September, 2015

Catawba County Center

High Tunnel Construction Workshop

September 8th and 9th

9:00 AM - noon (both days)

Agricultural Resource Center

Catawba County Cooperative Extension will be kicking off the Specialty Crop Series with a 2 day intensive training on high tunnels. The workshop shop will discuss high tunnel basics, management of high tunnels, challenges with high tunnels, and plasticulture systems with hands on construction of a low cost tunnel made from PVC.

Space is very limited. Cost for the workshop is $80 dollars. Participants must plan to attend both days. To register for this workshop, please contact Der Xiong. Deadline to register is September 3rd.

4-H Club Spotlight...

Brookford 4-H Equestrians

Ages 5-18

Meets 2nd Tuesday, 7:00 PM

Next Meeting - September 8

Brookford Community Center

Members of this horse specialty club do NOT have to own horses to participate. The club is great for youth who want to learn about horses whether you are interested in Western or English riding. The club plans a variety of activities that help youth learn and see horses, as well as encourage youth to be involved in the total 4-H program. Monthly clubs activities have included horse-related field trips, sponsoring a horse bowl team, and focus on ALL things horse. Experienced rider or not, check-out Brookford Equestrians. For more information about the NC 4-H Horse program see http://equinehusbandry.ces.ncsu.edu/equinehusbandry-nc-4-h-horse-program/.

The leader for Brookford Equestrians is Cindy Boger, who got involved as a leader as her own children got involved in 4-H and discovered a love of horses. Cindy is also the Horse Bowl team coach. For information about the club contact Cindy at boger4@embarqmail.com.

Small Flocks and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

Sept 11

1-3 PM

Burke County Center
130 Ammons Drive Suite 2
Morganton, NC 28655

1:00 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: North Carolina Agriculture's Response Planning and Preparedness; Dr. Mandy Tolson; NCDA&CS

2:00 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: What You Can Do NOW to Reduce the Risk to Your Flock; Dr. Donna Carver; NCSU Cooperative Extension Poultry Veterinarian

Goals of the meetings:
To provide backyard and small flock owners with an overview of the current situation on the HPAI outbreak in the United States and how North Carolina is planning to protect our flocks.

To discuss registration of backyard and small flock owners and how it will benefit their flocks.

To answer questions about how to keep backyard and small flocks safe from potential infection.

Cover Crops For Gardening

Sept 15th

6-7 PM

Patrick Beaver Memorial Library

Join Dr. George Place, Catawba County Cooperative Extension Director in a presentation about how to utilize cover crops in your garden. Cover cropping is one of the best soil building practices that you can incorporate in your garden rotation. We will discuss how this key practice can help you: improve your soil fertility, improve the water holding capacity of your garden beds, attract beneficial insects, improve weed control, catch and utilize residual fertilizer, and add a beautiful floral presence during both the summer and winter. We will discuss planting and management of both summer and winter cover cropping options. This presentation is part of our home gardener series designed to help both beginner and advanced gardeners enjoy all of the health, enjoyment, and learning that comes from growing some of your own produce.

Cover Crops For Gardening

Sept 17th

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Newton Library

115 W C St Newton, NC 28658

Join Der Xiong, Catawba County Cooperative Extension Immigrant Ag Extension agent in a presentation about how to utilize cover crops in your garden. Cover cropping is one of the best soil building practices that you can incorporate in your garden rotation. We will discuss how this key practice can help you: improve your soil fertility, improve the water holding capacity of your garden beds, attract beneficial insects, improve weed control, catch and utilize residual fertilizer, and add a beautiful floral presence during both the summer and winter. We will discuss planting and management of both summer and winter cover cropping options. This presentation is part of our home gardener series designed to help both beginner and advanced gardeners enjoy all of the health, enjoyment, and learning that comes from growing some of your own produce.

15th Annual

Nursery Crop Field Day

Friday September 18, 2015

8:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Hard & Flossie Clark Family Park,

5435 Adako Rd

Collettsville, NC

The North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service and the Caldwell County Nurserymen's Association will host its 14th Annual Nursery Crops Field Day on September 18, 2015 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the Hard & Flossie Clark Park in Collettsville, North Carolina.

This annual educational event is devoted to keeping nursery growers and landscapers in the foothills area of North Carolina informed on the most recent production practices and the newest technologies and services offered to the green industry by allied businesses.

This year's program will include educational presentations and nursery demonstrations. A block of time has been scheduled for growers and landscapers to visit with exhibitors participating in the field day.

Registration Deadline - September 11, 2015

Cost: $5.00

Late Registration (after September 11, 2015)

Cost: $10.00

Small-Scale Egg Production in a Range Setting Field Day

Sept 24th

Union County Center

3230-D Presson Rd.

Monroe, NC 28112

Come out for this spectacular field day put on by NCSU poultry specialists. Contact Debbie Hamrick, Director Specialty Crops, North Carolina Farm Bureau

from more information (919) 334-2977.

9:00 to 9:45 Registration

9:45 to 10:00 Welcome and Remarks

10:00 to 10:30. Proper use and application of pesticides, rodenticides, and cleaner/disinfectants used on farms

10:45 to 11:00 Incubation and Hatching: Setup and Trouble Shooting

11:00 to 11:30 Egg Safety Risks and what is Expected by Consumers

11:30 to 12:00 How to Sell Shell Eggs into Grocery Stores through Direct Store Delivery

12:00 to 1:15 Lunch

1:15 to 1:45 Avian Influenza. What do we need to do to be prepared?

1:45 to 2:15 Explaining the North Carolina Egg Law for Producers with Small Flocks

Cover Crops For Gardening

Sept 29th

6:30 - 7:30 PM

Maiden Library

11 S A Ave, Maiden, NC 28650

AgOptions Grant Writing Workshop

Sept 29th

5:30 - 7:00 PM

Caldwell Extension Center

120 Hospital Avenue, Lenoir, NC

WNC AgOptions is accepting grant applications from farmers diversifying or expanding their businesses. This workshop will guide farmers through the application process. Contact Amanda Taylor at amanda_jo_taylor@ncsu.edu or 828-757-1290. The application deadline is November 13.

WNC AgOptions helps offset farmers' risk of trying new ventures with $3,000 and $6,000 grants. With funding from the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission, WNC AgOptions is distributing a total of $178,000 to western North Carolina farmers in 2016.

Cost: None

Pesticide Credit Training

Sept 30th

10 AM to 2 PM

Agricultural Resources Center

1175 S. Brady Ave

Newton, NC 28658

From 10 AM to 12 PM we will have a 2 hour training called "Private Applicator Recertification Training" for 2 hours of continuing credit for V pesticide licenses. From 12 PM to 2 PM the two hour training session will be "Herbicide Use and Safety in the Landscape" for 2 hours of continuing credit for H L N D X pesticide licenses.

Catawba County Science Fair &

Family Science Night

Thursday, October 1

Saturday, November 21

Students in grades 3-12 are invited to participate in the Catawba County Science Fair planned for Saturday, November 21. Winners will be selected to advance to the regional science fair at Appalachian State University in December. Second graders can create a poster presentation on a science topic and will be entered for participation only.

Want to learn more about Science Fair, creating a project, or get some ideas to get started? Plan to attend Family Science Night on Thursday, October 1 at the Ag Resources Center. We will start with a light dinner and Science Fair overview followed by some hands-on science activities. There is a $5 charge per family for Science Night. Deadline to register is September 24.

4-H is partnering with Catawba County and Newton-Conover City Schools to offer the fair, but ANY student is welcome to enter. Contact Donna Mull, 4-H Agent, at donna_mull@ncsu.edu to request a Science Fair entry packet or register to attend Science Night.

Specialty Crops Series

The Specialty Crop Series is a series of crops specific workshops throughout the year. The workshop is aimed at improving individuals' skills in crop production and management especially with specialty crops. For more information on what constitute as a specialty crop under USDA definition, please visit the USDA website here.

The Specialty Crop Series will cover a range of topics. Please visit our website for more information on each workshop. The workshops are listed with oldest/closest to day at the bottom and newest/latest workshop at the top. For more information about these workshops or to be added to a list to receive information about these workshop, please contact Der Xiong at the Catawba County Cooperative Extension office.

Master Gardener Course Registration

Now Open

Cost: $100 non-refundable deposit

Agricultural Resource Center

The Master Gardener Course will take place from Feb 2 to April 28 with classes every Tuesday and Thursday from 9 AM to noon. The $100 fee will cover all course costs including the extensive Master Gardener manual and field trips. This course is for beginners and advanced gardeners. We will cover a wide array of topics covered by experts from around our region including: vegetable production, soil health management, small and tree fruit, integrated pest management, plant problem diagnosis, garden disease management, home lawn maintenance, landscaping, and much more. The class will fill quickly and there are only 20 seats available. Register now by calling 828-465-8240.

4-H TRY Teams Forming

Ages 13 and older

Teens who are 13 and older can be part of TRY or Teens Reaching Youth teams that will be involved in volunteer teaching activities during the coming school year. Youth are trained during a weekend retreat and then work with the 4-H staff and/or an adult coach to teach a 4-H series to younger youth in after-school programs, clubs, or during day camp programs. TRY is a rewarding volunteer opportunity that helps teens make a difference in their community while developing leadership and teaching skills. TRY team opportunities offered this year:

* Health Rocks - Training Retreat on October 9-10

* TRY Science - Training Retreat on November 20-22

TRY teams are limited to teens enrolled in 4-H or Youth Council. For more information or to sign-up to be part of a TRY team, contact Donna Mull at donna_mull@ncsu.edu or 828-465-8240. The deadline to register for the Health Rocks TRY team is Sept. 21.

Beginning Beekeeping Course

Feb 1 to March 14, 2016

Monday evenings at 7 PM

Cost: To Be Announced

Agricultural Resource Center

The Catawba Valley Beekeeping Association will begin registration for the 2016 Beginning Beekeeping class. Mark your calendars for every Monday evening at 7 PM beginning Feb 1. The course will run for 6 weeks with the option to test to become a certified beekeeper at the conclusion of the course.

Catawba Valley Cattlemen's Association (CVCA)

Fall Beef Barbeque Fund Raiser

Oct 24, 5 to 8 PM

Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds

Throughout the year, the CVCA conducts various fundraisers for organizational activities and to support the community in issues related to livestock and agriculture. Recently the Cattlemen awarded five college scholarships with such funds. The CVCA was also able to utilize these funds to assist the 4-H Livestock Club with expenses from a judging workshop in July.

Help the CVCA continue to support the community by participating in one of our cornerstone annual fundraisers - the fall beef BBQ, held October 24 from 5 to 8 PM at the Hickory American Legion Fairgrounds.

Advance tickets will be available from members soon. Everyone is invited to come eat some excellent beef and enjoy great fellowship.

Crop Updates

Soybean Rust Update

August 21, 2015

Jim Dunphy

Extension Crop Science Specialist (Soybeans)

Asiatic Soybean Rust was confirmed on soybeans in a sentinel plot in Jackson County, Florida, earlier today. Earlier, rust had been confirmed on soybeans in Lincoln and Walthall counties, Mississippi. The Jackson County rust is approximately 270 miles from Murphy, 390 miles from Charlotte, and more than 400 miles from Elizabeth City, Fayetteville, Raleigh, Washington, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem.

Rust has also been confirmed on kudzu in Louisiana and Florida.

I do not consider these confirmations to signal any imminent threat to NC soybeans. I still consider Steve Koenning's (recently retired Extension Plant Pathologist) and my recommendation to not spray soybeans that have not yet bloomed, nor blooming soybeans that are more than 100 miles from confirmed presence of rust on soybeans, to be a valid recommendation.

The current status of rust in the continental US can be found anytime at http://sbr.ipmpipe.org.

Demo Garden Fund Raiser

Garden Kneelers For Sale

Only $25

We are selling garden kneelers for $25 to help raise funds for the expansion of our teaching/demo garden outside of our office. Use it as a sitting bench or flip it over to comfortably kneel in the garden. Contact Beth if you would like to get yours before we run out 828-465-8240.

---SAVE THE DATE---

2015 Farm City Banquet

Mark your calendar. Catawba County Cooperative Extension Center will be hosting their 2015 Farm City Banquet on Tuesday, November 24th from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm.

Farm City Celebration is an opportunity to recognize the role agriculture plays in Catawba County and to increase understanding between the urban and farm communities. Please stay tuned for more information on where and what we will be doing for this year's farm city festivities.

Highlights of Extension

More articles from the Catawba County Center

Excerpt from "

How to Beat Garden Diseases" by Dr. George Place

"The outbreak of plant disease in the garden is almost as inevitable as stink bugs and Japanese beetles. However, there are several tactics that gardeners can execute to slow the spread of diseases and reduce the introduction of new diseases. Integrated pest management (IPM) for garden diseases can be summarized in three general recommendations: 1. Minimize the presence of the pathogen, 2. Reduce the presence of vulnerable hosts, 3. Eliminate the favorable environment for disease development."

To continue reading the whole article, click here for our website.

One of Catawba County Cooperative Extension Center's goal is to provide readers with up to date research information about problems or situations that individuals may be facing through our weekly articles. You can find these in the Observer News Enterprise and Hickory Daily Record.

If you missed out on our articles in the local papers, you can still read these article on our website at catawba.ces.ncsu.edu.

Catawba County

Farmer Spotlight

"Prosperous farmers mean more employment, more prosperity for the workers and the business men of every industrial area in the whole country" --

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Catawba County is made of up of so many unique individuals including farmers. As Catawba County grows economically, we are reminded of our agricultural roots. The Catawba County Cooperative Extension is dedicated to connecting our local consumers with our local farmers.

This month's feature farmer spotlight is Jefferson Herr and Sheng Ying Yang from Herr Fresh Flowers Farm. Jefferson Herr and his wife, Sheng Ying grow flowers in Vale, NC with their family. They grow over sixty different varieties of flowers year round, turning their small farm into a full time business. To read more about Jefferson and Sheng Ying, download the story here.

If there is a farmer that you think would be a great feature, please contact Der Xiong.

4-H Open House &

Summer Celebration

Saturday, September 12

2:00-4:00 p.m.

Agricultural Resources Center

Want to learn more about 4-H? Want to get connected to a 4-H Club? Make plans to attend the 4-H Summer Celebration and Open House. There will be table top displays and hands-on activities to help you learn about 4-H clubs and opportunities. Enjoy some summer snacks, hear from 4-H'ers and leaders, and get connected to 4-H. Special recognition will be given for 4-H Summer Fun and Camp participants. Register to attend on-line at http://goo.gl/forms/UYH0LRBEpt. or contact Donna Mull at donna_mull@ncsu.edu or call 828-465-8240 to register to attend or receive more information.

Contact:

Dr. George Place

Catawba County Cooperative Extension Director
Agricultural Resources Center, Newton, NC 28658
828-465-8240