Food Preservation Classes Offered

North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Henderson County Center is offering a series of Food Preservation classes to the community. Please call 828-697-4891 for more information or to pre-register for any of these learning opportunities.

Canning High and Low Acid Foods
May 31st, 2011 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, June 6th, 2011 @ 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM, or June 6th, 2011 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC

Learn the latest information on canning high and low acid foods! Cost of class is $10.00.

Soft Spreads, Pickling, Freezing and Drying
June 2nd, 2011 @ 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Jackson Park, Hendersonville, NC

Learn how to make jams, jellies, pickles and relishes and the process of freezing and drying foods. Cost of class is $10.00 or attend 2 classes for $15.00.

Food Preservation - General Information
June 11th, 2011 @5:00pm
Hendersonville, NC

Covering all areas of safe food preservation. Includes Canning high and low acid foods, Soft Spreads, Pickling, Freezing and Drying foods. Cost of class is $15.00.

South Carolina: Downy Mildew Found on Cucurbits in Home Garden Center

Article can be found on WNC Vegetable and Small Fruit News. See this site for more info.

Brown Marmorated Stink Bug

Since last autumn, the brown marmorated stink bug (Halyomorpha halys) has been invading homes and other buildings throughout the state. The stink bug feeds on a variety of hosts in the landscape, including—but not limited to—Buddleia sp., hibiscus, zinnia, and sunflower. Both fruit trees, such as apples and peaches, and vegetables can also serve as host plants. Stink bugs inflict leaf and fruit damage primarily from feeding with needlelike mouth parts. The North Carolina Agricultural Chemicals Manual suggests either malathion or permethrin as a control agent for ornamentals and vegetables.

The biggest problem for homeowners is the bugs’ overwintering behavior of collecting inside structures and homes when seeking shelter, much like the multicolored Asian lady beetle. They do not harm people, but they can emit an unpleasant odor when crushed or vacuumed. Appearance in homes usually begins about late September or early October. For homes, sealing and caulking all entry spaces usually keeps stink bugs at bay. If they are found inside, hand removal and vacuuming are the best options. A piece of ladies’ hosiery over the vacuum’s nozzle allows for easy disposal of the insects and keeps the odor from lingering in the vacuum canister.

For more information, see this site.

N.C. Cooperative Extension partners with 10% Campaign to promote local foods

Renay Knapp and Susan Colucci with North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Henderson County will be extension’s local foods coordinators, supporting the 10% Campaign. The campaign is an effort to encourage North Carolina consumers to spend 10 percent of their food dollars on foods from local sources.

Through the campaign website – www.nc10percent.com -- consumers and business will pledge to spend 10 percent of their food dollars locally, purchasing products from area farmers and food producers. Campaign participants will receive weekly email reminders to report how much money they spent on local food. The website will show consumers how their dollars spent on local foods grow.

North Carolinians spend about $35 billion a year on food. If each person spent just 10 percent on food locally – roughly $1.05 per day – then approximately $3.5 billion would be available in the state’s economy.

Cooperative Extension’s local foods coordinators will help connect consumers and food producers and support local businesses and organizations who want to spend 10 percent of their food dollars locally. Local food coordinators will personally contact businesses and organizations that register through the website to help them develop a plan for purchasing local products.

In addition, the 10% Campaign website provides a “Find Local Foods” page with links to help consumers find local food and farm products in their own communities. A “Learn More” page includes links to information on a variety of partner organizations, such as Slow Food USA and Eat Smart, Move More NC. There are also links to educational information on topics ranging from how to set up a workplace community-supported agriculture program to how to cook seasonal, local products.
To find out what’s happening with local foods in your county, visit your Cooperative Extension website http://henderson.ces.ncsu.edu/. A link to the Local Foods page can be found in the left hand column of your county center’s home page. Help us build North Carolina's local food economy by joining the campaign and encouraging your family, friends and neighbors to do the same.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and Cooperative Extension are partners in the campaign. Extension, based at N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities, serves all the state’s 100 counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. CEFS is a partnership of N.C. State, N.C. A&T State and the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences that provides research, outreach and education on sustainable agriculture and promotes local food economies in North Carolina.

The Compass Group of Charlotte, the world’s largest food service provider, is leading the way in the campaign by pledging to purchase 10 percent of its food from local sources. Compass Group is developing a parallel model farm-to-institution buying program and will purchase 10 percent of the produce it serves in its North Carolina accounts from local farmers in the state.

Funding for the 10 Campaign and website is provided by Golden LEAF.

Edited by Sue Colucci, area extension agent

Late Blight Confirmed on Tomatoes in Henderson County

This week Plant Pathologist Kelly Ivors found and confirmed late blight (by microscopic examination) in one small shaded area of a conventional tomato field in Henderson County. We have not been able to confirm its presence anywhere else in the tomato production areas of NC this summer, so I believe this is the start of the tomato late blight epidemic in WNC. We've had some rains recently and I'm sure it's out there elsewhere now, or soon to arrive.

Without proper preventative measures, late blight can completely defoliate and destroy a crop within one to two weeks. The disease can be severe on tomatoes grown in the mountains of North Carolina, as well as in late plantings in the Piedmont.

The first symptoms of late blight on tomato leaves are irregularly shaped, water-soaked lesions on lower leaves. During high humidity, white cottony growth may be visible on underside of the leaf. As the disease progresses, lesions enlarge causing leaves to brown, shrivel and die. Fruit lesions appear as dark, greasy spots that eventually turn a chocolate brown color, and can enlarge to the point of encompassing the entire fruit.

Refer to this website for more details on the symptoms of this disease. The application of fungicides plays a significant role in the control of late blight. Fungicides containing copper, chlorothanonil, or mancozeb are recommended for treatment in home gardens.

No fruit on your tomatoes?

We have had some seriously warm weather here in the past few weeks for WNC. Daytime temperatures above 90°F and night temperatures above 70°F result in reduced flowering and fruit set. There is considerable evidence that night temperature is the critical factor in setting tomato fruit, the optimal range being 59° to 68°F. With night temperatures much below or above this critical range, fruiting is reduced or absent. Low temperatures reduce the production and viability of pollen. High temperature, especially if accompanied by low humidity and moisture, hinders fruit set through failure in pollination and/or fertilization.

Apple Recipe Contest - September 3, 2010

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 September 1, 2010 to NC Cooperative Extension. If you would like more information, contact Renay at 828-697-4891.

Fresh Market Tomato and Vegetable Field Day - August 19th Noon-4:30pm

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 and vegetables in western North Carolina. As always, the afternoon field day will be followed by a pig pickin' at Lake Julian.

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 information, contact Denny Thompson at 828.684.7197 or Jim Walgenbach at 828.684.3562.

Herbicide Injury Showing Up in Henderson County

I have had multiple samples of herbicide injury on fruits and vegetables come in the office the past few weeks. Keep in mind that tomatoes are SO sensitive to some broadleaf herbicides that you can just walk past the plants with a sprayer on a hot day and they can get enough fumes to affect them. Above is a picture of what the injury can look like on tomatoes. Leaves tend to be stringy and malformed. Be sure to keep herbicides away from your fruits and vegetables.

Late Blight in Henderson County

Late blight was confirmed at the research station in Mills River from a field grown tomato sample from Henderson County. Reports of the disease will most likely start popping up all over WNC. Homeowners should continue to spray preventative treatments of fungicides according to the label. See my previous post from July 21st for symptoms and spray options.

Potatoes Producing Fruit?

Have you ever noticed green marble size fruits amid the foliage of your potatoes at the end of the growing season? If so, these are the fruit which yield approximately 300 true seeds. Seeds like these are used by potato breeders to find potential new cultivars as each one is genetically distinct.

The edible tubers are actually enlarged, underground stems. Normally, most potato flowers dry up and fall off the plants without setting fruit. A few flowers do produce fruit. The variety 'Yukon Gold' produces fruit more heavily than most varieties.

Potato fruit, as well as the plant itself, contain relatively large amounts of solanine. Solanine is a poisonous alkaloid. The small fruit should not be eaten.

Just for fun, clean and save some of the seeds and plant them inside in mid-March. After frost danger has passed, transplant the potato seedlings into the garden and wait. See what you get! You may be surprised at how different the potatoes are from plant to plant.

Late Blight on Tomatoes

Late blight of tomatoes, caused by Phytophthora infestans, is knocking on the doors of our state border. On Monday, July 6, we confirmed late blight in a commercial tomato field in North Georgia (Dillard, Georgia). Recent rain and cool temperatures have been conducive for the pathogen’s growth and spread, so we are concerned the disease will soon be occurring here.

Without proper preventative measures, late blight can completely defoliate and destroy a crop within one to two weeks. The disease can be severe on tomatoes grown in the mountains of North Carolina, as well as in late plantings in the Piedmont.

The first symptoms of late blight on tomato leaves are irregularly shaped, water-soaked lesions on lower leaves. During high humidity, white cottony growth may be visible on underside of the leaf. As the disease progresses, lesions enlarge causing leaves to brown, shrivel and die. Fruit lesions appear as dark, greasy spots that eventually turn a chocolate brown color, and can enlarge to the point of encompassing the entire fruit.

Refer to the following website for more details on the symptoms of this disease. The application of fungicides plays a significant role in the control of late blight. Fungicides containing copper, chlorothanonil, or mancozeb are recommended for treatment in home gardens.

New breeding lines resistant to some strains of P. infestans have recently been developed at the Mountain Horticultural Research and Extension Center in Fletcher, North Carolina by tomato breeder Dr. Randy Gardner. A new small fruited variety called Mountain Magic that has resistance to some strains of P. infestans, in addition to early blight, should be available to growers in the future.

Taken from Pest News - Volume 24, Number 13, July 10, 2009 - Kelly Ivors, Extension Plant Pathologist, NCSU

Plant Sale

The Haywood County Master Gardeners Association plant sale is now in full swing. Orders are due in the Extension office by 5:00pm on Tuesday, March 10th. If you are interested in purchasing plants, go to the link below, print off the order form and return it to the Extension office by the March 10th deadline. You can bring the form by the office or fax it to (828)452-0289.

For additional information, call (828)456-3575

Order Form

Concerned about Salmonella and tomatoes...check this out!

FDA has issued a warning to consumers nationwide that an outbreak of Salmonella serotype Saintpaul, an uncommon type of Salmonella, has been linked to consumption of raw red plum, red Roma, round red tomatoes, and products containing these raw tomatoes.

At this time, FDA recommends consuming raw red plum, raw red Roma, or raw red round tomatoes only if grown and harvested from the following areas that HAVE NOT BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH THE OUTBREAK!

States that are not associated with the outbreak include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and many others. Consumers who are unsure of where the tomatoes are from that they have in their home are encouraged to contact the store or place of purchase for that information. If consumers are unable to determine the source of the tomatoes, they should not be eaten.

Click on the link below to read the full article.
FDA article - June 11. 2007

Strawberry Crop Survives

I recently received an email from Barclay Poling, Extension Specialist with NCSU. He wanted everyone to know that the strawberry crop not only survived the Easter freeze but it is an excellent crop. Please read his announcement for the latest update.

Sprinkler Irrigation and Row Covers Pull Strawberry Crop Through Easter Freeze - Farms are Now Open -- Pull Out Your Shortcake Recipe!

Barclay Poling, Small Fruit Extension Specialist (NCSU)

Monster Freeze.
On the Tuesday before Easter (April 3), I got my first glimpse from a National Weather Sevice advisory of a "monster freeze" headed towards North Carolina on Easter Weekend. The strawberry crop had been on such a wonderful track in March and early April. Everything was falling into place for a great season, including the potential for our earliest opening ever on Easter weekend. But, as everyone now knows, Easter weekend was dreadfully cold, and the state's fruit growers, including the strawberry producers, were confronted with the prospect of losing everything. The Easter weekend arctic freeze had temperatures in the teens and low 20s, as well as unbelievable winds gusting in excess of 25 mph. The North Carolina apples and peach industries were some of the hardest hit, and hardly a flower bud survived.

The outcome for NC’s strawberry growers was fortunately much better.
We prayed a lot, drank gallons of coffee to stay up for 5 straight nights of frost protection starting on Good Friday, and also used a relatively new technology that involves the use of spunbonded polypropylene row covers which look like a huge white blanket. These lightweight "blankets" literally float on top of the entire crop and help insulate and protect the berry plants from freezing temperatures. Row covers can be used to protect low-growing crops like strawberries and vegetable transplants, but sadly not grapes, fruit trees and blueberries.

Cold protection technologies save NC Strawberry Crop.
The use of these technologies that are specifically designed for low-growing crops helped the state’s strawberry growers preserve almost all of the crop; with the exception of some areas of the mountains where it was brutally cold – some areas got down to 10 F on Easter morning! But the overall outlook for the 2007 strawberry crop in North Carolina is excellent! Growers across eastern NC, the sandhills and piedmont are NOW open to the public for picking. Don’t miss out on picking some extra yummy NC strawberries this spring, and be sure to pull out your shortcake recipe!

North Carolina Strawberry Information