OCTOBER HIGHLIGHT
Dear Community Gardeners,

2020 Master Gardener Volunteers of Guilford County Community Garden Start-Up Grant Program
 
The pandemic has made us aware of the need for fresh, safe food and your community garden has helped a lot with that effort. Some of your friends and neighbors may have expressed an interest in starting a community garden of their own. If so, please let them know about this opportunity. The Guilford County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers are offering grants in the amount of $250 each to help with start-up expenses for new community gardens. Grant recipients will be assigned an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer as a garden mentor.
The application form with information about the grants can be downloaded at: https://go.ncsu.edu/communitygardengrant
 
The application is due no later than January 11, 2021. The application requests a description of the project planned, actions already taken toward realizing the project, a plan for going forward, and a detailed account of how the money will be used.


Wishing you all health and wellness,
Quina Weber-Shirk
Community & School Garden Agent
NC Cooperative Extension Guilford County 
UPCOMING OPPORTUNITIES
NC A&T Grassroots Leadership Conference,
In partnership with its Strategic Planning Council, the Cooperative Extension Program at N.C. A&T State University will host the 2020 Grassroots Leadership Conference on Thursday, October 22, 2020, 8:30 a.m.–1 p.m. This year’s conference will be conducted virtually. The conference theme is “Creating Equitable Solutions for Stronger Communities.” - Register Now

Community Gardening Learning Series [webinar]


The Extension Program at North Carolina A&T State University is hosting a Community Garden Zoom Series this fall! A new topic will be covered every other Thursday at noon!"

  • October 8, 2020 – A Year in the Garden, Organizing and Planning Success - Register online





Backyard Composting - Recycling with Nature, Thursday, Oct 8, 6 pm

Presented by the Extension Master Gardener program of Guilford county. Composting is a great natural way to recycle organic material – an estimated 25% of a household’s waste is food scraps and yard trimmings that can be composted. We’ll address the most frequently asked questions about this simple process to help you produce a free soil amendment that improves texture and fertility, which helps all your plants to grow better. Fall leaves provide an excellent seasonal source of raw material so now is a perfect time to get started! Discussion will include the easiest ways to begin in your own backyard, and review the basics like what should or shouldn’t be composted. We’ll also briefly share a little info about having a successful “worm bin” at home. Participants will receive handouts and links to lots of additional research-based information and resources.

Register for the program online - If you encounter problems registering or if you have questions, call Lauren at (336) 641-2400.

THIS MONTH IN THE GARDEN
A chill has entered the air, and I’ve noticed leaves starting to turn around Guilford County -- fall is here! This means starting to pay close attention to the low temperatures forecast this month, and covering sensitive plants in the garden, if needed. Halloween, October 31st, is the average first fall freeze date in Guilford County. This date is an average taken from historical temperature data -- the actual first fall freeze date varies by about a 2 week period. 

NC State University has released two new tools for tracking First and Last Frost Dates by County.

 
Roll your cursor over a colored dot to see information from a specific weather station. There are buttons at the top of the map that let you switch between viewing average first and last frost date.
 
There is also a chart by county
RESOURCES

  • Does your community garden need seeds? Contact Quina Weber-Shirk, Community & School Garden Agent, jjwebers@ncsu.edu