Food safety is a topic that is often in the headlines, even in this newsletter. I strongly encourage you to take this training if you:
Grow and market produce in NC
Are a small to large sized farmer
Thinking of selling produce wholesale
Sell more than $28,500 annually
Great news is this class will be offered in Orange County January 11, 2022 and is just $50 to attend.
Additional dates & locations available including one class being held in Spanish.
At the completion of the class you will receive a certificate that meets the requirements set by the FSMA rule. Take advantage of this training now at this low cost which is supported by some grant funding. Once this runs out the cost will likely increase substantially.
No Kidding around, join us Wednesday, January 19 from 6:30 to 8PM for an udderly great information session at our Durham Cooperative Extension building located at 721 Foster Street, Durham, NC, 27701.
Marti Day, Extension Area Specialized Dairy Agent will deliver a presentation and lead us in a discussion on Dairy Goat Husbandry.
You will learn:
General care and keeping of your dairy goat
Appropriate handling of the milk your goat produces
Food safety aspects and processing the surplus.
The cost is $10, light refreshments will be served.
Are you a new or beginning farmer with some production experience?
Are you ready to take it to the next level?
Are you stuck in creating your farm business plan?
Then you need NC Farm School.
This 8-session class teaches the business of farming, budgeting, marketing, and making sense of the paperwork.
In addition, we also have four farm field days where we visit area farms and learn from successful farmers about how they began.
Want to know more? Register for our final information Dec. 16, 2021 12-1PM here. Or, visit the NC Farm School webpage here.
Still time - Apply today!!
This grant is for farmers who want to make improvements, expand, or diversify their operation. The grant is for up to $8,000 for new and innovative agriculture project ideas. Applications due Dec. 15, 2021.
There is an information coming up on Dec. 1 at 4:30PM. Register Here
Learn more about the Sustainable Vegetable Production apprenticeship program here
Learn more about the Boots on the ground apprenticeship program here
Help shape the Durham Ag Extension program
One of the most important parts of my role as the Small Farms and Local Foods Agriculture Agent for Durham County is ensuring that the workshops, programs, and trainings I offer are relevant to the farmers in Durham. One of the main ways I can achieve this is by creating an advisory council. The members of the agriculture advisory council will be farmers and local food stakeholders that are willing to commit a nominal amount of time to offer guidance and input on my agriculture extension programming.
We would meet once a quarter for about two hours and the term commitment would be two-years. Please reach out if you are interested. Email me or call 919-356-2563
Be on the lookout! Spotted Lantern Fly found in VA!!
If you see or suspect that you see a Spotted Lanternfly, please take a picture and submit it in an email to badbug@ncagr.gov or you can call the North Carolina Department of Agriculture at 919-707-3730.
Want to learn more?
This video about the Spotted Lanternfly was created for the NC Winegrowers Assn virtual conference earlier this year: Spotted Lanternfly - YouTube.
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.
