NC Hops Project Has a New Website!

Check out Dr. Jeanine Davis's blogpost on the NC Alternative Crops and Organics Blog about the new NC Hops Project website.

This will undoubtedly be a great resource for individuals considering hops production in NC.

Check out the new website directly at http://nchops.soil.ncsu.edu/.

Should Organic Beers Contain Organic Hops?

Here is an article from the Yakima Herald-Republic via the Kitsap Sun website that was forwarded to me about the struggle for organic hops producers in the Pacific-Northwest to sell their crop.
For Organic Hops Farmers in Washington, Gov. Obstacles

The difficulty lies in the National Organic Program exemptions for some non-organic ingredients that are allowed in organic products.

I'd like to hear what you think about these exemptions. Use the the comments function below.

WNC Tailgate Market Video

The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP) has created a great commercial for our local tailgate markets that are members of the Mountain Tailgate Market Association (MTMA). The purpose is to introduce our local tailgate markets to new clients. The commercial is visually stunning and features a local grower.

The commercial will run on cable channels (it will not run on Direct TV or Dish) in all counties where there is a market that is a member of the MTMA. The 30 second commercial began running this Wednesday. The commercial will also air in the Spring.

WNC Tailgate Markets are encouraged to embed this commercial to their websites, blogs or Facebook pages.



To view the commercial in YouTube visit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYUBiOxwHf0

To learn more about the MTMA or to sign-up your tailgate market to become a member, visit the MTMA website for details.

Farmers Markets: There's an App for That

GrowingProduce.com just reported on a new app that Apple iTunes store has just launched for smartphones that is designed for food lovers to locate farmers markets in their area.

Unfortunately, the "Farmers Market Finder" app will only help market lovers in California, Massachusetts, Florida, Delaware, Rhode Island, Virginia, Vermont, Washington D.C, Georgia, Maryland and New York.

We need this in North Carolina!

Below are some of the features of this neat new app (from the GrowingProduce.com article "Smartphones and Farmers Markets"):

"Apptika’s Farmers Market Finder apps provide a comprehensive listing of farmers markets, farms/farmstands and CSAs with:

• Address and Location Description
• Amenities (i.e. fruit, veggies, meat, bakery, prepared foods, etc)
• Months/days/hours of operation
• Website, phone and/or email contact information, if available
• Special information, when available, such as parking, winter hours, and“rain or shine” info
• Ability to save to Favorites.

The app has a built-in interactive map that utilizes geolocation to:

• Locate the farmers markets to your location
• Browse an entire state, county or metropolitan area
• Get turn-by-turn directions"

October 2010 Strawberry Grower Newsletter

The October 2010 Strawberry Grower Newsletter is now available.

In this issue:

• The NC Strawberry Growers Association Receives Grant for Marketing and Promotion
• Southeast Strawberry Expo in Virginia Beach
• Scientists and Chefs: A New Strawberry Partnership
• Dr. Barclay Poling: My Impending Retirement
• New Processing Plant for Strawberries
• October-November Growers Checklist
• Grant Programs for Farmers, Researchers and Extension
• Study on Organic Strawberry Farms
• Calendar
• Intensive Workshops
• and more!

Want to learn more about the NC Strawberry Growers Association? Visit http://www.ncstrawberry.org/

Farm Equipment Auction, Oct 9

There will be a farm equipment auction on Saturday October 9 at the WNC Ag Center in Fletcher, NC starting at 9 am.

Types of items to be auctioned include:

• Tractors
• Sprayers
• Transplanting equipment
  
• Bedder
• Equipment trailers

To view the details of the auction at http://www.auctionzip.com/cgi-bin/auctionview.cgi?lid=951877