or other equine crossing state
lines. The EECVI extends the
original time frame of an 1CVI
from 30 days to six months
from the ICV1 inspection date,
or until the expiration of the
(See Equine Passport, pg. 2)
Farmers encouraged to vaccinate
livestock before peak rabies season
Summer is peak rabies sea¬
son and State Veterinarian Doug
Meckes is encouraging North
Carolina livestock owners to con¬
sider having their animals vacci¬
nated against the disease.
“This year we have seen a rise
in the number of reported rabies in
livestock at seven cases,’’ Meckes
said. “Last year the state had
three cases reported for the entire
year. Horses, cattle and goats are
naturally curious animals, which
puts them at risk for a bite if a
rabid animal gets through their
fence line.”
Rabies is transmitted primar¬
ily in saliva through a bite. Live¬
stock infected with rabies usually
appear depressed, have a lack of
appetite; difficulty eating, drink¬
ing or swallowing; profuse sali¬
vation; blindness; head-pressing;
circling; vocalization; fever;
strained defecation; increased
sexual excitement or activity;
limp tail, anus, or tongue. Con¬
stant yawning, itching or nibbling
may be a sign of rabies, too.
Rabies can be associated with
neurological problems such as
incoordination, decreased muscle
tone and reflexes, shifting lame¬
ness, or partial-to-complete pa¬
ralysis. Horse owners should be
aware that rabies can often mimic
symptoms of colic in horses.
The incubation for rabies is be¬
tween two weeks and six months.
Once symptoms appear, the dis¬
ease is almost always fatal.
Other ways to protect yourself
and animals:
Do not feed or attract wildlife
to your yard or try to capture wild
animals.
Call your local animal control
if you notice a nocturnal animal
out during the day and demon¬
strating strange behavior such as
no fear of humans or aggressive
behavior.
If you hunt, use gloves while
skinning animals, particularly
when handling nerve tissue or
organs.
If you are scratched or come
into contract with the saliva of
an animal you suspect was ra¬
bid, seek medical attention im¬
mediately.
Livestock owners should
discuss with their veterinarians
about the risk of rabies in their
area and preventive vaccina¬
tions.
Summer agritourism events plentiful
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services en¬
courages travelers to make on-farm experiences a part of their summer
travel plans.
“With more than 1,000 North Carolina farms opening their gates to
visitors each year, out-of-state visitors and in-state visitors alike will
find plenty of agritourism day trips from the mountains to the coast,”
said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.
In June, farms will open for farm tours and special events for Fa¬
ther’s Day. July offers educational workshops and summer camps.
Following is a list of upcoming events from May through Au¬
gust. In addition, there is a list of ongoing farm attractions taking
place throughout the summer. Visitors are encouraged to verify
event dates and hours of operations before they go.
June Events
2 Plum Granny Farm in King is one of the stops on the 5th
annual Northern Triad Farm Tour featuring farms in and around
Stokes County.
(See Agritourism, pg. 4)
Don’t Miss a Single Issue of the
Ag Review !
Mail the card below or save a stamp and renew online
It’s renewal time again
for the Agricultural Re¬
view. Subscribers can either
mail the card at left, or go to
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If you mail the postcard,
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You can also make address
changes at this site.
F rom the tractor
by Agriculture Commissioner
Steve Troxler
Dr. Mike Walden at N.C. State
University recently released his
annual update on the impact of
agriculture in North Carolina and
I am pleased we saw an increase
in both economic impact and jobs
supported by agriculture and agri¬
business from the previous year.
The latest numbers put the
economic impact at S91.8 bil¬
lion, which is up from the S87
billion we most recently used.
That figure breaks down into
$77.8 billion in agriculture and
food industries, $4.8 billion in
natural fiber industries and $9.2
billion in forestry industries.
The industry accounts for
728,000 jobs or 17 percent of
the workforce, up from 686,000
jobs. These job numbers re¬
ally speaks volumes about the
contributions of agriculture
and agribusiness to our state.
We want to see the job
numbers increase even more
and are actively working to re¬
cruit and develop more food
manufacturing to the state.
It is important to recog¬
nize how many people are em-
Commissioner Troxler
ployed through agriculture.
In rural areas in particular,
food processing and manu¬
facturing jobs are impor¬
tant to whole communities.
The trickle-down effect of those
jobs help sustain other busi¬
nesses in town and add to the
tax base for local governments.
I am proud the economic
contributions of agriculture
continue to grow, but realisti¬
cally, I know we are likely going
to see very different numbers
(See Troxler, pg. 8)
