For complete details and registration information for these workshops, visit the Growing Small Farms website at http://bit.ly/qb7UB.

I am excited to be teaming up again with Susan Anderson of East Branch Ginger to offer more specialty crop workshops for growers!

Please note that the March 7 workshop was previously announced (in an earlier “save the date” email) as being on March 6 but the date was changed based on facility availability. The construction of the new Chatham County Justice Center has severely restricted parking during the day time at our Ag Building so it made more sense to move it out to Silk Hope which has a bigger facility. I apologize for any inconvenience this date change may have caused.

February 29, 2012: Introduction to Ginger Production

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer a ginger production workshop as part of its Enhancing Sustainability Series on Wednesday, February 29, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC. Presenter Susan Anderson of East Branch Ginger will give a thorough overview of edible ginger production and talk about its growth as a specialty crop for North Carolina growers. Registration deadline is February 17.

March 7, 2012: Galangal and Turmeric Production (with Ginger Growers’ Roundtable)

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer a galangal and turmeric production workshop as part of its Enhancing Sustainability Series on Wednesday, March 7, from 1:00-5:00 pm at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC. Presenter Susan Anderson of East Branch Ginger will give a thorough overview of galangal (Thai ginger) and turmeric production and talk about their potential as specialty crops for North Carolina growers.

The workshop will conclude with a roundtable for ginger growers (folks who grew ginger in 2011). Susan will present observations from the 2011 season in North Carolina and discuss strategies to improve crop performance with input and Q&A with growers. Registration deadline is February 24.

For complete details and registration information for these workshops, visit the Growing Small Farms website at http://bit.ly/qb7UB. Please follow the directions on the website to register.

Save the date for these upcoming workshops:

March 28, 2012: Using Smart Phones and Tablet Computers in Direct Marketing
7:00-9:00 pm
Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC

November 8, 2012: Piedmont Medicinal Herb Production Workshop
9:00 am-5:00 pm (tentative)
Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC

Details and registration information for these two workshops will be released later. We are not yet taking registrations for the March 28 and November 8 workshops.

Have a great week!

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center

North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc
www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms
All electronic mail messages in connection with State business which are sent to or received by this account are subject to the NC Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

Valentines Day is getting closer!! Come out to the Farmers’ Market at Paperbacks Plus! this Friday from 11 – 1. MAZIE SUMMER SOAPS will be taking orders for custom baskets that can include her soaps, milk bath, room & linen sprays, lip balms, scrubbies, lotion bars and more. You pick the combo you want and she will supply the basket and arranging. Orders must be placed by Feb 3rd for Feb 10th pick up. She can also include items from JOAN THOMPSON such as jams, jellies, pickles, relishes or homemade fudge. Joan will be here this Friday, as usual, with all her sweet and yeast breads, muffins, cookies as well as a large selection of her jams, jellies, pickles and relishes. Make a Valentines Day basket with some of the most delicious jams and jellies for your sweetheart…or for yourself! While you are here look for a book to include with your basket and make someone’s day complete.

DONNIESBROOK FARMS and SILK HOPE ORGANICS will be here with sweet potatoes, broccoli, spinach, garlic, turnips, turnip greens, kale and chard, herbs, eggs and honey. OAK TRACE will be bringing free range eggs. SCREECH OWL will once again be providing some of the first tomatoes of the year.

If you wish to check availability of any items as it does vary from week to week or if you would like something held for a later pick up, please call 742-4033.

Come in, pick up something for lunch and later and support our local farmers.

Dear Chatlist readers:

The Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market want to thank the community for supporting our first year as a Saturday market in downtown Pittsboro.  In 2012 we will re-open April 14 and run every Saturday thru November 17.  

VENDORS WANTED!  Apply by February 13 to attend New Vendor orientation! 
You  can find an application on our website  (www.chathammillsfarmersmarket.com) if you would like to participate  this year as a vendor.  We strongly encourage small growers/producers to  join us.  Please help us get out the word that we were requested by our  shoppers to have the following items available on a regular basis:
 - jams, jellies, preserves – seasonal fruit (peaches, pears, apples, berries)    – knife sharpener    – cheese    – honey    – loaf breads    – pre-made food items 

SPONSORS  WANTED:  We have marketing opportunities which will include using your company’s logo as a Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market sponsor for 2012.  Please consider Sponsorship as part of your 2012 marketing plan. View info on our website, or contact market manager Patti Dukes @ 919.601.2644.

Happy 2012, all!

Patti Dukes, Chatham Mills Farmers’ Market Manager

Greetings fellow Chathamites. Did you know that you could get lots of fresh veggies in January? Well you can and I want to let everyone know about our great year-round CSA here at Piedmont Biofarm. We are a  sustainable farm with a focus on organic practices, season extension and breeding plants for our region.

 Head farmer Doug Jones was CFSA farmer of the year in 2009. . Unlike most CSA’s we set up a table and let you, the custumer, choose from a number of veggies instead of giving you what we think you want.

We are starting our newest round on January 15th.  We offer full shares at $22 a week and half shares for $13 a week.

    Pick-up is at the farm on Tuesday from 4-6pm. We are located at
Piedmont Biofuels behind the SECU off of 64 business. You can contact us or
find out more information atPiedmontBiofarm@gmail.com or sign up online at
PiedmontBiofarm.blogspot.com  
Thank you for your support and we look forward to providing the very best in local, seasonal produce for our community.

Piedmont Biofarm

Producing sustainably grown, high quality food year round, and specializing in breeding vegetable varieties and seeds for the South.

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer a Natural Beekeeping workshop as part of its Enhancing Sustainability Series on Saturday, January 28, 2012 from 10:00 am-4:30 pm in the auditorium of the Agriculture Building in Pittsboro.

This course is intended for beekeepers who want to learn more about how to manage their hives naturally. The national Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) organization recently developed a Natural Beekeeping (Apiculture) Standard. The primary focus of Natural Beekeeping is the health of the honey bees and the sustainability of beekeeping.

Beekeepers may choose to have their apiary Certified Naturally Grown to show their commitment to natural beekeeping. Whether or not you are interested in becoming a CNG-certified beekeeper, the workshop will be helpful if you are interested in learning more about natural beekeeping methods.

Master Beekeeper Dr. Buddy Marterre, lead author of the Certified Naturally Grown Apiculture Standard, will be the instructor for this workshop.

Participants will receive Certified Naturally Grown’s Handbook for Natural Beekeeping.

Note: This is NOT an introductory beekeeping workshop. The instructor will assume participants have at least some basic knowledge of beekeeping.

Details about this workshop are on Cooperative Extension’s Growing Small Farms website at http://bit.ly/qb7UB

The deadline for registration is January 24!

Happy New Year,

Debbie

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center

North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu
www.growingsmallfarms.org
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc
www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms
All electronic mail messages in connection with State business which are sent to or received by this account are subject to the NC Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties.

Registration details for this workshop are on the Growing Small Farms website calendar at http://bit.ly/19Y7lt

If you have questions about this workshop please contact Poultry Agent Dan Campeau at 919-548-9895 or dan_campeau@ncsu.edu<mailto:dan_campeau@ncsu.edu>.

January 19, 2012: Small Flock Poultry Workshop from 9:30 am-3:30 pm at the Harnett County Cooperative Extension office in Lillington, NC. Conducted by North Carolina Cooperative Extension.

Agenda:

9:30 am Registration

10:15 am Forage Species, Management – Dan Campeau, NCSU

11:00 am Alternative Poultry Species – Jeannette Beranger, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

Noon Lunch

1:00 pm Multi-species Farming Systems – Steve Moize, Farmer & Poultry Producer

1:45 pm Egg Rules, Private Labeling – Richard Hoyle, NCDA

2:15 pm Processing Concerns, Inspection Process, Expected Yields – Abdul Chaudhry, Chaudhry Halal Processing

2:45 pm Center for Environmental Farming Systems Ongoing Research – Lisa Forehand, NCSU

3:00 pm Questions and Answers

3:30 pm Adjourn

Registration details for this workshop are on the Growing Small Farms website calendar at http://bit.ly/19Y7lt

Debbie Roos
Agricultural Extension Agent
Chatham County Center

North Carolina Cooperative Extension
919.542.8202
debbie_roos@ncsu.edu>
www.growingsmallfarms.org
www.facebook.com/debbie.roos.nc
www.twitter.com/GrowSmallFarms

The Garden of Concord is just north of Chatham County in Eli Whitney, and we have a couple members who come up from Chatham.

The lead gardener is currently pursuing a degree in sustainable agriculture at CCCC, and she has done an amazing job! We have chickens and bees and kids activities, my family loves it. The 2012 “Wake up the Garden” tour and celebration is coming up on March 3, 2012. Even if you aren’t a member, we welcome visitors. Take the 87 North, turn right at the stoplight on Old Greensboro/Chapel Hill road, and it’s on the left by Concord Methodist.

http://thegardenofconcord.blogspot.com/

Chatlisters,

The Second Tree ID Walk is Full! Thanks to everyone who signed up. Sorry we can’t accommodate all who are interested. We must have hit a nerve because there is a lot of interest in a winter outing in Chatham County. Also thanks to the Chatlist, it really works!

Walton Haywood,
The Grand Trees of Chatham

I see that Synagro is still out here in Chatham County spraying sludge on our farmlands.  They are spraying this sunday morning on the property that has the chicken houses right on the south side of Hwy. 64 about 8
miles west of Pittsboro, just past Payne’s Antique Glass.  This land is adjacent to my property. I wish there was something that could be done to stop the poisoning of the land.  Dependant of where the sludge comes
from (last year from Holly Springs) the testing they do before it is applied may not cover all the stuff that could possibly be in the sludge.  Especially if there are industrial facilities in the area of the sewage plant.

Years ago the practice was to dump it in the ocean as a means of disposal.  Then some genius figured out that this can’t be good for the ocean, so the practice of offering “free fertilizer” to farmers was the answer to their disposal issue.

Here’s a link regarding some problems with Synagro, the company spraying our land here in Chatham.  Check it out.

http://www.sludgevictims.com/pdf_files/SludgeSynagroLeafletSEIU.pdf

Sincerely,
Dwain Ritchie
Pittsboro, NC

The SILER CITY FARMERS MARKET has once again moved inside at PAPERBACKS PLUS! for the year. 

Friday, November 25th the following vendors will be here during the hours of 11:00 to 1:00:

PAM BRADY  of MAZIE SOMMER SOAPS will have handmade herbal soaps and bath products.

GAMGEE GARDENS will be here with dried herbs and pecans.

SILK HOPE ORGANICS will have sweet potatoes, broccoli, lettuce, and other greens along as well as garlic.

OAK TRACE will once again be suppling fresh eggs.

JOAN THOMPSON will be here with her delicious jams, jellies, pickles, a variety of breads, focaccia bread, cheese muffins, cookies and free hot cider.

Stop by on your lunch hour, pick up something delicious for then and something to take home with you.  Come out and support our local farmers during the winter months.