Apple Recipe Contest - September 2, 2011

The annual Apple Recipe Contest is only weeks away and NC Cooperative Extension is looking for both amateurs and professionals to enter their original non-copyrighted recipes. Winners will receive great prizes, a ribbon, and I can't forget to mention the bragging rights that accompany winning the contest at the NC Apple Festival. Recipe entry forms and the written recipe must be mailed, faxed, or delivered by August 31, 2011 to NC Cooperative Extension. If you would like more information, contact Renay at 828-697-4891.

Non-native and Invasive Forest Plants Workshops for Landowners

The Non-native and Invasive Forest Plants Workshops for Landowners is a series of 6 one-day educational workshops featuring presentations by experts in non-native invasive plants that impact North Carolina’s forests. Each workshop will engage regionally based stakeholder groups in the planning and educational content.

What you will learn

• What are non-native and invasive species, and why should you care?
• Identification of specific problem species
• The impacts of these plants on forest communities (ecologic, economic and cultural)
• How non-native species are introduced
• What are the risks of the “do-nothing” style of management
• Gain exposure to organized NNI stakeholder groups and efforts currently taking shape, or ongoing, in your region
• Resources available to landowners and what steps you can take
• How your neighbors and local professionals are dealing with NNI challenges.

Workshop Regional Locations and Dates

• Sandhills, Lower Piedmont and Uwharries:
  August 19, 2011 - Moore County Extension Center
  707 Pinehurst Ave, Agricultural Center, Carthage, NC 28327
  
• Western North Carolina:
  September 13, 2011 - Crowne Plaza Tennis & Golf Resort
  One Resort Drive, Asheville, NC 28806
• Coastal Plain of North Carolina:
  October 18, 2011 - Duplin County Extension Ctr.
  165 Agriculture Drive, Kenansville, NC 28349
  
• Northeastern North Carolina:
  February 7, 2012 - Sen. Bob Martin Eastern Ag Center
  2900 NC Highway 125 South, Williamston, NC 27892
• Piedmont (includes urban forestry topics):
  May 1, 2012 - Bur-Mil Park,
  5834 Bur-Mil Club Rd., Greensboro, NC 27410
• Northern Blue Ridge:
  May 8, 2012 - Wilkes County Community College,
  1328 S. Collegiate Drive, Wilkesboro, NC 28697

Advanced registration for these workshops is required. Need more information? Online registration form CLICK HERE or Contact the NCSU Forestry and Environmental Outreach Program at 919-515-9563, or by email: forestry_outreach@ncsu.edu

Farm City Day 2011 - Demonstrators Needed

The Annual Farm City Day Festival is schedule for October 1st, 2011 in Jackson Park. This event boasts attendance each year of over 10,000 Henderson County residents eager to learn about farming, animals, and community. If you would like to participate, we are looking for non-profit organizations to showcase their cause and local agriculture supporters to demonstrate a trade. Contact Karen at 828-697-4900 or Diane at 828-697-4891 for more info. Click here for our website

NCDA&CS Agricultural Tornado Assistance Program (AgTAP) - Hotline Information

Purpose: Farmers can call into the Department to get more information about assistance programs, have their concerns heard, and get answers to their questions. Websites are currently under development to assist farmers with sharing resources and finding volunteers. Farmers can call the Hot line to find out more information about ongoing Departmental and other agency efforts.
Phone: 1-866-506-6222
Hours of Operation: 7 am – 7 pm (Monday – Friday) Hot line is currently operational as of 4/20/11. During the holiday weekend, the Hot line will be available Friday 4/22/11 and Saturday 4/23/11 from 7 am – 2 pm. If calling after hours please leave a message. Messages will be frequently retrieved, and will be returned as soon as possible. The Hot line will be closed on Easter Sunday.

Also, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) has instituted the Emergency Conservation Program (ECP) to allow farm operators to be reimbursed for the cost of debris removal and repair of fences due to damage from the recent tornadoes. Operators should contact their local FSA office to apply for this program. Generally the office will either visit the site or ask the operator to document the damage with photographs prior to clean up. Click here for a fact sheet detailing the program. Click here for contact information to your local FSA office.

Finally, farm operators can contact their county Extension agent and/or county Emergency Manager to ask that a resource request be submitted to North Carolina Emergency Management (NCEM) for prison labor to remove debris from fields to allow normal cultural practices to resume. The owner/operator will need to sign a Right of Entry Agreement Waiver which will be provided by NCEM or the county Emergency Management office. Click here for contact information to your local Cooperative Extension Office.

Ag Support Rally

The Agricultural Support Rally has been set for Monday, March 28 at 9:00 am in the Virginia Boone Building (log cabin) at the WNC Agricultural Center. It should conclude by 10:30. Breakfast will not be served, but refreshments will be available. Come if you love agriculture!