Extension E-News November 2020
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Welcome Our New
Extension Agent, Agriculture!
Please join us in welcoming Shane Biddix as Mitchell County Cooperative Extension's new Agriculture Extension Agent! Shane was raised on a tobacco and cattle farm in Spruce Pine and has served as a Horticulture Instructor at Mayland Community College for the last 20 years. Prior to working with Mayland, Shane worked with the North Carolina Department of Transportation's Environmental Unit as a Vegetation Management Supervisor. Shane has been involved with Fraser Fir and native plant production since 1993 working with Hawk Mountain Tree Farm and the Blue Ridge Resource Conservation & Development. He has degrees in horticulture and business management and looks forward to working with the citizens of Mitchell County. Shane joins the staff on Wednesday, November 4.
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Reporting Storm Damage Due to Zeta Weather
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photo provided by McDowell News Journal
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If you have experienced storm damage on your farm due to Tropical Storm Zeta, contact the Farm Service Agency (FSA) office at 828.765.5049 ext. 2 so they can send in a report to the state. If there are several reports of significant damage, there is a possibility of getting assistance. Also, the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS) Emergency Services division has asked Cooperative Extension to contact them with reports of damage. The damage can be anything from washed out roads/culverts that prohibit being able to access livestock, significant flooding of fields that affect livestock/crops, wind damages to structures or fencing on farms. If you have experienced any of these, please contact the Cooperative Extension Center at 828.688.4811 so we can forward the information to NCDA&CS.
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Mitchell County Extension Advisory Council
Meeting - 5:30pm, Tuesday, November 10
The next regularly scheduled Extension Advisory Council meeting will be held at 5:30pm, Tuesday, November 10 via Zoom. Council members will find Zoom link in their email inboxes soon! |
Production Techniques for High Tunnels
Regional Seminars for Commercial Growers
Please Join NC Cooperative Extension, ASAP, & Empowering Mtn Food Systems for a Series of Regional Seminars on High Tunnel Production
These workshops are aimed at training growers considering production of crops in a High Tunnel for direct market outlets (tailgate markets, farm stands, CSA, etc.). Craig Mauney, Extension Area Specialized Agent, Lisa Gonzalez, Clay County Extension Director and Mary Jac Brennan, Heartplace Farm Consulting will lead the group of specialists, Agents, and Farmers from various locations to provide 3 seminars.
Specific topics include equipment & infrastructure, enterprise budgets, soil management, crop planning, seeding and transplanting, best crops and cover crops for high tunnels, pest management, food safety and marketing. Workshop includes lectures, question and answer as well as a farm focus case study.
Seminar 2- Operating Your High Tunnel
Date: November 10, 2020, 3:00pm-5:00pm
Seminar 3- Food Safety Plans and Marketing for Your High Tunnel Operation
Date: November 17, 2020, 3:00pm-5:00pm
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Farm City Week
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photo provided by Nationadaycalendar.com
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Long before the founding of the United States, farms and ranches have been an essential part of civilization. Generations of farms continue to provide economic, environmental, and health benefits.
Farmers contributions; from the crops and livestock we eat, to the textiles we use for clothing and shoes; supplement the economy with jobs while providing bountiful crops to feed our population. As a way to recognize farmers and ranchers, there will be educational forums, social media campaigns, and local events held during National Farm City Week.
Farmers also benefit the urban centers. Distributors, restaurants, grocers, producers, and more provide expanded utilization of farm products. Whether they're providing food, medicines, or textiles to consumers, farmers have an economic impact in their city as well as in the rural communities.
Be thankful for the farmers and ranchers in our country. They continuously seek ways to improve farming methods while providing safe and healthful products. While we consider where the food on our table comes from this Thanksgiving, think about the impact of farms on your life.
No matter where we live, on the farm or in the city, a farmer touches our lives. Use #FarmCityWeek to give a shout out to the farmers, ranchers, and merchants who support them.
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Safe Holiday Breaks AND Buying & Thawing Your Turkey Safely!
Holiday gatherings will look differently this year due to COVID-19. We'll be attentive to smaller groups, mask wearing and social distancing but let's not forget about safe food preparation!
Neither food or food packaging are considered significant ways of spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. However, it's always important to follow good safety practices when handling and preparing food. Be sure to: maintain personal hygiene, limit time food is between 41-135 degrees F, cook food to proper temperatures, and clean and sanitize surfaces.
If you're preparing turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday, this video may prove helpful!
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| | Homegrown | Buying and Thawing Your Thanksgiving Turkey |
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Medicare Open Enrollment Thru December 7th
Do You Need Assistance?
The Seniors' Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) counsels Medicare beneficiaries and caregivers about Medicare, Medicare supplements, Medicare Advantage, Medicare Part D, and long-term care insurance. Counselors offer free and unbiased information regarding Medicare health care products.
SHIIP counselors are not licensed insurance agents, and they do not sell or endorse any product, plan, or company. If you have questions about your specific plan, we encourage you to contact your insurance agent or the insurance company.
Vonda Vaughn, Extension Administrative Assistant, serves as a SHIIP volunteer and can help answer any questions you may have about enrollment/re-enrollment. Call Vonda at 828.688.48811 or email [email protected] to schedule a consultation.
All appointments will be conducted over the phone.
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It's Move-mber!
We all need to move daily and North Carolina 4-H makes it fun and easy to do! Let's do it together! Eve is pledging to exercise for at least one hour every day throughout November! You can too! Did I mention there are prizes involved?...
Register now and record your activities by December 1 Get all the details and sign up here!!
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Encourage your 4-H youth to design a December 2020 holiday card for the Avery/Mitchell County 4-H Youth Development Programs. The winning design(s) will be the cover of the holiday cards that will be sent to livestock producers located in Avery and Mitchell Counties. |
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Christmas 'Neath the Roan....
Coming to Bakersville Soon!
Lots of festivities are being planned to celebrate "Christmas 'Neath the Roan" in Bakersville! Yes, it will look differently due to COVID-19 requirements but there will be lots of fun to be had! Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 5th for a drive-thru visit with Santa and, hopefully, a drive-in Christmas movie organized by Mitchell County 4-H and Blue Ridge Partnership for Children! Also, youth will pick up mask decorating supplies to decorate fun, creative masks during this time! Since we're wearing masks to be safe, make wearing one fun! Stay tuned for more information!
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A.L.I.V.E
Active Life-Skill Instruction and Vocational Exploration
The word "values" means different things to different people. The activities in, " Activities That Teach Family Values,"by Tom Jackson provides an opportunity to share your beliefs with your children and have fun at the same time.
The activity that can be found below is about respect, laws, rules, and consequences. Tom Jackson provides a concept for this activity: Everyone needs to respect the laws of their communities. This type of respect extends beyond the criminal law; it also applies to school rules and family rules. Too often we will look at a law or rule and say, "I don't see why that should apply to me." What we don't realize is that we may not be seeing the larger picture. Imagine visiting a gorgeous beach with beautiful white sands and lovely, warm water on a warm, sunny day. The water looks very inviting, but there is a sign that reads "Beach closed to swimming." As you look around you can't see anything wrong with the water, so in you go. Unfortunately, there is a strong undertow current that starts to pull you out to sea. You are barely able to get back to shore safely. The sign forbidding swimming was put there by someone who knew more than you did. Breaking rules result in consequences that remind us to respect the law and other rules for our own safety and benefit.
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