Cucurbit Field Day Draws Farmers from Several Counties

Close to 40 farmers, specialists, and agents participated in a workshop focusing on cucurbits at Fischel Farms in Grassy Creek. Several specialists from Raleigh and the horticultural research station at Mills River were on hand to answer questions and demonstrate scouting practices for squash, melons, and other cucurbits. The field day was organized by Ag Agent Richard Boylan and made possible through funding from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture's Specialty Crop Block Grant and project partners: New River Organic Growers, Watauga and Ashe Cooperative Extension, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, and High Country CSA. Issues with downy and powdery mildew have had a big impact on cucurbits this year, and the team of specialists provided their insights and methods to mitigate these diseases. Participants came from Watauga and Ashe Counties in North Carolina and from bordering Virginia.