Fall 2024

Harvest Fest-
A Farm to Fork
Celebration of Local Farms & Food

Moore agriculture, its rich heritage, and its promising future, was the focus at the recent Harvest Fest. Moore County Extension, in partnership with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the Convention and Visitors Bureau of the Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and Aberdeen Area, the Arts Council of Moore County, James Creek Cider House, and Farm Bureau, hosted Harvest Fest. Harvest Fest was a gastronomic celebration of locally produced food from a lineup of some of our county’s best culinary professionals who included Matt Delle of Roast, Matt Hannon of Ashten’s, Savanna Brodar of the Country Cub of NC, George Figueroa of Tartare, Emily Harris of the Southern Pines Brewing Buggy Factory, and Benito Cortez of Fat Bob’s Tacos.

Farms featured on the chefs' menus included LB's Farm, Misty Morning Ranch, Karefree Farms, Terrace Ridge Farm, James Creek Orchards, and the Conscious Cultivator.

Moore County farms contributes $238,000,00 to the local economy. There are 802 farms in Moore County. Most of these farms are small averaging 132 acres, but their contributions to our county are significant. Agricultural products produced by local family-owned farms help to preserve rural lands, and you support local farms by buying food directly from them and the local businesses that source from them, like our locally owned and operated restaurants and caterers. When you buy locally, you not only support the local economy, you are also getting food that is fresher and more nutritious, because the long supply chains that can break down the nutritive value of food are eliminated.

While ticket sales for Harvest Fest were originally planned to supplement Extension programs that support Moore County agriculture, funds raised were instead donated to the Western North Carolina Hurricane Helene Relief Fund, because the loss of any NC family farms is a loss to the quality of life to us all.

Find out more about the agricultural products grown in Moore County by contacting the Moore County Extension Service, or downloading the VisitNCFarms app to find locally grown foods near you.

Deborah McGiffin
Moore County Extension Director

Established by the Smith-Lever Act in 1914, NC State Extension is celebrating 110 years of extending knowledge and enriching lives across North Carolina.

Today, more than 1,000 Extension experts deliver research-based programs across all 100 counties plus the Qualla Boundary, connecting millions of North Carolinians with timely tools and information from NC State.

Equipped with more than a century of experience, a vast network of partnerships and a timeless mission to create prosperity, Extension generates an average of $2.1 billion in annual economic impact for North Carolina.

Turn to page 30 in the latest edition the NC State CALS Magazine to read how NC State Extension has transformed science into everyday solutions that improved lives, grew our state, and will continue to do so far into the future!

Deborah McGiffin
Moore County Extension Director

Moore County Residents Show Generosity

On Behalf of the Moore County Cooperative Extension Service and Moore County 4-H Program, we want to extend a personal thank you to those who volunteered and/or dropped off supplies with Moore County Cooperative Extension and our partnering agencies throughout the Hurricane Helene supply drive for Western NC.

The drive, orchestrated by 4-H Agent, Kaley Lawing, originally started as a small community service project for 4-H Clubs in the county, but it quickly turned into a partnership effort with Randolph County Cooperative Extension, Uwharrie Charter FFA, Moore County Soil and Water Conservation District, and Moore County GIS. During our second week of donations Moore County Soil and Water graciously opened their office to receive, sort, and pack all warm clothing and bedding items donated. Randolph County Cooperative Extension accepted donations from multiple sites which included Uwharrie Charter FFA and Millstone Orchard, sorted items, packed, and loaded items for delivery. Moore County GIS, Moore County Soil and Water, and Moore/ Randolph County Cooperative Extension staff all worked together to load items and helped deliver loads directly to Western NC. We cannot thank our partners enough for their support!

Initial plans to send donations on October 21st, changed due to the volume of donations. On October 13th an entire stock trailer and enclosed trailer of goods were driven to community members at Freedom Baptist Church in Spruce Pine, NC. The church and community members were so grateful and many said they were speechless to see the generosity of our Central NC residents. Hugs and tears were shared and friendships were made during the unloading.

Then, a second load of supplies were loaded into a stock trailer and another enclosed trailer. These donations were transported to Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine on October 21st. We were told this donation site would serve as a space for students, faculty, staff, and community members who were in need. The staff and faculty at Mayland Community College were moved by the amount and variety of donations. They shared that these items would go directly to those in need.

Again, we cannot thank you enough for your kindness and generosity for our Western NC families!

Kaley Lawing
Moore County 4-H Agent

Chrysanthemum –
Tthe Flower of Autumn

The most widely cultivated flower in the world is the Chrysanthemum. It has been cultivated in the East for over two millennia. Named from the Greek prefix "chrys-" meaning golden and "-anthemion," meaning flower, years of cultivation have produced a full range of colors. The genus Chrysanthemum is in the family Asteraceae. They are native to East Asia and northeastern Europe.

Commonly known as "mums" they are well suited for container gardens and are a good perennial garden flower. Colors of orange, gold, rust, purples, and red fill the nurseries, garden centers and even grocery stores in the fall. Purchase a mum to add instant fall color to your landscape. They need 6 to 8 hours of sun and moist well drained soil that is slightly acid to neutral. They are a herbaceous perennial & will provide years of color in the fall when little else is blooming.

Pinching chrysanthemums promotes bushy plants, delays bloom time until later in the season, and increases the number of buds and blooms. When the mums are six to eight inches tall, pinch back the center leaves with your fingertips to remove the tiny new leaves and boost new growth. Pinch again every time the plant grows another six inches. Stop pruning at the end of June; and never prune away buds.

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

By: Dolores Muller, EMGV, Moore County

Photo: by NC State Agricultural Extension

Native Bees

In the Sandhills, it's recommended that garden cleanup wait until plants break dormancy in late spring. Typical spring garden maintenance and cleanup tasks, such as pruning berries in March or cutting back grasses in April, are unlikely to broadly harm insect pollinators, except for

cavity-nesting bees.

Most native bees – about 70% of the species—nest in the ground and need access to the soil surface to dig their nest. Each female bee excavates a nest tunnel and brood cells and stocks the cells with nectar and pollen. These bees are gentle and only active adults for a few weeks

each year, so even in high-traffic areas, you can leave the nests and not worry about stings.

About 30% of native bees use hollow plant stems or holes left in wood by wood-boring beetles, instead of digging their tunnel in the ground. A nesting bee will use mud, leaves, or other material to build walls and divide the tunnel into brood cells. Each cell contains a lump of pollen and an egg, which usually takes one year to develop into an adult bee.

In modern landscapes, the desire for neatness has usually resulted in removing bare ground, dead trees and untidy corners of rough grass – all critical bee nesting sites. A better bee strategy is to avoid chemical pest management and leave undisturbed natural areas for

pollinator nesting.

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

By: Claudia Watson, EMGV, Moore County
Photo: NC State Agricultural Extension

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

James Creek Sunday Market
Cameron

First & Third Sundays of the Month, 1PM-5PM
172 US-1 Highway
Cameron, NC 28326

Carthage Farmers' Market

Carthage

Fridays, Year-Round, 2PM-6PM
S Ray Street
Carthage, NC 28327

Sandhills Farm to Table
Open for 15th Season

April 18 & 19 - November 8 & 9

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!