Skip to main content
FFAR Fellows Grow As Leaders in Agriculture and Beyond

News

two white feathered turkeys in a hotel room

Nov 24, 2025

NC State Chosen as Home for 2025 National Thanksgiving Turkeys

NC State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) has once again been selected as the home to the official National Thanksgiving Turkey, Gobble, and alternate, Waddle. 
Young man in a blue blazer in front of gray curtain holding a certificate

Nov 19, 2025

FFA Member Looks to Lead New Generation of Ag Students

Junior Torres Diaz grew up far from his extended family’s cattle farms in Mexico, but FFA brought agriculture into sharper view. Now a first-generation CALS student and agricultural education major, he’s earned both the Old North State and American FFA degrees, milestones steering his path toward leadership in agriculture. 
a young man stands next to a large poster that says Henderson County Extension & PSI Internship

Nov 17, 2025

Planting New Opportunities

A collaborative internship program between NC State Extension and the N.C. Plant Sciences Initiative gave student Nathaniel Rhein hands-on experience with interdisciplinary research aimed at solving real-world problems. 
Economist Mike Walden

Nov 14, 2025

You Decide: Will AI Be a Net Plus?

NC State economist Mike Walden weighs the pros and cons of artificial intelligence on various aspects of our lives, from health care to employment. 
Man holds out cut orange sweetpotato in front of crowd

Nov 12, 2025

20 Years to Grow on: Future-proofing NC State’s Covington Sweetpotato

As NC State University's renowned Covington sweetpotato turns 20, plant breeders are working tirelessly to add resistance to a new pest, using the latest tools. 
a group of people gather outside in a building courtyard

Nov 11, 2025

CALS Wolfpack Harvest: ‘A Brand-New Tradition’

Alumni, faculty, staff, students and prospective students came together on Nov. 8 for the inaugural CALS Wolfpack Harvest to celebrate everything that makes the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences so special. 
a man wearing a red quarter zip sweater sits in front of computers and high tech equipment

Nov 10, 2025

Lommel Named Interim Head of Horticultural Science

Steve Lommel, a long-time leader with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will serve as interim head of the Department of Horticultural Science effective Jan. 2, 2026. 
two men inside a building look at a computer screen with a map and live images from a drone

Nov 6, 2025

Precision on Autopilot: Autonomous Drone Accelerates Research for Drought-Tolerant Soybeans

New drone technology being tested in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering is poised to usher crop production into the future. 
a woman puts her arms around a sheep in a hug

Nov 5, 2025

Hands-on Experience Inspires Animal Science Major’s New Path

Undergraduate research and exposure to livestock animals through the Animal Science Club have given CALS student Olivia Hoffman a new perspective on her career trajectory. 
a man in a field of row crops examines leaves from a stalk he pulled

Nov 4, 2025

FFAR Fellows Grow As Leaders in Agriculture and Beyond

With a focus on interdisciplinary communication, leadership and career-readiness skills, NC State's Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research Fellows gain experience beyond their fields of study to better lead the future of food and agriculture.