Chatham Chatlist Highlights

Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:32:53 -0500
From: Sam Groce
Subject: News Release on Beef Quality Assurance Training

Upcoming Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) Training Program

Many of you will remember during 1997-98 there was the initiative called th=
e North Carolina Certified Beef Producer Program also called Southeast Prid=
e, which encouraged producers to not only vaccinate and more actively manag=
e their animals, but also the proper methods for doing this.  Unfortunately=
, this program never really got off the ground the way that the organizers =
had hoped it would have.

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Date: Thu, 25 Feb 2010 10:05:33 -0500
From: Trace Ramsey
Subject: Chatham Crop Mob event featured in New York Times Magazine

The Crop Mob event at Okfuskee Farm in Silk Hope will be featured in this Sunday’s New York Times Magazine.  You can also view the article online now – http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28food-t-000.html

For more information on Crop Mob, please visit http://www.cropmob.org

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Date: Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:56:00 -0800 (PST)
From: Sara Brinson
Subject: Pittsboro Garden Club?

Wondering if there is an active garden club in Pittsboro… I’m no expert but would love to be a part of helping Pittsboro bloom. Yes, spring fever is hitting!! Even with the forecast of snow, I’ve seen the crocuses blooming and the daffodils pushing their way up… spring IS coming…

I have tried google and turned up one mention in the Chatham Journal of needing volunteers to form a garden club, but the article is from 2008.

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Date: Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:47:12 -0500
From: Al Cooke
Subject: Growing Your Own Food

Thinking of growing a spring garden?  Chatham County Center of Cooperative Extension will offer an introduction to food gardening including fruits and vegetables. This program will be a repeat of a program offered last fall.  It will cover the basics of garden site requirements, plant needs, soil preparation, variety selection, planting times, and harvesting.

In addition the class will cover some of the fruit crops that are easy to grow and likely to produce an abundance of fruit for the summer breakfast table or desert selection.  Significant among these fruits will be the berry crops.

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Date: Fri, 22 Jan 2010 13:34:15 -0500
From: trentt
Subject: Chickens at Pittsboro Feed

I saw the post Friday about the spring chicken schedule at Pittsboro Feed. I bought 4 chicks from them last fall and they are now about 19 weeks old and are on the verge of laying eggs in the next few weeks.

They have been tame and healthy chickens. I’d recommend Pittsboro Feed to anyone interested in growing chickens for egg or meat production. They have all the feed & supplies you’ll need to get started and a wide variety of chicks, ducks, guineas, and turkeys to choose from. I’ve also bought garden seeds at the store before and all of the people there have been nothing but helpful. Support your local feed & seed stores and grow your own food.

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Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 14:36:25 -0500
From: Debbie Roos
Subject: Chatham County CSAs

Trish,

I have a list of Chatham County CSA farms on my Growing Small Farms website at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/csafarms.html

Each CSA is unique and has its own distribution system. Farmers will often be willing to add a new delivery stop if a certain number of members sign up for that location, so if you can’t find a farmer that delivers to your area maybe you can convince a few neighbors to also join!

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center
North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
www.growingsmallfarms.org
twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

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Date: Thu, 21 Jan 2010 09:20:11 -0500
From: Al Cooke
Subject: Re:  pine straw info

To the question of “Are there any local sources of long leaf pine straw” ….
Longleaf pine is generally considered to be the premier source of pine needles for mulch and very few long leaf trees are found in Chatham.  However there is significant production not to far south of us in Moore and surrounding counties.  If you want 200 bales, I suspect you can get it delivered wholesale.  Contact a member of the Pine Needle Producers Association at http://www.ncpineneedleproducers.com/

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Date: Thu, 7 Jan 2010 12:41:33 -0500
From: Al Cooke
Subject: Re:  Spanish moss

Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, is a flowering plant in the Bromeliad family.  (Though it was common where I grew up, I’ve never noticed the flower, which is apparently rather small and not flamboyant.)  The only reason I know for concern is if there is enough of it to interfere with photosynthesis by the trees where it is found – not likely in this area.  It is not a parasite.  The only thing it gets from the trees is a place to hang, so to speak.  It derives its nourishment and moisture from the atmosphere – pretty efficient lifestyle.  It was previously found only on the coastal plain of North Carolina.  Its presence in Moncure may be explained as the result of introduction by migrating species such as birds or humans or seeds blowing in the wind.  Enjoy.

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Date: Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:01:55 -0500
From: Claire Kane
Subject: new venue for local farmers

Farmers of Orange is accepting vendor applications for 2010 for our year round market, South Estes Farmers Market in Chapel Hill, NC at University Mall near A Southern Season. Information and applications can be found at
http://farmersoforange.org/join.html

Deadline for receipt of applications is January 9, 2010.

Thanks and look forward to receiving your application!

Andrea Wood

Market Manager
South Estes Farmers’ Market
Chapel Hill, NC
(919) 428-4841
http://www.southestesfarmersmarket.com/

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Date: Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:59:51 -0500
From: Al Cooke
Subject: holly berries

There are at least 4 species of holly, both evergreen and deciduous, that are native to Chatham County and others that do well here, especially several Chinese varieties and some hybrids.  Despite their extensive use as a foundation plant, Japanese hollies (black berries) are not outstanding selections for heavy wet soils and often are short-lived here due to root rots.  The native and underused inkberry holly is often a better choice.  All hollies are dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers occur on separate plants.  In many cases the female plant will not bear fruit unless there is a male that blooms at the same time and there are insects that visit both plants.  In some cases the female is parthenocarpic meaning it can develop seedless fruit without pollination.  And the males never bear fruits.

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