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MOORE COUNTY CENTER

Monthly Newsletter, Moore County
May 2021

Extension programs and resources are available to all county residents. Feel free to forward our newsletters on to family and friends. Watch out for monthly announcements of events as this newsletter arrives in your inbox each month or keep up with us on Facebook or Instagram.
                   
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Farms, Food and You

In the recent episode of Farms, Food and You, find out how Will Kornegay used quick thinking to turn bad timing with one business venture into a chance to help others who can’t always afford nutritious food. Click here to listen to the podcast.

Master Gardeners Hotline
Open for Business

If you have any vital lawn or gardening questions and need advice from a Moore County Extension Master Gardener Volunteer (EMGV), call
910-947-3188 from 10 am till noon, Monday-Friday through the end of October.


To find out more about the EMGV program or to learn how you can become an EMGV. Refer to: https://emgv.ces.ncsu.edu/become-a-volunteer/

Rosemary

Rosemary is well known in the culinary world and has been used since the time of the early Greeks and Romans. Greek scholars often wore a garland of the herb on their heads to help their memory during examinations.

This fragrant perennial evergreen herb is in the mint family and native to the Mediterranean. Today it is used as a culinary condiment, to make perfumes, lotions, toiletries and for its potential health benefits. The Farmer’s Almanac indicates drinking rosemary tea alleviates melancholy or depression.

Rosemary is an attractive plant that does well in our area and is happy in a variety of garden settings; foundation plant, pollinator garden, rock garden, culinary garden or in containers. It does best in full sun, although it will tolerate partial shade. It likes a slightly acid soil with good drainage… rosemary hates wet feet. It is also drought tolerant and deer resistant. Varieties range in size from 2 to 6 feet high at maturity, to low creeping cultivars like “prostrates.” As an added bonus it has lovely blue or white flowers.

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

By: Dolores Muller, EMGV, Moore County
Photo by Dolores Muller
https://utswmed.org/

Growing Tea in the Sandhills.
Yes, Really!

I enjoy a good cup of tea. So being able to grow and harvest my own tea has been one of my greatest pleasures. Twenty years ago I bought tea bushes from the Camellia Forest nursery near Chapel Hill and I have been growing and making my own tea ever since.

Tea (camellia sinensis) is a member of the camellia family, so if you live in an area where you can grow camellias you can grow tea bushes. This is especially easy to do here in the Sandhills as tea bushes grow best in well-drained, acidic soil (pH 5.5 – 6.5).

Tea plants are slow growing and require 3-5 years of growth before you are able to harvest the leaves. Leaves are harvested several times in the spring by plucking the outermost two leaves and bud from branch tips. All types of tea (white, green or black) come from the same bush and depend on how the leaves are processed.

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

By: John Bowman, EMGV, Moore County


Thin Your Peaches Like a Pro!

Does your peach tree yield small, flavorless fruit? Try thinning your peaches for a better quality yield. When we don’t thin our peaches, each peach has to compete against its friends for nutrients and water. Thinning out the weaker or damaged peaches after the “shuck split” stage will allow more of the nutrients to go to fewer fruit, thereby improving the quality of individual fruits.

Read more at: https://moore.ces.ncsu.edu/2021/05/thinningpeaches/

Voluntary Ag Districts Are Designed to Protect Farmland


The Voluntary Agricultural Districts program was first established in 1985 by the General Assembly. Following are the objectives of the
NC VAD Program:

• To e
ncourages the preservation and protection of farmland and working forests.
• To allow landowners to publicly recognize their farms.
• To establish an Agricultural Advisory Board in the county.
• To protect farms from negative impacts, such as waivers of water and sewer assessments, and public hearings for proposed condemnation.
• To allow for Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural Districts to protect farms from development.

Now, new legislation and overdue changes to the North Carolina Voluntary Agricultural Districts (VAD) program will result in more defined and easier to manage programs.  Read more about the proposed changes here.

If you want to learn more about VAD and how to develop a farmland protection plan the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the State-wide Voluntary Agricultural District Working Group have scheduled a virtual training for June 9–10, 2021 from 9:00 am to noon both days. The training sessions will cover a range of topics for establishing (or re-establishing) a Voluntary Agricultural District and an Enhanced Voluntary Agricultural District county program including:

  • County staff (e.g., Soil & Water or Cooperative Extension) role in administering a county VAD program
  • Sustaining an active Agricultural  Advisory Board
  • How to submit the annual VAD survey
  • Developing a Farmland Protection Plan (and how to keep it off the shelf)
  • The role and importance of a Cost of Community Services Study
  • How to set up the VAD GIS layer (as proximity warning to adjoining landowners)
  • Ensuring a valid conservation agreement (and when it must be recorded)
  • Enrolling and unenrolling VAD parcels  
  • How to conduct VAD Public Hearings on condemnatio

Click here for more details and to register for the training.

Tis the Season to Can


When it comes to berry season, there are so many ways to enjoy local goodness.  Many people make strawberry jam, but there are other options. Last year, I decided to can blueberries in a light syrup because I don’t eat a lot of jam.  Before strawberry season ends, here are some ways to enjoy them now, and enjoy them later.

Canning Strawberries

Wash strawberries; drain. Remove caps from strawberries. Measure strawberries.  Put strawberries in a large sauce pot.  For each quart of strawberries measured, add ½ to ¾ cup sugar.  Gently stir to evenly coat strawberries with sugar.  Let stand 5 to 6 hours in a cool place.  Cook slowly until sugar dissolves and strawberries are hot throughout. Pack hot strawberries and syrup into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles.  Adjust two-piece caps.  Process pints 10 minutes, quarts 15 minutes, in a boiling-water canner.  Use firm. Red-ripe berries which have neither white flesh nor hollow centers.  Strawberries tend to fad and lose flavor when canned. (tested-canning recipe)

Jam recipes often contain a lot of sugar, which is necessary for safety.  But what if you want to enjoy strawberry jam without all of the added sugar, or, don’t want to deal with canning? 

Easy Strawberry chia jam
Heat 2 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries (or any berry) in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is heated through and begins to bread down and bubble.  Use a spoon or potato masher to mash the fruit to your desired consistency.  Stir in 2 tablespoons of chia seeds and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.  Then taste, and stir in 1-2 tablespoons of sweetener if needed (honey or maple syrup). Remove from and heat and let cool for 5 minutes.  Stir and transfer to sealed container and refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for 3 months.  (gimmesomeoven.com/10-minute-chia-seed-jam/)

Dehydrating Strawberries
Another way to preserve strawberries are by dehydrating them and adding them to cereals or making your own granola.  Choose ripe, juice, red berries with no white or hollow centers.  Gently wash, remove caps, and cut into ½ inch slices.  Dry at 130° to 135°F until pliable to almost crisp.  Use in puddings, yogurt, desserts or as a snack.  Water content 90%. 
Note: Strawberries do not rehydrate well.
(Tested recipe from Ball Blue Book Guide to Preserving)

Super Food Blueberries
Are in Season


Consisting of 4 essential nutrients, compact and tasty blueberries rank as one of nature’s super foods. In just one serving, you can get almost 16% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C. Vitamin C is necessary for growth and development of tissues and promotes wound healing. A handful of blueberries can help you meet your daily fiber requirement. Dietary fiber may reduce the risk of heart disease and adds bulk to your diet, which may help you feel full faster. Manganese found in blueberries helps the body process cholesterol and nutrients such as carbohydrates and protein. Vitamin K, also a significant nutrient in blueberries, supports healthy bone metabolism and helps to regulate blood clotting.


Aside from the health benefits of blueberries, they are also one of nature's "fast foods," as seen in this video. A wealth of blueberry recipes ranging  from appetizers to salads to main dishes to desserts can be found on the Blueberry Council website.

Find locally grown blueberries.  Download the Visit NC Farms app on your phone to locate blueberry farms in Moore County.


2021 Master Gardener Farm Tour Goes Virtual

In what has become an annual farm tour, the 2021 Moore County Farm Tour, planned and organized by Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGV), will be held virtually due to the linering pandemic.

The tour allows people to connect with farmers and gain first-hand knowledge of the contributions farmers make to our collective well-being and to the local economy. The tour also highlights the diversity of agriculture present in the Sandhills while teaching our youth where their food comes from.

The first tour is of Caroken Farm. Click on this link to go to four-part tour and learn about the kiko goats, free-range hens, ducks, and bees roaming the 47-acre farm owned by Carolyne and Ken Davidson.

Invasive Pests Poses Threat to NC Forests

If you’re planning to try to relax poolside this summer, forestry researchers from NC State want you to nap with one eye open.

Along with experts from the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services Plant Industry Division and the N.C. Forest Service, NC State researchers are looking for reports of two vigilante insects that might have crossed state lines into North Carolina, and are attracted to water and thus may be found in pools or pool filters. They pose a threat to defenseless forests and certain crops.

“People from other states have posted photos of these pests in their coffee cups or in their dogs’ water bowls,” said Kelly Oten, NC State assistant professor and extension specialist in forest health. “They’ve been recovered from pool filters as well.”

The insects are the Asian longhorned beetle, which has been discovered in South Carolina and can be deadly to hardwood trees, and the spotted lanternfly, which has been spotted in Virginia and poses a threat to grapes, fruit and certain trees. These insects are not native to the U.S., and researchers want you to report them if you see them so they can control their spread.

More information can be found in the NCSU News.


The Livestock Lane:
Correct Ruminant Dewormer

Spring has sprung which means the dreaded “P” word is in the back of all small ruminant producers’ minds; not pollen, but parasites! If you know anything about sheep and goats, you will know that intestinal parasites are one of the biggest challenges in small ruminant production.

We have some good tools in our parasite management toolbox, such as FAMACHA
scoring, fecal egg counts, conscientious grazing as well as the use of chemical dewormers. We should be using all of the tools together in an integrated parasite management program but often times I see producers relying primarily on dewormers to get their parasite problem under control. So how do you know which dewormer to use?

First you need to identify which type of parasite you are treating. This requires a fecal egg count. You should always work with your veterinarian when making any major herd health decisions, but depending on what county you are in, your livestock extension agent may be able to train you on how to do your own fecal egg counts.

There are numerous intestinal parasites that affect small ruminants, but for deworming purposes, they can generally be clumped into three main groups; Coccidia, which is a protozoan not a worm, strongyles aka roundworms,
which includes parasites like the barber pole worm, trichostrongylus, and thread worms to name a few, and tapeworms, which are a type of flat worm. (There is a third group of true worms called flukes but they are a much less common issue in small ruminants and can be controlled by the same dewormers as tapeworms.) The fecal egg count will help you not only identify the group(s) you are battling, but help give you an idea if the use of dewormer is necessary.

Since Coccidia is a protozoan and not a true worm, there is a specific drug that is used for the treatment of coccidiosis. Corid, drug name Amprolium, is an over-the-counter treatment for coccidia, however, it is not labeled for sheep or goats, so the use of it in small ruminants requires a prescription and guidance from a veterinarian. A. vet can also prescribe sulfa drugs, such as Albon or Sulmet. These drugs are all specific to only coccidia and will not treat any of the other intestinal parasites that your animals may have.

For the true worms, we use what is referred to as Anthelmintics. In small ruminants, there are three general classes of these dewormers: benzimidazoles, imidazothiazoles and macrolides. All of these will help kill intestinal parasites but have different modes of action; think knife vs gun vs lead pipe, they all can do the job, but in different ways. This is an important thing to understand, because as we are seeing more and more parasites resistant to dewormers, you want to make sure you are changing classes, not just brand name or drug name, if recommended from your veterinarian or extension agent to do so.

The more commonly used benzimidazole dewormers are fenbendazole (Safeguard, Panacur) and albendazole (Valbazen); imidazothiazole dewormers are levamisole (Levisol, Tramisol) and morantel tartrate (Rumatel); and macrolide dewormers are ivermectin (Ivomec) and moxidectin (Cydectin). Of these, only fenbendazole, albendazole and morantel tartrate are currently approved for use in goats. All others would be used as extra-label, which requires a prescription and guidance from a veterinarian.

All three classes of dewormers are labeled for some strongyles, but it varies from class to class and drug to drug as to which strongyles it will kill and how effectively it will do so.

Only the benzimidazole class, or “white dewormers” are labeled for treatment of tapeworms.

*Note-Valbazen has a restriction on giving to pregnant animals in the first 30 days of gestation*

The last part to making sure that you are giving the correct dewormer is administering the correct dosage. Since most of the dewormers that we use are not labeled for small ruminants, especially lacking for goats, you will need to consult with your veterinarian or livestock extension agent for the recommended dosage. Underdosing is one of the biggest contributing factors to dewormer resistance, so getting your dose right is key to combating dewormer resistance on your farm.

Working closely with your veterinarian and livestock extension agent can help assure you make it through parasite season with living animals and dead worms!





4-H Photography Contest

With today's phones, tablets and other electronic devices everyone is a photographer.

Now you can show off your talent for photography. Entries for the 4-H Photography Contest are due
August 17, 2021. 
This statewide annual contest highlights North Carolina 4-H’ers’ photographic achievements. The winning photos
will then displayed on the North Carolina 4-H Photography Contest website.


This contest is open to North Carolina 4-H members ages 8-18. Participation is NOT limited to just those 4-H’ers enrolled in photography projects.

Not a member of a 4-H club? Join Moore County 4-H as an at-large member at 4honline.

Photo contestants will be judged on relevancy to category, the topic, composition and arrangement, focus and sharpness, lighting, and creativity. The photo contest categories are 4-H in Action, Nature's Beauty, and My Best Friend. Clink judging criteria to find out more out how winning photographs will be selected. Also, see last year's contest winners and get an idea of what the judges consider are winning photographs.

Want to improve your photography skills before entering the contest? View the Basic Photography 4-H Spark video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUhBmUYMcto.


Get all the information about the rules and registration requirements at the following link: 2021 4-H Photography Contest.




Only three male spaces (ages 9-12) left for Millstone 4-H Camp. Click here to find out the details and to register your camper for the week of June 20-25 before all the spaces are filled.
Read more Moore County Extension news »
 
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.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made at least 5 days before the scheduled event
to Deborah McGiffin at deborah_mcgiffin@ncsu.edu or 910-947-3188.

 


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