NEWS RELEASE: 2013 WNC AGOPTIONS AWARDS ANNOUNCED

NEWS RELEASE: 2013 WNC AGOPTIONS AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Program Contact: Jennifer Ferre, (828) 252-4783, admin@wncagoptions.org;
Or the local N.C. Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent

Grants boost farm profits, sustain businesses for future generations:
Projects include innovative hydroponic fodder system, micropropagation
lab and no-till equipment

MILLS RIVER, N.C.—Western North Carolina farmers received $148,500 in
WNC Agricultural Options grants to diversify their farm businesses in
the 2013 growing season. The 28 grant recipients celebrated Tuesday at
an event at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension
Center in Mills River. The goal of the farms' projects is to enhance
profitability.

The WNC AgOptions grant program has been funded exclusively by the
N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission since 2003. "The Commission is very
pleased to fund and support the WNC AgOptions program for another
year," said Bill Teague, Chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund
Commission. "We expect to see some unique projects, because mountain
farmers have shown they are resourceful, innovative and committed to
making their farms successful."

Six farm businesses received $3,000, one received $4,500, and 21
received $6,000. Many of the farmers are undertaking projects that are
unique to their counties, and some are leading the way in innovative
agriculture nationwide.

Tester Dairy Farm in Watauga County is creating a hydroponic fodder
system, which grows barley, rye and wheat from seed to sprouts in
eight days so that the farmers can feed their cattle high-protein
grasses daily. The fresh palatable feed is proven to enhance animals'
milk production, improve fertility and decrease respiratory issues.
Thomas and Margaret Tester said they are renovating the farm so that
their granddaughter Jessica Lawrence can take it over without the
worries of weather, lease agreements and costs associated with row
crops.

South Valley Nursery and Landscaping in Avery County is building a
micropropagation lab so that grant recipient Tyler Buchanan can mass
produce unique plants such as native orchids that are expensive to
propagate using traditional techniques. Tissue culture requires a
significant upfront investment, specialized training and a sterile
environment to be able to produce new plants in vitro (in a test
tube), but payoff can be significant since the demand for these rare
native plants is high.

Joe Ward in Jackson County is establishing a no-till planting system
in an area where few farmers use this method. In no-till fields, soil
erosion and runoff decrease as a network of fibrous and tap roots grow
throughout the soil profile, providing pathways for air and moisture.
This method also creates a good environment for earthworms and
beneficial bacteria, fungi and enzymes, all crucial for healthy crops.

The WNC AgOptions grants help sustain several significant farms, such
as a 65-acre Old Fort property that the ancestors of grant recipient
Alvin Lytle first acquired in the 1850's, as well as a Bethel Valley
farm that has been in the family of grant recipient Joseph Cathey for
more than 200 years. As profits increase, Reems Creek Nursery and
Landscaping will be able to boost employment beyond its current 25
employees while also continuing to preserve the rural quality of Reems
Creek Valley. With the help of the grant, Addison Vineyard, a part of
a fourth generation cattle farm in Leicester, will be on track to
reaching their goal of profitability by the eighth year of wine grape
production in 2016.

The grant projects help many of the grant recipients' achieve their
dreams of passing their farming operations to their children or
grandchildren. Rick Walker, who is building a poultry processing
facility in Cherokee County, named his farm after his four sons,
Ricky, Joseph, Daniel and Joshua, who are ages six and under. "4 Sons
Farm is the name I chose not only because I have four sons, but
because it is for my sons," Walker said. "I began farming to provide
wholesome food for our children, to teach them an ancient and
respected way of life, and to create a business legacy to hand down to
them."

N.C. Cooperative Extension implements the WNC AgOptions program and
works directly with farmers as they complete their projects. "As we
begin our ninth grant cycle, it is very rewarding to look back at all
the successful farm operations and creative enterprises that have
grown from the initial investments," said Ross Young, Madison County
Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. "The
farmers in western North Carolina are the most vital component of the
program. It is their ideas and their dedication to the success of
those ideas that make it all work."

In partnership with N.C. Cooperative Extension, the non-profit
organization WNC Communities administers WNC AgOptions grants. WNC
Communities is dedicated to providing a unique forum for leaders in
western North Carolina to carry out innovative programs to improve the
quality of life for rural communities and to enhance the agriculture
economy.

"WNC Communities is delighted to serve as fiscal agent in bringing
these funds to creative and innovative farmers throughout western
North Carolina," said L.T. Ward, Vice President of WNC Communities.
"We are extremely appreciative to N. C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission
for their long standing and continuing commitment to WNC AgOptions and
the farmers of this region."

Members of the WNC AgOptions steering committee include:
representatives from N.C. Cooperative Extension, WNC Communities, N.C.
Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services–Marketing Division,
Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and other leaders in
agriculture. For more information, see the following: WNC Agricultural
Options: www.wncagoptions.org; N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers:
www.ces.ncsu.edu; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission:
www.tobaccotrustfund.org; WNC Communities: www.wnccommunities.org.

FOR A FULL LIST OF RECIPIENTS SEE:
http://www.wncagoptions.org/index.php/about-the-project/61-2013-program/629-2012-program-background

White House Christmas Tree from NC

I am so proud to be part of NC agriculture!  It is the state's largest industry and we have a lot to be proud of, including yet another White House Christmas tree.

This year's Christmas tree is from Ashe County and was grown by the Estes family at Peak Farms, just outside of Jefferson, NC.  The Estes family specialize in Frasier Firs and have won several awards over the years.  The Estes also presented Laura Bush with a beautiful Christmas tree in 2008.  You can watch a video of this on YouTube at
http://youtu.be/yc9Q8ZA2QRA

Congratulations Peak Farms!

WNC AgOptions Grants

Grants help mountain region's farms succeed

WNC AgOptions intent to apply deadline Oct. 12; application deadline Nov. 16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Program Contact: Jennifer Ferre, (828) 333-4277, admin@wncagoptions.org;
Or the local N.C. Cooperative Extension Agriculture Agent

Media Contact: Megan Riley, (828) 333-4151, info@wncagoptions.org

MARSHALL — Mountain farms will soon benefit from N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission's recent funding of WNC Agricultural Options. With support from the Commission, WNC AgOptions will award area farmers a new round of $3,000 and $6,000 grants, for a total of $145,000. WNC AgOptions is accepting applications until November 16.

WNC AgOptions, a program of N.C. Cooperative Extension and WNC Communities, continues its nine-year history of helping farmers diversify their businesses. "I am excited that the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission funded this program again this year," said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. "There is no doubt that agriculture in Western North Carolina has become stronger because of WNC AgOptions and we expect the 2013 program to continue with outstanding applications from farmers hoping to keep their farms strong in these ever-changing times."
WNC AgOptions awards farmers who propose diversification projects that will help their businesses grow and succeed. The seed money offsets the risk of trying something new and gives farmers the chance to demonstrate new farming techniques and marketing tactics to the agricultural community.
Applications are available at www.wncagoptions.org and at local Cooperative Extension Centers. Interested applicants should contact their local Extension Agents by October 12 to notify them that they intend to apply. The application postmark deadline is November 16.

One recent WNC AgOptions recipient, Wildwood Herbal in Buncombe County, is harvesting tilapia from a new sustainably designed aquaponics system and will include fish in CSA shares this fall. Another 2012 recipient, David Hughes in Mitchell County, is transitioning entirely from tobacco to potatoes. He is thrilled with the results of his project, as soils in his county often produce at least twice the yield that is expected for potatoes. In part due to the publicity of her grant project, Donna Gains of High Mountain Meadows Farm in Clay County is already taking calls from customers requesting goat cheese even before the completion of her new creamery, due to open this fall.

"The innovative ideas which farmers undertake, the opportunity to showcase these ideas to whole communities, and the proven and continuing success of the WNC AgOptions program are key reasons why our board chose to fund this great project for another year," said Bill Teague, Chairman of the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
Eligible farms are in: Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties as well as the Cherokee Indian Reservation. The WNC AgOptions steering committee strongly encourages eligible farmers who have never received grant funding to apply.

The administrator of WNC AgOptions is WNC Communities, a non-profit organization that has roots as far back as 1947 and hands in the development of such influential regional projects as the N.C. Arboretum, the WNC Agricultural Center, and, most recently, the WNC Regional Livestock Center. WNC Communities is dedicated to providing a unique forum for leaders in western North Carolina to carry out innovative programs to improve the quality of life for rural communities and to enhance the agriculture economy.

Members of the WNC AgOptions steering committee include: representatives from N.C. Cooperative Extension, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services–Marketing Division, WNC Communities, Appalachian Sustainable Agricultural Project and other leaders in agribusiness. RAFI-USA's Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund manages a similar grant program for farmers in the Piedmont, Central and Coastal regions of North Carolina.

For more information, see the following: 
WNC Agricultural Options: www.wncagoptions.org; 
N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; 
N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org; 
WNC Communities: www.wnccommunities.org.


 Pictured above: Seth Salmon at Wildwood Herbal in Buncombe County; David Hughes' potato farm in Mitchell County

Tobacco Trust Fund Grant Awards

The 2012 NC Tobacco Trust Fund Grant Award Winners have been announced.  19 projects have received funding, including the successful local project WNC AgOptions Grant Program.  The NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission conducts an annual grant application cycle.  Check back to the NC Tobacco Trust Fund website (http://www.tobaccotrustfund.org/grants/index.htm) to see the latest updates and to download an application and the guidelines when they become available.  The next cycle is expected to launch January, 2013.

To see the complete list of recipients, click here 

Congratulations to all recipients!

Amy's Kitchen Informational Meeting, November 28

Amy's Kitchen Informational Meeting

Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center

455 Research Drive
Mills River, NC 28759

Please join us Monday Nov. 28th from 9:00am - 11:00 am to meet with John Aselage, the Organic Purchasing Manager for Amy's Kitchen. Amy's Kitchen in the nation’s largest organic prepared food manufacturer and will be opening a facility in Greenville, SC. in the summer of 2012. They are very interested in sourcing local organic products to be used in the Greenville plant. John Aselage will discuss Amy's Kitchen's standards for production and processing and procedures for getting into their supply chain. Here is a link to their website: http://www.amys.com/.

This event is for growers (organic, transitioning, or growers interested in organic), processors, researchers, crop consultants and those interested in organic food production in the region. Parking is available on site.

Please contact Karen McSwain if you have any questions.

828-423-2463

karen@carolinafarmstewards.org

DIRECTIONS: From Interstate 26, take Exit #40 (the Asheville Regional Airport exit). At the top of the exit ramp turn toward the airport onto NC Hwy 280. Just past the end of the airport runway, the highway curves to the right. Turn right at the first road after the runway onto Old Fanning Bridge Road. After ~1 mile, cross the French Broad river, and ~1/2 mile later the MHCR&EC office building is on the right at the top of the hill. A map and further location details are available at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/fletcher/directions2.html.

Meeting is hosted by:

Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

and

North Carolina Cooperative Extension

Grant Applications for the WNC AgOptions 2012 Cycle!

We are so excited and pleased to announce that WNC AgOptions Grant Program applications are now available!

Grants of $3,000 and $6,000 will be awarded to individual farmers proposing diversification projects that boost economic viability of their businesses. Awards of up to $10,000 will go to three farmer-led groups working to solve processing, packaging, marketing and other distribution needs of the local agriculture system.

Applications for the two grant opportunities are available at www.wncagoptions.org and at the local Cooperative Extension Centers. Interested applicants must contact their local Extension Agents by November 16 to notify them that they intend to apply. The application postmark deadline is December 1.

Eligible farms are in: Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga and Yancey counties as well as the Cherokee Indian Reservation.

For more information, see the following: WNC Agricultural Options: www.wncagoptions.org; N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org; WNC Communities: www.wnccommunities.org; Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, RAFI-USA: www.ncfarmgrants.org.

To read the full Press Release go here.

If you are a farmer in Henderson, Haywood or Buncombe Counties contact me as soon as possible so we can make sure you have the best and most complete application. sue_colucci@ncsu.edu

1,661 Pound Pumpkin

For those of you who know me personally you know how much I love North Carolina. But you also know how much I love my great home state of little Rhody, Rhode Island (the smallest state in the union with the longest name. Technically it is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, but why get technical?). But you may not know that Rhode Islanders grow some of the world's biggest pumpkins. Check out this video courtesy of the Providence Journal to see world record pumpkin grower from Scituate, Rhode Island, Joe Jutras's 1,661 pound giant!

Also, if you think I have a strong northern accent this video will prove you wrong!

USDA Awards $46 Million to Specialty Crops Projects

The USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded 29 grants across 19 states in Specialty Crops Research to develop and share science-based tools to address the needs of the specialty crop industry.

The entire list of awards and projects can be found here.

Some of the projects include:

• Developing an inexpensive, accurate, easy-to-use biosensor for the detection of Salmonella contamination of fresh globe fruits (tomatoes, cantaloupes and watermelons) - Auburn University

• Developing biorenewable and biodegradable containers as a greener alternative to the petroleum-based pots used in the container specialty crop industry - Iowa State University

• Identifying and developing improved basil varieties with resistance/tolerance to downy mildew, Fusarium wilt and chilling-injury - Rutgers University

• Advancing the productivity and profitability of U.S. fruiting vegetable enterprises by integrating grafting technologies into tomato and melon production systems - NC State University

• Improving the long-term viability of the fresh U.S. grown mushroom industry by marketing mushrooms as an excellent source of Vitamin D - St. Joseph's University

Tasti-Lee Tomato Hits the Florida Markets

New tomato coming to stores: MyFoxTAMPABAY.com

Tanya Arja FOX 13 News reporter

TAMPA - How to develop a "redder, juicier, sweeter tomato" has been 10 years in the making, and the man working on it thinks he has finally found a winner.

"Really, what I think makes it stand out, is its ability to produce good flavor, under a wide range of conditions," said Dr. Jay Scott, with the University of Florida Gulfcoast Research Center in Wimauma.

The tomato is called "Tasti-Lee." It has more Lycopene, an antioxidant, which makes it healthier. Plus, the color is more crimson than other tomatoes.

Inside the lab at the research center, scientists spend hours researching different tomato varieties. They pick leaves off the plants, freeze them, grind them up and then extract the DNA.

They check for genetic markers to see which plants they want to cross breed.

"The idea of getting a better tasting tomato, you go out and do a lot of work and make a lot of crosses. For instance, you might cross 20 different parent lines to make all kinds of hybrids," Scott explained.

Tasti-Lee is the cross breed of two plants. The tomato was ready four years ago, but it took time to find a seed company to produce it, farmers to harvest it and stores to sell it.

Publix now has exclusive rights to sell it in Florida, and the demand has been so high, supply is limited. But that should change in the next month, as the new harvest comes in.

Publix customer Peter Florence loves the tomato.

"Once you try it, you're just not going to go back to the others," Florence says.

He did his own taste test of the tomatoes in the store and says his food has never tasted better.

"It just has a more, old tomato-y flavor. Some of the tomatoes you buy, it's like...nothing."

Dr. Scott loves to hear that. He named the Tasti-Lee after his mother-in-law, who died five years ago.

"I know there are stories about mother-in-laws. But my mother-in-law was always very nice to me and was a tomato lover. And when she was dying, I told her I was going to name a tomato after her, so her name was Lee, so that's where the Lee came from," Scott explained.

He hopes his creation will bring more money to farmers and grocery stores. Right now, farmers in North Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina are growing the tomato.

Florida growers will start soon, as we come into tomato season here.

The Tasti-Lee's sell for about $1.99 to $2.49 a pound.

This news stories original link: New Tomato Coming to Stores

Local Grower is WLOS Person of the Week

Van Burnette, of Hop'n Blueberry Farm in Black Mountain was the WLOS person of the week last week. Van grows hops, blueberries and medicinal herbs in addition to having a butterfly flight house and milkweed nursery.

Van is also a blogger for his blog Hop'n Blueberry Farm News. In this post he blogs about the experience of being interviewed for this segment.

In addition to be an innovative farmer, Van is a great person and a wonderful friend to the NC Cooperative Extension Service. Way to go, Van!

Check out Van and Buncombe County Small Farms Agent, Melinda Roberts in the Person of the Week Segment below.

Asheville. NC :: Person of the Week - Van Burnette

Producer Grants Available for Sustainable Agriculture

GRIFFIN, Georgia – Calls for Proposals for the 2012 Producer Grants, intended for farmers/ranchers and farmer/rancher organizations throughout the Southern region, are now available from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) program.

Proposal submission deadline is 11:59 Eastern Standard Time on Nov. 15, 2011. Announcement of grants will take place in February 2012.

Producer Grants are used to conduct projects that solve problems farmers face and to develop information on what works and what doesn’t so that other farmers and ranchers facing those same problems can benefit from the results of the funded project. The grants are not designed to pay a farmer to farm. They are designed to take some of the financial risk away from trying a solution.

Projects may be funded for up to two years for a project maximum of $10,000 for an individual producer or $15,000 for a producer organization. Producer organizations should be comprised primarily of farmers/ranchers and must have a majority farmer representation on their governing board.

Log on to http://www.southernsare.org/Grants/Apply-for-a-Grant to download the current Calls for Proposal. The Calls for Proposal includes application information, program priorities, use of funds, proposal submission instructions, and contact information. Be sure to carefully follow the information in the Calls for Proposals when submitting your grant. Failure to follow the submission guidelines may result in your proposal being rejected.

Focus areas for Producer Grants include beneficial insect habitat, alternative crops/livestock, organic agriculture, sustainable marketing products, sustainable grazing systems, soil organic matter, building/protection/management, increasing sustainability of existing farming practices, appropriate technology and agroforestry/water quality.

SARE is a competitive grants program funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to promote research and education about sustainable agriculture. Southern SARE is administered by a host consortium consisting of the University of Georgia, Fort Valley State University and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture in Oklahoma.

For more information on Southern SARE, log on to http://www.southernsare.org, follow us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/southernsare, or fan us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/southsare.

For you Fungiphiles (fungus lovers)

This is a crazy story about rust (plant pathological rust) from Alaska: Orange Goo At Alaskan Village Found to Be Fungal Spores, Not Eggs


Not necessarily related to WNC vegetables and small fruits, but many of you know I am a plant pathologist through and through.

Tomato Contest at The Market Place August 25

Are you a ‘mater maven?

Show off your gorgeous garden goods at the first Homegrown Tomato Contest!

August 25 from 3 until 5 pm @ The Market Place in downtown Asheville.

Bring your tastiest, most exquisite tomato for your chance to win:

• $50 gift certificate to The Market Place
• Seed collections from local seed company Sow True Seed
• $15 in market bucks to Asheville City Market

Got an ugly tomato? Bring it, too, for the Ugly Tomato Contest! *Note: Up to six judges could be sampling your tomato, so choose one that can be sliced into at least six slices. If bringing cherries or Sun Golds, bring at least six for sampling.

Entries must arrive right at 3 pm to allow time for set up, slicing, and judging. During judging, enjoy tomato appetizers and drinks prepared by Chef William Dissen, mingle with fellow gardeners, and get great gardening advice and resources! The restaurant’s bar will also be open for afternoon cocktails (not included in entry fee.) Winners will be announced near the end of the celebration. After the contest, stay for dinner and exclusive local tomato specials.

Judges: Charlie Jackson, executive director of ASAP; William Dissen, chef/owner of The Market Place; Missy Huger, owner/operator of Jake’s Farm; Del Holston, Asheville CVB Online Relations Manager/Foodtopia; Dr. Dilip Panthee, Assistant Professor, Tomato Breeding, NC State Univ; and a representative from Sow True Seed

$8 entry fee benefits local farmers and ASAP. Contest is limited to the first 30 entrants. To reserve your space, contact The Market Place at (828) 252-4162.

This event is brought to you by The Market Place and ASAP and made possible with donations from Sow True Seed.

Friends of Ag Breakfast Feb 15

The first Buncombe County Friends of Ag Breakfast will be held Tuesday, February 15, 2011 in the Virginia Boone Building at the WNC Ag Center. The breakfast begins at 7 am.

The event will be a time for farmers, legislators, governing officials, supporting organizations and all friends of agriculture to come together around the same table to share stories, experiences and available opportunities.

Our first speaker will be Bill Yarborough of NCDA & CS discussing the Next Generation of Farmers: Connecting Young and Old and updates on the New Livestock Market.

See the flier for the Friends of Ag Breakfast.

For more information or to RSVP, contact Melinda Roberts at the Buncombe County Cooperative Extension office at (828) 255-5522 or melinda_roberts@ncsu.edu.

Deputy Secretary of the USDA, Kathleen Merrigan, Visits NC!

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is pleased to announce that Kathleen A. Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), has accepted our invitation to speak at NCA&TSU and NCSU on Wednesday, February 9.

Dr. Merrigan – named by Time magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People of the World” in 2010 – oversees the day-to-day operation of USDA's many programs and spearheads the $149 billion USDA budget process. She has managed the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative highlighting the connection between farmers and consumers and supports local and regional food systems that increase economic opportunity in rural America. She also helped to spearhead the Organic Food Production Act. Learn more at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=bios_merrigan.xml

Dr. Merrigan will discuss efforts to support farmers and build local food economies and pinpoint professional opportunities available to graduates and researchers at the USDA. Both lectures are free and open to the public. Student participation is strongly encouraged.

Dr. Merrigan’s visit is an important component of CEFS’ ongoing Farm to Fork initiative to build N.C.’s local food economy.

Schedule for Wednesday, February 9:

10:00 a.m. in Room 100, B.C. Webb Auditorium, NCA&TSU

The auditorium is located at the corner of Benbow and East Market Street. Parking is available on the street and in the NCA&TSU parking deck behind the library on Laurel Street. View a map of the NCA&TSU campus here: www.ncat.edu/campus/.

2:30 p.m. in Room 124, Dabney Hall, NCSU
Dabney Hall is located on the North Campus at 2620 Yarbrough Drive. Parking is available on Hillsborough Street and in the Dan Allen parking deck. Click here to view a map of the North campus: http://www.ncsu.edu/campus_map/north.htm.

Organic Hops Growers Score Big!

Here is some exciting news for organic hops producers from the American Hop Grower Association webpage:

"The organic hop industry scored a big win on October 28, 2010 when the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) unanimously voted in favor of removing hops from the USDA National Organic Program’s National List of Approved and Prohibited Substances (section 205.606), effective January 1, 2013. Since hops were added to the National List in 2007, the production of organic hops in the U.S. has increased substantially...."

To read the entire article click here.

You may remember my post a few weeks ago entitled:"Should Organic Beers Contain Organic Hops?". I guess the National Organic Program Standards Board believes they should!

Greenhouse Growers Workshop

When?: Thursday, November 18. Registration starts at 8 am. Program runs from 9 am-4:30 pm

Where?: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River

Who Should Attend?: This educational program is geared toward both the ornamental and vegetable greenhouse grower.

How much?: Registration is $10 per person and includes lunch. Registration is required by Friday, November 12. Click here for the brochure and registration form.

About the Program: In the morning, all attendees will learn the newest container designs, latest substrate options from Fafard and about releasing biologicals in the greenhouse. During lunch, you will learn how to improve your greenhouse efficiency. There will be two afternoon sessions, one for ornamental and one for vegetable growers.

The vegetable session will include talks about Commercial Production of Vegetable Transplants, Vegetable Varieties and Soil Fertility.
Click here for the complete agenda.

Come see, ask questions and network with other growers, specialists and industry representatives!

NC pesticide credits will be available.

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/.

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"