Clay County Center
September 2018

Master Gardener September Volunteer Spotlight

Kathy Smith

Kathy is a integral part of the Clay County Master Gardener program. She is extremely knowledgeable in plant issues which helps with diagnosing problems with the Community Garden. With all of Kathy's plant expertise, great work ethic and positive attitude she is an extremely beneficial asset to our Master Gardener program. We want to thank Kathy and all the Master Gardeners for all the work they do in trying to maintain and make positive impacts within the community. 


N.C. Cooperative Extension 
Clay County Center
will be closed on 
Monday, September 3rd
in recognition of the Labor Day Holiday




N.C. Cooperative Extension, Clay County Center in Hayesville, North Carolina will offer a September workshop entitled "Christmas in the Mountains." On each Tuesday during the month of September interested participants will gather in the Community room from 1:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. to get a jump start on making their own personalized Christmas gifts. The fee for the workshop is $20.00 per session each week. This fee covers all the materials needed to create Christmas gifts made with that special "Made in the NC Mountains" flair.
During the first week, techniques will be covered for making personalized gift boxes and gift tags. You can try your hand at an Origami gift box or a simpler gift box made from last years Christmas cards. You might want to gather up those old greeting cards that were just too beautiful to discard and repurpose them!
During the second week, participants will learn techniques for turning ordinary Mason jars into special jars for holding Christmas treasures.
Of course, week three will be in the kitchen. Special Christmas treats will be made to go into those special boxes and/or decorated Mason jars. Recipes will be provided; some of the treats made can even be stored until Christmas after preparing them in the workshop!
Last of all, week four will be spent making fun jelly soap! This would be a perfect gift for the children on your gift list or those fun-loving adults. Nice tins and ribbon will be provided to finish your gift and to store it until Christmas.
There is a lot to be said for getting a jump start on Christmas! What a great feeling it will be to realize that you have special gifts made and crossed off your TO DO list! This is especially true since things start to get into high gear after September. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas promotions are starting earlier each year. I just hope that we beat the Christmas frenzy by starting in September. I just cannot get accustomed to seeing the Christmas decorations alongside the Halloween costumes!
For more information or to register for the workshops please call 828-389-6305 or email [email protected].

Visit our website for information on N.C. Cooperative Extension Clay County Center



13th Annual Clay County Tractor Parade
Saturday, September 29, 2018
Parade leaves high school at 12:00

Fun for the whole family!



4-H News
It is time to get back in the routine of school, but there is still time for your children to do things. 4-H is having 30 Days of Doing during the month of September. Download the calendar and then enter a photo to win a $10K scholarship.
Moss Memorial Library 

Vernon Dixon
 "Climate Change"
Saturday, September 8, 2018
2:00 PM
For Information call (828) 389-8401
Funded by: The Fred A. Moss Charity Trust



Justin Moore
Soil Sample Drive
Now is the time to prepare your lawn for next spring. Stop by the N.C. Cooperative Extension Office and pick up soil sample boxes to get your soil checked for FREE!! Shipping and testing is free until the end of October.



Fall Webworms
Fall webworms, one of our native insect pests, are a perennial nuisance and in some cases a destructive pest. I have seen lots of large nests lately in sourwood, Fall webworm nest. Photo: SD Frank choke cherry, other Prunus species, sweet gum, and many others. These guys have been recorded on hundreds of plant species. This week I even heard reports of nests in redbuds and crape myrtles. The best management in most cases is to prune out the nest or just poke it with a stick so parasitoids and birds can get in to kill the larvae. If insecticides become necessary you can find recommendations in the Southeastern US Pest Control Guide for Nursery Crops and Landscape Plantings. Usually, insecticides are not necessary. Fall webworms upset people because they are ugly not because they damage trees that much. If it seems like fall webworms are around all the time, not just fall, it because they are. Here in NC fall webworms have at least two generations per year and are active throughout the summer.
  For More Information on Web Worms
On August 23rd N.C. Cooperative Extension Clay County and "Save Georgia's Hemlocks" conducted a very informative program on saving the area hemlock trees. We appreciate Donna Shearer with "Save Georgia's Hemlocks" for teaching us how to positively impact the community through saving one of our beautiful and valuable natural resources. Our area hemlocks are in danger of almost total extinction due to a rapidly spreading infestation of the hemlock woolly adelgid(an invasive insect from Asia with no local natural predator). The knowledge and the information gained through the program will be invaluable to the participants in their efforts to try to save the hemlocks in this area. If you were unable to attend and have questions on saving the hemlocks please call the Clay County N.C. Cooperative Extension office at 828-389-6305 or click on the link below.
Blue Ridge Mountain Cattlemen's Association Meeting
Thursday, September 27th, 6:00p.m.

This meeting is open to anyone interested in learning new innovative ways to maximize the total profit of your farm and how to better utilize pasture land.

The meeting will be held at the Clay County Community Services Building, 25 Riverside Circle, Hayesville, NC 28904. A BBQ meal will be provided. Call the Clay County N.C. Cooperative Extension office for further info at 828-389-6305.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.

Extension's 4-H program is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina. We help over 247,000 young people grow into active, contributing citizens each year.