HomeGrown Directory

The North Carolina Tree Farm Program announces a field forestry workshop at the Mountain Horticulture Center in Fletcher, NC, on Thursday, November 8, 2007 from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The morning session will feature speakers on the advantages of active forest management and tax strategies, including forest health and wildlife habitat enhancements. Tree Farmers Dwight Batts from Wilson County and Dr. Bob Cooper from Forsyth County will discuss the advantages of Tree Farm Certification to family forest owners.

NC Cooperative Extension presents: A class for farmers wanting to begin or transition to

Commercial-Scale, Certified Organic Production Of Vegetable and Fruit Crops

This class is geared toward growers who are already set-up for commercial scale production (1-acre of ready-to-be-certified-organic field land or more), and wish to enter the expanding Certified Organic Market. Topics covered will include soils & fertility, disease identification & control, insect identification & control, weed management, post-harvest handling, certification & record-keeping, and marketing to wholesale buyers.

The class will meet on Wednesdays, from 6-8 PM, at the Ashe County Extension Center during the winter and early Spring of 2006.

Vegetable farmers and cut-flower growers in our mountain region face a shorter growing season than nearly all our neighboring counties in North Carolina. Does this put the High Country at an inevitable disadvantage? Should aspiring vegetable growers all move to a lower elevation? Not at all: with the right mix of low-cost, season-extension techniques, area growers can stretch their production of a number of crops, and still reap the cool-summer benefits of our region. Area farmers are invited to join Cooperative Extension for a High Tunnels & Season Extension Course to be held Thursday, February 1 and Friday, February 2, at Family Central in Jefferson, NC.

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006 • Clyde, NC
The Business of Farm Tourism: Will it Work for Me?
The tools and information you need to figure out whether you can up the profitability of your farm by selling goods, services, and experiences to the traveling public.
Details at: http://www.asapconnections.org/special/farmtourism/conference.htm

This workshop is targeted towards higher volume farmers who are interested in expanding into and improving their sales to mid-large scale markets. It will include sessions on basic business practices, professionalism, food safety, packaging, communication, and marketing techniques to create and maintain a great farmer/buyer relationship.

Date: Wednesday November 29th, 2006 9:00-1:00
Place: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station,
Fletcher, NC
Cost: $10, includes lunch
Topics:

• Understanding Current Market Opportunities
• How to Build a Great Relationship with your Buyers
• Food Safety and Profitability
• Growing, Packing, and Marketing Panel Discussion

Speakers:

• Isaac Allan, Former Produce Manager- Poppies Market

11/17 -

NC State Viticulture Workshop

Sponsored by the Haw River Wine Trail and the Golden LEAF Foundation &
The Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium
November 17, 2006
JC Raulston Arboretum, 4415 Beryl Road, Raleigh, NC 27606-1446

8:30 – 9:00 am Check-in

9:00- 9:10 am Welcome – Julia Kornegay, Head, Department of Horticultural Science, NCSU

9:10- 9:15 am Overview and Goals of Workshop, Sara Spayd, Extension Viticulturist, NCSU

9:15- 10:00 am The Foundation Plant Services Grape Program at UC Davis, Sue Sim, Foundation Plant Services, Davis, CA

10:00-10:45 am Response of Traminette to Rootstock and Three Different Training Systems, Tony Wolf, Director, AHS Jr. Agricultural Research and Extension Center and Professor of Viticulture, Virginia Tech University, Winchester

Medicinal Herb Workshop Tuesday, October 3, 2006, 11:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. Pre-register for a free lunch by September 26th or bring your own brown bag instead. To reserve your lunch, or for any other questions call Libby Hinsley at 828-684-3562 X 157 or email libby_hinsley@ncsu.edu.

Fifth generation farmer, Bruce Miller, will host this hands-on medicinal herb workshop at his farm, Miller Century Farm. Attend a Woodland Herb Planting Demonstration Led by Dr. Jeanine Davis of North Carolina State University and Joe Hollis of Mountain Gardens in Burnsville, North Carolina. Mountain Gardens is a botanical garden featuring the largest collection of native Appalachian and Chinese medicinal herbs in the Eastern US. Learn to cultivate medicinal herbs like, bloodroot, black cohosh and goldenseal, and explore marketing opportunities for native woodland plants. View an Herb Dryer Demonstration, built as part of the Medicinal Herbs for Commerce Project, led by Dr. Davis, coauthor of, “Growing & Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal & Other Woodland Medicinals”.

Two-Day Butchery Workshop with
Rudi Weid, NY-based meat butcher and culinary instructor
Who: for area livestock farmers, butchers, chefs + agriculture and culinary students
When: Monday, September 25 and Tuesday, September 26; 8am – 2pm each day
Monday’s session covers beef; Tuesday’s session covers pork and lamb.

Where: Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College • Magnolia Bldg.

Directions available at www.abtech.edu/maps/asheville.asp

How much: Workshop is $20, which covers both days, and includes lunch on both days.

(A real bargain even if you can make just one of the days.)

Monday lunch sponsored by NC Choices/NCSU. Tuesday lunch sponsored/prepared by EarthFare.

Offered by NC Cooperative Extension and the Town of Boone.
Monday September 25 2006 – 2:30-4:30 PM
At the Watauga County Agricultural Conference Center
252 Poplar Grove Rd., Boone
You may already know that many of your kitchen scraps and other food wastes can be safely recycled by composting, but perhaps are unsure about how to start composting on your own. If you have questions about how to compost food and yard wastes, what items can be composted, and what types of containers and systems are available, then please join Area Extension Agent Richard Boylan for an afternoon workshop on the biology and techniques of composting. Step-by-step guidelines will be presented on how to turn your organic wastes into a useful and beneficial soil amendment. Town of Boone Recycling Coordinator Suma Bolick will also be present to highlight the compost bins offered by the town of Boone to town residents.

Most of you have advanced your own knowledge of organic techniques well-beyond the introductory level, and will not need this class. However, if you have a friend, neighbor, or customer who is wondering what this organic stuff is all about, please feel free to share the following: If You’re Ready To Start Growing Naturally, Enroll In Organics 101.
Many gardeners and farmers are making the switch to growing organically. They are nourishing their soils with carbon-rich natural fertilizers, taking preventive steps to avoid diseases and insect damage in their gardens, and using only natural and low-toxicity sprays when absolutely necessary. If you are ready to make this change in your own garden, consider joining the Organics 101 class, to be held in late June and early July by Cooperative Extension.