Caldwell County Agline

December 3 & December 7, 2009: Two aquaculture tours to showcase aquaculture production and fee fishing will be offered on December 3 and December 7. On December 3, a tour of Grandfather Trout Farm, Banner Elk and Hump Mountain Trout Farm, Elk Park will take place. Grandfather Trout Farm is a fee fishing operation located near Boone. Hump Mountain Trout Farm is a fingerling and food fish producer located in Elk Park. Both of these facilities have been in operation for years.

On December 7, a tour of Creekside Carp & Catfish Lakes and Whitmar Lakes will take place. These facilities also have been operating for years. If you ever considered aquaculture as a business venture this is your chance to see some fish farms first hand. This is your chance to talk to the business owners. A van will be available for transportation and will leave Marion at 9:30am on both days. Return time scheduled for 4:00pm on December 3 and 3:30pm on December 7. You are welcome to drive to the facilities as well. Registration is required by December 1 and cost is $5.00. Make checks payable to McDowell County Center. Space is limited, call early. Call Cheryl Mitchell or Molly Sandfoss at 828-652-7874.

Come learn about the challenges and opportunities of growing hops, an exciting and new crop for Western NC!

Topics to be covered include:
• Site selection and soil fertility requirements
• Trellising systems and cover crops
• Disease, pest and weed management
• Economics and budgets

Current hops growers will be present to discuss their experiences!
Hops Production Meeting
Wednesday November 18 from 1—5 pm
Camp New Life at the Mountain Research Station, Waynesville, NC
Meeting fee is $5.  Payment accepted at the door. CASH ONLY!

The produce industry will once again have an opportunity to learn, share, and network at the 24th Annual Southeast Vegetable and Fruit Expo. The conference will take place December 1-2, 2009 at the Embassy Suites, Kingston Plantation Resort in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. People from all aspects of the produce business are encouraged to attend.

Keynote speaker for this year’s Expo will be Dr. Jim Rushing, Clemson University, speaking on “The importance of post harvest handling in the competitive market of produce sales today”.

The conference will consist of concurrent sessions. Participants will be free to move around to sessions that interest them the most. The program committees have worked very hard to design a program that is timely and topical, to meet the needs of attendees. A sampling of topics includes: tomatoes, cucurbits, nutrient management, food safety, crucifers, sustainable production, marketing, and small fruits.

To top it all off, an extensive trade show will be held during the two day exposition, allowing those involved in vegetables and fruits to learn about useful products and services as well as network with potential business contacts.

The Southeast Vegetable and Fruit Expo is sponsored by the N.C. Vegetable Growers Association and the South Carolina Fruit, Vegetable and Specialty Crop Association in cooperation with Clemson University, North Carolina A&T State University, N.C. Cooperative Extension Service, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, SC Department of Agriculture, N.C. Farm Bureau, and N.C. State University.

For more information or to register, please contact Bonnie Holloman or Cathy Price at the N.C. Vegetable Growers' Association, (919) 334-0099 or email bhollom@bellsouth.net. You can also visit the web site at http://www.ncvga.com for a complete program.

Allan Thornton, Extension Associate, Horticulture Science, NC State

A one-stop shop has been created to provide a comprehensive place for information about strawberries. this site will not have the strawberry advisories, management information, production notices, and weather, to marketing help. Special thanks to the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission for its support of the development of this resource.

To learn more about this valuable resource. Watch the recorded webinar.

Organic growers in North Carolina can apply for partial reimbursement of the cost of becoming certified or recertified producers through a program offered by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Growers who are certified or recertified after Sept. 30, 2009, can apply for assistance. The program will pay 75 percent of the cost of certification, up to $750.

The program is for the 2009-2010 season, and is funded through a $30,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis, and the deadline to apply for reimbursement is Sept. 30, 2010.

To apply, growers must fill out an authorization form that can be found online at www.ncdaorganic.com. The completed form, a copy of the farm’s certification and a copy of the receipts from the certifying agency should be mailed to the NCDA&CS Division of Marketing, Attn. Kevin Hardison, 1020 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1020. The invoice must show the total cost of certification and the 75 percent portion that is eligible for reimbursement.

Growers with questions can call Hardison at (919) 733-7887.

“As consumer interest in certified products has grown, so has the number of organic producers statewide,” Hardison said. “North Carolina has more than 6,000 certified organic acres, and these farms produce a variety of vegetables, livestock, herbs and other products.”

June 8th, 2009 @ 9:00 AM - June 11th, 2009 @ 12:30 PM - Valle Crucis, NC

Designed for beginning gardeners or those who would like to switch to organic methods. Topics include garden planning, seed starting, companion planting, how to attract beneficial bugs, pest management, soil tests and amendments, composting and vermi-composting, growing herbs, landscape planning and edible landscaping. Held at the ASU Sustainable Development Farm in Valle Crucis, 9 a.m. until 12:30 p.m., Monday, June 8th through Thursday, June 11th. Cost is $20.00 for all 4 days. Reserve your spot by paying in advance, NC Cooperative Extension, 971 West. King St., Boone. For more information call 264-3061.

Event Location
Appalachian State University Sustainable Development Farm
Valle Crucis, NC

On Tuesday, June 2, 2009, NC Cooperative Extension will offer a free, full-day workshop on what preparations should be made by growers who plan to start a vineyard in our mountain region. While wine grapes are a crop of great interest to many, they are also beset by issues such as spring freezes, economically-damaging diseases, and other potential problems. Successfully managing these problems requires proper planning and actions long before the first vine is planted. This workshop will bring-together some of the best authorities in the southeast on the subjects of vineyard planning and management, with presentations geared toward helping local growers make smart decisions about whether wine grapes are a good fit for their own farms.

The workshop begins at 8:30 AM on Tuesday, June 2, and will be held at the Watauga County Agricultural Conference Center, located at 252 Poplar Grove Rd. in Boone. There is no charge for the workshop, but pre-registration is required. To register, call the Watauga County Cooperative Extension office at (828) 264-3061.

Speakers will include Norm Oches, Director of the Appalachian Center for Mountain Winegrowing; John Havlin, Professor, Department of Soil Science, NC State University; Sara Spayd, Extension Viticulture Specialist/Professor, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University; Dr. Turner Sutton, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, NC State University; and Dr. Hannah Burrack, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, NC State University. Topics to be covered include Soils, Site-Evaluation, Cultivar Selection, Planting, Vine Management Concerns, Grapevine Diseases, and Vineyard Pest Management. Extension Agents Richard Boylan (Watauga/Ashe) and Adam Keeener (Avery) will moderate the discussions, and be on-hand to give local examples of working with growers who are beginning High Country Vineyards. A full schedule for the day follows:

• 8:30 - 9:00 Check-in - Moderator: Richard Boylan
• 9:00 - 9:15 Welcome and Housekeeping - Richard Boylan, Area Specialized Cooperative Extension Agent, West District, Watauga Center, Boone, NC
• 9:15 - 10:00 Opportunities and Challenges for High Elevation Vineyards in NC - Norm Oches, Director, Appalachian Center for Mountain Winegrowing, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC
• 10:00-11:00 Soil and Site: Evaluation and Management Issues - John Havlin, Professor, Department of Soil Science, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
• 11:00-11:15 Break
• 11:15-12:15 Cultivar Selection, Planting and Vine Management Concerns - Sara Spayd, Extension Viticulture Specialist/Professor, Department of Horticultural Science, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  
• 12:15 - 1:30 Lunch on your own
• 1:30 - 2:30 Grapevines Diseases - Dr. Turner Sutton, Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
  
• 2:30 - 3:30 Vineyard Pest Management 101 - Dr. Hannah Burrack, Assistant Professor, Department of Entomology, NC State University, Raleigh, NC
• 3:30 -   Question and answer session all speakers 

 

Lunch (sponsored meal): 12 noon

Highlights: strawberry tunnel research, plant material considerations for tunnels, strawberry breeding research, biological mite management.

Winter is here and that means "spawn time" for shiitake mushroom growers.  The Edible and Medicinal mushroom project at NC A&T State University is taking orders for shiitake spawn, all spawn orders must be to me by January 15.  The spawn should be ready by February.

Any newcomers to the program must attend a NC A&T mushroom workshop. This program is funded through the Golden Leaf Foundation.  Its purpose it the expand the budding mushroom industry in NC by supporting growers and helping new growers get started. 

Caldwell County residents interested in growing shiitake mushrooms commercially should contact me (seth_nagy@ncsu.edu or 828 757 1290) to learn how to be part of this exciting shiitake mushroom program.  

Mushroom Resources

Market Tomato & Vegetable Field Day
Thursday, August 7, 2008
12:30 - 5:30 pm

Mark your calendars now and reserve the date for the annual tomato field day at the Mills River (formerly Fletcher) Research Station!  This is your opportunity to see new up and coming varieties and learn the latest about disease, insect, and weed control for staked tomato production in western North Carolina. As always, the afternoon field day will be followed by a pig pickin' at Lake Julian. This year will be special because we will be celebrating the retirement of Dr. Randy Gardner, breeder of many fine commercial tomato varieties including Mountain Pride, Mountain Spring, and Mountain Fresh. More information will be posted as it becomes available.

Tomato field day is sponsored by North Carolina State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NC Agricultural Research Service and NC Cooperative Extension Service, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the North Carolina Tomato Growers Association. For more informtion, contact Denny Thompson at 828.684.7197 or Jeanine Davis at 828.684.3562.

Additional details and full agenda can be found at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/events/2008-tomato-fieldday/index.html

Below is the proposed agenda for the Specialty Crops Field Day on June 25 at the Upper Mountain Research Station.

9:30am Registration

10:00am Welcome: Dr Tom Melton, Administration-Extension Service, Assistant
Director and Associate State Program Leader ANR/CRD, Les Miller, Superintendent,
Upper Mountain Research Station and other Dignitaries.

10:30 am Program

• Dr. Barclay Poling, Extension Specialist, Horticulture Science: Albion and Seascape day-neutral strawberry trials at the Upper Mountain Research Station
• Bill Jester, Extension Associate, Horticulture Science and Specialty Crops Coordinator and Brad Taylor, Agriculture Research Technician: Golden Leaf Foundation sponsored Lettuce adaptation trials and research in the NC Mountains.
• Dr. Chris Gunter, Extension Specialist, Horticulture Science, Jose Garzon, Research Technician, Horticulture Science and Dr. Brian Whipker, Extension Specialist,Horticulture Science : Identifying Macro and Micronutrient Deficiencies in RomaineLettuce.
• Nick Augostini, Marketing Specialist NCDA&CS: The Importance of Proper Packagingto Successful Produce Marketing.
• Dr. Jeanine Davis, Extension Specialist, Horticulture Science and Richard Boylan, Area Specialized Agent: Growing Heirloom and Heirloom-Type Hybrid Tomatoes in an Organic Production System.
• Dr. Gina Fernandez, Extension Specialist, Horticulture Science: Bramble activities at Upper Mountain Research Station and beyond...
  

12:00 -1:30PM: Luncheon sponsored by Dole Foods

1:30PM -3:00PM: Program

3:00PM: Adjourn

The NC Commercial Blackberry and Raspberry Growers Assoc. will hold their Annual Meeting Thursday, January 24th at the Cleveland County Cooperative Extension Center.  The program will focus on disease and insect management for commercial blackberry production.  Registration opens at 4:30 and the program begins at 5:00 pm.  

If you would like to attend this meeting please print the form below and return to Daniel Shires or contact him directly at 704-482-4365.

Winter is approaching and that means "spawn time" for shiitake mushroom growers.  The Edible and Medicinal mushroom project at NC A&T State University is taking orders for shiitake spawn.  This program is funded through the Golden Leaf Foundation.  Its purpose it the expand the budding mushroom industry in NC by supporting growers and helping new growers get started. 

Caldwell County residents interested in growing shiitake mushrooms commercially should contact me (seth_nagy@ncsu.edu or 828 757 1290) to learn how to be part of this exciting shiitake mushroom program.  

Mushroom Resources

Agriculture is diverse in North Carolina . . . and getting more so every day.  The NCSU Value-Added & Alternative Agriculture Site is designed to help farmers and entrepreneurs expand into new agricultural markets.  This month's Profitable Agriculture Alternatives Newsletter's feature article is entitled "Essentials Ingredients of a Specialty Food Business" written by Gary Bullen, Extension Associate, Ag & Resource Economics, NCSU.

If you have not read the newsletter or viewed the site have a look at the site or go directly to this month's newsletter.

The Southeast Strawberry Expo takes place Nov. 11-13, with the main conference happening on Nov. 12-13, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, in Durham. The Expo is oriented toward plasticulture strawberry production. Any grower with a serious interest in strawberry production -- on a scale greater than a home garden -- will find it worthwhile. For example, there are session on frost/freeze protection, growing strawberries in high tunnels, and avoiding costly mistakes for new growers. And the trade show is a great way to meet suppliers of plants, packaging, etc. For more information, visit www.ncstrawberry.com or email ncstrawberry@mindspring.com.