 Beekeeping Conference 2016 Summer Meeting July 7,8,& 9th Hickory Metro Convention Center, 1960 13th Avenue, Hickory, NC
Contact the Catawba County Beekeeping Association if you have any questions: Jonathan Lutz - President: 828-428-3744 Gary Winebarger - Secretary: 828-234-6935 |
4H Summer Fun Classes Still Available!
We have several upcoming 4H Summer Fun classes with spaces still available coming up in July and August:
Lego Mania Session 1: This is a class for Lego lovers! Participants will work as a team to conquer different Lego challenges. This is for children ages 6-12 and will run on July 12 9am to 11am with a cost of $10. 4 spaces remain!
Behind the Scenes: Catawba County Government: Join us for a day of education (and fun!) about our local government! We will begin the morning by learning about the structure of Catawba County Government and then take a trip over to the government center where we will tour the elections department and learn more about this election year! We will visit departments such as EMS and others as well. The day will wrap up with games back at the ARC! Please pack a lunch and be ready to learn. This is a class for children who are 11 and older and will run 9am to 4pm on July 13th with a cost of $5. 5 spaces remain!
It's Electric: Participants will learn about circuits and soldering as well as how they can attend NC 4H electric congress in 2017! This is for participants ages 9 and up and will run on July 29 10am to 12pm at the ARC! Cost is $5. 3 spaces remain!
Beginning Irish Step: Kick up your heels as you learn some basic dance steps and put them into a simple routine! Sample some smoothies as well. This is for participants ages 7-13 and will run July 29th from 1pm to 3pm with a cost of $5. Up to 15 spaces remaining!
Science 101: Experiment with microbes and watch them grow! Meet at the Catawba County office and travel to Gaston County extension for a multi-county camp experience. Microbiology in the morning and other science topics in the afternoons! This is for campers age 9-13 and will run August 9-11 from 8:30am to 4pm with a cost of $55. Only 1 space remains!
Girls Rock!: Join us for 3 days of learning about various health topics aimed at girls! We will also be taking a white water rafting trip to Asheville on Wednesday to return after 5pm! Other girly experiences will be involved so join us for fun! The camp will run August 16-18 from 9am to 3pm for girls 11-15 years old. Cost will be $65 plus lunch money! 7 spaces remain!
** All classes meet at the Agricultural Resource Center unless otherwise noted. ** Please call 828-465-8240 with questions or to sign up! We look forward to hearing from you soon!! Contact Donna_Mull@ncsu.edu to request the Summer Fun schedule and registration form.
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 Fall Veggies: Harvest From Your Garden Before and After the Frost
Thursday, July 14, 2016
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Patrick Beaver Memorial Library 375 3rd St NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Tuesday, July 19, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Newton Public Library 115 West C Street, Newton, NC 28658
Tuesday, July 26, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Maiden Branch Library 11 South A Ave., Maiden NC 28650
Gardening doesn't have to end with cooler temperatures. Find out how to keep your garden growing throughout the year and enjoy fresh fall vegetables. |
SAVE THE DATE
2nd Specialty Crops Series
We have some awesome workshops lined up for the 2nd specialty crop series. Remember to save these dates so that you can be first in line to learn about these crop systems.
Fungi for You: Growing Mushroom for Yourself 
Tuesday September 6th, 2016
Riverbend Park
10:00am-3:00pm (Lunch is included)
Cost: $20
Deadline to register: August 26th, 2016
Growing and eating mushroom is a wonderful thing for yourself. Join us as we learn about wild mushrooms in Catawba county with a mushroom walk through at River Bend park by Park Ranger Lori Owenby followed by a picnic in the park. Craig Mauney, area horticulture agent, will then talk about cultivating your own mushroom logs (shiitake mushroom) and share some personal experience. Participants will be able to inoculate their own logs and bring them home to start their own mushrooms. Space is limited so remember to register early.
 Secrets of High Tunnel Systems: Growing Ginger and Turmeric
Tuesday September 27th, 2016
Newton Library
9:00am-2:00pm (Lunch is included)
Cost: $15
Deadline to register: September 16th, 2016
Are you curious about how to grow unique crops such as ginger and turmeric? Named as one of the world's healthiest foods, ginger and turmeric can be cultivated here in Catawba County with knowledge and practice. Join us as Christina Newhouse talks about growing ginger and turmeric in a high tunnel system followed by lunch. We will be visiting some high tunnel producers in Catawba county to see what other unique crops are being grown.
Get Growing with Microgreens 
Tuesday October 18th, 2016
Agricultural Resource Center
9:00am-12:00pm
Cost: $15
Deadline to register: October 4th, 2016
Microgreens, although tiny, pack a nutritious punch. Whether you plan to grow these for your own personal consumption or for marketing, growing this superfood is simple and easy with practice. Christina Newhouse joins us again to talk about how to grow microgreens both small and large scale. Participants will be able to start their own microgreens to take home with them.
Hydroponic 101
Date & Time TBD
Curious about hydroponics? Want to know what the hype around Hydroponic is all about. Join us as we learn about the basics to hydroponics. More information soon to follow.
For more information on any of these specialty crops series or to register, please contact Der Xiong at der_xiong@ncsu.edu or 828-465-8240.
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| | Gail Welch, Catawba County ECA President shares information about Catawba County ECA activities at a joint meeting of the Catawba County and Iredell County ECA held on June 3, 2016 at the Iredell County Agricultural Resources Center. |
Catawba County ECA
The Extension and Community Association extends the reach of Family & Consumer Sciences and other Extension programs by providing education to their members and the community. Areas of focus include health, family issues and volunteerism. For more information about ECA, call (828) 465-8240 in Catawba County or 704-873-0507 in Iredell County.
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 Farmers Markets Open For Business
Visit the Farmer Market Websites for activities, vendors, products, and more information. Come out for some good fun and great food. Meet your local farmers and connect with the community that is building a local food network in Catawba County.
Check out this map of all the great farmers markets in Catawba County (schedule included) - courtesy of our AWESOME Catawba County GIS team! |
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Welcome - New 4-H Program Assistant!
Michelle Smith has joined the Catawba County Extension staff as the new 4-H Program Assistant! She has previous experience working as a Teacher's Assistant and EMT. Michelle has a B.S. from Lenoir Rhyne University in Community Health. Michelle is already busy working with 4-H Summer Fun and will also be coordinating 4H after-school programs, 4-H outreach, and assisting with clubs. She is excited and ready to jump in with 4H! Michelle has Catawba County roots and currently lives in Iron Station in Lincoln County. If you would like to contact her she can be reached by email at MichelleS@catawbacountync.gov or phone in the office at 828-465-8244.
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 Local Food List Serv
The Local Foods Action Plan Listserv is a statewide listserv to facilitate a local food economy moderated by the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS). The listserv is open to the public and members are encouraged to post on any topic dealing with the cultivation of local food, farms and communities by emailing local-foods-action-plan@lists.ncsu.edu. Posters are responsible for the content they submit. To receive the digest version or for questions about the listserv, please e-mail Amber_Polk@ncsu.edu. Please visit our website atwww.cefs.ncsu.edu.
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Got To Be NC Newsletter
Visit the NC Growing Together website to see the latest newsletter, recent resources, and schedule of upcoming workshops, webinars, and meetings.
* NC winegrowers host tasting room profitability seminar
* Grants
* Export opportunities to Canada, Europe coming up for produce, other items
* Vendor booths at International Bluegrass Festival available to GTBNC members
* Marketing tips, and more
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 Highlights of Extension
More articles from the Catawba County Center
Excerpt from "Weeds in Your Lawn and Garde--You can Win the War"
by George Place
"Warmer weather and some much needed rains have arrived and with that comes a surge of weeds. Weeds growing in your home and garden are not just unsightly; they steal nutrients, water, and sunlight from desired plants while hosting several diseases and insect pests that also cause landscape headaches. The following are some questions regarding weed management that the Catawba County Extension Service recently received."
One of Catawba County Cooperative Extension Center's goals 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 articles on our website at catawba.ces.ncsu.edu.
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 $5,000 in grant money for a small farm in NC
Is My Small Farm Eligible?
- Has your small North Carolina farm been in operation for at least two years?
- Does your farm generate at least 50% of your personal income?
- Is the land on your farm owned or rented by you?
If you have answered 'yes' to all of the above questions, your farm is eligible.
How do I apply? - Visit the https://dinnerinthemeadow.org/grant-application-2/ website to get the application and see more details.
- Download and complete the application form.
- E-mail the completed form to lmsmallfarmfund@gmail.com or mail the completed form with a postmark date of July 15, 2016 or earlier to the following address:
LMSFF - Grant Application 571 Leonard Farm Road Louisburg NC, 27549
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Small Farm Grant and Loan Assistance
We will post various grant and loan opportunities that arise in this space of our monthly updates. Simply click on the opportunity of interest for more information.
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 Food Preservation for the Garden: Eat Your Harvest All Year
Thursday, August 11, 2016
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Patrick Beaver Memorial Library 375 3rd St NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Tuesday, August 16, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Newton Public Library 115 West C Street, Newton, NC 28658
Tuesday, August 23, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Maiden Branch Library 11 South A Ave., Maiden NC 28650
Enjoy your harvest all year long as you learn how to preserve the food you have worked so hard to grow. |
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 Cover Crops: Grow Your Own Fertilizer
Thursday, September 8, 2016
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Patrick Beaver Memorial Library 375 3rd St NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Tuesday, September 20, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Newton Public Library 115 West C Street, Newton, NC 28658
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Maiden Branch Library 11 South A Ave., Maiden NC 28650
Use the space you have to fertilize your garden in the off-season by learning about appropriate cover crops for our area. |
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 Seed Saving: Techniques to Maximize Seed Quality and Germination
Thursday, October 13, 2016
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Patrick Beaver Memorial Library 375 3rd St NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Tuesday, October 18, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Newton Public Library 115 West C Street, Newton, NC 28658
Tuesday, October 25, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Maiden Branch Library 11 South A Ave., Maiden NC 28650
Get a jump on next year's garden by learning techniques for saving seeds and better germination practices. |
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 Garden Berries: Grow and Pick Your Own
Thursday, November 10, 2016
6:00 - 7:00 PM
Patrick Beaver Memorial Library 375 3rd St NE, Hickory, NC 28601
Tuesday, November 15, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Newton Public Library 115 West C Street, Newton, NC 28658
Tuesday, November 22, 2016 6:30-7:30 PM Maiden Branch Library 11 South A Ave., Maiden NC 28650
Expand your gardening horizons into berry growing in this last lecture of the 2016 curriculum. |
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Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination statement
2.1. North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran's status. In addition, the two Universities welcome all person without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.
2.2. Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Catawba County Extension Director, George Place, at (828)465-8240 or george_place@ncsu.edu or in person at the County Extension Office at least 14 days prior to the event.
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