Check out this story in today's paper about our early strawberry season. There's a list to the right of pick-your-own strawberry farms.

Now I'm in the mood to make strawberry jam.

State officials gave their approval today to build a 49-turbine wind farm in Eastern North Carolina that critics worry could cause bird kills of bald eagles as well as tundra swans and other migratory birds that like to roost nearby at the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge when visiting the state for the winter.

The N.C. Utilities Commission said it had no legal authority to deny approval to the Pantego Wind Energy Facility, which would spread over 11,000 acres in Beaufort County. But the state commission said the project can't go ahead until it receives state and federal environmental permits and meets other strict conditions, conditions that could delay the project for months.

The Pantego wind farm, proposed by Chicago-based Invenergy, would feature turbines reaching nearly 500 feet into the air to the tip of the blade. The blades could achieve rotational speeds well exceeding 100 miles per hour, which is a chief concern to naturalists and environmentalists who wanted more research on bird migratory patterns before approving the project.

The commissioners, who are appointed by the state governor, wrote that weighing the environmental risks and benefits of green energy "is at times a delicate risk, one that might require some risk of change in the natural habitat of wildlife."

But the commission said the Pantego project demonstrated "proven environmental benefits of reducing fossil fuel generation."

A local farmer finds food for his animals in a brewery's spent grain. Read more about it here.

Not to be outdone by NCDOT and its new highway map, Martha Glass of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services announces the 2009 Guide and Map to North Carolina Agritourism Farms.

Agritourism?

"An agritourism farm is a farm or a vineyard which invites visitors to see the production of the farm and to participate in edicational, informational and recreational activities which relate to the farm," says Glass, the ag department's agritourism manager. "They learn about agriculture while they’re having fun, we hope."

Call Glass at 919-733-7887, ext 276, or e-mail her to request a free copy of the map, which describes 213 farms that feature barnyard animals, tours and food, fancy dinners, pick-your-own produce, hayrides and mazes, lodging and camping, and walking and riding trails.

Or go to www.visitncfarms.com to search a database of 431 agritourism farms by topic or by county.

From the database listing for Waller Farms in Durham County:

Beginning in late April, we offer Pic-Your-Own strawberries. We also have pre-picked strawberries available. These should last into June.

We also offer seasonal vegetables starting with spring onions, cabbage, lettuce, etc. Then a full supply of fresh picked tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, eggplant, sweet corn, etc. during the summer. In the fall, Waller Family Farm continues to offer produce such as collards, cabbage, turnips, butternut squash, etc.

We also offer Educational Farm Tours to our local schools. Join Farmer Mark as he leads the class from the chickens, to cows, to goats and pigs, teaching why they are important and answering all questions. Throwing in a little humor, the trip is fun and educational. At the end of the tour, each student goes to the patch to get their very own pumpkin.

Sam Talley, a farmer in Siler City, is struggling to make ends meet after Pilgrim's Pride ended two contracts, cutting Talley's poultry income in ... more