Does Your Forest Talk Money?

North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension Service will host an evening workshop titled “Does Your Forest Talk Money?” on March 8, from 6:00--9:30 pm.  Forest land owners, farmers, wild crafters, and food entrepreneurs are invited to participate in the event at the Agricultural Conference Center here in Boone.  Featured speakers include Jeanine Davis, Ph.D., a horticulturist with the Special Crops Program of NCSU, Caroline Edwards, Non Timber Forest Products Advisor of NCSU; Michael Cheek and Brian Schneider of the NC Division of Forest Resources, Alyx Perry, Director of Southern Forests Network.

Limited quantities of FREE Ginseng Seeds 

and Books: “Growing and Marketing Ginseng, Goldenseal &Other Woodland Medicinals” by Persons and Davis.  

Please call the Watauga County Extension Service at 828) 264-3061 if you will attend, so that handouts will be sufficient. No registration fee. Light snacks will be provided.

Melting Away the Icy Blues

When you venture outside this winter you’ll likely have some appreciation for ice melt products that keep you from slipping and sliding.  A number of different ice melt products (also called de-icers) exist and it’s in your best interest to inform yourself on their risks and limitations.

Magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, sodium chloride, and potassium chloride are common ingredients in de-icing products.  Calcium and sodium chloride can damage concrete surfaces, as well as stone and brick and are particularly harsh on plants.  Magnesium and potassium chloride are moderately damaging to plants.  There are also products labeled as “pet-friendly” or “environmentally-friendly”  that commonly use calcium magnesium acetate as an active ingredient.  These products typically cause little damage to concrete and plants and are often the best approach for effective melting without damaging landscapes.  The bottom line is that using excessive amounts of any of these products can lead to problems in the landscape and on surfaces.  You should always carefully follow the label of the de-icing product you’re using.

Occasionally people will use leftover fertilizer granules to melt ice.  While fertilizers do contain salt compounds, they are also full of other materials that will reduce the overall melting ability, so they don’t work as well as other de-icers.  Fertilizers applied to icy sidewalks, roadways and steps will be carried directly into drains, and eventually our creeks and rivers.  These excess nutrients in water supplies are a health threat and greatly damage natural habitats.  The bottom line... fertilizers should NEVER be used as de-icers!

The liberal use of de-icers during a harsh winter can lead to salt damage in landscapes.  Salt damage on plants is never an easy fix. Evergreen needles that have been sprayed with salt mist from roadways will turn brown.  Sometimes entire branches turn brown and die.  Salt can also cause stunted or deformed growth the following spring.  Research also shows that excessive salts can lead to greater susceptibility to insect and disease problems.  Be mindful of the risks of excessive amounts of de-icers near your plants.

It’s important to understand that ice melt products cannot replace the chore of shoveling.  Ice melt products work best if they are applied BEFORE snow and ice coat surfaces.  You can also utilize sand to help you gain traction on slick surfaces.  Always apply de-icing materials safely and wisely and remember... it’s only 67 more days until the official beginning of spring!

Watauga Extension's International Audience

Ete-sen! Bonjour! Ni hao! Hola!  to all our international visitors.  In order to track our "traffic" here on the blog, we use statcounter.com which lets you get a map of folks visiting the site. From Hickory NC to San Francisco California, to Ghana to Indonesia to Turkey to Chile, the Watauga County Extension blog has had over 3,000 hits since we began in March of 2010 and over 1,800 unique users.

Commercial-Scale, Certified Organic Production & Certification Class begins 1/20 in Ashe

Commercial-Scale, Certified Organic Production & Certification Class begins 1/20

NC Cooperative Extension Presents A class for farmers wanting to begin or transition to Commercial-Scale, Certified Organic Production Of Vegetable, Flower, and Fruit Crops. This class is geared toward growers who are or will soon be set-up for commercial scale production (1-acre of ready-to-cultivate field land or more), and wish to enter the expanding Certified Organic Market. Topics covered will include soils & fertility, disease identification & control, insect identification & control, weed management, post-harvest handling, certification & record-keeping, and marketing to retail & wholesale buyers.

The class will meet on Thursdays, from 6-8 PM, at the Ashe County Extension Center during the winter and early Spring of 2011.

Participating growers will receive books and digital media on organic agriculture, weed management, disease identification, and organic pest control.

Cost: $50 – Class limited to 20 growers

Schedule:

• January 20 – Introduction to Organics & Certification, and Marketing to Wholesale buyers

• January 27 – Planning Your Organic Crops, Cover Crops, & Rotations

• February 3 – Soils & Fertility in Organic Systems

• February 10 - Weed Management in Organic Systems

• February 17 – Disease Management in Organic Systems

• February 24 – Insect Management in Organic Systems

• March 3 – Pest Management Wrap-up & Post-Harvest Handling for Selected Crops

• March 10 – Certification Details Wrap-up

For more information, call the Ashe County Extension office at (336) 846-5850, or the Watauga County Cooperative Extension office at (828) 264-3061, or e-mail Richard Boylan at richard_boylan@ncsu.edu

2011 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program

The Watauga County Cooperative Extension Service is looking for dedicated individuals to participate in the 2011 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program. The training is an intensive overview of horticultural practices for beginning and advanced gardeners. No experience is necessary to apply for the program. Once the training is completed, participants then have one year to contribute 40 hours of volunteer service to the community. Past volunteer projects include maintaining community gardens, growing transplants for school gardens, teaching children's gardening programs, and developing horticultural factsheets for the Cooperative Extension office.

The 2011 course meets weekly beginning on Thursday, February 17^th from 9 AM to 12:30 PM. Lectures and hands-on activities in basic botany, plant propagation, soils and composting, insects, diseases, weeds, pruning, vegetables and ornamentals will be covered. The course fee is $ 115 and includes a comprehensive training manual and additional materials throughout the course. Two reduced-fee scholarships are also available to qualifying individuals. Anyone interested in the program should complete an application form by January 28, 2011.

Application forms are available HERE. Contact Meghan Baker for additional information: Meghan_baker@ncsu.edu or 828-264-3061.

4-H Camping 2011

4-H Camp Registration open

It's not too early to begin enrolling for 4-H Camp for Summer 2011. Watauga County 4-H will escort a group of 8-14 year old campers to Betsy-Jeff Penn 4-H Center. The center is located above Greensboro in Rockingham County, near Reidsville. The camping week is June 26-July 1. To guarantee a spot, register by January 28. The good news is you can reserve your spot with a $100.00 deposit and have until June to save up for the rest of the fee, which is $280.00 more (a total of $380.00). The fee covers meals, lodging, t-shirt, transportation to camp and more. Registration will continue beyond January 28, but spaces may not be guaranteed. Contact the 4-H office at 264-3061 for more information or to register. Click here for registration information. To see the camp, check here.