Dig Into April with Growing Chatham!

Celebrate Spring with the Chapel Hill Garden Tour 

Saturday, April 25, 10am-4pm

Sunday, April 26, 10am-4pm

The Chapel Hill Garden Tour, Sculpted and Soaring Skyward, offers visitors a rare opportunity to stroll five distinctive private Chapel Hill area gardens where unique visions of beauty, preservation, sustainability and design are on full display. Guided by knowledgeable experts, see stunning spring blooms, majestic trees and rock formations.  Explore a butterfly sanctuary, a tranquil Japanese garden, and a plant lover's paradise. And don’t miss the NC Botanical Garden, and their affiliated Carolina Community Garden and American Indian Cultural Garden.

Proceeds support ongoing programs at the NC Botanical Garden and the Chapel Hill Garden Club’s many community service projects. Since 1931, members of the Chapel Hill Garden Club have served our community with countless beautification and educational offerings and have championed good stewardship of the environment.  The 2026 Tour marks our 15th biennial Springtime gift to our community.

Tickets are $30 in advance, or $40 on Tour days. 

BuildSense, a local high-performance design + build company, is the presenting sponsor of the Tour.

4-H

Summertime is just around the corner, and Chatham County 4-H is excited to offer a variety of engaging and fun-filled camp opportunities for the 2026 season of summer fun! Explore our camp offerings below and find the perfect experience for your youth.

Remember, you don’t have to wait for camp registration to open to join 4-H! Our programs run year-round, so sign up today to stay informed and gain priority access to exciting opportunities! 4-H membership is free and available to youth ages 5 to 18.

Presented by the NC State Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Chatham County

The Lifelong Gardening Workshop will focus on three main areas:

1. Modifications to the garden -  alternative garden layouts, plant selections and container choices
2. Preparation of the gardener - garden session plans, warming up and proper tool use techniques
3. Tool selection - choosing proper tools and adaptive options

Join us for a fun and engaging morning! 

QUESTIONS? Contact N.C. Cooperative Extension, Chatham County Center by calling 919-542-8243 or email matt_jones@ncsu.edu

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity.

Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Ginger Cunningham, County Extension Director, at 919.542.8202, ginger_cunningham@ncsu.edu, or in person at the County Extension Office at least 30 days prior to the event

• Plants are $7 each. This project helps raise funds for horticultural education programs for adults and children.
• Payment is due at pick-up. Bring exact change if you can (we will have some change, but exact change helps), or make checks payable to Chatham County, with N.C. Cooperative Extension in the memo.
• Pick-up times will be scheduled by appointment on April 17th and 18th.  We will send an email to you by early April with a link to sign-up for a time slot on one of those dates.
• Plants that are not claimed will be re-sold.

Canning 101

Get all the information you need to start canning food safely at home in this virtual class. Prepare to put away your spring garden bounty!

Welcome to Canning 101:Webinar!

This class is designed for anyone interested in learning more about safely

canning food at home. Family & Consumer Sciences Agent, Tara Gregory, will cover appropriate canning methods, basics of canning including equipment, and where to find safe tested recipes.

Event Details:

• Date: April 9, 2026
• Time: 12:00PM (EST)
• Location: Zoom

Mindfulness Fundamentals

When: April 14, 2026 at 12:00 PM Eastern Time

Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET (Lunch & Learn)

Where: Virtually via Zoom (link will be sent once registration is completed)

This workshop is part of the 2026 "Extension at Home" Virtual series, brought to you by a collaboration of N.C. Cooperative Extension Agents across the North Central District. This series will feature a new topic on the 2nd Tuesday of each month related to Family and Consumer Sciences.

Safe Plates for Food Managers

N.C. Cooperative Extension, 

Randolph County Center

Asheboro, NC

•  May 18 - 20 

This program is for food service managers in restaurants and other food handling establishments.

NC Safe Plates is a food safety certification course developed by N.C. State University. Certification is based on passing an ANSI-approved exam from the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals. Passing this exam satisfies the North Carolina requirement for a certified food protection manager.

Days 1 & 2: 9:00am - 4:00pm

Day 3: 9:00am-12:00pm

Job Opening: Market Manager

The Pittsboro Farmers Market seeks a motivated, organized, and community-minded individual to serve as Market Manager. This part-time role oversees all operations of the year-round Thursday market, ensuring a welcoming, efficient, and vibrant atmosphere that supports local farmers, artisans, and customers.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Extension’s Pollinator Garden Is Waking Up for Spring!

Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden at Chatham Mills in Pittsboro is quickly coming alive in mid-March! Some species are already blooming, others are starting to leaf out, while others won’t emerge until later in the spring. In mid-March we have blooming rosemary, golden alexander, spicebush, and white moss phlox (pictured).  The spring garden tour schedule will be posted in late April, so visit the garden website to see the schedule.

Explore how data center development intersects with agriculture, including key considerations for farmers, potential benefits, and strategies to support long-term land and community sustainability.

Artificial intelligence and advanced technologies are playing an increasingly important role in improving efficiency, managing risk, and supporting long-term agricultural operations. As interest in siting data centers on farmland grows, producers must carefully evaluate key considerations, including impacts on soil productivity, infrastructure, energy and water demands, tax implications, and the future viability of their operations, while seeking appropriate professional guidance. Although data center development may introduce challenges related to land use and resource competition, it can also offer potential benefits such as infrastructure improvements, expanded broadband access, and new energy opportunities. Through thoughtful collaboration among developers, farmers, community members, and local leaders, it is possible to balance economic opportunity with the long-term sustainability of agricultural land and rural communities.