Henderson County Plant Sale

Henderson County 4-H is selling small fruit plants to support programs and awards for youth. All plants are bare root, and must be picked up at Henderson Farms, 705 Tracy Grove Rd., Flat Rock, on Monday, April 11, 12:00 – 4:00 pm. All plants prefer full sun and moist, well-drained soil. Instructions for planting and care will be provided with the plants. Click here for the order form. Orders will be accepted through March 15th, 2011.

Haywood County Master Gardener Plant Sale

Haywood Co Master Gardener Volunteer Association Plant Sale

To enhance your edible garden, reserve your plants for pick up in early to mid April. Everyone with a prepaid order will be notified when the plants are available for pick up at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Office at 589 Raccoon Road in Waynesville.

New items for 2011 are the American Hazelnut, Shadbush Serviceberry, and American Elderberry. Available again this year are blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and asparagus.

For information call Erin Freeman at 456-3575.

To print an order form Click Here.

Gardening Like a Forest with Dave Jacke

Learn from Dave Jacke, author of Edible Forest Gardens, about designing forest gardens in a rare local appearance at Warren Wilson College.

Gardening like a Forest: Home-Scale Ecological Food Production.
Date: February 12 7-9PM
FREE evening lecture at Bryson Gym of Warren Wilson College.

Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests through all their stages of development and grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time!

Ecosystem Agriculture: Patterns, Principles, and Practices
Date: February 13 9-5PM
Workshop $90 early bird special (register before Jan. 22) $115 after Jan. 22 at Bryson Gym of Warren Wilson College.

Ecosystem agriculture attempts to mimic the structure and function of natural ecosystems in food-producing ecologies. This workshop explores the vision, theory, and design practices of ecosystem agriculture using the temperate deciduous forest as a model. Lectures and experiential exercises will reveal the nature of ecosystem architecture and social structure, as well as give you an embodied sense of how to design ecosystems composed of functional guilds and polycultures. The main themes of these experiences lead to a range of practical principles, practices, patterns, and processes for garden design and management.

This is an introductory workshop for gardeners, designers, and students of gardening, ecology, and design. Space is limited so REGISTER NOW online at this website.

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

NC Establishes Exterior Quarantine to Prevent Thousand Canker Disease

Declaration of Exterior Quarantine for the Walnut Twig Beetle and the Fungal Pathogen that causes Thousand Canker Disease in Walnut Trees

The Commissioner of Agriculture, the Plant Industry Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS), and the Plant Pest Administrator hereby immediately establish an exterior quarantine for the walnut twig beetle, Pityophthorus juglandis, and the fungal pathogen, Geosmithia morbida sp. nov., that causes Thousand Canker Disease in walnut trees, Juglans spp., for the states of Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oregon, Tennessee, Utah and Washington and any other state found to be infested or infected. This exterior quarantine is needed to prevent the establishment, dissemination, or potential spread of Thousand Canker Disease ands its vector into North Carolina and other states.

For complete information, go to this website.

Thousand Cankers Disease Discovered in East TN

Plans underway to survey and restrict movement of walnut material in Tennessee.

Check out this press release from Tennessee. I will be sure to send more information as it becomes available as NC assesses the threat of this pathogen to our native forests.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Department of Agriculture today announced the discovery of Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD), the first detection of the destructive tree pest east of the Mississippi River. The discovery was made in July by a TDA forester.

“The discovery of TCD in Tennessee is unexpected, but we’re prepared to help slow the spread of the infestation and protect our forest resources.” said state Agriculture Commissioner Ken Givens. “We will be working closely with stakeholders to determine the extent of the infestation and to take steps to limit its spread.”

TCD is a progressive disease that kills a tree within two to three years after initial infection. The disease-causing fungus, Geosmithia, is transmitted by a small twig beetle. Branches and trunk tissue are killed by repeated infections by the fungus, as the beetles carry the fungus into new bark.

The TCD discovery comes a week after emerald ash borer (EAB) was found. Both TCD and EAB have the potential to cause significant damage to Tennessee forests. It is imperative that citizens work to prevent the spread of both.

In response to the find, TDA plans to issue a quarantine in Knox county prohibiting the movement of firewood and black walnut nursery stock and limiting the movement of black walnut timberland other material that can spread TCD. TDA plant inspectors and foresters will conduct a thorough survey of trees in the areas to assess the extent of the infestation and to see if more quarantines are warranted.

See this link for more information including a disease checklist and control measures.

It's Fair Time!

The Haywood County Fair will begin next week with exhibit take in on Tuesday, August 24th. Take in will begin at 9am in building B at the Haywood County Fairgrounds. I hope to see you there.

With the fair being a little earlier this year, I expect to see an increase in both flowers and vegetables. Therefore, it is even more important that you carefully select your entries. Judges will be looking for quality entries that adhere to the fair guidelines. If you are planning to enter something in the fair please be sure to read the fair brochure for specific guidelines for the division that you are entering. If you don't have a brochure, you are welcome to stop by the extension office and pick one up.

We will have volunteers available on the day of take in to help you with your entries.

Please be sure to attend the fair and support our local agriculture!