CLAY COUNTY CENTER
SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER
Treating for Mosquitoes While Protecting Pollinators
Summer means spending more time outside. But your outdoor events may have some uninvited guests—mosquitoes. These buzzing party crashers are more than annoying. Not only do they cause itchy bites, but they can also carry diseases. There’s no doubt about why you’d want to rid your yard of these pests! Read More
Meet Kim Terrell, Clay County's New FCS Agent
N.C. Cooperative Extension in Macon and Clay Counties are happy to introduce our new Family and Consumer Science Agent, Kim Terrell.
Kim was born and raised in Macon County. She attended Western Carolina University where she obtained both her B.S. and Master’s degrees in Nutrition. She brings a wealth of experience to this position including her RD credential, health education experience as well as experience working with school and community nutrition.
In her new role, she will be working with our communities teaching a variety of foods, nutrition and wellness classes as well as offering the NC Safe Plates Food Safety Certification to local restaurants and food establishments. Information on upcoming classes and nutrition will be posted to our website or you may call the Extension office for more information.
We are excited to welcome her on board and know she will be a great addition to Extension.
Helping Your Children Adapt to the New Routine
Children today are facing a lot of stress and COVID-19 has added more stress to their plate. As parents, we need to be able to detect the changes in their behavior, because as we know younger ones cannot always say what is going on and older ones may not want to talk about it.
Summer temperatures are beginning to cool off which allow more time for working outside. The following are just a few ideas for chores for September
Plant container-grown trees and shrubs
Plant herbaceous perennials.
Continue spraying rose bushes for black spot.
Collect herbs for drying as well as flowers to dry for seed collection.
Christmas Cactus and poinsettias need to be located where they will get 12 hours of continuous darkness every night for about six weeks until flower buds (colored bracts on poinsettias) begin to show. Allow plenty of sunlight during the day.
Continuing feeding hummingbirds. Migrating birds need lots of feeding stations along their route.
Upcoming Virtual ASPIRE (ACT Supplemental
Preparation in Rural Education) Class
Be on the look out for our virtual ASPIRE(ACT Supplemental Preparation in Rural Education) class. Shannon Coleman, 4-H Agent in Cherokee County, and Julie Lyvers, 4-H Agent in Clay County, will be offering the ASPIRE program to students online coming at the end of September. The cost of the class is less then $100 and will be offered between the end of September and should be completed before Christmas break. Students that participate usually raise their scores on the actual ACT. Also this is a great way for the students who are juniors in high school to be prepared for the free ACT test that the state provides for all students at the end of February or first of March each year. Learn more

4-H Virtual Classes
If your child enjoyed taking any of the Summer 4-H Virtual Classes, he/she will enjoy taking the Fall 4-H Virtual Classes. NC 4-H again will offer a variety of classes ages 5 to 18. The information will be available mid-September.

4-H Clubs
Trails and Rails will be meeting online tentatively
on September 21 at 6:00.

Flyers and Tyers are planning to meet online in September on Wednesdays at 4:00, the dates will be announced. 
NORTH CAROLINA 4-H VITUAL LEARNING
Nature Adventures is a virtual learning program aligned with NC Standard Course of Study teaching standards provided for FREE for educators and families. Review our schedule below. Click on the course to see standards alignments and grab materials lists to participate in sessions. ALL SESSIONS ARE HOSTED ON ZOOM. This program is free but you do need to Register.

PROGRAM SCHEDULE

Pesticide Licenses Credit Training
Due to meeting restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are offering one additional training on September 24th. If you need two hours in categories A, B, D, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, T or X and your license is going to expire in 2020, you will need to attend this training. Meeting face-to-face rules are still only 10 including the instructor. We are offering this training both face to face and simultaneously on Zoom for those who choose to attend via internet. If you do not have adequate internet and need to attend face to face, we will require pre-registration for the first 9 who call our office. Those attending via Zoom will be required to register on Eventbrite. You will also need a computer or camera focused on you. The recording will be recorded and you will need to hold up your license(s) to the camera before starting to get credits. If you want to check the credit hours you need for private licenses, go to the Search page.

N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has extended the deadline for obtaining commercial credits to September 30. All training categories are 2 credit hours. The location for this training in Cherokee County is the Cherokee Co. Educational Classroom on 699 Connahetta St. Murphy NC.
JOHN C CAMPBELL FOLK SCHOOL VIRTUAL DEMONSTRATIONS
If you can’t be here in person for our summer and fall workshops, we invite you to join us online! These hour-long virtual demonstrations will give you a chance to learn from a live presentation by our talented instructors, followed by a 10–20 minute Q & A.
These programs will cost $10 to attend via Zoom. LEARN MORE HERE
Deadline Approaching for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program

WASHINGTON, Aug. 28, 2020--U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds farmers and ranchers that the deadline to apply for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) is Sept. 11, 2020. This program provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. Learn more here.
Pre-Order Bulk Sale coming to Fletcher, NC.
The NC Ag Pop-Up Shop is a platform for NC agricultural producers to offer bulk products directly to the consumer. 
The process is simple:
Pre-order your items, below, before September 16th.
Print your order confirmation. We need the order number and the order details.
Pick up your order at the WNC Agricultural Center on Saturday, September 19th, between 8 a.m. - 12 noon.
This is a no contact, drive-thru order pick-up. Show us your receipt and stay in your car while we load your order.
Take it home and enjoy! Read more here.
Local Foods Options
Please click on the links to take you to their website or facebook page, if available. Information being provided by NC Cooperative Extension, Cherokee County Center and NC Cooperative Extension, Clay County Center. Also follow us on our Cherokee County Facebook and Clay County Facebook pages. If you would like to be listed email kelli_miller@ncsu.edu or cindy_chastain@ncsu.edu

Produce
Peachtree Produce (they have curbside pickup)
Johnny's Produce Stand (offering curbside pickup in Andrews)
7 M Family Farms (they have curbside pickup)
Preston Mashburn (Opening date planned late spring/early summer)

Goats and Cheeses
 
Meat Processing:
Adam Farms LLC (Make sure to call and schedule your appointment first.

Beef
Rick Stiles 828-361-1183
Ridgefield Farms ¼’s, halves, and whole beef along with on farm store individual cuts.

Individuals who have stated they have beef:
Sandy Jenkins -
Mark Kephart – (Hanging Dog Community)
Jamie Lance – (Martins Creek Community) call 828-360-5771 for ½ or whole hanging weight price
Dallas McMillan (Unaka Community) Sold out.
 
Trout

Vegetable Plants For Sale
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