Check out our website for information that you might have missed:
https://stokes.ces.ncsu.edu/

Feb. 1, 2025

Save the Date, Feb. 13. Cattlemen's Meeting

The February meeting will be at the Extension Office at 700 Main Street, Danbury on the 13th, and starts at 6:30 p.m. with a meal. Our speaker will be Dr. Felipe Carvalho da Silva, and the topic will be Fetal Programming/Nutritional Needs of Cows During Gestation (including minerals). RSVP by completing the Google Form at https://go.ncsu.edu/scca, emailing awbowman@ncsu.edu or calling 336-593-8179 with the number attending and the number eating. The meal will be $10 for 2025 members and $15 for non-members. 

Review the January Minutes online here. 

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza

More HPAI detected in NC
Reminder to all poultry folks to review and enforce biosecurity protocols to protect their flocks and our state's poultry industry.  

This type of HPAI virus is considered a low risk to people according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, but is highly contagious to other birds, including commercial and backyard flocks of poultry. The virus is also not considered a food safety threat and infected birds do not enter the food supply.  Please see the news release from NCDA&CS at the link below.
01/28/25 - HPAI in Sampson County, NC

Questions about how HPAI affects our general public and pet owners?  See this recent informative article by Dr. Rocio Crespo at NC State's College of Veterinary Medicine.Avian Influenza: What North Carolinians Need to Know to Keep Themselves and Their Pets Safe
For more information about HPAI, please see our Educational Resources Page 

Other things to consider at this time- limit visitors to flocks- if your chicken coop/run has an open or screened top, cover with metal or plastic to prevent wild bird droppings from falling into bird area- remove wild bird feeders or distance them from any backyard flocks as much as possible- provide "enrichment" if your birds are more confined than usual to help prevent birds from pecking one another. 

Affects to Food Supply

According to USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service we have lost almost 20 million birds across every U.S. state since the outbreak of this strain began on Feb. 8, 2022. 

Forage Management

It will soon be time to fertilize our pastures and hayfields. We recommend taking a soil sample every 3-years if your soil fertilization is adequate, but you need to test more often if you're still striving for those numbers. Soil samples at the NCDA&CS lab cost $4 now to test and there is a three-week turn around time. Samples will be free again April 1 - Thanksgiving. Soil sample results are private. If you want help with your results, you should add an advisor to your sample. For pastures and hayfields, I'm happy to help. Add awbowman@ncsu.edu as your Advisor. You can create an account (if you don't have one), and enter your paperwork online at https://apps.ncagr.gov/PALS/.  Hayfields typically need annual fertilizer because we are removing nutrients from the soil. Each ton of hay will remove approximately 40 lbs of nitrogen, 15 lbs of phosphate and 40 lbs of potash.

It's never too early to scout for weeds and February is usually when we need to spray for buttercup (NOT when we see the flowers - that's too late). If the number of weeds warrant an herbicide, you want to spray when we have had at least three days of 60 degree weather, and have 60+ temperatures for a few days after spraying. This may not be until March, but be ready. Make sure the herbicide selected is labeled on the type of forage you are treating and is effective against the species present. READ THE LABEL.

Meat Suite

Meat Suite is holding three virtual trainings covering new tools, develop bulk bundle boxes, and more on Thursdays from 7-8 p.m. You must PRE-register to receive the meeting links. 

• Feb. 13, Marketing Tips for MeatSuite Success and New Processor Directory

• Feb. 27, Making Your Products Consumer Friendly: NEW Bundle Builder Tool

• Mar. 6, Using MeatSuites's Price Calculator & New Local Meat Price Report

Farm Succession Seminar

When: Feb. 17, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. (lunch Is provided following the event with pre-registration)

Where: Yadkin County Agricultural Building Banquet Hall, 2051 Agricultural Way, Yadkinville

Topics include: 

• Family Communication

• Retirement Planning

• Long-Term Care

• Estate Planning

Call Jennifer Angell at 336-849-7584 or email jangell@yadkincountync.gov to register. 

Come learn about wills, trusts, LLC, and more.

• North Carolina ranks 4th in the US for population growth over the last two decades.

• The average price per acre of land in NC continues to rise, as does the average age of farmers.

• Over 60% of farmers don't have a will. 
  

• If the farm is divided up between a spouse, and children, it is possible that only ONE member of the family wants to sale the farm and can risk a Forced Partition Sale of the entire property, against the wishes of the other property holders.

• If you reach age 65, there is a 75% chance you will need long-term care, and those costs continue to rise.

• What about a Lady Bird deed, Long-term care insurance, probate, estate taxes, or a conservation easement?

TWO Great Events; ONE Location

NC Forage Conference

When: Feb. 20; register prior to February 8 for early bird pricing

Where: Hickory Metro Convention Center

Topics include profitable regenerative agriculture, bale grazing, a Hurricane Helene update, and more.

More info at: https://www.nccattle.com/nc-forage-grasslands-council/events/ncfgc-winter-conference

NC Cattle Conference

When: Feb. 21-22 

Where: Hickory Metro Convention Center

Topics include: Profitable beef, forage resources, bull selection, having a successful calf crop, carbon credits, hay nutritional value, Beef Quality Assurance (BQA), livestock insurance options, a trade show, beef meals, and important socialization time with like-minded folks. 

More info at: https://www.nccattle.com/news-events/annual-conference

2025 Graded Feeder Calf Sales

The 2025 Graded Feeder Calf Sales will be held March 20, June 26, August 15, September 25, and November 13 at the Stanly County Livestock Market in Norwood. Visit https://www.norwoodfeedercalf.com/ for more information. Take note of the sale requirements, and tag request including a set double vaccination protocol, and weaning schedule. 

YOUTH LIVESTOCK OPPORTUNITIES

There are lots of great upcoming livestock opportunities for youth for you to keep in mind. 

Youth Livestock Showmanship Clinic (Swine and Cattle)

Feb. 15, Kinston

Youth Ages 8-19 with less than 5 years of experience (and their parents)

https://youthlivestock.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/01/nc-4-h-livestock-school-2025/

Poultry Science Summer Institutes

June 15-19; applications due Feb. 28

Cost is $785, but 20 youth receive a $700 scholarship

Youth ages 14-18

https://poultry4hyouth.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/01/poultry-science-summer-immersion-applications-open-now/

Livestock Science Camp

June 15-20; applications due Mar. 28

Cost is $900

https://cals.ncsu.edu/animal-science/extension/livestock-science-camp/

Veterinary Science Camp

June 16-20 OR June 23-27; applications due Mar. 31

Cost is $885 for overnight or $700 for day camp

https://cals.ncsu.edu/vetpac/vetcamp/

Other NCSU Summer Programs through the College of Ag and Life Sciences

Turf, Resource Conservation, Global Challenges, Garden, Horticulture, AgDiscovery, and traditional 4-H Camp

https://cals.ncsu.edu/students/my-path-to-cals/summer-programs/

The Organic Commodities & Livestock Conference will be held at NC A&T State University’s University Farm Pavilion in Greensboro, North Carolina on Monday, March 3rd from 8:30am – 3:30pm. Registration is open now. 

Pesticide Safety Training 

A Pesticide Safety Training will be held on March 12 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. (X Credit) and from 12 p.m. - 2 p.m. (V Credit) for those needing Private Applicator Pesticide Re-Certification hours. Register by calling 336-593-8179 or by emailing matt_lenhardt@ncsu.edu. 

FYI

(These are not Extension Sponsored events, but we thought they were worth sharing.)

Southern Farm Show

When: Feb. 5-7

Where: NC State Fairgrounds, Raleigh

More info: https://southernshows.com/sfs

Small Ruminant Fecal Egg Counting

On April 5th, Muddy Dog Vet. Clinic in Mayodan will be hosting a fecal egg counting class from 10 am - 1 pm. Participants may bring up to 15 fecal samples from sheep and/or goats. The cost is $35 and you should register by calling 336-627-9600. 

REMINDERS

Read the Cold Weather Animal Care Update on our website at https://stokes.ces.ncsu.edu/stokes-county-livestock-forage/stokes-livestock-email-updates/. 

Small Ruminant Winter Webinar Series

All webinars will take place from 7-9 pm ET via Zoom. Register at the links below. Please email awbowman@ncsu.edu if you would like access to the recordings for Nov. and Dec.  
Feb 6: Livestock Guardian Animals – https://go.ncsu.edu/livestock-guardian-animals
Mar 6: Pasture Management for Small Ruminants – https://go.ncsu.edu/pasture-management

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Calendar of Livestock Events

Feb. 5-7 Southern Farm Show, Raleigh, NC

Feb. 6 Livestock Guardian Animals Zoom, 7 -9 p.m. https://go.ncsu.edu/livestock-guardian-animals

Feb. 13 Stokes County Cattlemen's Association, 6:30 p.m.; RSVP at https://go.ncsu.edu/scca

Feb. 13 MeatSuite Marketing Tips, 7-8 p.m.

Feb. 14 Locust Hill Cattle Company, Social 4-6 p.m., Supper 6:30; Livestock market update

Feb. 15 Locust Hill Cattle Company 4th Annual Bull & Female Sale

Feb. 15 Youth Livestock School (Swine and Cattle), Kinston

Feb. 17 Farm Succession Planning, Yadkinville, 9 a.m.-1 p.m.; Email jangell@yadkincountync.gov

Feb. 20 NC Forage Conference, Hickory 

Feb. 21-22 NC Cattlemen's Conference, Hickory

Feb. 22 Blue Ridge Brutes Cattle Sale, 1 p.m. Mt. Airy

Feb. 27 MeatSuite Bundle Builder Tool, 7-8 p.m.

Feb. 28 Applications due for NCSU Youth Poultry Science Summer Institute

Mar. 3 Organic Growers Commodity Conference, Greensboro

Mar. 6 Pasture Management for Small Ruminants Zoom, 7 - 9 p.m. https://go.ncsu.edu/pasture-management

Mar. 6 Meatsuite Price Calculator, 7-8 p.m.

Mar. 10-11 Youth and Adult Livestock Clinic, NCSU; Save the Date

Mar. 12 Private Applicator X and V Credits, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Danbury

Mar. 13 Stokes County Cattlemen's Association, 6:30 p.m.

Mar. 28 Deadline to apply for NCSU Youth Livestock Science Camp

Mar. 31 Deadline to apply for NCSU Youth Vet. Science Camp

April 10 Save the Date for Farmer Appreciation, North Stokes High School 5:30-7:30 p.m.

April 29 Livestock Market News Update and Electronic Identification Virtual meeting, 6:30 p.m.

**Disclaimer: The use of brand names and/or any mention or listing of specific commercial products or services herein is solely for educational purposes and does not imply endorsement by NC State University or our partners, nor discrimination against similar brands, products or services not mentioned.

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