Planning the Future of Your Farm: Ways to Transfer Land Program

On Thursday, December 9, 2010, North Carolina Cooperative Extension will present “Planning the Future of Your Farm: Ways to Transfer Land” from 6:00 until 9:00 pm at the James Warren Citizen Center, 115 West Main Street, Lincolnton, NC. The featured speaker will be Andrew Branan, J.D., attorney and former executive director of the North Carolina Farm Transition Network. Also speaking will be Brad Rivers with the Small Business Development center to talk about the different types of business set ups, as well as, someone from Catawba Land Conservation to talk about easements. Each speaker will discuss different methods of transferring land and the implications of each method. On Friday morning, December 10, Branan will be offering private consultations at the Lincoln County Extension office. There will be a limited number of these consultations, so it is important to call early. Please make a reservation for these opportunities by December 8 by calling 704-736-8452.

If you already have an estate plan or have been interested in ways that you can transfer your land, we encourage you to attend this program. It will have lots of information to get you (and your family) started down the right path. By setting up appointments with Andrew Branan, you get an opportunity to talk one-on-one with him regarding your farm’s situation.

If you have any questions or would like to attend please call 704-736-8452. You may speak with Libby Yarber or Leigh Guth if you have any questions.

New Farm Tax Education Webpage

Utah State University Cooperative Extension is hosting a new website, Rural Tax Education, which is meant to provide farmers and ranchers, and other agricultural producers with a source for agriculturally related income and self-employment tax information that is both current and easy to understand.

Topics include:

• Fact sheets on many agricultural income tax issues including examples
• Topics incorporating both tax and farm management issues
• Sample federal farm income tax returns
• Links to other useful tax information

New Tax Breaks/Penalties for Small Businesses

In late September, Congress enacted the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, in an effort to help the economy recover. Here a just a few key provisions that may impact farmers:

• Expanded Section 179 Deductions. The annual limit is now $500,000 for the tax years 2010 and 2011.
• Extension of 50% Bonus Depreciation. Congress has renewed the ability to deduct 50% of the cost of new (NOT used) asset purchases, to the extent not already deducted under Section 179. The problem here is that Congress enacted this incentive at the end of September, and it expires Dec. 31, 2010, regardless of your tax year.
• Tax Break for the Self-Employed. Self-employed proprietors and partners can now deduct 100% of their health insurance for income taxes. For one year only in 2010, health insurance will also be a deduction in computing the self-employment tax.
• 1099 Reporting by Landlords. Now for the bad news - those who own real estate and receive rental income are now in the 1099 game. If a landlord pays more than $600 to an individual or partnership for services, the property owner is considered to be conducting a business and must issue a 1099 to the payee. This requirement begins with payments made after 2010. (2011 is the first year for issuing a 1099 report.)
• Increase in Information Return Penalties. Penalties are now doubled for businesses that fail to issue a 1099 to the IRS and the payee. They max out at $100 for failure to furnish a 1099 to the IRS and another $100 for failing to furnish a report to the payee.

Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference

If you are looking for ways to make a living or supplement your income off of your land, we invite you to attend the Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference on December 4, 2010 at the Gaston County Citizens Resource Center in Dallas, NC from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Whether for profit or personal enjoyment, a new project should be carefully thought out. This conference will provide information for people interested in starting or expanding small scale farm enterprises. You will be able to explore alternative enterprises by speaking with successful producers, university personnel, and experts in the field who are already growing, producing, and researching various crops, livestock and field techniques to enhance production. They can give you the practical, no-nonsense advice you will need when considering business planning, crop & livestock production, market development, etc. Topics to be discussed include: tree fruit production, use of high tunnels for season extension, grass-based sheep production, small scale rabbit production, successful vegetable gardening from A to Z, small ruminant herd health, small acreage rotational/intensive grazing, mushroom production, selling to restaurants & independent retailers, understanding sales tax issued on agricultural products, and internet & social media for farmers.

The program will include one general opening session and three breakout sessions. Three to four topics will be discussed concurrently during each of these breakout sessions. Participants will receive resource materials for all sessions.

PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Registration forms and fees are due by 12/01/2010 . Checks made out to NC Cooperative Extension – Gaston County. Call Lara Worden at 704-922-2112 for more information.

Click Here for Brochure & Registration Form

ISAMPA Fall 2010 Production Workshop

Featuring:
Poultry Incubation: Hatching for Success
Rabbit Production: Best Practices from Kit to Market
2011 WNC Heritage Poultry Project
ISAMPA Annual Membership Meeting

Saturday, November 6, 2010
2pm to 6pm
McDowell Technical Community College

The Independent Small Animal Meat Processors Association (ISAMPA) is pleased to announce the fall 2010 production workshop and annual membership meeting.

On Saturday, November 6, 2010, participants will gather from 2pm to 5pm at McDowell Technical Community College for a series of presentations on various aspects of poultry and rabbit production.

Our featured presenters include South Carolina poultry grower Gra' Moore. Mr. Moore will give a presentation on how to do poultry incubation on your own farm. A major bottleneck in efficient and profitable production can now be overcome following Moore's lessons for on-farm incubation of eggs.

We are very fortunate to have Dr. Anne Fanatico, a nationally-recognized small scale poultry expert, present on the latest trends and research in small-scale meat poultry operations. Anne recently joined the faculty at Appalachian State University and is now a North Carolina resident!

Jim Adkins, also a recently-arrived North Carolina resident, returns to our workshop series to present on an exciting new project to support increased production of standard breed ("heritage") poultry on NC farms.

For rabbit producers, ISAMPA board members Stephen McMurray and Rick Harty will give presentations on best practices for rabbit meat production, including helpful advice on breeding, raising, slaughter, and marketing.

At 5pm, workshop participants are invited to attend a dinner and ISAMPA's annual membership meeting. A catered meal is included with workshop registration. We'll discuss the coming year and latest developments in the small scale meat processing world.

Following the membership meeting and dinner, we'll offer a quick tour of the Foothills Pilot Plant facility, now under construction just a half mile from McDowell Tech.

There's something for everyone at this event, so don't miss out on this chance to learn and network with your fellow small scale poultry and rabbit producers.

Workshop registration cost is free to ISAMPA members and $15 for non-members. Membership renewal will be available at the workshop, with new ISAMPA members receiving free workshop access with their 2011 yearly membership fee ($20).

Please RSVP by Tuesday, November 2 by calling Smithson Mills at 828-273-9119, or by emailing smithson@smithsonmills.com. Please give your name, phone number, and email address when your register.

Directions to McDowell Tech: McDowell Tech's campus is located right off exit 86 at I-40 in Marion, NC. Follow signs for the workshop when you enter campus drive.

This workshop is organized by the Independent Small Animal Meat Processors Association of Western North Carolina (ISAMPA), with generous support from the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation and McDowell County. ISAMPA's mission includes: Promoting best practices for raising, processing and marketing small meat animals; support for the development of a small animal processing facility meeting state or federal inspection requirements, and; raising public awareness of small animal meat products humanely raised and processed in a manner that contributes to the social, economic, and environmental well being of Western North Carolina's people and natural resources.


ISAMPA Fall Production Workshop Agenda
Saturday, November 6

2pm: Welcome and Introductions

2:15pm: Poultry Incubation: Hatching for Success

3:15pm: Break

3:30pm: Breakout sessions

2011 WNC Heritage Poultry Project and Latest Industry Updates
Jim Adkins and Dr. Anne Fanatico

Rabbit Production: Best Practice from Kit to Market
Stephen McMurray and Rick Harty

4:30pm: Networking and socializing

5pm: Dinner and ISAMPA Membership Meeting

5:45: Site visit: Foothills Pilot Plant

6:00: Conclusion

NCSU Fall/Winter 2010 Horse Owner Educational Sessions

Local horse enthusiasts are invited to participate in a series of monthly educational programs on horse management. The sessions will be held at the Citizens Resource Center in Dallas, North Carolina and are sponsored by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service. Each individual program will last approximately 1.5 hours including time for question and answer sessions with presenters. Each session will begin with registration and refreshments at 6:30 p.m and the presentation at 7:00 p.m.

Program dates and topics are listed below:
October 19—Treating Laminitis by Dr. Richard Mansmann
November 16– Preventing and Managing Laminitis

These programs will originate from the Extension Horse Husbandry department at NC State University and local downlinks will be possible through the Elluminate technology. All sessions are open to the public and are free of charge. The Gaston County Horseman’s Association will sponsor the refreshments for the series.

Pre-registration is required!
If we do not meet the required minimum number of registrants (10) by the Monday before the event, the class will be cancelled.
To register, contact Gaston County Cooperative Extension at 704-922-2112.

The Citizens Resource Center is located on Highway 279 just west of Highway 321 and Gaston Community College. For more information contact Lara Worden at (704) 922-2112.

Present-Use Value Workshop

Date: Thursday, October 7th
Time: 6-9 p.m.
Location: Gaston Citizens Resource Center, 1303 Dallas-Cherryville Hwy, Dallas, NC

The Present-Use Value Program is a state program that permits agriculture, horticulture or foresty land owners to defer a portion of their annual property tax, if the owner meets all of the Present-Use Value Program criteria.

If you have questions about the Present-Use Value Program, please join us Thursday, October 7th at 6 p.m.

NC State Fair Hay Show

The NC State Fair and the “Hay Show” is right around the corner and those of you who are proud of your hay crop are encouraged to enter hay samples for this year’s competition. You still have 1 1/2 weeks to submit the sample to the NCDA&CS lab as the deadline for submission is September 17th. Make sure you label it as a State Fair entry. Cost is $10, the only fee. Official state fair entry forms are due by September 24th.

Get a 6" block of hay (same hay that was analyzed) to the fairgrounds before 10 am Thursday October 14th, and its OK to get the sample there the day before on Wednesday. If you would have trouble getting it to the State Fair, contact Libby Yarber at 704-736-8452 and get a block of hay to her no later than October 12th. The judging will take place on Thursday morning (October 14th).

There are nine classes of hay judged in the show. Hay is judged both on physical/visual appraisal and its chemical analysis. The premium book with prize info, rules, classes and entry forms can be found at: http://www.ncstatefair.org/2010/Competitions/PremiumBook/2010DeptD.pdf

If you have any questions about the “Hay Show” please contact Libby Yarber at 704-736-8452.

Western On-Farm Poultry Processing Regulation Workshop

This free workshop is designed for ALL poultry growers who are processing on-farm under exemption, regardless of how many birds you raise and market. If you raise, process and sell between 1 and 20,000 birds annually, you need this information!

WHO: All poultry growers who process on-farm for commercial sale

WHAT: New guidelines for on-farm processing exemptions, allowing producers to sell up to 20,000 birds on farm. The new guidelines apply to ALL on-farm processing.

WHERE: Burke County Cooperative Extension Center, Morganton, NC. Google Map.

WHEN: Monday, September 13th 6:30-8:30PLEASE RSVP by September 10th to casey@ncchoices.com

PROGRAM:6:30-8:00- Don Delozier, Director of NC Meat and Poultry Inspection and Alan Wade, MPID Head Compliance Officer, will discuss the new regulations and accountability systems for exempt on-farm processing of poultry. The new rules increased the number of birds allowed to be processed and sold off your farm from 1,000 to 20,000 birds annually. ALL on-farm processors, regardless of volume will need to adhere to the new regulations.

8:00-9:00pm- NC Choices will present a slide show of small, on-farm processing facilities.This is a unique opportunity to learn how others manage on-farm processing and make sure your systems are in compliance with state regulations. MPID representatives will be on-hand for case by case questions. The Sustainable Agriculture Program at Western Piedmont Community College is offering a bus tour of their facilities beginning at 5pm. The bus will leave from the Burke Cooperative Extension Building a will return by 6:15. Contact Chip Hope chope@wpcc.edu for more info on the tour and program.

NC Choices would like to extend a thank you to the administration and staff of the NC Meat and Poultry Inspection Division for their efforts in helping local, small scale poultry growers expand production through these new guidelines.

2010 NCSU Small Flock Poultry Production Field Day

When: September 8th, 2010
Where: Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station,74 Research Dr., Mills River, NC 28759
Time: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Topics to be covered:

• Small flock husbandry practices
• On farm processing of broilers and turkeys
• Heritage breeds to choose for egg and meat production on range conditions
• Forages and rotation programs for range poultry production
• Health programs
• Biosecurity and how to be a good neighbor
• Marketing your final product

For further information contact Ken Anderson at 919.515.5527 or ken_anderson@ncsu.edu

First Annual Angus Field Day

Date: September 25th, 2010

Time: 10 am to 2 pm

Location: Clint Harrell Angus Farm, 204 Hilltop Farm Lane, Forest City, 28043

Topics to be Covered:

• Pasture Management/Fencing by Libby Yarber


• Bull Management/Selection by Gary Gregory


• Marketing Cattle ( Speaker TBA)

There will be vendors from several animal health and livestock related companies. Some of those companies are:

• Novartis


• CPC Animal Healthcare


• ABS


• Accelerated Genetics


• NC Cattlemen's Association


• NC Angus Association


• And More
  

There will be door prizes and a meal sponsored by Novartis and First Bank and Trust.

Contact Clint Harrell @ 828-429-9273 or your local Extension Agent.

RAFI TO GIVE $2 MILLION IN GRANTS TO NC FARMERS IN 2011

The Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA will offer almost $2 million in grants to North Carolina farmers in 2011. The grants will be supported by the North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission and Governor Purdue's Family Farm Innovation Fund.

RAFI's grant program, the Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, offers awards of up to $10,000 for individual producers and up to $30,000 for collaborative farmer projects. The program funds projects that demonstrate innovative opportunities in production, processing and marketing or that show new ways of using obsolete farm equipment or facilities.

"RAFI was able to fund only 25 percent of the over 450 applications received for 2010," said Linda Shaw, Executive Director. "We are thrilled that RAFI will be able to help even more farmers as a result of this funding." Grant applications for the 2011 funding cycle and a schedule of workshops for prospective applicants are available now at www.ncfarmgrants.org.

Gaston County Cooperative Extension will host a RAFI grant application information meeting on
October 18th at the Gaston Citizens Resource Center starting at 6:30 p.m.

For further information contact Francesca Hyatt at (919) 323-7587.

Animal Welfare Approved Announces 2011 Good Husbandry Grants

Animal Welfare Approved (AWA) is pleased to announce that it will offer a third year of Good Husbandry Grants. AWA is seeking proposals for projects to improve farm animal welfare with a concentration on three areas: increased outdoor access, improved genetics and improved slaughter facilities. Animal Welfare Approved is a free third party certification for independent family farms raising animals humanely, outdoors on pasture or range. Current Animal Welfare Approved farmers and those who have applied to join the program are eligible for grants of up to $5,000. Farmers may apply for certification and for a grant simultaneously. Slaughter plants working with AWA farms are also eligible to apply but should contact Grants Coordinator Emily Lancaster to discuss proposed projects before submitting a proposal. Examples of projects funded in previous cycles include mobile housing, a mobile processing unit, infrastructure to facilitate humane handling and breeding stock adapted to pasture-based management.

The deadline for proposals is October 1, 2010. Guidelines, FAQ’s, project profiles and an application form are available at www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org or by contacting Emily Lancaster at 919.428.1641 or Emily@AnimalWelfareApproved.org.

Mount Holly Farm Fest 2010

A fundraiser of Live Music and Fresh Local Food to support Programs at the Mount Holly Farmers Market.

Date: October 2nd, 2010
Time: 4:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Location: Redlair Farm & Forest - A 730 Acre Preserve!
144 Redlair Lane, Gastonia, NC
Seating: Bring blankets or chairs
Tickets: $20 for adults; $10 for students 12 & over; children under 12 free
*** Price includes dinner and tea

You can purchase tickets at the Mount Holly Market, on the market website: http://www.mounthollyfarmersmarket.com/index.htm, or at Charlie's Drug Store in Mount Holly.

Call 704-609-0666 for further information.

Sheep/Goat Workshops

North Carolina A&T State University Cooperative Extension in collaboration with Rockingham County Cooperative Extension will be providing a goat and sheep workshop on August 23, 2010 with two sessions to choose from. Session 1 will be held from 1 pm to 5 pm. Session 2 will be held from 6:45 pm to 9 pm. You are invited to join in either or both Sessions. There is no cost for either session but a meal is not included. Both Sessions will be located at the Rockingham County Cooperative Extension Office at 525 NC Hwy 65, Ste 200, Reidsville, NC 27320.

Session 1 will include integrated parasite management for livestock, including goat and sheep FAMACHA© eyelid color scoring certification and optional fecal egg count hands-on training. This session starts at 1 pm and will be followed by hands-on training at the Upper Piedmont Research Station Chiqua-Penn sale barn with goats.


Session 2 will include presentations on breeding stock selection for sheep and goats in different production systems (purebred/show or commercial), including how to choose new stock or replacement animals and when to cull breeding males or females. It will also include a section on how different breed goats perform on pasture, with results of 3 years of studies conducted and presented by Dr. Richard Browning at Tennessee State University. Dr. Maria Leite-Browning, DVM from Alabama A&M University will present information about relevant diseases in goats, including CL, vitamin and mineral deficiencies and will talk briefly about parasite issues (coccidia and worms).

For more information or to register, please call or Email Ben Chase, Extension Livestock Agent In Rockingham & Guilford Counties at 800-666-3625 or ben_chase@ncsu.edu. Indicate which session (or both) you are planning to attend.

Know Your Farms Annual Farm Tours

The annual Know Your Farms tour of farms in the Charlotte, NC region is scheduled for September 18th and 19th from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Purchase one ticket, gather your friends into a vehicle, visit any of the participating farms. Come see sustainable agricultural practices; learn about healthy, local food; pick up tips for your own food garden; and enjoy a day in the countryside! Support your local farmers by attending. Bring a cooler, as the farms will be selling their meat, produce, eggs, and more. Please leave pets at home.

For more information go to: http://knowyourfarms.com/j/.

Mobile Processing Unit May Help Farmers

See this morning's article on mobile poultry processing units in the News and Observer:
http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/25/596676/mobile-slaughterhouse-will-help.html#storylink=misearch

There are currently two Mobile Poultry Processing Units that can be rented by area farmers - one located in McDowell County is managed by Foothills Family Farms in Old Fort, NC, not Flat Rock (as the article mentions). More information can be found here: http://www.foothillsfamilyfarms.org/content/1526 . Email inquiries to info@foothillsfamilyfarms.org.

The second mobile processing unit is at Wild Turkey Farms in Salisbury, NC. For more information on the Mobile Processing Unit at Wild Turkey Farms email wildturkey_farms@yahoo.com.

NCSU Hands-on Farmstead Cheesemaking Short Course

November 30-December 2, 2010: 7th annual NCSU Hands-on Farmstead Cheesemaking Short Course at NC State University in Raleigh, NC.

Download the short course brochure for the complete agenda and registration information: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/BrochureHandsOn2010.pdf

Registration is limited to 20 participants. This course ALWAYS fills up fast (likely within a few weeks from today), so don't wait to register!

Contact Gary Cartwright at 919-513-2488 for more information

N.C. Cooperative Extension Partners with 10% Local Food Campaign

North Carolina Cooperative Extension in Gaston county will be supporting a new statewide effort to build North Carolina’s local food economy - entitled the 10% Campaign. The campaign is an effort to encourage North Carolina consumers to spend 10 percent of their food dollars on foods from local sources.

Through the campaign website – http://www.nc10percent.com/ -- consumers and businesses will pledge to spend 10 percent of their food dollars locally, purchasing products from area farmers and food producers. Campaign participants will receive weekly email reminders to report how much money they spent on local food. The website will show consumers how their dollars spent on local foods grows.

North Carolinians spend about $35 billion a year on food. If each person spent just 10 percent on food locally – roughly $1.05 per day – then approximately $3.5 billion would be available in the state’s economy.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) and Cooperative Extension are partners in the campaign. Extension, based at N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities, serves all the state’s 100 counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. CEFS is a partnership of N.C. State, N.C. A&T State and the N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences that provides research, outreach and education on sustainable education and promotes local food economies in North Carolina.

Cooperative Extension’s local foods coordinator will help connect consumers and food producers and support local businesses and organizations who want to spend 10 percent of their food dollars locally. Local food coordinators will personally contact businesses and organizations that register through the website to help them develop a plan for purchasing local products. In addition, the 10% Campaign website provides a “Find Local Foods” page with links to help consumers find local food and farm products in their own communities. A “Learn More” page includes links to information on a variety of partner organizations, such as Slow Food USA and Eat Smart, Move More NC. There are also links to educational information on topics ranging from how to set up a workplace community-supported agriculture program to how to cook seasonal, local products.

To find out what’s happening with local foods in your county, visit your Cooperative Extension website at (http://gaston.ces.ncsu.edu/). A link to the Local Foods page can be found in the left hand column of your county center’s home page.

The Compass Group of Charlotte, the world’s largest food service provider, is leading the way in the campaign by pledging to purchase 10 percent of its food from local sources. Compass Group is developing a parallel model farm-to-institution buying program and will purchase 10 percent of the produce it serves in its North Carolina accounts from local farmers in the state.

Funding for the 10% Campaign and website is provided by Golden LEAF.

Among the Hmong

With an estimated 15,000, North Carolina is believed to have the fourth largest Hmong population in the U.S. Most of the N.C. Hmong live in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, with a few in Lincoln, Stanley and Gaston counties.

As a result of a three-year grant obtained from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement, the United Hmong Association (UHA) of Catawba County teamed up with N.C. A&T State University and NC Cooperative Extension to form HRAPP - Hmong Rural Agricultural Partnership Program (HRAPP). The three-year grant program (scheduled to wrap up by the end of 2010) has included two multiple week, intensive growers schools, several educational field days and workshops, individual farmer consults, inseption of a 1-acre demonstration farm with a high tunnel and community gardens that support six Hmong families. To learn more about this relatively new farming culture in North Carolina, check out this article from the Charlotte Observer: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/07/20/1573901/among-the-hmong.html?pageNum=2&mi_pluck_action=page_nav