2013 Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference

Even though we had inclement weather to contend with, the turnout for the Putting Small Acreage to Work conference was good.

Also, all of the resource materials and most of the presentations are loaded on this site. Just go to the lefthand column and scroll down midway to Additional Pages section and click on 2013 Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference Resources tab.

Pastured Poultry All Day Seminar

Date: February 7, 2013

Location: Alamance County Center
http://alamance.ces.ncsu.edu/
209-C N Graham-Hopedale Rd
Burlington, NC 27217
(336) 570-6740

9-10 am
Registration – There is a $10 fee to cover lunch and educational materials. Please be prepared to pay at the door. Bring checks or correct change. See RSVP info at the end of this message.

10-10:15 am
Welcome – Roger Cobb, Alamance Co. Cooperative Extension Director
Housekeeping – Dan Campeau, Cooperative Extension Specialized Area Poultry Agent
10:15-11:00 am
Bio-security and Keeping your Flock Healthy – Dr. Donna Carver, NCSU Poultry Veterinarian

11-11:45 am
Niche Egg Production Using Alternative Poultry Species – Jeannette Beranger, American Livestock Breeds Conservancy

11:45-Noon
Realistic Yield Expectations and How to Get your Birds Processed – Chaudhry Halal Poultry Processing

Noon-1:00 pm
Catered Lunch

1:00-1:15 pm
NC Laws and Regulations that Affect Small-scale Poultry Producers – Dan Campeau

1:15-2:00 pm
Turkey Production Experiences, Market and Processing Challenges – Alex Hitt, Peregrine Farm

2:00-2:30 pm
Forages for the Birds – Dan Campeau

2:30-3:00 pm
Panel Discussion, Questions

3:00 pm
Adjourn

*RSVP - Please respond by Friday, February 1, 2013. We need to make sure we have enough lunches ready for everyone. There are space limitations. First 80 people to sign up will be able to attend!

By email: Please email extension.programs@chathamnc.org . Please put meeting name and meeting date in subject line and below as a message. That way our support staff will know what meeting you want to sign up for.

By phone: Please call Chatham County Cooperative Extension at 919-542-8202 during business hours. Please let Chatham Co. staff what meeting you would like to sign up for.

Got Worms? WNC Sheep, Goat and Llama meeting

Dr. David Pugh, author of Sheep and Goat Medicine, will be part of a free program (lunch provided) on Saturday, February 9th from 9am-5pm at the WNC Agriculture Center in Fletcher, across from the Asheville airport.  Wet labs will be available with microscope training, Famancha training, nutrition, and breeding information.  Bring samples to check.  For additional information call Animals R Us Veterinary Clinic (828-693-7387) or Country Lane Veterinary Hospital (828-627-9100).  Registration opens at 8:15am in the Boone Building. FREE. Lunch provided.

Horticulture Lunch 'N Learns

Pruning: What, When, and How
Timing and technique matters!

February 13, 2013
Gaston County Citizen’s Resource Center, Dallas, NC
Cost: $10.00 (lunch included...please specify any special needs)
Pre-registration required: Call 704-922-2112 by February 8th to reserve your seat.

Getting Started with Garden Chickens - Come Learn How to Raise Your Own Backyard Flock!

February 27, 2013
Gaston County Citizen’s Resource Center, Dallas, NC

Cost: $10.00 (lunch included...please specify any special needs)
Pre-registration required: Call 704-922-2112 by February 8th to reserve your seat.

Wake Up…Veggie Garden! Plan now for Spring Harvesting

March 13, 2013
Gaston County Citizen’s Resource Center, Dallas, NC
Cost: $10.00 (lunch included...please specify any special needs)
Pre-registration required: Call 704-922-2112 by March 8, 2013 to reserve your seat.

Top Ten Flowers for 2013: Need some new, trendy color in the garden? Come learn what’s hot for 2013.

April 10, 2013
Gaston County Citizen’s Resource Center, Dallas, NC
Cost: $10.00 (lunch included...please specify any special needs)
Pre-registration required: Call 704-922-2112 by April 5, 2013 to reserve your seat.

Landscaping Outdoor Living Spaces: Boring deck? Plantless patio? Let’s create something inviting!

May 15, 2013
Gaston County Citizen’s Resource Center, Dallas, NC
Cost: $10.00 (lunch included...please specify any special needs)
Pre-registration required: Call 704-922-2112 by May 10, 2013 to reserve your seat.

All of these sessions are from 12 to 1 p.m.
http://gaston.ces.ncsu.edu/spotlight/horticulture-lunch-and-learn/‎

Deadline for Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference is Fast Approaching!

We are three weeks away from the Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference in Dallas, NC. Registration is filling up fast, and it is important to note that it is PRE-REGISTRATION ONLY and the deadline is Wednesday, January 23rd.  We will not be accepting any registrations at the door! So get your registration in now; otherwise, you will have to wait another year to attend this great conference.

Pre-registration fees of $35 per person and $20 for each additional person are due by Wednesday, January 23. Checks made payable to Gaston County Cooperative Extension.

To learn more about the conference or to register go to: http://smallacres.eventbrite.com or call Gaston Co. Cooperative Extension at 704-922-2112 for more information.

 

Prodigal Farm Workshops: Beginning Cheesemaking & Basic Goat Husbandry

For those of you interested in learning more about basic goat care, goat production and possibly dabbling in cheesemaking, Prodigal Farm of Rougemont, NC is now offering two workshops to share their knowledge: a Basic Cheesemaking Workshop, and a Basic Goat Husbandry Workshop.

The Beginning Cheesemaking Workshop – obviously with a focus on goat milk cheese styles – will be held on Sunday, January 20, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This is the Sunday before Martin Luther King day; with the hope that this will fit well into many folks’ long weekend.


While we’ll hold the class in our commercial dairy (and if the class as a whole is interested in spending a part of the time on learning more about that we can review some of the aspects that are distinct to the commercial dairy side), we will be teaching "stovetop" techniques for the home cheesemaker. We’ll have handouts for you to take home, but also bring a notebook. During the class, we’ll make chevre and feta, and maybe one other cheese, depending in timing and interest. We’ll cover foundational topics such as:


• sanitation of utensils & equipment

• Milk composition and sourcing

• Pasteurization

• basic equipment and supplies needs and sourcing

• use of rennets & cultures for beginners, including a discussion of the basic scientific principles at work during cheesemaking

• principles of molding, draining, and aging

• troubleshooting

Basic Goat Husbandry Workshop - will be held on March 30, 2013, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The farm is entirely pasture-based. If it’s pouring rain that day, we’ll reschedule for the same day/time the following week. If it is just sprinkling, the show will go on. Bring a lunch – it’s a long day! There will be handouts for you to take home, but also bring a notebook. Topics to be covered include:

• assessing your goatkeeping goals

• preparing for your goat: shelter, fencing, considering other animals

• finding and selecting your goats

• essential and handy equipment and where to find it or how to make it

• nutritional requirements and supplements

• vaccinations, parasite control, and discussion of common health issues

• hoof trimming

• assessing health and illness

• finding a good veterinarian and when to consult

• basic breeding and kidding

• disbudding of horns and castration

• milking

Each workshop is limited to 12 participants; if there is more demand, we will consider scheduling a second workshop.  To register for the workshops, please email kat@prodigalfarm.com; payment is required at that time.  You can also pay via paypal at www.prodigalfarm.com. Cost for each workshop is $110.