Joanna Radford

from Surry Living Magazine - January-February 2023

HOME, FARM, & GARDEN p.8 OUT & ABOUT p.16 SIMPLY DELICIOUS

Extension’s Winter EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

One of the “best kept secrets” in North Carolina is North Carolina Cooperative Extension. It has been around since 1914 and is now in all one hundred counties and the Eastern Band of the Cherokee in North Carolina. NC Cooperative Extension is a collaborative effort between the state’s land-grant universities— North Carolina State University (NC State) and North Carolina A&T State University (NC A&T)—and county and tribal governments to bring research-based knowledge to citizens in communities throughout the state. NC Cooperative Extension provides informal, community-based education to the citizens in the counties served. Our educational programs address the needs and issues most important to our clientele and their communities. In the county, the field faculty or educators are known as Extension agents. It is up to the local Extension agents within that county to provide programming to meet these needs. While many programs between county lines may be similar, they could also differ depending on the needs of the county. Programming and assistance are offered in various program areas such as: youth development (4-H), family and consumer science, livestock, field crops, pesticide education, horticulture, and foods and nutrition. All programs provide research-based information to clientele with the goal of helping to make the lives of clientele better. Our programs are usually free and are always open to the public. There are numerous programs offered throughout the year and can be found on our local Extension websites. There are several workshops and programs being offered in January and February. Let me highlight a few that may be of interest. The Extension Master Gardener Program Certification begins January 18 and will continue weekly on Wednesdays from 1:00 - 4:30 p.m. at the Pilot Center in Pilot Mountain. This program is open to anyone interested in horticulture, and who would like to volunteer and give back to their community. Participants attend 40 hours of hands-on, instructional training, take an exam, and volunteer 40 hours of time to horticulture projects throughout local county communities. Some projects that Extension Master Gardener volunteers are involved in are educational workshops on container gardening, growing your own salad bowl, and spring gardening to name a few. Others may include maintaining and presenting programs with demonstration gardens at the Historical Courthouse in Dobson or maintaining the horticulture library (available at the Surry Center office) or assisting local schools with raised bed gardening. Numerous projects are available. Anyone interested may find applications at https://surry.ces.ncsu.edu/. The Vinedresser Program meets quarterly for a total of four trainings each year. This program is open to anyone interested in viticulture. All vineyard owners, vineyard operators, workers, and winemakers are encouraged to attend these grape production and winemaking trainings. The next training will be held on January 19 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at the Extension Center in Surry County (915 East Atkins Street, Dobson). Dr. Mizuho Nita, Specialist for Grape Disease Management with Virginia Tech will be talking about grape disease identification and management. Contact your local Extension Center for registration and details.

The Foothills Specialty Crops Roundtable is a half-day event that offers numerous educational programs on horticulture to seasoned farmers along with new and beginning farmers. This event will be held February 2, 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. at the Yadkin County Extension Center located at 2051 Agriculture Way, Yadkinville. A few of the topics on this year’s agenda are growing mushrooms, blueberry production, growing fruit trees, and permaculture – and more. Contact your local Extension Center for registration and details. The Surry County Bee School is scheduled to

begin February 6 from 7:00 – 9:00 PM at the Surry County Service Center (915 East Atkins Street, Dobson) and will continue every Monday night through March 13. The Surry County Beekeepers Association hosts this school designed for beginning beekeepers. A Junior Beekeeping Certification program is also offered at this time and location for any youth aged 5-18. Call the Surry County Extension Center at 336-4018025 for details and registration. No matter what your interests are, NC Cooperative Extension has something for you any time of the year. Contact your local Extension Center or visit their website to learn what other opportunities are available. Before you know it, you will be telling others about this best kept secret.

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