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2011 PROGRESS & REVIEW, SUNDAY, MARCH 6,2011 15 CATHY WILSON/THE PERQUIMANS WEEKLY The farm life is Barbara Staiiings’ life. Staliings grew up on a farm, married a farmer and has heiped her husband raise crops on their 650-acre farm in the Beividere area for 43 years. For Belvidere’s Stallings, farming is women’s work By CATHY WILSON Staff Writer When most women are sleeping in on Saturday mornings, Barbara Stall ings is up before the sun, watching the 5 a.m. U.S. Farm Report. As an integral part of her family’s 650-acre Bel- videre-area farm, StaUings listens intently to the news show that focuses on agri culture and agribusiness. After aU, agriculture and agribusiness have been her life since she was born 65 years ago. She grew up a farm girl in Gates County, then mar ried a farmer, and helped him raise crops on their land for 43 years. Farm ing is her life, and StaU ings has been and stiU is a hands-on woman in the business, from picking cot ton by hand, to working the rows with a hoe in her younger years, to doing the book work today She’s not the only wom an working in a man’s field in this area. Many of the farming wives or female landowners do much of the work that’s needed to make the famUy farm a success. Most farming women are found on the larger farms, she noted. “Some women actuaUy get out and drive the equip ment, but I can’t drive the modern day tractor,” she admitted. “I know how to shift gears and push the clutch on the older trac tors, but 1 don’t know much about the new ones today. That’s why I’m usuaUy the See STALLINGS, 18 Advocate Realty, L.L.C The “A” Team Your Local Real Estate Professionals serving NE North Carolina Ann Mikan -Tom Mikan, Broker 252 426-7363 . 295 Cedar Stretch Road, Hertford, NC 27944 TomMikan @ Advocate-Realty.com www.Advocate-Realty.com Genetics arms farmers to battle weeds, insects By CINDY BEAMON Staff Writer Weeds and worms have been the common enemy of farmers for centu ries; it’s only the meth ods of combat that have changed. Today, genetics is help ing farmers keep,, ahead of what one biotech sci entist calls “an arms race” to fight off the crop- destroying pests. The battlefield is con stantly changing, say lo cal agents with the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. With each new innovation in science, the weeds and insects find new ways to bypass the blockades. For farmers, genetics has be come a weapon of choice. With genetically modi fied seeds, farmers fend off insects, and increase their yields — aU with environmentaUy friendly results, says A1 Wood, an agriculture agent for the Extension Service in Pas quotank County. By using seeds with insect-fighting DNA, farmers spray less insecticide onto their fields — a cost savings to Bt gene's benefits dramatic Farmers who use corn seed with the Bt gene typi cally improve their crop yields by 9 to 10 bushels an acre. Using seed with the gene also produces better quality corn. Farmers have been using corn seed \yith the Bt gene about 13 years. the farmer and the envi ronment. About 13 years ago, scientists introduced a new corn seed inserted with the Bt gene, natu rally found in a soil bac teria. The technology is used broadly by farmers today, basically eliminat ing most crop damage by corn ear worms. Wood said the benefits have been dramatic. Farmers using seed with the Bt gene typically improve their yields by 9 to 10 bushels an acre. At the mid-February price for corn, about $7 a bush el, the added return is $70 per acre, said Wood. Not onl^ does the Bt gene result in high yields, it also produces better quality corn, said Shawboro farmer Owen Etheridge. “The plant, instead of using all its energy fight ing off insects, is able to use that energy to devel op an ear of corn,” Ether idge said. Genetics has helped farmers increase their yields and combat in sects — but not without a price. The cost of seed has gone up with the cost for research. Twenty-five years ago, a bag of cotton seed would have cost about $30 td $40 for eight acres, says Perquimans Cooperative Extension Director Lew is Smith. That cost has increased tenfold. Now, farmers pay $300 to $400 for the same sized bag of seed. The high-priced seeds are potent. Today’s ge netically modified seeds fight not only the corn ear worm but a variety of other insects. Genes are See GENETICS, 19 AMBY H. PARRISH, CPA, P.C INDIVIDUAL • Corporate • Partnerships Business Start -Ups Tax-Planning & Preparation Payroll • Accounting • Bookkeeping QuickBooks Support www.ambyparrishcpa.com 409 Old Hertford Rd. Edenton • 482-1040 (ClUMimUCCIK MCGKOMAL AjlMIPCOET Who We Are The Currituck Regional Airport is a publicly owned General Aviation airport located in the northeastern region of North Carolina, approximately 46 miles south of the South Hampton Roads area of Virginia and 25 miles northeast of Elizabeth City, North Carolina. Where We Are To improve the safety of aircraft operations and the ability of the airport to accommodate and attract business aircraft we have a $1.5M project currently in “Progress” to build a northern taxiway. Where We’re Going Providing an expanding airport infrastructure to support future economic development. Some of the approximately $30M upcoming projects are: Runway Repair Instrument Approach Systems Lighting Systems Southern Taxiway Runway Extension Runway Strengthening Corporate Aircraft Parking Apron Stormwater Treatment Facility Corporate Hangars We can get you where you want to go Jim Elliott, Airport Manager • Phone: 252453^2876 ext. 4126 • email: james.elliott@currituckcountync.gov CURRITUCK COUNTY REGIONAL AIRPORT • 264 AIRPORT ROAD • MAPLE, NC 27956 • FAX: 2524534172 ■r j-.. 'J*' Typ L-. Spc' f, * .
The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
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March 6, 2011, edition 1
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