Expect an extra large influx of Scotty McCreery fans at next year's N.C. State Fair. Fair officials announced this morning that the Garner-based "American Idol" winner will perform at Dorton Arena during the 2012 fair.

Scotty will play the fair on Monday, October 15, but tickets for the concert will go on sale next week. And with that, the Department of Agriculture just took care of your Christmas shopping!

Scotty performed in last week's Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, and his first cd, "Clear As Day," recently went gold. Scotty also performs in tonight's "CMA Country Christmas" special, which airs on ABC at 9 p.m.

From Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler: “It may be a little early to be thinking about next year’s fair, but we think Scotty tickets will make the perfect gift for country music lovers on your shopping list. We’re excited to have our hometown winner perform at the State Fair next year.”

The $25 tickets go on sale Monday morning (December 5) at 11 a.m. and there's a six-ticket limit per buyer. Visit www.ncstatefair.org to buy the tickets.

The rest of the concert lineup for next year's fair, which runs October 11-21, will be announced in the summer.

This Thursday is Food Lion Hunger Relief Day at the fair, which means you can get in free that day if you bring four cans of Food Lion brand food to the gate.

All of the food collected goes to the Food Bank of North Carolina.

Last year's canned food drive collected 247,569 pounds of food, which equals 208,479 meals. NC Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler says this year's goal is 300,000 pounds of food.

If fairgoers break last year’s record, the fair will donate $1,000 to the food bank. If collections top 275,000 pounds, the fair will kick in $2,500. And if collections reach 300,000 pounds, the fair will donate $5,000 to the food bank.

Food bank personnel say each dollar collected helps fund four meals. A donation of $5,000 would fund 20,000 meals.

So if you're able, go ahead and toss a 5th (or 6th) can in your sack when you head out Thursday!

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Speaking of feeding the hungry ... The Pork Chop Shop, which has been a fair staple for more than 20 years, is donating a portion of this year's proceeds to The Food Effect, a campaign co-sponsored by the N.C. Pork Council, which supports North Carolina food banks in an effort to fight childhood hunger in local communities. You can also donate to the campaign through The Food Effect website.

The Pork Chop Shop is located between Dorton Arena and the Education Building, near Gate 1.

Ripe tobacco waits for no man, not even N.C. Commissioner of Agriculture Steve Troxler.

Troxler was still trying to get across the crowded fairgrounds — he claimed his golf cart wouldn't start — when it was his team's turn at the annual tobacco tying contest in Heritage Circle this afternoon.

"I told him to be here on time," said Billy Yeargin, a professor of Southern culture at Duke University and emcee of the contest. "He's disqualified."

But Troxler showed up just before the timer started and took his place as one of two "handers," taking cut leaves of Granville County tobacco off a cart and handing them to the team's "looper," who quickly tied the bundles with cotton twine onto a stick.

A dozen teams registered for the competition, which showcases a skill once known to thousands of farm workers in Eastern North Carolina.

For the competition, judges consider how long it took each time to fill the stick, the size of each bundle, the length of stem above the stick and how tight the tobacco is tied.

Troxler's team was a little slow, at a minute thirty-eight seconds. Other teams whisked through the chore twenty seconds faster.