March 2018
 

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Annual Small Fruit Plant Sale - Ends March 2nd



CLICK HERE to get all the details on our plants for 2018!

Plant Pick-Up Days are March 14 & 15 

Onions Belong in Salads, Not Lawns

The weather's warming up and along with spring weather comes spring weeds. None are any more dreaded than wild onion or garlic.  These are winter perennials. They come up in the late fall and grow through the winter and spring. Bulblets are formed in the late spring and the plant dies back in the summer, just to reappear in the fall.
 
To control wild onion or garlic, digging them with a trowel might be a suitable option if only a few plants are present. Hand pulling is useless.
 
A post-emergence herbicide is the key to control but it does take more than one application and more than one season to achieve total control. An herbicide containing 2,4-D should be applied in March and again in November. Because plants have a waxy exterior, a spreader sticker added to the spray will help the pesticide to adhere to the leaf. A couple of squirts of dishwashing liquid in the sprayer should do the trick. Mow immediately before spraying, then leave the lawn alone for 2 weeks.
 
Timing, repeat applications and the correct herbicide are the keys to successfully controlling this familiar weed of the southern garden and lawn.

4-H Update
March

4-H Volunteer Fun Day

Saturday March 17, 2018
at Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center Mills River, NC 10am-2pm. Exciting Interactive workshops such as Gardening Projects for Middle School, Hosting a Chopped Challenge, the 2018 4-H Electric Kit and more! $10 Early Bird registration by March 9, $15 registration by March 14. Lunch is provided. For more information about registration or for questions, call Nicki Carpenter at 828-764-9480.

West District 4-H Teen Retreat

March 24 & 25, 2018
Burke County 4-H will be heading to the West District 4-H Teen Retreat held at the YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly in Black Mountain, NC. This is for youth ages 13-18 (as of Jan.1, 2018). Teen Retreat weekend consist of hands-on workshops for youth in areas of citizenship, leadership, public speaking, electricity and more. Other highlights include: Dance, Campfire, Officer elections and more!

SAVE THE DATE!

4-H Achievement Night will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at the Hildebran Library. Achievement Night recognizes 4-H members, clubs and supporters accomplishment from 2017 to present.  

Burke County Beekeepers 
March 20, 2018
6:30 pm


The Burke County Beekeepers Association (BCBA) meets monthly at the Burke County Agricultural Building located at 130 Ammons Drive in Morganton.  There is a featured speaker each month and the public is invited to attend. The BCBA is a chapter of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association.   

Military Egg Hunt 
Community Service Project

Burke County 4-H is helping provide stuffed eggs for the Military Egg Hunt for the National Reserve on March 31. The hunt will be held at Gamewell Park, 2750 Old Morganton Rd.  in Lenoir from 1-4pm on March 31, 2018. They may also need volunteers to help, let Nicki Carpenter know if you are interested in volunteering at the hunt. This egg hunt will be for all military children. We would love the community of Extension supporters to help with this community service project. Please bring candy filled eggs to our office by Friday, March 23. Thank you!



Fee for the workshop is $15. 
Click Here to register and pay online. 


America's farmers and ranchers have the opportunity to strongly represent agriculture in their communities and industry by taking part in the Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the census, was mailed at the end of the year.
The survey is the only source of uniform, comprehensive and impartial agricultural data for every county in the nation. It's a complete count of U.S. farms and the people who operate them. From small plots of urban and rural land to large farms with thousands of acres, the Census counts them all plus looks at land use, ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures.
If you haven't responded yet, there's still time. In order to have the most complete, accurate data, we need every farmer to respond. Data from the 2017 Census of Agriculture will be available in February 2019.

For more information about the Census of Agriculture, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or

'Make Sure You Are Counted'
 

Pesticide Recertification Classes Scheduled for 2018






Scholarship Opportunity
Caldwell County Nurserymen's Association

The Caldwell County Nurserymen's Association will also award three $500 scholarships to deserving students enrolling in a horticulture program at a North Carolina college during the 2018-2019 term. The scholarship is open to students from Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, McDowell, and Wilkes counties. Applications are due by March 31, 2018 and are available at our office or on our website at
 

Call Amanda Taylor at 828-764-9480 for more information.


Deworming Horses

In short, parasite control in horses is much different than in other farm livestock. With cattle, the goal is to increase performance, by reducing the competition for nutrients from the parasites. With the horse, we deworm in order to increase the animal's useful life, seeking to maintain a high level of athletic ability. The intensiveness of this parasite control is mandated by a unique physical attribute of horses.
 
In horses, the mesenteric artery supplies the entire blood supply to their digestive system. Any migrating strongyles use their mouthparts to hold on as they climb against the flow of blood in this 3-4-inch-long passageway.
 
Just as mosquitoes irritate our skin as they bite, these worms irritate the lining of the mesenteric artery as they move through it. Over time, continued irritation to the lining, weakens the walls, and aneurysms develop. During exercise or strenuous activity, these can rupture, and the animal will die in a matter of seconds.
 
Over the years, horses left alone on pasture, without a strategic deworming rotation, can be ticking time bombs, where one stressful event can trigger an aneurysm, followed by instant death. So, deworm your horses on a scheduled rotation and you may well extend their lives.
 

Commercial Poultry Growers Meeting 
March 20, 2018

The 2018 Commercial Poultry Grower's Meeting will be held at the Iredell County Center in Statesville NC. Topics include Poultry Mortality Regulations, NCDA requirements for mortality disposal, up to date soil nutrient uptake research, EPA and CERCLA Updates, available cost share programs for poultry growers, and much more. Lunch will be provided so please RSVP by calling Tiffany Hancock at (919) 545-8304.

3 hours of animal waste credits will be available for those attending.

For accomodations for persons with disabilities, please call Tiffany Hancock at (919)545-8304 no later than March 12th.

Innovative Program Grant

Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T invite applicants to submit proposals for Innovative Program Grants which spur "new" innovative programs/projects that improve the quality of life for underserved, underrepresented limited resource individuals, families and communities in North Carolina. The program/project should also provide quality service, increase program accessibility, improve delivery, encourage teamwork, collaboration, and reframe problems into opportunities to significantly develop the capacity of individuals, families and communities in finding new solutions to their problems. The program/project must align with the mission of Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T ( click to access Mission Possible). The maximum grant award is $15,000. All full-time county employees of NCCE (Cooperative Extension at N.C. A&T and NC State Extension) are eligible to submit applications. County Extension Directors must support the proposal and agree to monitor the progress and completion of the grant.
 
The Innovative Program Grant application period is February 24 - March 15, 2018. You are encouraged to  Apply Now Awardees will be notified by April 1, 2018.
 
32nd Annual Small Farms Week
March 25-31, 2018

The 32nd Annual Small Farms Week hosted by Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University is March 25-31, 2018. The event kicks off on March 26 th in Robeson County, home of the 2017 Small Farmer of the Year. The Small Farmers' Appreciation Luncheon is Wednesday, March 28th and will be on A&T's campus at the Alumni Events Center. During this event, the 2018 Small Farmer of the Year will be named. Registration is $30; however this fee is waived for NC small farmers. Click HERE to register. A limited number of scholarships are available to support NC small farmers participation in campus events on March 27-28. The deadline to apply is March 2nd. Scholarships cover the cost of registration and include one night's lodging in Greensboro. The scholarship application is built within the registration system. NC small farmers that meet eligibility requirements will be prompted to apply for a scholarship.
 
For more information about Small Farms Week, please visit the NC A&T University website by clicking  HERE

NC State Extension is committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, political beliefs, family and marital status, sex, age, veteran status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability.
Contact:
Burke County Center
130 Ammons Drive, Morganton, NC 28655
828-764-9480