Davidson County Center
April News
Equine Workshop
Davidson, Davie, Forsyth & Yadkin Extension Offices are joining together to host an equine workshop on Monday, April 8 at 6 p.m. It will be held at Thoroughbred Training Center (TTC), 158 McCashin Lane, Mocksville.

Topics to be covered include: Pasture Management, Nutrition, and Equine Health Management.

A FREE supper will be provided (by TTC) to everyone that RSVP's by April 1. Space is LIMITED.

Sheep & Goat Workshop
North Carolina Cooperative Extension will host a Sheep & Goat Workshop on Tuesday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Davidson County Extension Office, 301 E. Center St. Lexington. 

Topics will include: Nutrition & Feeding Management, Health Management (Deworming), and Hoof Care.  

Big Dreams, Small Farms
The Big Dreams, Small Farms series is part of NC Farm School geared to beginning farmers. Each day will have a lecture in the morning, followed by a farm visit in the afternoon. Workshop locations will vary by topic. Registration is now open.

Dates:
* April 11 - Pastured Pork - Stanly County
* April 25 - Agritourism - Rowan County
* May 9 - Pastured Poultry - Davidson County
* May 23 - Small Fruit - Cabarrus County
* June 13 - Market Garden - Rowan County

Gardening 101 Workshop Series
Bring your lunch for the Gardening 101 Workshop Series. The classes will be held at the Davidson County Extension Office.

The Garden Design session will cover the basics of designing a garden, from drainage, soil types, site sleection, to design principles. The Starting A Vegetable Garden session will cover seed and plant selection and provide tips for a healthy harvest. You will learn the basics of Integrated Pest Management and avoiding or eliminating some insect pest issues at the Gardening Without Pests session.

Dates:
* April 12 - Garden Design - 12-1 p.m.
* April 24 - Starting a Vegetable Garden - 12-1 p.m.
* May 1 - Gardening Without Pests - 12-1 p.m.

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Information Session
North Carolina Cooperative Extension will host an information session regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to share how the new FSMA rules apply to your farm. It will be held on Wednesday, April 17 from 3-5 p.m. at the Davidson County Extension Office, 301 E. Center St. Lexington. 
Business of Farming Series
Davidson County Extension along with Davidson County Community College Small Business Center will host a four-part series to help new & beginning farmers to treat their farm as a business. Pre-registration is required. The series is sponsored by Carolina Farm Credit.

Dates:
* April 25 - Marketing

Piedmont Regional Goat & Sheep Conference
Registration is now open for the Piedmont Regional Goat & Sheep Conference. This event will be held Saturday, May 11 at the Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center in Pittsboro, NC. You can register online. Early registration (by May 1) is $15. On-site registration is $20.

Agenda for the day:
9:30 a.m. - Registration
10 a.m. - Opening Session - Latest Recommendations for Controlling Internal Parasites in Small Ruminants
11 a.m. - Concurrent Sessions (choose 1) - Carcass evaluation; Getting your business idea off the ground; Feeding your herd or flock
12 p.m. - Lunch
1 p.m. - Concurrent Sessions (choose 1) - Options for growing/finishing lambs & kids; Small scale budgets; Pasture establishment & Forage selection
2 p.m. - Closing Session - Marketing Sheep & Goats to Ethnic Markets.
3 p.m. - Adjourn

Join Our Mailing Lists
Feel free to share this newsletter with others you think may be interested in our events! You can stay up to date on what is happening at the NC Cooperative Extension, Davidson County Center by completing the online form to receive email updates.

Upcoming Events:
Equine Workshop - TTC, Mocksville, NC
* April 8 - 6 p.m.

Sheep & Goat Workshop - Davidson County Extension Office
* April 9 - 6:30 p.m.

* April 11 - Pastured Pork - Stanly County - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
* April 25 - Agritourism - Rowan County - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
* May 9 - Pastured Poultry - Davidson County - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
* May 23 - Small Fruit - Cabarrus County - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
* June 13 - Market Garden - Rowan County - 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

* April 12 - Garden Design - 12-1 p.m.
* April 24 - Starting a Vegetable Garden - 12-1 p.m.
* May 1 - Gardening Without Pests - 12-1 p.m.

Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Information Session - Davidson County Extension Office
* April 17- 3 p.m.

Business of Farming Series - Davidson County Extension Office
* April 25 - Marketing - 2-5 p.m.

Piedmont Regional Goat & Sheep Conference - Chatham County Agriculture & Conference Center, Pittsboro, NC
* May 11 - 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m.



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.