CLAY COUNTY CENTER
JUNE 2020 NEWSLETTER
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Message from the County Extension Director
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As our Center maneuvers through the COVID-19 situation, we want to thank everyone for your patience. The staff have been planning and providing programs
virtually
,
which have been very successful. Programs have included gardening basics, canning and preserving, small animal care, managing poultry, growing small fruits, and 4-H Spark activities. 4-H is planning Virtual 4-H Camps and presentations. Because of the planning and success of programming, most of our classes will be taught virtually through July. We have been assisting citizens on the phone, electronically through email, and by home visits. Our contact information is as follows:
To keep everyone safe, understand our office arrangement has changed to assist walk-in customers. Beginning June 15th a "help station" will be located in front of the entrance doors of our office to assist you. To maintain social distancing, we ask that you call and/or email before you plan to visit our office. Also, by calling to make an appointment ensures our staff will be available and not out of the office making visits or teaching a class.
Thank you for your understanding and support. Visit the
Clay County website
for the latest information and follow us on our
Facebook
Page
.
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Specialty Crops Producers Can Now Apply for Financial Assistance Through USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program
WASHINGTON, May 26, 2020-–Specialty crops producers can now apply for USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP), which provides direct payments to offset impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. The application and a payment calculator are now available online and USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) staff members are available via phone, fax and online tools to help producers complete applications. The agency set up a call center in order to simplify how they serve new customers across the nation. Applications will be accepted through August 28, 2020.
Learn More »
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Visit the Clay County Youth Development page!
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Here
you will find information for volunteering for 4-H, enrolling in 4-H, and last but not least activities for youth to do over the summer. Youth do not need to be in 4-H in order to participate in the online programs. There are some 4-H annual online programs for 4-H members and they can be found under Clay County 4- H Clubs.
This page, “Clay County Youth Development,” can be found in the red column on the left side on the
Clay County Extension
website.
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Jayson Weitz
and
Trinity Weitz
are winners of the County Presentation Day. They will both be going on to the District Level in June. Stay tuned to find out if they will be going on to the State Level.
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IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
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June 4 West District 4-H Teen Retreat 3:00 to 5:00.
June 5 Video Presentations due to Julie
June 15-17 4-H Citizenship Focus
June 22-26 NC 4-H CampOut
June 30 Deadline for NC 4-H Photo Contest Entries
July-Virtual 4-H Horse Show
July 6-9 NCSU Horticultural Science Summer Institute
July 20-22 Virtual 4-H Congress
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Empowering Mountain Food Systems Listening Sessions
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The free hour-long session will provide an opportunity for farmers, farmworkers, market managers, and food business owners to share their questions and concerns about farming or producing value-added products during the COVID-19 pandemic and the phased reopening of North Carolina. You will be able to provide valuable feedback to Extension that will help to guide our outreach and educational efforts so that we can meet any emerging needs and continue to support your farm and food businesses during this uncertain time.
To register for the June 4 session or another upcoming session please contact Lisa Gonzalez at
lcgonzal@ncsu.edu
or
828-359-6927
.
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Wild Edible Plants in the Garden Landscape
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The N.C. Cooperative Extension of Cherokee County
office is offering a webinar on finding and identifying wild foods in and around the garden. The class will be taught by
Lisa Gonzalez
. Lisa is a Regional Area Specialized Agent working with the Local Food EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems Project. She is a former Extension agent with experience in wild plants most don’t consider edible.
The webinar will be held via
Zoom on Tuesday, June 16, 2020
, starting at 9 a.m. This class will discuss edible plants that grow in or near the garden, as well as those that can be transplanted to other areas in the landscape. There will be no fee for the class.
Preregistration is required through
Eventbrite
. Class size is limited.
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Testing the Soil for Success
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The topics of this webinar will center around the importance of soil testing, how to take the sample, and filling out the information sheet that is mailed in with the samples. Another webinar will be offered on
June 25
on reading and interpreting the soil test report.
For more information call us at
828-837-2210
,
extension 2
. Registration for this program will be through
Eventbrite
.
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Reading and Interpreting the Soil Report
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The topics of this webinar will be about what all the numbers and acronyms mean and what you need to do to amend the soil. Other topics will be on different fertilizers, amendments, how nutrients affect plants, and pH adjustment.
For more information call us at 828-837-2210, extension 2. Registration for this program will be through
Eventbrite
.
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Produce
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.
Hogs
Rick Stiles 828-361-1183
Individuals who have stated they have beef:
Sandy Jenkins -
Jamie Lance
– (Martins Creek Community) call 828-360-5771 for ½ or whole hanging weight price
Trout
Vegetable Plants For Sale
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The news media are reporting that the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia) has been found in Washington state. This hornet lives up to its name because the queens are more than 2″ long while the workers are about 1 1⁄2″ long. The “murder hornet” nickname given by the media really refers to their well-deserved reputation as a pest because they attack and can destroy an entire bee colony.
Read more
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New Food Storage Infosheets
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Storing food properly can help you maintain the safety, freshness, and quality for your food overtime. Proper food storage and food preservation also helps save money be eliminating food waste. The Safe Plates team has created a new series of food safety infosheets to help you properly store your food.
Read More!
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Western North Carolina Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs
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Western North Carolina is a wonderful place to garden. Almost any type of vegetable or fruit can be grown successfully provided you choose appropriate varieties and plant at the right time of year. The climate, the season, and potential pests all affect the selection of what and when to plant.
Learn More
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Place Your Order for a Live Hog
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WNC Communities in association with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the
Dogwood Health Trust
is providing an opportunity for individuals and families to purchase a live hog. The animals would need to be picked up at the
WNC Regional Livestock Center
.
The processing would need to be done at or a local slaughtering facility. Arrangements for hauling and processing the hog would be the responsibility of the buyer. Reserve a hog by visiting the
WNC Communities website
. To learn about hog prices visit the
USDA Agriculture Marketing Services
.
For other questions feel free to call WNC Communities at
828-252-4783
or email them at
info@wnccommunities.org
. N.C. Cooperative Extension, Cherokee County Center has also developed
Local Food Options
information. If you have questions please call Keith Wood at 828-361-4161.
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VISIT THESE WEBSITES TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CLAY COUNTY CENTER'S UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEWS
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