New Year

Leap Into 2024

Happy New Year! From elections to the Olympics to the US Golf Open, this Leap Year promises to be one of suspense.

Although we are a month and a half into 2024, there is much ahead to look forward to this year. The Moore County Extension staff have programs and events planned that address sustainable agricultural practices, food safety, nutritional health and wellness, and opportunities to engage youth in positive development experiences. All you need to do to keep up with what's happening with Extension is to visit our website: moore.ces.ncsu.edu; follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MooreNCCES; on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mooreextension/?hl=en; or stay subscribed to this monthly newsletter.

New for Moore County Extension will be our participation and support for the first-in-the-state, Ag & Art Tour being sponsored by the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, Aberdeen Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Arts Council of Moore County and the Moore County Extension Center. This month-long event will kick off on September 26 at Rubicon Farm and run throughout the month of October during the weekends. The tour will highlight agriculture and farm life while featuring local artisans at every farm on the tour! Visitors have the opportunity to see first-hand where their food comes from, watch artists in action, purchase their works, or enjoy the melodies of local musicians while learning more about Moore County agriculture. A photo contest will show case pastural scenes depicting Moore County’s agricultural heritage. The tour’s finale will feature a fall harvest festival at James Creek. Stay tuned for the costs and details of the Moore County Ag & Art Tour in the coming months.

Deborah McGiffin
Moore County Extension Director

New years bring new opportunities, and sometimes new farewells. So, as we step into 2024, please join the Moore County Extension staff in wishing Savanah Laur farewell along with the best of wishes ahead.

Since she started in September of 2020, Savanah made significant strides in programming for the needs relevant to Moore County farmers. She addressed a need to help new and aspiring farmers understand the processes involved in starting a farm by delivering programs and content that helped them grow and market sustainable products. She helped to organize a consortium for fresh flower growers to help them develop market strategies and address issues related to crop management. Additionally, Savanah managed the Moore County Master Gardener program while recruiting and training 41 new volunteers, bringing the total of active Moore County Master Gardeners to 67.

Savanah’s experience and successes in Moore County has led to an offer from the Practical Farmers of Iowa, an agricultural non-profit. She leaves Moore County constituents with a solid and positive impression that Extension provides applicable information and resources that meet their needs and aspirations.

Brandi Carter a 15-year veteran with Extension, served Moore County Extension as the Administrative Assistant for over nine years. Brandi has been instrumental in assuring that the Extension office ran smoothly and orderly. She graciously greeted visitors and directed phone calls to the appropriate agent or resource. Brandi maintained office records, made sure the departmental budget remained balanced, processed account receivables and payables always in a timely manner, ordered and maintained adequate office supplies, priced and booked agents’ travel accommodations and so much more. Because of her professionalism and diligent work ethic, Moore County Government offered Brandi a position as an Administrative Officer with the Solid Waste Department.

Brandi leaves us with an appreciation for her expertise for operating an efficient and organized office, and we are thankful for the years of dedication she devoted to supporting the staff and the mission of Extension.

Planning a Garden

Redesigning or planning a new garden in the winter months is a great activity. Things to consider are:

1. Do you want trees, shrubs, or flowers in the new area. Size of the area to be planted.
2. What is the exposure you are going to work with.
3. Do you want evergreens or deciduous plants.
4. When selecting the plants, you like for the area you must be sure that they are appropriate for the area.
5. Check their mature height and width so that you plant them with enough room and you do not have to continuously prune.
6. You will want different heights, widths, colors, and foliage shapes for your new garden.
7. Consider maintenance and above all consider deer resistant plants. Keeping in-mind that there is no plant that is truly deer resistant when they are hungry. Spraying a deer repellant works but you must keep up on it. They seem to know when you have goofed off.

Do not forget hardscape. These are structural elements that make the garden more interesting. They will define the area and create points of interest. Think arbors, pavers, pergolas, art
sculptures, and even pottery.

For more information, contact the Extension Master Gardener Helpline at 910-947-3188, Monday-Friday.

By: Barbara Cohen, EMGV, Moore County

Photo by: Dolores Muller, EMGV, Moore County

Edgeworthia

A beautiful Edgeworthia (Edgeworthia chrysantha) is established in our community garden and captivates visitors each February. Unphased by the winter wind, its leafless, flexible branches offer a silhouette for hundreds of dangling golden-yellow floral clusters. Each cluster holds
dozens of little flowers with long, slender tubes and four petals.

A deciduous shrub, Edgeworthia is native to China and the Himalayas, providing superb fall and winter interest and a swoon-worthy gardenia-like fragrance. Long bluish-green leaves emerge as soon as the flowers bloom, turning yellow and dropping in the late fall. Interestingly, its
compound branches are ternate, continuously dividing into three branches. The common name, Paperbush, comes from its use to produce quality paper. In Japan, the paper is used to make banknotes.

Edgeworthia thrives in partial shade and well-enriched, moist soil well-drained soil and grows in zones 7 to 10. It makes an excellent stand-alone specimen or back-of-the-border choice. There are no significant insects, diseases or other plant problems. Pruning is not needed; however, you can prune in the spring after blooming to give it a more open habit or to remove diseased or damaged branches.

Be sure to snip a few blooms to keep the house fragrant through the winter.

For more information, contact the Extension Master Gardener Helpline
at 910-947-3188, Monday – Friday.

By: Claudia Watson, EMGV, Moore County
Photo and Photo credit: Jim Robbins CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Moore County Farmers' Market in Southern Pines

Thursdays,Year-Round, 9AM-1PM
(closed Thanksgiving)
Armory Sports Complex
604 W. Morganton Rd
Southern Pines, NC 28387

Saturdays, March 15-November 23, 8AM-12PM
Downtown Park
156 SE Broad St
Southern Pines, NC 28388

Sandhill Farmers' Market in the
Village of Pinehurst

Wednesdays, April 17-October 2, 3PM-6PM
Saturdays, April 17-October 5, 10AM-1PM
Village Square
Pinehurst, NC 28374

Carthage Farmers' Market

Fridays, Year-Round, 1PM-5PM
S Ray Street
Carthage, NC 28327

Sandhills Farm to Table Open for 15th Season

April 18 & 19 - November 8 & 9

New for 2024, save on subscriptions by taking advantage of the Early Bird Special

Sandhills Farm to Table Cooperative is a multi-farm CSA (community supported agriculture) of farms throughout the Sandhills and beyond that brings to member subscribers the best variety of seasonally fresh produce from our farms to your tables. Subscribe to a box that's packed with the abundance of Sandhills fresh-picked fruits and veggies and have them delivered to your door or to a pick-up site on a weekly, bi-weekly or on a selected week basis. Click to subscribe and find out about the freshest seasonal choices available. As a consumer member, you will have convenient access to the highest quality of local food, at a price comparable to current retail food prices!

Moore County Farms Increase by 10%

Her ye, hear ye, just in is the new the 2022 Census of Agriculture!

Just as I was about to send out our newsletter, a message appeared in my email announcing that the long awaited results from 2022 Ag Census are now available. For Moore County, the news is exciting. Both number of farms and their sizes in the county increased by almost 10%. The number of farms went from 733 to 802, and the average size of farms increased from 120 to 132 acres. Once more, the collective market value of products produced on Moore County increased from $150,349,000 to $238,413,000, over 58%.

The take away from the latest Census of Agriculture is that agriculture continues to be a significant economic driver in Moore County. Link here to view the census results for Moore

Deborah McGiffin
County Extension Director, Moore County Center

November is Good Nutrition Month

In honor of the month of love, I am going to tell you the three little words you all want to hear…….”Eat More Fat!!!” That’s right, more fat. In particular, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. February is Heart Health Awareness month and omega-3 fatty acids may maintain cardiovascular health, as well as help prevent many health problems including heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and cancer.....

Learn More

Janice Roberts, Family and Consumer Science Agent
Moore County Extension

Safe Plates Food Protection Manager Course

Class: April1-2, 2024 (both days require your attendance)
Time: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm (*1-hour lunch break on your own)
Exam: April 3, 2024 from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location:  Moore County Cooperative Extension Office 707 Pinehurst Avenue, Carthage, NC 28327
Registration Fee for Class: $125 (includes the cost of the manual, handouts, study materials, and exam)

Register online below or mail in the registration form.

Upcoming Lunch-n-learns
March 7: Healthy Substitutes
March 14: Meal Planning 101
March 21: Crockpot Freezer Meals
March 28:  Shop Your Garden
April 4:  Canning 101
April 11:  How to Preserve Herbs You Grow

Time: 12:00pm-1:00pm
Cost: No cost
Location:  Moore County Cooperative Extension Office 707 Pinehurst Avenue, Carthage, NC 28327

Please register below or call the office to reserve your spot at 910-947-3188
Register Here