NC COOPERATIVE EXTENSION - GUILFORD COUNTY |
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In This Issue:
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Monthly Round-Up–Extension Events
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Announcements
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Upcoming Events, Workshops, & Classes
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Other Community Events & Resources
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The Juneteenth Farmers Market at Hayes-Taylor YMCA had around 3,400 attendees this year to celebrate freedom, culture, and community. The community was able to shop for locally sourced products and produce, enjoy some treats from food trucks, and participate in Juneteenth festivities. Our table was hosted by Alyssa McKim, Food Security Coordinator; Agriculture Agent, Marcus Williams; FCS Admin Support, Alona Thomas; FCS Agent, Vincent Webb; and County Director, Natalie Owens. Vincent even conducted a food demonstration during the event! The Master Gardeners℠ also hosted an Ask A Master Gardener℠ booth. Over 120 community members asked Master Gardeners℠ about plants, and they were able to give out free seeds and gardening resources.
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Celebrate Pollinators Day drew 141 community members to visit stations from the Master Gardeners℠, 4-H, and community partners. Polly Nater, the Pollinator Bee, made a special appearance as well! |
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Intern Spotlight! |
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Left to Right: Jazmine Robins, Riley Sellars, Veronica Robinson
The NCCE Guilford County Center office has been hosting three interns this summer! Here are some introductions to our interns: Jazmine Robins recently graduated from NC State with a Master's in Education. She will be mainly working with our Food Security team. She is originally from Columbia, SC, and attended undergrad at Francis Marion University. In her free time, Jazmine enjoys reading, hiking, watching films, and hanging out with her friends. Riley Sellars is a senior at the University of Mount Olive studying Agriculture Education with a certificate in Agricultural Communication and Leadership. She will be mostly working with our 4-H team. Veronica Robinson is working with the NC A&T Extension staff as a Research Intern. She is a junior majoring in Kinesiology and Exercise Science from NC A&T State University. She is honored and excited to say that she will be working with our office this summer. Welcome to our team for the summer! |
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What to Know About Soil Testing
Testing Services for Nutrients and pH is provided by the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Soils Lab for free to North Carolina residents except during peak season (December 1- March 31) when there is a $5 fee. Soil test boxes are available at the Ag Center. Please mail your soil test boxes to the testing lab in Raleigh using the address listed on the form. Learn More |
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SAVE THE DATE
July 16th |
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FCS- Financial Literacy |
Valuable Money Lessons For Families with Chase Bank |
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July 16th
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM at the Ag Center
This workshop created for parents and children to attend together, teaches families valuable money lessons, including how to establish good money habits, make sound money decisions, and learn from everyday experiences.
Free backpacks & school supplies, plus pizza and refreshments for attendees while supplies last!
Space is limited. Registration is optional!
Please RSVP by July 10th. |
| REGISTER |
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Want To Be A
NC Cooperative Extension Volunteer? |
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Want to know how you can support your local community? N.C. Cooperative Extension in Guilford County offers a variety of opportunities for community members of all experience levels to volunteer! Our programs serve the community through youth development, agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and more—and volunteers play a vital role in making that impact possible.
Please complete this form below to share your interests, skills, and availability. This will help us connect you with meaningful volunteer opportunities that match your strengths and passions.
If you are specifically interested in volunteering with consumer horticulture, please contact Holly Key at hmkey@ncsu.edu to learn more about our Extension Master Gardener℠ program. |
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Med instead Meds - Recipe of the Month |
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Lentils are a quick alternative to dried beans. No soaking required and cook in a very short time. Delicious on their own, added to salads or soups, or as a base for fish or chicken. This recipe uses a delicious cumin vinaigrette to make a wonderful side or main dish. Using vegetable stock that is available in most grocery stores takes the guesswork out of seasoning. The recipe keeps for several days and makes a great to-go lunch. The Med Way includes plenty of healthy and nutritious meals that are also delicious and satisfying. We teach Eating the Med Way through the Family & Consumer Sciences Program.
Lentils with Cumin Vinaigrette
It is great as a base for Seared Salmon! |
| RECIPE |
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Upcoming Classes & Workshops |
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Community & School Gardens |
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Guilford College Visit
The community garden at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is flourishing thanks to partnerships and collaboration, N.C. Cooperative Extension Agent Crystal Mercer joined Morgan Malone, NC A&T Cooperative Extension Associate for Urban Agriculture and Community Gardens; Makalah Horton, NC A&T Freshman Intern; Kyle Hood, Garden Collaborative Extension Associate with Steps to Health; Tanesha Anthony, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum Site Manager; and Matt Barry, Maintenance/Construction Tech II, for a visit to celebrate the garden's success.
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Passing the Towel: Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders
July 8th, 1 - 2 PM
High Point Public Library
The Greater High Point Food Alliance's Urban Agriculture Committee and The N.C. Cooperative Extension presents Garden Education 2026: Passing the Towel: Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders. This session will help you understand the importance of leadership continuity and learn how to mentor future leaders in your community or school! This event is open to the public.
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Horticulture |
Extension Master Gardener℠ Garden Show
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July 11th, 10 AM - 12:30 PM
at the Ag Center
Save the date for the 2nd Annual Extension Master Gardener℠ Garden Show! This is a free and fun event for everyone to attend. Come and see the entries of Guilford County's Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers showing off their gardening knowledge and work in practice! Vote for your favorite entry in the 'People's Choice Award and participate in one of the two free workshops: a hands-on flower arranging class with a Master Gardener℠ volunteer or a gardening tools session taught by Extension Agent, Taylor Jones! |
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Family Gardening Day |
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July 17th, 9:30 AM - 12 PM
at the Ag Center
Join us for a fun-filled, hands-on
gardening day for the whole family, where families will rotate through four interactive garden stations. Families will rotate through four interactive garden stations designed to spark curiosity, build gardening skills, and inspire a love of nature. Children must be supervised and accompanied by an adult guardian at all times. **Please only reserve one ticket per family** |
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Horticulture Summer Gardening Programs |
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Expand Your Gardening Knowledge This Summer!
Join us for one of our free summer gardening programs this July and August at the Ag Center! Our summer gardening series provides our community with practical knowledge and hands-on experience they can use for their lawns and gardens at home with ease.
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Great Southeast
Pollinator Census |
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August 22nd, 10 AM - 1 PM
at the Ag Center Demonstration Garden
Join us in the Demonstration Garden for the Great Southeast Pollinator Census!
Join us on Saturday of this multi-state, multi-day project and become a citizen scientist by helping collect insect data during simple 15-minute observation sessions. Anyone can participate and contribute to important pollinator research. |
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Community Garden Start-Up Grants Are Available! |
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Has your Guilford County neighborhood, place of worship, or other citizens group thought about starting a community garden next spring? Consider applying for a Community Garden Start-Up Grant!
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4-H |
4-H District Activity Day |
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The 2026 4-H District Activity Day in Caswell County was a success, hosting around 120 youth from across the district! Five students were from Guilford County. 4-H Agents, Meredith Kreeger and Lauren Taubert, joined other Extension staff, interns, and volunteers in the North Central District for youth to showcase their knowledge!
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Community Development- Digital Skills |
Workforce Ready:
Digital Literacy |
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Select Wednesdays in the Month
10 AM - 12 PM at the NCWorks Career Center, 2301 West Meadowview Road, Greensboro, NC 27407
Join us to gain familiarity with current technology!
Questions? Contact Jeffrey Cates at:
jeff_cates@ncsu.edu, 336.641.2436 |
| REGISTER |
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Online Sports Betting |
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September 17th, 12 - 1 PM
at the Ag Center
Learn how online betting apps work, spot scams, and protect your money and personal information online.
Mobile sports betting is now legal in North Carolina, and many people are encountering betting apps and online promotions for the first time. This free community workshop is designed to help adults better understand how these platforms work, how to recognize common risks, and how to make informed digital decisions.
This session is educational in nature and focused on digital safety, awareness, and consumer protection. No prior experience is required.
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FCS- Health & Wellness |
Fermentation Series: Kombucha |
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Next Class: July 16th
10:30 AM (Virtual)
Fermented foods are not only tasty, but they are also good for your gut. Learn how to brew your own Kombucha in this class.
We will be covering fermentation, food safety, and the process for making Kombucha.
Kombucha is a lightly effervescent, cider-like beverage made by fermenting sweetened tea. It is produced using a starter culture of bacteria and yeasts called a SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). In this session, we'll teach participants how to safely brew and bottle kombucha, as well as how to care for their SCOBY. |
| REGISTER |
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Food Security |
The Grocery Gap Dashboard
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The Grocery Gap Dashboard is available online! The Grocery Gap Dashboard is an interactive tool that highlights food availability, affordability, and SNAP participation across Guilford County. Developed by the Food Security Team, this project focuses on eight ZIP codes with higher levels of food insecurity (27401, 27403, 27405, 27406, 27407, 27410, 27260, and 27262). |
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General Community Resources & Events |
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Guilford County Schools Weekly Pickup Option For Summer Meals |
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Guilford County Schools is expanding its summer meal program by offering weekly grab-and-go meal pickups at four locations, giving families a more flexible way to access free meals for children 18 and younger during the summer months.
Families can pick up a week's worth of breakfast and lunch at one time from Monticello-Brown Summit Elementary, Simkins Elementary, Southern Middle School and Childcare Network Daycare, 1307 E. Fairfield Road in High Point.
Meal distribution will take place Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. through June 24 and from July 8 through Aug. 12. Registration is required. |
| REGISTER |
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Art Classes For Adults |
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Hosted by New Hope Missionary Baptist Church
Next Date: July 9th
11 AM – 12:30 PM
306 South English Street, Greensboro, North Carolina
Registration is required. Call (336)805-7135 or email Stephanie Staley at
stephaniestaley@mustardseedhealth.org
for more information. |
| REGISTER |
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Weekly Farmers Market |
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Every Wednesday, 10 AM – 2 PM
112 N Benbow Rd, Greensboro, NC
Join in with the community every Wednesday at North Carolina A&T State University for fresh, in-season produce and an opportunity to make your dollars go further! QUADRUPLE your SNAP benefits! For every $1 spent using EBT, receive $4 in fresh produce.
The match applies to EBT purchases only, but all other forms of payment are welcome!
SNAP sign-up assistance will be available on-site. Bring a friend and come see what fresh looks like in your community!
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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 - Guilford County Center, 3309 Burlington Rd, Greensboro, NC 27405, United States
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