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AUGUST EXTENSION NEWSLETTER
LEE COUNTY CENTER
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Ashley Szilvay
Family & Consumer Sciences Agent
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Spice Club is a free adult educational program offered through a partnership between the Lee County Library, EMFV, and Cooperative Extension. We invite you to join us this month as we explore the many dimensions of the versatile spice, Ginger
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The cost of the in-person training is $50, and classes will begin on October 1, 2026. The program meets for 10 consecutive Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Applications are currently being accepted and will close on August 10, 2026. Individuals interested in becoming an Extension Master Food Volunteer are encouraged to apply. If the registration fee presents a financial barrier, prospective participants are encouraged to contact one of the coordinating Family and Consumer Sciences Agent or Local Foods agent to discuss available options.
For more information or to request an application, contact the Lee County Center at 919-775-5624 or email Ashley Szilvay, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, at ashley_szilvay@ncsu.edu.
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Hands-on salsa canning class covering safe boiling water bath techniques and research-based food preservation practices.
Cost: $15
Register at: GO.NCSU.EDU/PEAKSEASONSALSA
Stay tuned for more home food preservation classes!
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Pam Kerley
4-H Program Assistant
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August 2026
Two Lee County 4-H teen leaders attended the Red Hat Shelton Challenge at NC State during the second week of the Challenge, June 27 – Thursday, July 2, a week of team building and values-based leadership skill building. We are proud of Paisley Kitchens and Gabriel Medina for being accepted and receiving special recognition for their participation during the week.
A new iteration of the NextGen 4-H Robotics Club is open for enrollment. These club meetings are for ages 10-13. Sign up for camp in the 4HO system. Club meetings will be each Wednesday beginning on Aug 12th and ending on September 16th. Not for those who have already participated in NexGen Club meetings. The material covered will be the same. Spaces are limited. You must be able to attend most meetings to benefit from the program. If you have any questions, you can email the volunteer club leader, Sheyla, at sheyla.moreno.101@gmail.com.
There is a new cooking club beginning this month. If you are ages 10-14, you are invited to come check out what they have planned. The interest/informational meeting is on August 21 from 5:30-7:30 at 2420 Tramway Road. You can enroll in the Flavor Lab 4-H Club in 4HO.
It is time to register your exhibits to compete and be displayed at the Lee Regional Fair. There is something for everyone, both youth and adults. Make things go faster by pre-registering today.
The Lee County delegation to NC 4-H Congress spent July 20-24th at NC State participating in workshops, team-building, civic activities, Raleigh excursions, dancing, and the state 4-H officer elections. 10 4-Hers represented Lee County 4-H at the event.
Horsin' Around 4-H Club and Silver Spurs 4-H Club had 4-Hers compete at the state 4-H horse show in July, and they did very well. 4-H isn't anything without dedicated volunteers like Lindsey, Audrey, and Rosemary, and the many parents who step up and help out!
Project Record Book State winners: Eliana Garcia in Communication Arts ages 11-12 won Bronze, Mateo Garcia in Communication Arts ages 8-10 won Bronze, Rorie Hulstedt in Animal Science ages 8-10 won Gold, Rorie Hulstedt in Healthy Lifestyles ages 8-10 won Silver, Uriah Hulstedt in Animal Science ages 11-12 won Gold, Uriah Hulstedt in Healthy Lifestyles ages 11-12 won Silver, Lorelei Rivera-Chavarria in Personal Development and Leadership ages 8-10 won Bronze. Congratulations to all!
State presentation winners have not yet been released to me. Please check back next month to see how we did.
Clovernews photo taken by Pam Kerley at Betsy Jeff Penn 4-H Camping Center on July 10th of the Lee County crew who camped this year, including two marvelous volunteers, Annica Hulsted and Laura Gremore!
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For more, check out the monthly installment of Clovernews.
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Jared Butler
Agriculture Agent
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July Weather Update - 2026
The July 23rd Drought Monitor Update still has Lee County in a severe drought. Even with recent rains I expect us to stay in the severe drought level on the Thursday July 30th update. Looking at some of the data for the Lake Wheeler Field lab shows this July receiving 6.05 inches of rain this month. This is easily over the historic average of 3.42 inches and the driest year on record (2001) of 2.2 inches. The Lake Wheeler rain totals are close to what we have seen in the region. Moore County Airport recorded 6.3 inches of rain, Pope Air Force Base recorded 7.72 inches and the Sanford Air Port recorded 7.31 inches. The surprise when looking at the data was Lillington's totals. They only received 2.53 inches of rain. From conversations with people in our area these totals are fairly accurate for what they have seen on the farm or heard from others. I have heard of large rain events of 5 inches or more and missing the next event and then the flip of that where people missed the first event but received more than enough rain when the next one came through. The reality of the situation is that we are still behind our historic average for total precipitation on the year. Ponds are still low in multiple areas even with standing water in some crop fields. Hopefully we have a better balance for the remainder of the year.
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September Pesticide Courses
All courses are on September 29th
All courses will be at 2420 Tramway Rd, Sanford
Pesticide Course
10am to 12pm
2 credits of A, B, D, G, H, I, K, L, M, N, O, T, X
Private Soil Fumigation Course
1pm to 2pm
1 credit of Z(SF)
V Credit Course
2pm to 4pm
2 credits of V
Mandatory C and T Training
4pm to 5pm
1 credit of A, B, G, H, I , K, L, M, N, O, T, D, X , K(SA, K(PU)
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Amanda Bratcher
Horticulture Agent
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There are SO MANY classes and events going on
this month through the horticulture program!
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Mark your calendars for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census in North Carolina! Learn more about the Census here: go.ncsu.edu/gsepcinnc.
We will be counting again in Lee County at many locations across the county, including:
- the Pollinator Haven Garden on Tramway Road
- the Sanford Farmers' Market at the Sanford Agricultural Marketplace
- the City of Sanford Pollinator Garden behind the Buggy Building
- the Farm to Senior Raised Beds at the Enrichment Center
- San-Lee Park's NC Native Pollinator Garden, just to name a few!
If you would like to partner with us to host a Counting event for your organization or business, please contact Amanda Bratcher (amwilkin@ncsu.edu; 919-775-5624)
Classes and workshops from NC Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center:
- Bee Hotel Workshop- Friday, August 21, and Saturday, August 22- 2-4 p.m.
- How to Start a Pollinator Garden- Saturday, August 22- 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Learn more about when and where we'll be on our website.
Even if you do not want to join us, you can count in your own backyard or property! We are going to do our part of contribute to North Carolina's goal of 10,000 counts across the state in all 100 counties!
You can join Amanda Bratcher, our horticulture agent, for a fun, state-wide webinar here:
- August 13- 1-3 p.m.- Knowledge is Pollinator Power: a GSEPC in NC Pep Rally Webinar
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The dinnerplate Hibiscus are blooming well in the Pollinator Haven Garden because they are sitting in a water basin! Photo by Amanda Bratcher
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August has got so much going on with Pollinators!
- Friday, August 7, 10-11 a.m.- Tour of the Pollinator Haven Garden at the McSwain Center- $5 and you get a pollinator plant!
- Thursday, August 6, 5:30-7 p.m.- Learn about Gardening with Native Plants with Wild Things Nursery- Lee County Libraries- Main Branch- Free (Reschedule from July!)
- Thursday, August 13, 9-10 a.m.- Farm to Senior Garden Check-in at the Enrichment Center- Free
- Thursday, August 13, 1-3 p.m.- Knowledge is Pollinator Power Research Webinar online!- Free Register Here
- Friday, August 14, 9:30-11 a.m.- Cultivate and Create Youth Garden Club at the Pollinator Haven Garden- $5 per family
- Tuesday, August 18, 6:30-8 p.m.- So, You Want to Be a Beekeeper? Introduction to Beekeeping Class- McSwain Center- FREE Register Here
- Thursday, August 20, 9-11 a.m.- Dirt Therapy at the Pollinator Haven Garden- Learn to Count Pollinators- Free
- Friday, August 21, 9-11 a.m.- Dirt Therapy at the Pollinator Haven Garden- Learn to Count Pollinators- Free
- Friday, August 21, 2-4 p.m.- Bee Hotel Workshop at the Pollinator Haven Garden- $25
- Saturday, August 22, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.- How to Build a Pollinator Garden Workshop at the Pollinator Haven Garden- $25
- Saturday, August 22, 2-4 p.m.- Bee Hotel Workshop at the Pollinator Haven Garden- $25
***Stay tuned for pop-up days to volunteer in the Garden!
Check out our community calendar to learn more and register.
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GARDEN GUIDE: When Less is More: A Lazy Gardener’s Guide to Supporting Pollinators
When we think about helping bees and butterflies, we usually think about adding things to the landscape: buying more plants, building insect hotels, or spreading bags of seed. But since June is National Pollinator Month, I want to share a secret that every busy gardener will love: sometimes, the best way to help pollinators is simply to do less.
By shifting a few of our management habits, we can turn our yards into ecological havens without breaking a sweat. Here are a few ways that "less is more" when it comes to pollinator health.
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Central Carolina Community Colleges fall semester is coming up fast with registration ending August 10th for classes beginning on August 13th.
This certificate is designed to give students the tools necessary to become competent practitioners of ecological gardening and effective land stewards. Courses in plant science, plant propagation, biological pest management and design are paired with hands-on gardening labs and opportunities to tour and understand the key principles of ecological landscaping with professionals.
Registration is fastest through their lead instructor Robin Kohanowich rkoha065@cccc.edu (919) 545-8031
Courses in the certificate offered this fall are:
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Mark your calendars
or the Lee Regional Fair!!!
Bring your produce, plants
and flowers to show off!
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Meredith Favre
Local Foods Agent
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Sanford Farmers' Market Updates
July was another great month at the market! We kicked off our Wednesday afternoon markets on July 1st and are enjoying the extra day each week to stock up on seasonal produce, tasty meats, breads and baked treats from our local farmers and food entrepreneurs. It's a great stop on your way home from work! We also celebrated July 4th at the market with patriotic products and food samples featuring watermelon and blueberries! And last Saturday we enjoyed showcasing local peaches at the market during our Peach Part event! We had Central Carolina Community College's Culinary Arts students whip up some delicious food samples to savor these sweet fruits along with live music and plenty of peaches and peach-themed products of course!
The Sanford Farmers' Market has now also released more food assistance programs! The market now accepts SNAP benefits directly along with Senior and WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program benefits. Even better, all of these food programs can be doubled with our Market Double Bucks program. See our infographic below to learn about how you can use your food program benefits at our market! Visit the market information table on Wednesdays and Saturdays to learn more!
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August is here, and this month we have two more great events coming up at market! Up first on August 8th is Pepper Palooza, which has become one of our market's fan favorite events. We will be celebrating the incredible diversity of sweet and spicy peppers we can grow locally, from sweet bells and banana peppers to spicy serranos and jalapenos. We'll have pepper-inspired food samples along with Latin dancing and music to enjoy as well! Then on August 22nd is our spotlight of the Great Southeast Pollinator Census event, where we will highlight the essential role pollinators play in shaping our food systems and the diversity of fruits, vegetables, berries, and nuts we enjoy. The Lee County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers will be joining us at the market with information on the plants you can grow locally to support different types of pollinators and how to participate in the Great Southeast Pollinator Census. We need YOU to help us count and collect data about pollinators in Lee County!
Mark your calendars to join us these extra special Saturdays as well as other weeks! Thanks to Central Carolina Hospital for being the presenting sponsor of our special events!
We look forward to seeing you both Wednesdays and Saturdays at the market! Both markets are hosted at the Pilgrim's Sanford Ag Marketplace, located in downtown Sanford at 157 Charlotte Avenue. Wednesdays market hours are 4-7pm while Saturday market hours are 8:30am-12pm.
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We'll see you at the market!
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Will Ellington
Small Farms & Agribusiness
Development Agent
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Are you a food entrepreneur interested in value-added agriculture? Maybe you're a cattle farmer thinking about beef jerky, or a vegetable grower with extra tomatoes wanting to try your hand at pasta sauce. The Urban and Community Food Complex (UCFC) at North Carolina A&T State University could be a fantastic opportunity for you.
The brand new UCFC supports small farmers and food entrepreneurs as they explore value-added product opportunities, work through production challenges, and access new markets. Value-added products carry higher profit margins and a longer shelf life than raw agricultural goods, which makes them especially valuable for farmers trying to sell their harvest before it spoils. This isn't limited to jerky and pasta sauce. Farmers have used similar facilities to develop jams, hot sauces, dried herb blends, and other shelf-stable goods.
The UCFC gives the community access to its food innovation lab, food quality lab, sensory lab, and food processing pilot plant, so entrepreneurs can develop a product, lock in a recipe, evaluate results, and test producing it at scale. You don't have to figure it out alone either. Experts on-site can teach you to use the equipment, optimize your recipe, and run the testing that catches issues like unsafe pH levels or water activity before a product reaches a customer.
Paired with the shared-use commercial kitchen coming later this year to the Pilgrim's Sanford Agricultural Marketplace, I see the UCFC as a real opportunity for Lee County farmers and food entrepreneurs. You could develop and refine a recipe at the UCFC, then move to PSAM to produce it at scale for sale. Lowering the cost of piloting a new food product means more people in our community get the chance to turn a good idea into a real business.
If you'd like to learn more about what the UCFC has to offer, or want help figuring out how to use the space, reach out. Email me at will_ellington@ncsu.edu and I'll be glad to work with you.
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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.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
N.C. Cooperative Extension - Lee County Center, 2420 Tramway Rd, Sanford, NC 27330, United States
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