MULCH AVAILABLE FROM VANCE COUNTY LANDFILL The Solid Waste Department has a limited supply of mulch and composted leaves to give away. The giveaway will take place June 15th, 16th, and 17th from 8 to 4 PM and June 18th from 8 to 12 noon. The yard waste facility is located at 3181 NC 39 Hwy North. Those interested would be able to load by hand for free. Loading is available by front-end loader at a cost of $5 per …
Category: Agriculture
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
JUNE EDITION OF GARDEN PATH NEWSLETTER Go to this link to download the latest issue of our Garden Path newsletter, written by your local Master Gardener Volunteers. As always, it includes lots of timely tips, a plant of the month, helpful gardening websites, and more! FUN SUMMER YOUTH ACTIVITIES THROUGH 4-H Are you looking for fun, educational and low-cost activities this summer for your children, granchildren, nieces, nephews, etc.? Look no further! Cooperative Extension has a wide variety of …
NC Cooperative Extension: Produce, Barley, Sheep & Goats!
MALTING BARLEY FIELD DAY, OXFORD, JUNE 14 With a growing interest from craft breweries, barley production may present a good opportunity for your farm enterprise. Would you like to learn more? Come visit our test plots on June 14th at the Oxford Research Station and learn from specialists from NCSU and USDA. Dinner will be provided afterwards! Please RSVP no later than Tuesday, June 7th. Click here for more information or to register, or call 252-257-3640. When: Tuesday, June 14, 2016 …
NCDA&CS conducts card-skimmer sweep in 12 counties
N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors recently conducted a month long sweep at gas stations across the state looking for credit card skimmers. Inspectors visited 972 stations in 12 counties and checked 8,567 dispensers. The inspectors found three skimming devices. The devices were found in Mecklenburg and Nash counties. Thieves can install credit card skimmers at the pump. When a customer swipes their card to pay, the skimmer copies the account data from the magnetic stripe on the …
N.C. Pesticide Board announces 21 case settlements
The N.C. Pesticide Board recently approved the following settlement agreements for individuals in Beaufort, Buncombe, Caswell, Craven, Dare, Duplin, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Henderson, Martin, Person, Union, Washington, Wayne and Yadkin counties and Lafayette, La. Penalties were assessed for instances of pesticide drift, sale and purchase of restricted-use pesticides, worker protection violations and for applying pesticides without a valid pesticide license. Settlements are listed by county below. Beaufort Larry M. Lee, owner and operator of Lee Flying Service Inc. in Pantego, agreed …
Now is the time to prepare your farm or agribusiness for hurricanes
Hardly a county in North Carolina can say it is immune from hurricane damage. From Ivan in the mountains, Hugo in the foothills, Fran in the Sandhills, and Isabel and Floyd in the East, hurricanes have cost lives and livelihoods in every region of the state. Scientists are predicting another active hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean, which means North Carolina could again find itself in the path of a storm. Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler is encouraging farmers, livestock producers, …
Vance County Farmers Market for May 14th and May 18th
Reminder – “At The Market” this Saturday, May 14th. You are invited to the Market! Our number of vendors has increased for Saturdays, so we have a larger selection for the customer! Come early to get the best selection. VEGGIES & FRUIT: On Saturday: – Broccoli – Bok-Choy – Greens – Kale – Radicco – Rhubarb – Strawberries – Spring onions – Lettuce – Tomatoes (hothouse) – Plus a few surprises! On Wednesday – Lettuce – Beets – Cabbage …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates and Upcoming Events
MAY EDITION OF GARDEN PATH NEWSLETTER Check out the latest issue of our gardening newsletter, with lots of timely tips and interesting articles. Written and published by the Vance/Warren Extension Master Gardener Volunteer. Download from this link. VEGETABLE PEST UPDATE, JUNE 3, 11:30 AM, WARRENTONCome to a “lunch and learn” event, to be held on June 3rd, 11:30 am to 1 pm at the Warren County Extension Center. Horticulture Agent Paul McKenzie will review common vegetable pests and explain …
NC Cooperative Extension Upcoming Events and Updates
2016 4-H Summer Fun Schedule First paid, first reservedWeekly day camps have been planned for school-aged children from Vance County beginning June 20th. Week 1 is “Vance County, Let’s Move!” Week. Week 2 is “Kids in the Kitchen with EFNEP”Week 3 is “Wild Woods and Waters Week”Week 4 is “Little Green Thumbs”Week 5 is “Vance County, 4-H Top Chef !”Week 6 is “What’s Buzzing?”Week 7 is “4-H Celebrates!”To see the entire schedule including details and prices, visit our website at …
Arson second-leading cause of wildfires in N.C.
Arson is the second-leading cause of wildfires in North Carolina over the past 10 years, the N.C. Forest Service says. From 2005 through 2014, North Carolina had 45,609 wildfires, of which 8,461, or 19 percent, were intentionally started. Arson trails only careless debris burning among the causes of wildland fires in the state. And with North Carolina ranking No. 1 nationally in the amount of land that falls within wildland urban interface zones, the risk to homes and other buildings …
Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board Meeting May 5th, 2016
The Vance County Regional Farmers Market Advisory Board will meet this Thursday, May 5th 2016, 2 pm at the Vance County Regional Farmers Market (210 Southpark Dr., Henderson, NC). The public is welcome to attend. For more information, contact Paul McKenzie at 252-438-8188 or paul_mckenzie@ncsu.edu.
NC Cooperative Extension Updates
PASTURE PORKSHOP, MAY 25, WINSTON-SALEM A workshop for pastured pork producers, covering alternative feeds, meat quality, pricing, forages, and much more! Details here. MONITOR TOMATOES/POTATOES FOR LATE BLIGHT Late blight was found on tomatoes in a home garden in SC around April 11. Growers in this area should begin monitoring for this disease. Here are details about tomato late blight and potato late blight. CALL 811 BEFORE YOU DIG! Farmers who are planning any type of excavation work are …
NC Cooperative Extension: Late April Garden Updates
READY, SET, GROW! GARDENING IN RAISED BEDS/CONTAINERS On Saturday, April 30th, come to the Warren County Extension Center for “Ready,Set, Grow! Successful Gardening in Raised Beds & Containers.” This two hour workshop (9:30-11:30 am) will cover all the basics to start your gardening season off right. Registration is only $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Learn about growing vegetables in raised beds and containers, and also how to manage pests organically. Find all the details here. FARMERS MARKETS NOW OPEN! Both …
N.C. Forest Service battling multiple wildfires across state
The N.C. Forest Service is battling several wildfires across the state, and residents are being asked to be careful when using open flames while dry conditions persist. “A lot of personnel and equipment – including aircraft and fire dozers – have been moved to fight these blazes,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The N.C. Forest Service will continue to battle these fires until they are contained and fire personnel are confident that they no longer pose a threat to people …
Vance County Regional Farmers Market Opens Saturday April 16, 2016
April’s farmers market is going to be the best yet! Come by with the family and stock up. We are open Saturdays only in April from 7:30am – 1pm Starting in May, open Wednesday and Saturdays! This week’s bounty VEGGIES: Our farmers will be there with a mixed selection of cole crop (cool weather) vegetables. FRUIT: Now’s the time to get your fresh Strawberries. BEDDING PLANTS: A variety of seasonal bedding plants and herbs. MEAT: Stop by the meat bay for a …
Warren County Gardening Workshop on April 30th, 2016
On Saturday, April 30th, come to the Warren County Extension Center for “Ready, Set, Grow! Successful Gardening in Raised Beds & Containers.” This two hour workshop (9:30-11:30 am) will cover all the basics to start your gardening season off right. Registration is only $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Learn about growing vegetables in raised beds and containers, and also how to manage pests organically. Instructors include Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and your friendly Horticulture Extension Agent (Paul McKenzie). Visit http://go.ncsu.edu/readysetgrow to …
N.C. strawberry growers expect early season
N.C. strawberry growers expect to start the season early this year despite a recent cold snap. Many growers in the eastern part of the state are already picking berries nearly two weeks ahead of schedule. “Our growers are very experienced with dealing with late frosts and know how to protect their crops,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Because of their diligent efforts, this season shows a lot of promise with plenty of strawberries available. Plus, since we had warm weather …
Farm tours, open houses planned this spring
With a variety of farm tours and open houses scheduled in April and May, now is a great time to plan a trip to a North Carolina agritourism farm. “With more than a thousand agritourism farms across the state, it is easy to find all types of activities the family can enjoy,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Whether you spend a few hours picking strawberries or an entire weekend doing a farm tour, there’s a lot to learn about modern …
NC Cooperative Extension Updates and Events
GARDENING WORKSHOP, 4/30 IN WARRENTON On Saturday, April 30th, come to the Warren County Extension Center for “Ready, Set, Grow! Successful Gardening in Raised Beds & Containers.” This two hour workshop (9:30-11:30 am) will cover all the basics to start your gardening season off right. Registration is only $5 in advance, $7 at the door. Learn about growing vegetables in raised beds and containers, and also how to manage pests organically. Instructors include Extension Master Gardener Volunteers and your friendly …
NCDOT Announces Winning Wildflower Beds
The wildflowers blooming along North Carolina’s highways are a beautiful sight for travelers. They’re also award-winning: each year, the N.C. Department of Transportation honors the state’s best-looking wildflower beds at an award ceremony. The 2015 NCDOT Wildflower Awards were presented by N.C. Transportation Secretary Nick Tennyson and The Garden Club of North Carolina at the monthly Board of Transportation meeting Thursday in Raleigh. The awards, sponsored by The Garden Club of North Carolina, recognize the efforts of NCDOT staff who …