2014 Past Events
This is an archive of our 2014 past events and workshops.
This workshop will expose the audience to an integrated approach to gastrointestinal parasite control for small ruminants, the biology of the barber pole worm (H. contortus), the FAMACHA concept and hands-on use of the FAMACHA card, the concept of smart drenching, understanding parasite drug resistance versus animal resistance, susceptibility or resilience to gastrointestinal parasites, management tips to reduce gastrointestinal parasite loads in animals and on pastures, and non-chemical approaches to treating small ruminants with anthelmintics such as alternative forages.
Please call Bart Renner at 828-884-3109 or email bart_renner@ncsu.edu to register for this event. We look forward to having you participate in the training.
Sponsored by Ag Care Products of Candler, NC
Hosted by North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Jean-Marie Luginbuhl, NCSU Extension Meat Goat Specialist
The goal of this workshop is to learn about tomato production through the utilization of grafting for disease management and enhanced plant vigor and yield. Participants will learn why grafting is an important tool in vegetable production, become familiar with some commercially available rootstocks and learn about some important research projects underway. In addition, participants will learn the art and the science of tomato grafting through hands-on experience. Each person will receive tomato plants which they will use to practice proper techniques as well as learn the importance of and how to build and manage a ‘healing chamber’, where plants are kept while the grafts heal.
A tremendous amount of grafting research has been done using tomatoes, however, additional crops, such as cucumber, melon and watermelon are also being grafted. Participants will receive an introduction into the fascinating world of cucurbit grafting, as well.
A follow-up to this workshop will be held in the early summer. The Grafting Tomato Field Day will be held at the Small Farm Unit and participants will see different rootstock/ scion combinations, learn how to do disease ratings and have a tomato taste test!
This webinar will cover sustainable soil management and integrated pest management practices that can be easily integrated into plasticulture strawberry production systems. Topics to be covered include soil health, compost, cover crops, soil testing, integrated pest management practices and ideas for incorporating these methods into a plasticulture production system. We will primarily focus on the application of these practices for strawberry producers in the SE United States but the general concepts can be applied anywhere.
Presenters:
- Dr. Michelle Schroeder-Moreno – Department of Crop Science, NC State University
- Dr. Hannah Burrack – Department of Entomology, NC State University
- Amanda McWhirt – Department of Crop Science, NC State University
For more information and for updates see here: https://www.facebook.com/SustainableSoilManagementforStrawberries or contact Amanda McWhirt.
March 18th, Greensboro
March 20th, Mills River, 2014
Topics to be covered include:
- Principles of designing, conducting and evaluating on-farm variety trials using basic scientific methods
- Choosing appropriate varieties, integrating trials into your current production, and crop traits to consider for trial assessment
- The basics of reproductive biology, harvest timing and seed cleaning using vegetable crop examples that are best suited for seed production in the varied climates of NC
- Classical breeding methods that can be used to enhance varietal adaptation to your cultural practices and environmental/market challenges
Featured Presenter: Dr. John Navazio, Organic Seed Alliance Senior Scientist and Washington SU Extension Organic Seed Specialist
While open to anyone, content will be aimed at growers who have strong baseline knowledge in sustainable vegetable production. We also welcome extension personnel and those providing technical assistance in the agricultural field.
Funding for these workshops comes from a USDA Specialty Crops Block Grant administered through the NCDA.
Laura Jackson is an ecologist at the University of Northern Iowa, where she has taught since 1993. In 2013 she became Director of the University’s Tallgrass Prairie Center. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Grinnell College, and a Ph.D. in Ecology (minor in Agronomy) from Cornell University. Her scholarship has focused on two related areas: the maintenance and restoration of biological diversity in agriculture landscapes, and the dynamics of seeds and seedlings in tallgrass prairie restoration. She has served on the Advisory Board for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and the State Preserves Advisory Board. She is the coeditor with Dana Jackson of The Farm as Natural Habitat: Reconnecting Food Systems with Ecosystems (2002).
Panoramic Tree Farm – A choose-and-cut Christmas tree operation run by Joey Clawson and his family. Joey has worked with Cooperative Extension for many years and markets his farm as a “family experience.” Panoramic Tree Farm features a petting zoo and a wreath-making shop to sell value-added farm products. Clawson practices integrated pest management, sells produce and maintains a beef cattle herd.
Moretz Mountain Orchard and Farms – Home of 2013 Small Farmer of the Year, Bill Moretz grows a variety of fruit trees and has successfully developed a method of producing on steep slopes. He grows apples, peaches, pears, nectarines, brambles and others. He sells through direct marketing and Community Support Agriculture.
Summer/Fall Cover Crops Demonstration – Three techniques of using cover crops to enhance soil fertility and reduce erosion are showcased at this market garden site. A summer-planted bed of millet was mowed before the fall planting of garlic now growing. Two beds of summer-planted buckwheat were allowed to frost-kill, with the crop residue left in place to protect the soil over the winter, yet allow easy spring time cultivation and planting. Three other beds were seeded in late summer to wheat and clover, which will be allowed to grow until late May, and then mowed for summer cash crop plantings.
For more information visit the Growing Cities webpage
Tour two farms that demonstrate using agricultural innovations to grow and market their products. Transportation is provided. Tour departs at 12:30 p.m. from the United House of Prayer parking lot, 101 S. Dudley St., across Market Street from Coltrane Hall.
Farlow Farm – Russell and Jennifer Farlow converted a former dairy farm into a diversified, direct market vegetable farm. They raise a variety of produce for customers at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, Robert G. Shaw Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax, and Asheboro Farmers Market. They also sell to local restaurants and a retail cooperative grocer. The Farlows employ integrated pest management systems and do not use GMO products.
Smith Farm and Greenhouses – George Smith owns and operates Smith Farms and Greenhouses in northeast Guilford County, 6 miles north of downtown Gibsonville. He produces fruits, vegetables, beef, pork, and vegetable transplants for direct sale at Greensboro Farmers Curb Market, and from his farm stand. George recently received a grant from RAFI-USA to install a solar collector to help heat his greenhouses, resulting in savings of more than $50,000 on gas heat.
Robin Emmons, Founder & Executive Director, Sow Much Good Charlotte, N.C. Area Urban Farmer and CNN Hero 2013 www.sowmuchgood.org Emmons encourages students to think about their leadership and use their skill-sets to help address food-system needs in African American communities. She will share what motivated her to start Sow Much Good, what she’s learned in creating an urban farm and how A&T and universities like it can engage to build the community healthy local food- access, employment and equal opportunity.
Come increase your awareness of the innovative programs, service providers, and product vendors that serve the small-farm communities of North Carolina. Visit over 20 booths representing all aspects of farming. Exhibits include small farm equipment, tastings, and quick cooking demonstrations using local foods.
The NC State University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is pleased to announce the 2014 Future of Food Lecturer will be Dr. Ricardo Salvador, Senior Scientist and Director of the Food & Environment Program at Union of Concerned Scientists. Dr. Salvador works with citizens, scientists, economists, and politicians to transition our current food system into one that grows healthy foods while employing sustainable practices.
Before coming to UCS, Dr. Salvador served as a program officer for Food, Health, and Wellbeing with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In this capacity, he was responsible for conceptualizing and managing the Foundation’s food systems programming. He partnered with colleagues to create programs that addressed the connections between food and health, environment, economic development, sovereignty, and social justice. Dr. Salvador also worked as an extensionist with Texas A&M University.
Dr. Salvador’s Lecture, “Fooling the Nine Billion: Why We Need Good Food, Not More Food, and the Role of Land Grant Universities” will last approximately an hour and be followed by a question and answer session.
Stevia is a new, alternative crop for North Carolina with an established market for conventional and organicproduction. Join us to learn about stevia seeding, establishment, and transplanting at Carter Farms in Eagle Springs, NC (Moore County).
Production, disease management issues, and marketing will be covered, as well as the method for growing stevia for transplants and the challenges for organic production. We will visit a stevia field and hear from two farmers about their experiences growing conventional and organic stevia over the last year.
- 10:00 am – 11:00am. – Dr. David Shew (Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, NCSU
- 11 a.m. to 11:30 – Hal Teegarden (V. P. of Agriculture Operations at Sweet Green Fields
- 11:30 am – 12:00 pm – Billy Carter (Carter Farms) and Cross Creek Farms
- 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm – Lunch and discussion
Contact Lisa Forehand with questions at: 919-513-0954 or Lisa_forehand@ncsu.edu
This workshop is sponsored by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
Stevia, a perennial crop used as a no-calorie sweetener, is a new specialty crop for North Carolina with an established and rapidly expanding market for conventional and organic production. At this workshop we will talk in depth about one of the biggest challenges to stevia production in NC, stem rot diseases, the research being done to overcome the diseases, and what we know so far about how to manage for them. General production and marketing information also will be covered. We will visit a stevia research plot and learn more about the stevia research in NC over the last three years.
- 10 to 10:15 a.m. – Welcome and overview of field day – Dr. David Shew (Professor, Department of Plant Pathology, NCSU)
- 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. – Dr. David Shew and Alyssa Koehler (Graduate student, Department of Plant Pathology, NCSU)
- 11:15 a.m. to noon – General Discussion of Stevia Production – Hal Teegarden (V. P. of Agriculture Operations at Sweet Green Fields)
- Noon to 1 p.m. – Lunch and discussion
- 2 hours CCA CEUs available (CM)
This workshop is sponsored by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
The Carolinas are blessed with an excellent climate that can provide a year-round grazing system. However, we are also cursed with a forage base of endophyte infected fescue or bermudagrass. Our current forage based does a good job of maintaining brood cows, but getting performance on calves after weaning often requires significant levels of supplementation, and the cost of supplemental feed has skyrocketed. Producers desiring to add value to calves after weaning without significant supplementation need to seek out alternatives to the traditional forages and management techniques.
Furthermore, doing a good job of pasture management including avoiding overgrazing, picking appropriate forage systems, and knowing how to alter grazing management during challenging environmental conditions all lead to improved soil health, infiltration of rainfall, and healthy nutrient cycles that reduce need for commercial fertilizer.
With support from the Southern Risk Management Education Center, Amazing Grazing will team with a number of different organizations this summer to present Summer Grazing Management and Summer Annual Demonstrations across the North Carolina, as well as working with a number of other events. In addition, producers in South Carolina will be introduced to our exciting hands-on workshop-based approach to teaching pasture management. We hope you will all come out and enjoy learning with us as we explore production systems in various regions of both North and South Carolina.
Several things we are very excited about are the Producer Pasture Ecology School to be held June 23-25 and the Youth Amazing Grazing Day on August 9, both at the Lake Wheeler Road Beef Education Unit. Additionally, there will also be a Producer Pasture Ecology School at Clemson University on August 12-14. Whether you want to get a more detailed understanding of pasture ecology and grazing management or want to introduce your young folks to the concepts these should be very valuable experiences. Our workshops feature hands-on activities that would benefit anyone, regardless to the type of production system they have.
In addition to the workshops listed below, there will be additional local Amazing Grazing workshops across the state this summer so keep your eyes open for those local events.
The schedule of events follows:
- June 10 Native Warm Season Grass Workshop, Orange County. (Contact Lauren Langley for more information).
- June 23-25 Producer Pasture Ecology School, Raleigh. (Contact Aptil Schaeffer for more information).
- July 31 Summer Grazing Workshop, Stanly County. (Contact Steve Lemons for more information).
- August 9 Youth Amazing Grazing Day, Raleigh. (Contact April Shaeffer for more information).
- August 12-14 Producer Pasture Ecology, Clemson. (Contact John Andrae for more information).
- August 19 Summer Grazing Workshop, Greene County. (Contact Eve Honeycutt for more information).
- August 21 Summer Grazing Workshop, Randolph County. (Contact Jonathon Black for more information).
- August 23 Beef Cattle Field Day, Butner Beef Cattle Field Lab. (Contact Dean Askew for more information)
- August 26 Summer Grazing Workshop, Cleveland County. (Contact Greg Traywick for more information).
- August 28 Summer Grazing Workshop, Union County. (Contact Richard Goforth or Andrew Baucolm).
- September 2 Summer Grazing Workshop, Center for Environmental Farming Systems, Goldsboro.