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DAVIDSON COUNTY CENTER

September Newsletter
In this Issue:
  • Gardening Series
  • Pasture Weed Management Webinar Series
  • 4-H Poultry & Rabbit Show Survey
  • Selling Beef by the Quarter, Half, or Whole:  What you Need to Know
  • Soil Your Underwear:  Tests for Soil Biodiversity and Soil Health
  • Davidson County Fair
  • USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Costs for Organic Certification
  • Sheep & Goat Production for Profit
  • Visit NC Farms App
4-H Poultry and Rabbit Show Survey


We have put together a short survey to gauge the interest in a 4-H poultry and/or rabbit show for youth ages 5-18 to be held tentatively on May 7. Please take a moment and complete this survey by September 12.
Soil Your Underwear: Tests for Soil Biodiversity
and Soil Health
Did you know cotton underwear can be used to assess soil biological activity? This idea, developed by Amazing Grazing, has spread around the world as it sparks people’s interest and makes them pay attention to what is going on in their soil.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and Amazing Grazing will be hosting a FREE virtual event on Thursday, September 23rd about soil health, how to assess soil health, and why it matters. A panel of soil experts will discuss "indicators" and tests you can perform in your own backyard to determine the health and biodiversity of your soil.

We will be taking a look at soil tests including the foam test, slake test, runoff demo, dung beetle buckets, etc.

We will be joined by soil experts Alan Franzluebbers, Johnny Rogers, Matthew Poore, Paige Smart and Sharon Freeman for this one hour webinar.

Thursday, September 23rd from 7:00-8:00pm


Please register using the link above. A Zoom link will be sent via email once you have registered.

For any additional questions or information about this project, contact Sharon Freeman, sfreeman@ncsu.edu. For questions about the event, contact Emma Hirschy, erhirsch@ncsu.edu.
Davidson County Fair

It is with great regret that the Lexington Kiwanis Club must announce that the 2021 Davidson County Agricultural Fair will not be held this year due to the significant increase in COVID-19 cases throughout Davidson County during the first three weeks of August 2021.

This difficult decision was made by the Kiwanis Club Board of Directors, after consultation with the Davidson County Health Department, Reithoffer Shows, the Lexington Police Department, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Department, Fire and Rescue Squads, vendors, exhibitors, and agricultural contacts in the State of North Carolina and Davidson County. After formal discussions with those listed above, and relying heavily on information provided by the Davidson County Health Department, the Kiwanis Club Board decided there was no way for the 2021 Davidson County Agricultural Fair to be held safely, without jeopardizing the lives of children, adults, and senior adults who would be working and attending the 2021 Fair.

Learn More »
USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Costs for Organic Certification

Organic producers and handlers can now apply for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) funds to assist with the cost of receiving or maintaining organic certification. Applications for the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP) are due Nov. 1, 2021.  

OCCSP provides cost-share assistance to producers and handlers of agricultural products for the costs of obtaining or maintaining organic certification under the USDA’s National Organic Program. Eligible producers include any certified producers or handlers who have paid organic certification fees to a USDA-accredited certifying agent during the 2021 and any subsequent program year. Producers can be reimbursed for expenses made between Oct. 1, 2020 and Sept. 30, 2021 including application fees, inspection costs, fees related to
equivalency agreement and arrangement requirements, travel expenses for inspectors, user fees, sales assessments and postage.

For 2021, OCCSP will reimburse 50% of a certified operation’s allowable certification costs, up to a maximum of $500 for each of the following categories (or “scopes”):  
·       crops  
·       wild crops  
·       livestock  
·       processing/handling  
·       State organic program fees.

Organic farmers and ranchers may apply through an FSA county office.
Sheep & Goat Production for Profit

NC State University will be hosting two small ruminant workshops in November. The goal of these workshops is to build on discussion that took place at the July Small Ruminant Summit. This will be a great opportunity for those individuals that attended the Summit but also for those that were not able to make it. They will be regionally located to hopefully allow for shorter travel to the event. These workshops will include classroom instruction and hands-on experiences at producer farms. Registration can be found at the links below.


November 20th in Salisbury, NC: https://go.ncsu.edu/productionforprofit20
Visit NC Farms App

The Visit NC Farms Phone App, developed by the NC Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, connects millions of North Carolina residents and visitors to farmers and local food.

Davidson County will be joining the app in July. If your farm, winery, local food restaurant, or farm stay would like to be listed, please contact Sam Boring or Sara Drake.

Learn More »
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
 
 
 


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