Extension E-News January 2021 |
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Mitchell County Extension Advisory Council
Meeting - 8:00am, Tuesday, January 19
The next regularly scheduled Extension Advisory Council meeting will be held at 8:00am, Tuesday, January 19 via Zoom. Council members will find Zoom link in their email inboxes soon!
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WESTERN NC COMMERCIAL FRUIT & VEGETABLE PROGRAM
Enhancing Your Growing Practices - 3 Part Series for Small Farms
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January 21, 2021 | 2:00-4:30 pm
Seminar 1: On-Farm Food Safety Basics & is GAP Certification for you
This Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) workshop will address how farmers of all sizes can achieve USDA GAPs certification, deliver information on principles of fresh produce safety and on-farm hazard assessment, as well as provide assistance with creating a fresh produce farm safety plan.
Farmers will receive instruction concerning the tools needed to identify potential food safety concerns as well as strategies to minimize issues. By attending participants will understand the GAP Process and be able to understand if GAP Certification is best for your farm.
February 11, 2021 | 1:00-5:00 pm
Seminar 2: Writing and Implementing your GAP Certification Plan for Your Farm
This Good Agriculture Practices (GAPs) workshop will provide assistance to producers in completing a fresh produce safety plan. Attendees will leave this session with the knowledge to prepare working draft of their specific food safety plan, which becomes the framework for an audit, and can be used to demonstrate individual farm risk-reduction steps.
March 11, 2021 | 2:00-4:00 pm
Seminar 3: How to Market Your GAP Certification & How to Connect with Buyers in Your Area
Whether you are the next generation on the farm obtaining your GAP Certification or an established producer with GAP Certification looking to expand your customer base, this webinar will offer an overview of direct market opportunities and moving toward selling wholesale. Strategies for tapping into regional demand for local food will be discussed.
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2021 Winter Vegetable Conference
& 53rd Annual Tomato Growers Meeting
February 24-25
This is the largest commercial vegetable grower event in the region with a high-quality educational program put together by vegetable Extension specialists/agents at NC State Extension. Includes a virtual trade show where attendees can meet with representatives from agricultural companies that support the vegetable industry.
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"At the start of a new year, many folks consider how they might want to change their habits, and health is commonly a topic of consideration. Diets often promise quick results, but according to a UCLA study, "50 percent of dieters weighed more than 11 pounds over their starting weight five years after the diet". For long term success in maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle, try following the USDA guideline to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables. You may also choose to focus on variety and create a plate with many different colors that looks like a rainbow. These two ideas are simple enough that you don't have to write them down or reference a guide to make sure you're on track. They also offer a wonderful alternative to the shame and guilt that often come with elimination style diets.
Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!"
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Growing Microgreens
Does winter have you craving fresh veggies? Are you look-ing for a way to use your seed starting area before you start garden transplants? If you answered “yes,” then consider growing microgreens indoors this winter. Microgreens are baby greens harvested when the first true leaves emerge. They can be used as garnishes in soups, sandwiches, or other dishes. Many edible plants make excellent microgreens, including plants whose greens are not often consumed, such as carrots. Lettuces do not make good microgreens because they are too delicate. Common choices are broccoli, dill, basil, beets, and mustards. The flavors are often similar to the mature plant but tend to be more subtle, and the greens are more nutritious. To grow your own, put soilless media from ½-inch to 1-inch deep into a sterile tray with drainage holes. Broadcast seeds across the entire tray or plant in rows and gently press into the media. Cover with a thin layer of media and keep them watered. Some harder seeds, like beets, will germinate more easily if they are soaked in water before sowing. Different plants used for micro-greens vary in time from planting to harvest, but typically the process takes 7 to 21 days. It is easiest to sow only one cultivar in a tray. But if you would like variety, consider planting cultivars that germinate and reach harvest stage in the same amount of time. Pre-blended seed mixes are also available for purchase. Use a heat mat underneath the tray for more even germination. Consider using a grow light if you do not have a south-facing window with good natural light in winter. To harvest, use clean scissors to cut the microgreens and gently scoop the harvested handfuls into a clean receptacle. Store in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or clamshell until you are ready to enjoy them. For more information, contact Eve Kindley, County Extension Director at [email protected] or call 828.688.4811.
Article originally published by Elina Snyder in NC State Extension Gardener NC
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Horse Management in Winter
During the winter months, a horse’s basic need of feed and shelter are critical to maintaining overall health.
WATER
On average, a horse needs about 10-12 gallons of water each day. In the winter months, water troughs freeze and need to be busted so that horses and other livestock can drink from them. To avoid this, you can buy a tank heater to prevent the trough from freezing. This also aids in the prevention of horses avoiding water consumption due to the cold-water temperature. An old trick to coax livestock, including horses, to drink more water is to provide salt blocks free choice or include a small amount of salt in their feed. A preferred action, is to add warm water to their grain, making the feed soupy when being fed.
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4-H College Scholarship Applications Due January 20!
The deadline for submitting college scholarships is Wednesday, January 20 to the Mitchell County Extension Center. Eve is required to review and provide feedback to any Mitchell County 4-H members who are applying BEFORE applications before submitting them to the State 4-H Office in Raleigh. If you are submitting a scholarship application, please arrange to have Eve review it NO LATER THAN 5PM, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20. To learn about what's required and what 4-H scholarships are available, please visit our Mitchell County Cooperative Extension website.
4-H Project Records Due February 15!
It's hard to believe it but it's almost time to submit 4-H Project Records! If you need help, Eve is willing and able - just ask! 4-H Project Records are due to the Mitchell County Extension Center NO LATER THAN 5PM, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15. More information can be found on the Mitchell County Cooperative Extension website.
What is a 4-H Project Record Anyway?
4-H Project Records are used by 4-H members to demonstrate the goals they have set, what they have learned, and what they have achieved during their 4-H year. The records should provide clear and detailed information so that anyone can understand your project and the outcomes and learnings.
4-H Project Records help you move through something you want to learn (and do)! Just about anything you're interested in can be turned into a project record! You can create project records about music, sports, cooking, animals (wild and domesticated), art, leadership...the list is long! And there are fun ways to report about what you've learned and done - from writing a 4-H story to creating scrapbook pages!
Want to learn more? Register to attend a 4-H Project Record Zoom meeting on one of the following dates/times: Thursday, January 14 (Cloverbuds and members ages 8-12), Thursday, January 21 (members ages 13-18), Thursday, January 28 (Cloverbuds and members ages 8-12), and Thursday, February 4 (members ages 13-18). All sessions are from 7-8pm. Register here or simply call the Extension Center and register with Vonda.
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According to North Carolina 4-H, Essential Elements are critical to effective youth development programs. These elements help youth become competent, contributing citizens. They focus on social, physical, and emotional well-being, and are necessary for positive youth development. Planned focus on these elements allows youth to benefit from participating in hands-on experiential activities and events, feeling nurtured in a safe environment, gaining new skills, and abilities, and knowing that they are contributing in their community in a positive way. Using essential elements in activities is important to youth development in numerous ways. They reinforce sustained youth adult relationships and highlight mastering skills that can be used in the real world. If these experiences take place in safe and inclusive environments, youth are more likely to become involved civilly. Supportive communities can undergrad young people’s sense of worthiness and competence and help them contribute to the well being of the larger community.
The ALIVE program provides opportunities and experiences for young people ages 12-18, in hopes to encourage healthy life-style choices and behaviors. The ALIVE program teaches life, vocational, and interpersonal skills that are done through activities like money management, budgeting, career exploration, conflict resolution, communication, public speaking, self-esteem building, etiquette, gardening, and more. Overall, the goals of these activities is to encourage confidence and responsibility within our Mitchell County youth so they may grow into active participants in our community.
For more information about the ALIVE program, contact Jennifer Guerrero, ALIVE Program Coordinator at 828.688.4811 or email [email protected]
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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.
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.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made
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