dbmcgiff@ncsu.edu

Farms, Food and You

Weather can wreak havoc on a farm. In a blink, droughts, floods, cold and heat can destroy crops. That’s why agriculture stands to lose more as the climate changes than other economic sectors do.

But when it comes to climate change, is agriculture a good guy, a bad guy, or both?

In this episode of Farms, Food and You, a state climate expert, a North Carolina State University economist, and two university soil scientists weigh in on climate change’s impact on agriculture. Listen to what they have to say about farming’s impact on climate change and agriculture’s role in helping address the problem.

Brassica Oleracea

Among the most astounding examples of artificial selection in the plant kingdom is the human ingenuity applied to the wild cabbage, Brassica oleracea.

In the wild, B. oleracea is a weedy little herb native to the Mediterranean region. Over the last 2500 years, clever farmers have transformed this wonderful species into several lineages, each amplifying distinct parts of the plant. First, ancient Greek farmers selected for large leaves, and by the third century BCE, references to kale and collards appear in the literature. Centuries later, farmers focused on expanding the terminal bud, which led to cabbage. Clever Belgian famers developed the plant's lateral buds, leading to Brussel sprouts. Expansion of plant meristem tissue produced Kohlrabi, and most recently, and selective focus on the flowering inflorescences led to broccoli and cauliflower. This last process began in Italy in the 16th Century and continues today with amazing hybrids such as broccolini.

Through all of this diversity, these descendants of the remarkable B. oleracea have retained the cold hardiness which makes them so suitable for early spring and fall plantings in Sandhill gardens.

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

Article By: Larry Allen, EMGV, Moore County

The Sandhills Turf and Ornamental Conference-Part 2

The annual Sandhills Turf and Ornamental Conference that originally started in March on Zoom is now holding the second half of the conference in-person (with an option to attend on Zoom) on September 22 from 10:00 am-12:00 noon at the Moore County Agricultural Building located at 707 Pinehurst Avenue in Carthage.

Industry professionals will learn about pruning techniques and weed management. Extension Horticultural Specialist, Dr. Barbara Fair, will discuss shaping young trees, making bushes into shrubs, and shrub maintenance. There are some hands-on exercises, so participants can bring their favorite pruners. Iredell County Extension Horticultural Agent, Matt Lenhardt, will discuss weed identification, life cycles, management, and how integrated pest management reduces the negative impacts to bodies of water.

NC LCLB credits and pesticide license credits will be offered for D, N, X, and L categories.

Registration is required. Link here to register.

Fall into a Garden

Yes, it is still summer, but fall is fast approaching. If your summer garden is spent or you never planted one, you now have a second chance to plant a fall garden. Many favorite cool weather vegetables can be planted now for harvest through fall and into winter. Visit your local garden center or farmers' market to shop for young plants. If you are more adventurous, many crops can also be grown from seed if sown within the next few weeks.

Link here to find out what vegetables and herbs can be planted in August and September and enjoyed fresh in late fall and early winter.

Student Interns for Rural Counties

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at North Carolina State University is looking for employers in rural areas, including Moore County, who may wish to hire CALS students for summer internships or after graduation.

Large farms, agricultural service companies, biotechnology and life sciences companies, animal/crop processing companies, non-profits, government agencies, and others who may have an interest in sponsoring a CALS summer intern for positions that would require at least an Associates or Bachelor’s degree, please contact Deborah McGiffin, deborah_mcgiffin@ncsu.edu or call 910-947-3188 by September 15 to inform me of your interest for the summer of 2022. I will pass your name and business information on to CALS. This opportunity will help to give students real world experiences, and businesses can increase their capacity or implement special projects.

Announcing the Fall Health Challenge - Sit Less September!

Stop sitting and start standing with our Fall Health Challenge: Sit Less September! Moore County Cooperative Extension is hosting its second virtual wellness challenge with the goal of encouraging, motivating, and supporting the residents of Moore County while decreasing time spent sitting and overall health and wellness. This challenge will begin September 6, 2021 and end October 4, 2021. All participants who sign up and log the time that they spent standing through weekly google form check-ins, will be entered to win weekly prizes! Some of the prizes that you could win include a foldable pedal exerciser, anti-fatigue comfort floor mat, exercise ball chair, and aerobic stepper platform. The grand prize for this challenge will be a FITBIT INSPIRE!

Sign up here.

If you have any questions, contact Janice Roberts at Janice_Roberts@ncsu.edu or (910)947-3188.

Let's sit less this September!

Moore County Announces:
2021 URGENT REPAIR PROGRAM BEGINS SEPTEMBER 1st, 2021

Low-income households in Moore County are encouraged to submit a Request for Assistance under the 2021 Urgent Repair Program to the Planning & Inspections Department beginning Wednesday, September 1st thru Thursday, September 30th by 4:30pm.

The program will help assist very low and low-income households with special needs in addressing housing conditions that pose imminent threats to life and/or safety or provide accessibility modifications and other repairs necessary to prevent displacement of homeowners with special needs. A maximum of $10,000 in repairs may be invested in any single home under this program.

Priority for assistance is rated and ranked by a number of factors including: handicapped or disabled household member, elderly household member (age 62 or older), single parent household with a dependent living at home, large family (5 or more permanent residents), a household with a child below the age of 6 with lead hazards in the home, Veteran status, households receiving no prior housing rehab assistance from the County, and income (as determined by percent of Area Median Income).

Under North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Program Guidelines, a minimum of 50% of households assisted must have incomes which are less than 30% of the area median income for the household size, and no household with an income exceeding 50% of the area median income will be eligible. Click here to learn what the income limits are for Moore County households.

Meet Cooper McCrimmom

Clifford the big red truck is aptly named by its owner, Cooper McCrimmon. Like the dog in the Clifford books, Cooper and his truck are here to serve. In fact, upon graduating for Pinecrest High School this past spring, Cooper came to work with the Extension as a volunteer.

In April, I received a phone call from Cooper asking if he could volunteer this summer with Moore County Extension. Cooper, now a freshman at Mt. Olive University, is majoring in Agricultural Education. During his last semester of high school, Cooper who was in the ag program at Pinecrest and president of his local FFA chapter, decided to act on his interest in agriculture and education by offering his time as a volunteer with Extension. His reason was simple, he wanted to learn about the educational programs Extension provides before heading off to college. I explained to Cooper, during our initial phone conversation, that we had no budget to pay him for his time, and that he would have to go through a background check. This did not deter him. The fact that he would spend his last summer before entering college working as an unpaid volunteer for Extension meant that this was our opportunity to lose.

Cooper came into the Extension office almost every day from the beginning of June until the middle of August. He accompanied agents on farms visits, and helped with our 4-H day camps which included herding campers on field trips. But his largest contribution to our office and staff was pitching his idea and then following through with organizing the Big Boy (and Girl) Toys event held on August 14. Cooper’s idea rationalized that there are many opportunities for young people to venture into agriculture who don’t necessarily want to go through a 4-year college degree program. Those that attended the Big Boy (and Girl) Toys event learned about 2-year agricultural programs and opportunities available at Sandhills and Montgomery Community Colleges, NCSU and NC A&T Universities and at Mt. Olive University. Additionally, children of all ages got to explore a fully equipped military humvee, fire trucks for our local municipalities, and the massive outfitted forensic and surveillance vehicle from the NC State Bureau of Investigation.

As Cooper moves through his college career, we will be watching and hoping his continued interest, support and studies in agriculture will land him in Extension. For now, however, on behalf of the Moore County Extension staff, we want to hardily thank him for his help and for the generous amount of energy and time he devoted to Moore County Extension this summer. We wish Cooper the best of success and our confidence that he can and will pursue whatever he dreams up.

Written by Deborah McGiffin, County Extension Director

4-H Youth Livestock Circuit Showmanship Competition

The annual 4-H Farm Credit Showmanship Circuit is just around the corner! Once again, we are pleased to have Cape Fear Farm Credit and Carolina Farm Credit continue as our circuit cosponsors. Additionally, we are thankful to Moore County Farm Bureau for supporting the Moore County 4-H show.

We are so excited to offer the livestock show in-person this year. We do understand that COVID-19 is still with us. Please check in periodically with the Moore County Cooperative Extension Service for the latest COVID-19 related protocols that might have to be implemented at the show..

This year the circuit’s Extension-sanctioned shows are taking place in the following counties (but showman participation is open to all counties): Anson, Cumberland, Guilford, Lee, Moore, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Stanly, and Union. Participation is open to any active 4-H’er anywhere.

The Moore County 4-H Showmanship Livestock Show will be held at Hillcrest Park: Hillcrest Park Lane, Carthage, NC 28327 on Saturday, September 25, 2021.

All participants must register at the following link for the show by 5 p.m. on September 17, 2021.

Moore County Showmanship Rules & Registration

For questions about the Moore County 4-H Showmanship Livestock Show, contact Kelly McCaskill at (910) 947-3188 or kelly_mccaskill@ncsu.edu

View additional information about all the shows scheduled this year for the Farm Credit Showmanship Circuit.