Thanks Richard Boylan at Watauga Agricultural Extension for sharing these opportunities:
1) Monday, 2/11, 6:00 PM – Wine Grape Class Series Begins in Boone
2) Tuesday, 2/12 – “Small Farms, Large Markets” – Family Central (Ashe County)
3) 3) Saturday, 2/23, 8 AM-5:30 PM – ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference - Swannanoa, NC
4) Monday, 2/25/13, 2:00 PM - Free Winter Crops Production Workshop in Glendale Springs, Ashe County
5) Thursday, 2/28/13, 1:00 PM - Free Blueberry Winter Pruning & Production Workshop
6) Thursday, 3/14/13, 5:00 PM - Sustainable Foods Advisory Council Listening Session
7) Saturday, 3/16/13, 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM: High Country Seed Swap & Growers School at Family Central in Ashe County
8) 3/19/13, 4:00 PM – GAP training begins in Ashe County, scholarships available!
9) Thursday, 2/28/13 – Final FSA date for 2013 ‘Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program’ Crop Coverage on many Summer crops
10) Friday, March 1 – Shiitake Mushroom Spawn Orders due for eligible growers in Ashe & Watauga Counties
11) Monday, 3/18/13, 4:30 PM - ASAP’s Second Annual High Country CSA Fair, Boone, NC
12) Scholarships available for area growers to attend 2013 NCA&T SU Small Farms Week Events
13) Watauga Cooperative Extension 4-H Plant Sale now accepting orders
1) Monday, 2/11, 6:00 PM – Wine Grape Class Series Begins in Boone
High Country winegrower’s Association - Viticulture Educational Series
The high country winegrower’s Association is proud to announce the Viticulture Educational Series. Beginning in February, 2013, the series shall consist of 12 class meeting and 2 field days.
The classes will cover all aspects of growing wine grapes on a commercial basis. Topics to be covered are:
-Cost & returns of vineyard establishment,
-vineyard site selection,
-wine grape varieties,
-pruning & training,
-canopy management,
-disease & insect management,
-wildlife deterrence,
-timing of harvests,
-& grape contracts.
The viticulture series will cost $100 per person; this will include text book (Wine grape production guide for eastern North America) and all handout materials.
Participants, who attend 90% of the classes and pass an after course quiz, will be awarded a certificate suitable for framing. Upon completion of this viticulture series an attendee will have the skills and knowledge necessary to find a
suitable site for a commercial vineyard, pick suitable grape varieties, manage grape vine growth, choose trellis system, pest management, grape sale marketing options, and know when to pick.
The viticulture class will be held at the Watauga County Cooperative Agricultural Conference Center, located at 252 Poplar Grove Rd (the back side of 971 west King St.) in Boone, NC. Time of class will be 6 to 9pm on Monday nights, twice per month, February thru June. Gill Giese will be the
instructor for these classes. The first class meets on Monday, February 11, at 6:00 PM, and participants may sign-up and receive their book and materials that evening.
The Viticulture Educational Series is made possible by Specialty Crop grant from a USDA program funded by the 2008 farm bill, administered by NCDA&CS and the High Country Winegrower’s Association with administration by PHARMN (Preserve Heritage, Agriculture, & Regional Markets - Now) “Goodness Grows in NC”
Class dates: Feb 11, 25; March 11, 25; April 8, 22 ; May 13, 27 ; June 10, 24
2) Tuesday, 2/12 – “Small Farms, Large Markets” – Family Central (Ashe County)
If you're looking for a steady wholesale outlet for produce this year, come meet with Anthony Flaccavento and other area farmers to make this a reality.
When: Feb 12th
Time: 1:00-4:00 pm
Where: Ashe Family Central, Jefferson, NC
RSVP required: soca [at] brwia [dot] org
Ashe Family Central is located at 626 Ashe Central School Rd. in Jefferson, NC 28640.
Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and Seeds of Change Initiative Appalachia have organized this meeting and workshop in order to begin organizing a regional collaborative sales system to larger wholesale buyers. If your farm is or soon will be at a scale where farmers markets, csa’s, and other retail outlets cannot absorb all you produce, consider joining in this effort.
Who is Anthony Flaccavento?
Experience and Qualifications
Anthony Flaccavento has 25 years of hands-on experience in sustainable community development, along with a BS degree in Agriculture and Environmental Science and a Masters degree in Economic and Social Development. Anthony’s additional experiences and capabilities include:
-24 years experience in community development, 15 years in sustainable economic development in Appalachia
-Built a nationally recognized, entrepreneurial non-profit - Appalachian Sustainable Development - that provides a model for asset based, sustainable economic development
-Organized, built and helped manage farmers markets, CSAs, and other local foods systems.
-Designed, organized and built integrated value chains in organic/sustainable foods and sustainable forest products
-Certified organic farmer for past 15 years, raising nearly 50 types of fruits and vegetables
-Kellogg National Food and Society Policy Fellow (2007 - 2008) and Ford Foundation Leadership for a Changing World awardee (2004 - 2005)
3) Saturday, 2/23, 8 AM-5:30 PM – ASAP’s Business of Farming Conference - Swannanoa, NC
Join ASAP on Saturday, February 23, 2013, for our day-long conference open to farmers and those seriously considering farming as a profession. The event includes 90-minute learning sessions led by farmer and agriculture leaders, a locally sourced breakfast and lunch, a comprehensive resource notebook, and time to meet with restaurant and wholesale buyers. Additionally, there will be sidewalk consulting sessions with local experts in accounting, law, graphic design, social media, and more. There will also be the opportunity to give input to the NC Local Sustainable Foods Advisory Council regarding local economic challenges. Registration is still open, but is filling up fast! Click here (
http://www.asapconnections.org/conference.html) to read more about the conference and registration Click here (
http://www.asapconnections.org/conference-workshops.html) to read the complete workshop descriptions.
4) Monday, 2/25/13, 2:00 PM - Free Winter Crops Production Workshop in Glendale Springs, Ashe County
North Carolina Cooperative Extension & High Country Local First co-host a Winter Crops and Season Extension Field Day in Glendale Springs (Ashe Co.), NC: Monday, February 25, 2013, from 2:00 PM – 6:30 PM.
On Monday, February 25, from 2 PM to 6:30 PM, North Carolina Cooperative Extension will lead a Winter Crops Field Day on producing specialty vegetable crops for winter harvests in the High Country region using High Tunnels and other Season Extension strategies. The Field Day will be held at three neighboring farms: Blue Ridge Organics, Berry Patch Farm, and Appalachian Trees.
The Winter Crops Field Day will include a discussion of vegetable varieties suitable for market production during the ‘off-season’ with no added heat. Patryk Battle of Living Web Farms, Richard Boylan of NC Cooperative Extension, and host-farmers Alan Hanson, Hollis & Jay Wild, and Wayne & Jeanne Berry will lead the Field Day. The day’s speakers will jointly address issues of fertility, weed-management, insect-management, disease management, timing, and harvests. Participants will have the opportunity to scout growing crops at each of the three farms.
The Field Day will begin at 2:00 PM at Blue Ridge Organics Farm, located at 182 Calloway Gap Rd., in Glendale Springs, NC. Directions to the farm are available at (
http://goo.gl/maps/ezAhd). There, farmer Alan Hanson will showcase his greenhouse production that combines vermicomposting chambers with vegetables such as mache, lettuce, and chard, plus a high tunnel with a selection of both winter vegetable crops and soil-building cover crops. The second stop of the day will be at nearby Berry Patch Organic Farm, where Wayne and Jeanne Berry will discuss their winter production efforts, from growing carrots in gutters, to starting organic seedlings under lights, and more. The day will conclude at Appalachian Trees, where Hollis & Jay Wild will demonstrate how sustainable soil management and succession plantings keep their unheated high tunnels yielding vegetable harvests throughout the winter.
Workshop co-leader Patryk Battle will bring his more than thirty years of organic growing experience to the event. Patryk Battle is the director of Living Web Farms an educational sustainability network
www.livingwebfarms.org. In this current role, on his own farm and as the head gardener at both the Highland Lake Inn and the Mountain Air Organic Community Garden Patryk has employed innovative season extension practices. He grew his first cold climate winter market garden in 1986 and introduced many of our winter stalwarts such as baby white turnips and watermelon radish to our region's growers. At Elliot Coleman's 2000 CFSA Sustainable Ag Conference presentation on winter production he named Patryk as the person to talk to about winter production in the Carolinas.
The Winter Crops Field Day is co-sponsored by NC Cooperative Extension and High Country Local First, with a goal of increasing the volume of “High Country Grown” produce in the region during all times of the year. This Field Day is free and open to members of the public. Pre-registration is recommended. For directions, more information, or to pre-register, e-mail
richard_boylan [at] ncsu [dot] edu call the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Office at
828-264-3061.
5) Thursday, 2/28/13, 1:00 PM - Free Blueberry Winter Pruning & Production Workshop
North Carolina Cooperative Extension hosts a Blueberry Winter Pruning & Production Field Day in Deep Gap and Boone (Watauga Co.), NC: on Thursday, February 28, 2013, from 1:00 PM – 6:30 PM.
Blueberries are a healthful and potentially profitable specialty crop that thrives in the NC High Country Climate. On Thursday, February 28, from 1 PM to 6:30 PM, North Carolina Cooperative Extension will lead a Blueberry Winter Pruning & Production Field Day for the High Country The Field Day will begin at Swinging Bridge Farm in Deep Gap, where State Blueberry Extension Specialist Dr. Bill Cline, Area Extension Agent Richard Boylan, and farm owner / operator Chuck Lieberman will guide participants through the decision process for selecting blueberry canes to be removed to maximize plant health and production for the coming years. Environmental factors, including soil drainage, fertility, weed management, and insect challenges will also be discussed as bushes are pruned. Participants are welcome to bring pruning tools of their own, and some tools will be available for use on site as well. The on-farm component of the field day will last until 4:00 PM, and then interested participants will be able to travel back to the Watauga County Agricultural Conference Center (252 Poplar Grove Rd. Boone, NC) for a classroom Q&A on blueberry production challenges with Dr. Cline, from 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM.
To reach Swinging Bridge Farm, the first site of the Field Day, take 421 Southward from Boone toward Deep Gap. About 7.2 miles from the New Market / 194 intersection, turn left on Brownwood Rd. Travel for about a mile on Brownwood, then turn left onto Old Glade Rd, which will be gravel. Follow Old Glade Rd past several pastures, then enter Swinging Bridge Farm by passing an old Barn with a “Farm Tours” sign on it. Keep going up the drive, past the blueberry patch, until a slight hill and open meadow opens up, just before the drive returns to asphalt. Park there, below the house and above the blueberry patch.
Extension Specialist Dr. Bill Cline works as a researcher and extension specialist in the Department of Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University. His areas of expertise include diseases of small fruits, and all aspects of blueberry production. North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s New River Headwaters Alternative Agriculture Program works to identify and promote viable crops and agricultural marketing strategies suitable for small Farms in Ashe and Watauga Counties.
6) Thursday, 3/14/13, 5:00 PM - Sustainable Foods Advisory Council Listening Session
The Economic Development and Infrastructure Subcommittee of the NC Local Sustainable Foods Advisory Council of North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services has been meeting with folks in the field involved in local foods—farmers, businessmen/women, support providers, etc. across the state of NC to identify opportunities for improving the local foods economy. To that end, the Local Foods Council, co-chaired by NCDA&CS Commissioner Steve Troxler and Dr. Nancy Creamer, NCSU CEFS, has held 7 listening sessions so far.
The High Country Listening session is scheduled for Thursday March 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ashe Family Central Community Room. Ashe Family Central is located at 626 Ashe Central School Rd. in Jefferson, NC 28640.
The NC Local Sustainable Foods Advisory Council of NCDA hopes to facilitate the discussion among 15 to 100 growers and regional agricultural professionals, in the area. They plan to invite experts who can answer questions and provide clarification of areas as they arise, such as a staff from NCDA&CS to be able to answer questions, etc., so if you have a burning question related to local foods and related issues, contact Debbie Hamrick at debbie [dot] hamrick [at] ncfb [dot] org
7) Saturday, 3/16/13, 8:30 AM – 1:30 PM: High Country Seed Swap & Growers School at Family Central in Ashe County
On Saturday, March 16, 2013, all aspiring and practicing area gardeners are invited to Ashe Family Central (the former Ashe Central High School in Jefferson) to the High Country Seed Swap and Growers School. The event features a day-long open exchange of seeds, plus workshops on vegetable growing and grafting apple trees taught by area experts. Beginning at 8:30 AM, gardeners will be able to display their own surplus seeds and view the offerings of others on tables set up in the cafeteria space. The seed swap will continue throughout the day. A seed-saving workshop led by professional seed-grower Holly Whitesides will run from 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM. Coffee and light fare will be available for purchase on-site at Family Central throughout the morning and early afternoon. A grafting workshop and fruit-scion-wood exchange will be held from 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM, led by nationally known apple experts Ron & Suzanne Joyner.
Gardeners are encouraged to bring their surplus seeds, bulbs, corms, plants, and scionwood to exchange. However, people do not need to bring seeds to participate. Seed swaps operate on the honor principle that gardeners will grow what they take this year, and bring seeds from their crops the next year. North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s New River Headwaters Alternative Agriculture Program sponsors the event, with support from the Ashe County Farmers Market and Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture.
Holly Whitesides of Against the Grain Farm will lead the Seed-Saving Workshop. She and her partner grow seed for the regional seed catalog Sow True Seed, and recently completed a Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture grant-funded project to retrofit a wood chipper for purposes of seed-cleaning.
Ron and Suzanne Joyner, of Big Horse Creek Farm in Lansing, will teach the grafting workshop. They are nationally known for their conservation and propagation of old Southern Apple varieties. The grafting workshop taught by the Joyners will be hands-on, with participants able to learn with the actual tools of the trade. Apple rootstocks will be available for purchase at the workshop, so if participants choose, they can graft several trees to then bring home and plant themselves (a flat fee of $10 will allow participants to graft up to three fruit trees). Information about collecting scionwood samples for grafting can be found at their website:
http://www.bighorsecreekfarm.com/horticulture.htmArea Extension Agent Richard Boylan coordinates the Seed Swap, with assistance from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and Ashe County Farmers Market volunteers. He notes that the venue has been perfect for past seed swaps, but that participation is always crucial to make the event a success, “Ashe Family Central’s Community Space (the old school cafeteria) is the perfect spot to meet up and swap seeds in an open exchange. It’s big enough that folks can spread-out, browse seeds, and talk. The more participants who bring seeds to share, the better the Swap will be.”
The Seed Swap takes place in the Community Space (i.e.- former cafeteria) of Ashe Family Central, located at 626 Ashe Central School Rd., in Jefferson, NC (28640).
North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s New River Headwaters Alternative Agriculture Program works to identify and promote viable crops and agricultural marketing strategies suitable for small Farms in Ashe and Watauga Counties. Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture works to strengthen the High Country's local food system by supporting women and their families with resources, education, and skills
related to sustainable food and agriculture. This Seed Swap is held concurrently and in partnership with the Ashe County Farmers Market Annual Expo. The event is free and open to all gardeners and farmers in the region.
8) 3/19/13, 4:00 PM – GAP training begins in Ashe County, scholarships available!
Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) Training Offered in Ashe County
March 19, 20, 27 and 28, 2013
Are you a farmer who has heard about new food safety rules and regulations? Are your produce buyers asking for GAP Certification or other evidence that your product is safe to eat? North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga County Centers, in partnership with High Country Workforce Development, will offer a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training to prepare area growers for certification. The classes will be held in the Agriculture Service Center in Ashe County (134 Government Circle, Jefferson, North Carolina) March 19, 20, 27 and 28, 2013, from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and are limited to 20 participants. All four classes are mandatory for growers to receive training certification.
Cost for the training is $125.00 per person but scholarships for the class are available on a first come first serve basis and will cover the entire fee. Scholarship applications and registration must be completed in order to be considered eligible for the class. Scholarships may be obtained at the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Ashe County Center at 134 Government Circle, Suite 202, Jefferson, North Carolina.
Travis Birdsell, Teresa Herman, and Richard Boylan, Extension Agents, will be providing a hands-on program that will guide growers through a food safety program, recordkeeping requirements necessary for GAP certification and accessing wholesale markets. Participants will receive Food Safety procedure notebooks and digital resources, and can complete their own farm records during the class sessions. Training certifications will be received at the end of successful class completion.
For additional information regarding the class or registration please contact the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Ashe County Center at
(336) 846-5850.
9) Thursday, 2/28/13 – Final FSA date for 2013 ‘Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program’ Crop Coverage on many Summer crops
USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers a ‘Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program’ (NAP) to producers of crops that are otherwise not covered by other crop insurance programs in this region. If you are a commercial producer of any kind, whether landowner, tenant, or sharecropper, NAP may be a helpful risk-management tool for your farm. Application forms are available at your local FSA office (971 W. King Street in Boone for Watauga County, or 134 Government Circle in Jefferson for Ashe County).
While many crops require an earlier sign-up than the present, sign-up is still open through Friday, 2/28 for Asparagus, Basil, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbage, Cantaloupes, Corn, Cucumbers, Eggplant, Honeydew, Leeks, Okra, Peas, Peppers, Pumpkins, Radishes, Sorghum, Soybeans Squash, Sunflowers, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Watermelons and several other summer crops. The deadline to sign-up for NAP coverage for Beans is Friday, March 15, 2013. For more information about the NAP program in Watauga County, contact Gay Isaacs at
Gay [dot] Isaacs [at] nc [dot] usda [dot] gov or
828 264-3850, extension 2.
10) Friday, March 1 – Shiitake Mushroom Spawn Orders due for eligible growers in Ashe & Watauga Counties
Shiitake mushroom spawn produced by NCA&T’s Mycology Program is again being made available to commercial-scale growers (200 logs or more in their first year, with smaller subsequent inoculations allowed). To be eligible to receive this spawn, growers must have all their logs cut by Friday, 1, and their spawn orders also in by that date. Also, growers should have attended a shiitake production workshop (taught be Extension and/or NCA&T State University) prior to placing their spawn order.
Information and spawn requests from growers in Ashe & Watauga Counties can be sent to Richard Boylan, Area Agent for Alternative Agriculture via e-mail at richard_boylan [at] ncsu [dot] edu Be sure to put “Mushroom Spawn Order” in the title of your e-mail.
Shiitake Spawn ordered through this program will be available for pickup by eligible growers from the Watauga County Cooperative Extension Center beginning on Monday, April 1 2013. Growers should plan on picking up their orders some time during business hours between 4/1/13 and 4/5/13.
Interested growers who have not yet attended an Extension-sponsored Shiitake Workshop have the option to attend any of the following nearby upcoming mushroom production workshops:
Burke County:
_Date: February 15, 2013
_Time: 12:00 p.m.
_Location: Muddy Creek Farm, 3515 Seals Rd., Morganton, NC 28655
_Contacts: Donna Teasley- Extension Agent, Agriculture Horticulture (Burke County)
Madison County:
_Date: February 16, 2013
_Time: 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
_Location: Madison County Center, 258 Carolina Lane, Marshall, NC 28753
_Contacts: Jenn Beck- Extension Agent, Alternative Agriculture (Madison County) #
828-649-2411 Mitchell County:
_Date: March 6, 2013
_Time: 3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
_Location: Bakersville Fire Department, 306 Baker Lane, Bakersville, NC 28705
_Contact : Jeremy Delisle- Area Agent, Agriculture (Mitchell & Yancey County) #
828-688-4811 Swain County (Almond):
_Date: March 7, 2013
_Time: 9:00a.m. -1:00 p.m.
_Location: Swain Extension Center, 60 Almond School Rd., Bryson City, NC 28713
_Contact: Christy Bredenkamp- NCSU Extension Horticulture Agent (Swain & Jackson County) #
252- 448-9621 Cabarrus County:
_Date: March 16, 2013
_Time: 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.
_Location: Elma C. Incubator Lomax, 3556 Atando Rd., Concord, NC 28025
_Contact: David Goforth- Agriculture Extension Agent (Cabarrus County) #
704-920-3310 11) Monday, 3/18/13, 4:30 PM - ASAP’s Second Annual High Country CSA Fair, Boone, NC
Spring is just around the corner, meaning it’s time to celebrate local food and farms.
ASAP will hosting our second annual CSA Fair on March 18th from 4:30 to 6:30pm at
the Watauga County Cooperative Extension conference rooms. This event is a free
opportunity for farms interested in connecting with potential CSA members. For more
information please contact Hollis Wild at: hollis [at] asapconnections [dot] org
12) Scholarships available for area growers to attend 2013 NCA&T SU Small Farms Week Events
This year’s small farms week program at NCA&T State University in Greensboro will focus on “Tools for the Next Generation”. In an effort to encourage greater farmer participation, the Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is providing a limited number of scholarships to small-scale farmers to include funds to cover transportation, registration, food, and lodging expenses. If you are interested in applying, contact Area Extension Agent Richard Boylan at richard_boylan [at] ncsu [dot] edu
Scholarships will cover the cost of registration fees, meals and one night’s lodging (double occupancy). Complete applications must be postmarked by March 1, 2013.
13) Watauga Cooperative Extension 4-H Plant Sale now accepting orders
Ordering for the Watauga County 4-H Fruit Plant Sale is now open. Proceeds help support youth programs in Watauga County. Supplies are available at a first-come first ordered basis.
Plants available include blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, and heritage apple trees. The plants are bare root, which means they do not come in potted soil. This allows the plant to be sold at a lower cost. For those who do not want bare root plants, we have two varieties of blueberries in 1 gallon containers.
For an order form, come by the Watauga Cooperative Extension office at 971 West King Street, call 264-3061, or e-mail karee_mackey [at] ncsu [dot] edu
