Green Thumb Gazette, December 2022

NC AgVentures Grant Opportunity - Deadline Dec.15th!

The North Carolina AgVentures grant is now open! This grant is open to family farms and for agriculturally based associations such as a livestock association, to develop new and innovative agricultural projects which will increase farm profits. Grant projects can range from purchasing equipment or technology to increase farm efficiency and profits, to using the funds to build a new hay shelter, or to even expand your crop varieties. This grant is up to $8000 and applications must be submitted by December 15th. You will need to work with one of your agriculture agents when filling out your application. If you are interested in applying for this grant, please contact us at
828-632-4451 so we can help you through your application!

4-H Garden Club Meeting

This past month, our 4-H Garden Club met to learn about harvesting cool season crops and how to use these crops in the kitchen. Cool season crops are generally planted in early fall to early spring because they do not tolerate the heat stress of summer. In September, our 4-H club met to plant some of these cool season vegetables in our community garden. They planted radishes, kale, arugula, swiss chard, cilantro, and lettuce. These crops did very well! A load of radishes and arugula were taken to the Mobile Cafe here in town in October. For the November meeting we used the rest of the crop to demonstrate harvesting, how to make refrigerator pickled radishes, and how to make kale chips! The kids surprisingly love the kale chips and the pickled radishes!

Our next 4H meeting will be December 8th at 5:30pm at the Alexander County Service Center. Our 4h'ers will learn how to make wreaths! If your child is interested in joining this garden club, please call our office at 828-632-4451 or email me at cari_mitchell@ncsu.edu.