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Tobacco takes top spot in crop earnings

Yields from the fields Helped by a fair yield and excellent quality leaf, tobacco gross income topped the list of local farm products in 2017. The estimated total gross income in Wilson County from the sale of farm products in the year was $141,403,967. Norman Harrell, director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office in […]

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4 weeks ago

June 5, 2025

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Yields from the fields

Helped by a fair yield and excellent quality leaf, tobacco gross income topped the list of local farm products in 2017.

The estimated total gross income in Wilson County from the sale of farm products in the year was $141,403,967.

Norman Harrell, director of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office in Wilson County, calculated the estimates based on the vast majority of farm products reported at the end of the year.

“This would be my estimates of the yield that was generated in the county times an average selling price per commodity,” Harrell said. “We’re close to finishing it but we are not completely finished. We’re down to just a few minor crops, so the bulk of it is complete. It probably won’t go up a whole lot because we’re down to some smaller acreage crops.”

The top three products were flue-cured tobacco at $49,215,769, nursery and greenhouse plants at $32,100,000 and sweet potatoes at $20,650,000.

“The tobacco crop this year, we had pretty much an average yield, but we had outstanding quality, so that really helped with the 2017 tobacco crop — particularly for the growers being able to sell their crop,” Harrell said.

Yield was 2,519 pounds per acre. Tobacco farmers planted 9,818 acres this year in Wilson County. The average price for tobacco was $1.99 per pound.

Tobacco earnings for the year were more in line with the $47,276,207 income in 2015. The year 2016 was way down in earnings at $37,181,997 due to low yields and poor-quality leaf.

“We have had two challenging years in ’15 and particularly ’16, so this year is a more normal yield. We really needed 2017 to happen,” Harrell said. “This year helped make up for the two prior years.”

Nurseries and greenhouses, which had gross income of $32.1 million, were down from the $47.9 million earned in 2016, and the $53.3 million of gross income in 2015.

According to Cyndi Lauderdale, horticulture agent for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office in Wilson County, the dip in earnings from nurseries and greenhouses was due to two factors.

Intense rains and floods in April caused the loss of many plants at the Fair View Nursery.

“We have also had the restructuring out at Gardens Alive,” Lauderdale said. “It was during that interim that not much sales were going on.”

Gardens Alive, formerly Zelenka, is the largest nursery and greenhouse operation in Wilson County.

“During that process, they downsized as they got their new managers in and things like that, so they are now back on a growing cycle,”

Sweet potatoes earned the third-highest gross income with $20.6 million for the year. Yield in 2017 was 425 bushels per acre.

“We had a pretty good year, but the only downfall was the price,” said Tommy Batts, commercial horticulture agent for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension office in Wilson. “We had a saturated market so the price wasn’t very high.”

The earnings in 2016 were $44.3 million and in 2015, they were $42 million.

The $24 million decrease in 2017 was because the calculation methodology was changed.

“We wanted to look at the farm value of sweet potatoes as they leave the field. After they are packed, they have a higher value, but all the growers of sweet potatoes don’t necessarily capture that value,” Harrell said. “So I think the number previously would have included an average packed-out number for sweet potatoes where as we are now using an average value, like a farm gate value. That’s the reason you see such a big decrease. We have changed the methodology, but the price of sweet potatoes has gone down a lot, so that is kind of a twofold reason why we see that change in sweet potato income.”

Wilson County had 9,800 acres of sweet potatoes planted in 2017, which is down from 10,400 acres in 2016.

“It is an extremely important commodity in the county. We changed a little bit how we are reporting it, plus a decrease in price.” Harrell said.

Soybeans earned a gross income of $14,379,886 for the year. That is up slightly from the $12.4 million in 2016 and the $9.3 million in 2015.

There were 34,000 acres of soybeans planted in Wilson County in 2017. About 40 percent of the farmland in Wilson County is planted in soybeans.

“That’s our largest acreage crop in the county and I believe we saw a modest increase in acres this year,” Harrell said.

Wilson County soybean fields had a yield of 42 bushels per acre.

“That’s a good yield,” Harrell said. “The national average is 49, so it would be nice to be getting up to the national average, but it’s good for our area.”

Corn had gross sales of $5,099,567 in 2017. In 2016, corn sales were higher at $8.1 million and in 2015, gross sales were $2.8 million. Corn had a yield of 130 bushels per acre in 2017.

“We had a slightly above-average corn yield this year. We saw some acres shifted out of corn and that’s why we saw the numbers drop, and the yield was less than last year,” Harrell said. “We had a really good corn year last year. We are back to more typical corn yields for our area now.”

Cotton had gross sales of $4,930,585 in 2017.

“We finally saw the return of yields that we should make in cotton, a little better than normal, which is two bales per acre.,” Harrell said. “That’s where we need to be with cotton. We saw the income numbers increase significantly for cotton, but it was primarily due to good yields and an increase in acres.”

In Wilson County, there were 7,329 acres of cotton planted, which is up from the 3,762 acres planted in 2016. Yield on cotton was 1,035 pounds of lint per acre.

Wilson had the potential to produce as many as 8,181 bales from Wilson County in 2017.

The Silver Lake Growers Cotton Gin reported producing 22,000 bales of lint when it ceased operation for the year on Dec. 14. The gin brings in cotton grown in Lenoir, Nash, Wilson, Edgecombe and Johnston counties.

Peanuts had gross income of $2,344,508 in 2017. That is a modest increase over the $2.1 million in 2016 and higher than the $1.6 million in 2015.

“We’ve got a pretty good peanut year. The peanut specialist at North Carolina State has estimated the North Carolina peanut crop at 4,100 pounds per acre. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilson County did a little better than that,” Harrell said. “The peanuts that I have seen have looked good and the growers that I have talked to have indicated good yields. Good weather conditions and good management have relayed into some good yields.”

Yield is 4,097 pounds per acre, two tons to the acre. Wilson County had 2,500 acres in peanuts in 2017.

Wheat earned $1,604,344 in Wilson County in 2017. Yield was 60 bushels per acre.

“If you look at the wheat numbers, 2016 was the worst wheat year I have ever seen. It was horrible,” Harrell said. “That’s why that number is so low. The wheat yield last year for 2016 was 30 bushels compared to 60 this year.”

Harrell blames the weather.

“It was all too much water and growers were not able to get their crop out in a timely fashion,” Harrell said. “The excessive water led to disease problems and it was just bad.”

Grain sorghum earned a gross income of $55,000 in Wilson this year.

“It is a crop that we have struggled to make money on because of low commodity prices and a new insect that we have to spray for,” Harrell said. “We dropped down from 700 acres last year to 253 acres this past year. We just do a little dabble,” Harrell said. “It’s a wonderful crop, but the profitability has just made it where there is just not a lot of it planted.”

Wilson grew a few scant acres of oats and rye.

“For the most part, those crops are planted to either feed horses or planted for cover crop,” Harrell said. “They are really not any income generated from rye and oats.”

Batts said that cucumbers earned $1,800,000 for Wilson County farmers in 2017. The county had 340 acres of cucumbers, mostly pickling cucumbers, and had a yield of between 300 and 325 bushels per acre.

Numbers are incomplete for other fruits and vegetables.

“We had 560 acres of watermelons planted in Wilson County in 2017,” Batts said. “Those range from seedless to common to personal/mini-watermelons.”

Wilson County had about 20 acres of strawberries, and most of them were grown by James Sharp at Fresh-Pik Produce.

“Our strawberry crop was a good-quality crop,” said Sharp. “The yields were average at best. We started that strawberry crop with Hurricane Matthew last fall, so once we recuperated from that, we had to do the extra frost protection from that really cold and early spring that we had. So it all worked out in the end. Frost-protecting those strawberries was a very stressful time but fortunately we were able to start harvesting our berries earlier and that helped offset some of the extra cost we had in the crop.”

Harrell reported $5,150,000 gross income in Wilson County for livestock, including poultry and eggs, swine and cattle.

Forestry acreage was 84,000 acres in the county with sales of timber at $3,753,200.

Sports

Coppin State track star aims for world championships after NCAA success

BALTIMORE — Jarrett Gentles set a school record at Coppin State in the 400m hurdles before qualifying for the NCAA track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he finished in 9th place. “My first time being there felt like I belonged there, stepping on the track. Definitely electrifying stadium. Everybody was loud and it […]

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1 minute ago

July 3, 2025

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BALTIMORE — Jarrett Gentles set a school record at Coppin State in the 400m hurdles before qualifying for the NCAA track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he finished in 9th place.

“My first time being there felt like I belonged there, stepping on the track. Definitely electrifying stadium. Everybody was loud and it was a great run,” Gentles said.

The senior athlete also received 2nd team All-American honors, becoming only the 3rd Coppin State Eagle in that event to achieve that distinction.

Hear from Jarrett Gentles while he prepares to reach his goals

Coppin State athlete who earned All-American nod says he is not done yet

“That accolade means everything because like as I said, like looking back in high school I was able to become an all-American my last year also in high school like senior year so like knowing that it was my last year collegiately competing,” Gentles said.

But the grind doesn’t stop for Gentles. There’s an even bigger goal he’s shooting for.

“One of my biggest goals was to try for the world championship team and stuff like that, get a chance at it. With the time I ran this season, I did qualify to go to U.S. trials, so I’m taking my chances with that. It starts, I think July 31st, August 1st, so I’m training for that right now until I get a chance to make the world team,” Gentles said.

His hard work is paying off as he pursues his dreams.

“I’ve been working so hard that now it’s finally like blossoming into something that is the deserving and I feel like I stay the same, like stay down, stay committed to the goals of like, you know, training every day max potential 100%, and I just keep grinding,” he said.

Even though he’s no longer running for Coppin State, Gentles has one more year left as a grad student. He’ll still be around aiming for a professional career.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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Sports

Cignal, UAAP Renew Broadcast Partnership for Five More Seasons

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and sports broadcaster Cignal have agreed to extend their partnership for another five years, covering UAAP Seasons 89 through 93. This renewal continues a collaboration that began in 2020, positioning Cignal as the official broadcast partner of the country’s premier collegiate sports league. Cignal has been delivering […]

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8 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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Cignal has been delivering extensive UAAP coverage through multiple platforms, including free-to-air broadcasts on One Sports and the high-definition UAAP Varsity Channel, the nation’s only 24/7 channel dedicated to varsity sports. In 2023, the partnership expanded to over-the-top (OTT) streaming via Pilipinas Live, enabling Filipino fans worldwide to follow UAAP action.

UAAP Season 88 President Fr. Rodel S. Cansnacio highlighted the impact of Cignal’s coverage, saying it has elevated the league by offering high-quality broadcasts and telling the stories of student-athletes with passion and depth. “Our student-athletes deserve the biggest stage possible,” he said, emphasizing the shared goal of growing varsity sports.

Cignal President and CEO Jane Jimenez-Basas expressed enthusiasm for the renewed deal, noting the company’s commitment to showcasing the UAAP and enhancing the experience for sports fans everywhere. “This collaboration is all about sharing the journey of our young student-athletes,” she said.

UAAP Executive Director Atty. Rene Andrei Q. Saguisag acknowledged the challenges overcome during the initial partnership, which launched amid the pandemic, and expressed eagerness to strengthen the union further in the coming years.

The renewed agreement ensures continued focus on marquee sports such as men’s basketball, women’s volleyball, and cheerdance, while also spotlighting emerging sports including women’s basketball, men’s volleyball, football, beach volleyball, baseball, softball, streetdance, badminton, and esports.

Moving forward, Cignal plans to deepen its coverage of the UAAP calendar with more live events, original features, documentaries, and digital-first content designed to bring fans closer to the action both in the Philippines and abroad.

ALSO READ: Over 500 Players to Compete in PH National Badminton Open

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Sports

USA Water Polo Reveals Men’s Roster for World Championships

USA Water Polo Announces Men’s Roster for World Championships USA Water Polo Men’s National Team head coach Dejan Udovicic has announced the roster of 15 athletes selected for competition at the upcoming 2025 World Aquatics World Championships set for July 11-24 in Singapore. Only 14 athletes will be eligible for each match and they will be determined prior to each game […]

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12 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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USA Water Polo Announces Men’s Roster for World Championships

USA Water Polo Men’s National Team head coach Dejan Udovicic has announced the roster of 15 athletes selected for competition at the upcoming 2025 World Aquatics World Championships set for July 11-24 in Singapore. Only 14 athletes will be eligible for each match and they will be determined prior to each game day.

Team USA has been drawn into Group C where the action begins Friday, July 11 when the United States opens play against Canada at 7:35 p.m. (pacific time). They’ll also meet Brazil and Singapore in group play. Live streaming of the World Championships will be available on Peacock (login required). It’s already been an exciting summer for the Men’s National Team program as the USA Men’s Junior National Team earned silver at the World Aquatics U20 World Championship last month in Croatia.

USA Water Polo

This event marks the Senior World Championship debut for seven athletes on Team USA including: Dominic Brown, Ryan Ohl, Connor Ohl, Jack Larsen, Ben Liechty, Bernardo Herzer and Nicolas Saveljic. Two-time Olympians Max Irving, Dylan Woodhead, Marko Vavic and Hannes Daube anchor a squad that features seven returners from the 2024 Olympic Team that won bronze last summer in Paris.

For more information on the 2025 World Aquatics World Championships, click here to visit the homepage. Be sure to follow @USAWP on social media for updates throughout the competition.

2025 World Aquatics World Championships Roster (14 athletes to be selected prior to each match)
Adrian Weinberg (Los Angeles, CA/California/Panathinaikos/Pride)
Ryan Ohl (Greenwich, CT/Stanford/Greenwich Aquatics)
Benjamin Liechty (Newport Beach, CA/UCLA/Newport Beach WPC)
Nicolas Saveljic (Kotor, Montenegro/UCLA/The Olympic Club)
Hannes Daube (Long Beach, CA/USC/Apollon Smyrnis/NYAC)
Dominic Brown (Concord, CA/California/LA Athletic Club)
Jack Larsen (Orinda, CA/UCLA/Pro Recco)
Dylan Woodhead (San Anselmo, CA/Stanford/Vouliagmeni/SHAQ)
Jake Ehrhardt (Camarillo, CA/USC/LA Athletic Club)
Chase Dodd (Long Beach, CA/UCLA/Vanguard)
Ryder Dodd (Long Beach, CA/UCLA/Mission WPC)
Max Irving (Long Beach, CA/UCLA/Pro Recco/NYAC)
Bernardo Herzer (Los Angeles, CA/USC/LA Athletic Club)
Marko Vavic (Rancho Palos Verdes, CA/USC/Savona/NYAC)
Connor Ohl (Newport Beach, CA/Newport Beach HS/Newport Beach WPC)

Head Coach – Dejan Udovicic
Assistant Coaches – Gavin Arroyo, Matt Ustaszewski, and Jack Kocur
Video Coach – John McBride
Team Manager – Paulina Bui
Sports Medicine Manager – Chris Bates

2025 World Aquatics World Championships Schedule (subject to change)
July 11 – vs Canada 7:35pm pt
July 13 – vs Brazil 6:00pm pt
July 16 – at Singapore 4:10am pt
July 18 – Crossover Round
July 20 – Quarterfinal Round
July 22 – Semifinal Round
July 24 – Final Round

The above press release was provided to Swimming World by USA Water Polo

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This Summer, Don’t Let Dehydration Ruin Your Workout

Exercising in the warmer weather is a welcome respite from winter, but summer workouts bring their challenges, including dehydration. For most people, 64 ounces of water each day is recommended for good health, but this varies with activity level, climate, and individual needs, according to sports medicine physician Hallie Zwibel, D.O. However, according to data […]

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34 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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Exercising in the warmer weather is a welcome respite from winter, but summer workouts bring their challenges, including dehydration.

For most people, 64 ounces of water each day is recommended for good health, but this varies with activity level, climate, and individual needs, according to sports medicine physician Hallie Zwibel, D.O.

However, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, American adults average a daily water consumption of just 44 ounces, while children and adolescents average only 23 ounces.

“Being dehydrated is more than just feeling thirsty—it means your body doesn’t have enough water to function properly,” says Zwibel, assistant dean of clinical operations, associate professor, and director of the Center for Sports Medicine at the College of Osteopathic Medicine. “It’s important to listen to your body’s signals and adjust your water intake based on factors like activity level and weather conditions.”

Signs of serious dehydration include extreme thirst, dark urine, dizziness, confusion, and rapid heartbeat, according to Zwibel. “If you experience these symptoms, drink water immediately and seek medical attention if symptoms persist,” he says. Chronic dehydration (when dehydration appears for longer periods) may indicate serious underlying health issues such as diabetes, kidney problems, or certain medications affecting your body’s fluid balance, he adds.

Zwibel emphasizes that while electrolyte packets can help replenish essential minerals lost through sweat, they should not replace daily water intake. Electrolyte-infused water should be consumed in addition to the daily recommended amount.

For those ages 21 and older, alcohol can contribute to dehydration as well because it strips the body of fluids, Zwibel says. “To counteract these effects, I recommend having a glass of water every 30 minutes, which will help continually replenish any fluids lost,” he advises.

“This summer, whether you’re playing an outdoor sport like pickleball or beach volleyball, or headed out for a run, it’s essential to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water before, during, and after the activity,” says Zwibel.

The physician notes that wearing sunscreen, a hat, and light-colored clothing can also protect against the sun’s rays and reduce the risk of overheating; while taking regular breaks in the shade can help you stay cool and safely maintain exercise performance. “On the hottest days, try to schedule your workout or activity for the early morning or evening when temperatures are cooler,” he adds.

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Sports

Florida National’s Bogle Selected 2024-25 CAC SID of the Year

Florida National University’s Brenda Bogle has been named the Continental Athletic Conference’s Sports Information Director of the Year for the 2024-25 athletic season. Bogle completed her third season leading the Conquistadors’ communications efforts and has provided stability in that area to a college that previously had four SIDs over a four-year period. Her FNU responsibilities […]

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45 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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Florida National University’s Brenda Bogle has been named the Continental Athletic Conference’s Sports Information Director of the Year for the 2024-25 athletic season.

Bogle completed her third season leading the Conquistadors’ communications efforts and has provided stability in that area to a college that previously had four SIDs over a four-year period.

Her FNU responsibilities include providing gameday statistics, writing game recap articles and managing media and social media for the department’s 13 varsity programs. In 2024-25, Bogle helped the university host the CAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships, distributing results, photos and awards to conference leaders and fellow SIDs of member schools.

In the summer of 2024, Bogle organized and constructed a new athletics website through SIDEARM Sports to serve as a historical data resource. She assembled composite rosters, schedules, box scores, articles and coaching staff information dating back to the 2013 season.

Bogle is receiving the CAC SID of the Year award for the first time in her career. She is a University of Florida graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism with a specialization in sports and media.

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Sports

Oldham, Casselman Named to CSC Academic All-District® At-Large Teams

Story Links Montana State skiers Kate Oldham and Jamie Casselman have been named to the 2025 Academic All-District At-Large Teams, as selected by College Sports Communicators, which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom. Oldham, a product of Carbondale, Colo., who posted a 4.00 […]

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50 minutes ago

July 3, 2025

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Montana State skiers Kate Oldham and Jamie Casselman have been named to the 2025 Academic All-District At-Large Teams, as selected by College Sports Communicators, which recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in competition and in the classroom.

Oldham, a product of Carbondale, Colo., who posted a 4.00 grade-point average in liberal studies/environmental studies, completed one of the most successful seasons in Bobcat ski history. In January, she captured the U.S. National Championship title in the 10K freestyle and finished third in the 20K classic and sprint freestyle events.

Oldham spent most of the winter competing on the World Cup circuit in Italy, Switzerland and Norway. She ended the season as the 2025 U.S. National Grand Champion, awarded to the highest overall ranking across all U.S. National Championship races.

Oldham completed her collegiate career earning Second Team All-America honors after finishing seventh in classic and tenth in freestyle at the NCAA Skiing Championships in New Hampshire.

Casselman, a native of Cranbrook, British Columbia, who recorded a 3.98 GPA in community health., was a Second Team All-RMISA performer this winter. During the season, he reached the podium twice, finishing second in giant slalom at the Alaska Anchorage Invitational and RMISA championships. In twelve races, Casselman placed in the top 20 of giant slalom and slalom on ten occasions.

At the NCAA Skiing Championships in March, Casselman finished 27^th in slalom.

Based on academic and athletic achievement both Oldham and Casselman advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration.

The CSC Academic All-District® At-Large programs include the sports of beach volleyball, bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, men’s volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

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