Bucolic Briefs
A Successful Small Farm Opportunities II Conference will be held Nov. 17 at Vance-Granville Community College’s satellite campus in Louisburg. Conference topics include: direct marketing, pastured pork, hunting leases, beekeeping, farm financing, cut flowers and more. For more, contact Martha Mobley, (919) 496-3344 or e-mail at Martha_mobley@ncsu.edu.
A Horse and Mule Driving Workshop will be held Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Turtle Island Preserve near Boone. The hands-on workshop will cover the fundamentals of training a horse for general farm use and a discussion on different types of harnesses and where to get equipment. Cost is $95. To reserve a class space, mail a $50 deposit to Eustace Conway, 1443 Lonnie Carlton Road, Deep Gap, NC 28618. For more, go to www.turtleislandpreserve.com, call (828) 265-2267 or e-mail at mail@turtleislandpreserve.com.
A Cowboy Christmas Pro Rodeo and Gift Show will be held Dec. 7-9 at the Hunt Horse Complex, State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Gift show opens at noon, rodeo starts at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 3 p.m. on Sunday. For more, call (704) 882-6994.
The Fifth Annual One Medicine Symposium, focusing on the connection between human and veterinary medicine’s response to terrorism, disease and natural disasters, will be held Dec. 12 and 13 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham. The event is geared towards animal and human health care providers. This year’s theme is “Globalization and Emerging Risks: A One Medicine Approach to a Changing World.” For registration or information, go to www.onemedicineNC.org or call (919) 966-4032.
The Southeast Vegetable and Fruit Expo will be held Dec. 13 and 14 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. For more contact Cathy Price at (919) 334-0099 or e-mail at cdprice@bellsouth.net.
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The 2008 N.C. Turfgrass Conference and Show will be held Jan. 7-10 at the North Raleigh Hilton in Raleigh. The event features a trade show, a number of educational seminars eligible for pesticide credits and a networking opportunity for turfgrass professionals. Trade show exhibitors are still being accepted through Dec. 14.
Cost of the conference is $120 for Turfgrass Council of North Carolina members who register prior to Dec. 21 or $170 for non-members. Registration cost increases for each by $20 after Dec. 21. For more information, go to www.turffiles.ncsu.edu or contact the TCNC at (919) 380-9446.
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The N.C. Aquaculture Development Conference will be held Jan. 18 and 19 at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach. The conference features an aquaculture trade show, panel discussions and special interest workshops focusing on ponds and shellfish. In addition, participants can take a self-guided tour Jan. 17. Cost is $95 prior to Jan. 7, $125 by Jan. 14 or $150 for on-site registration. For more, go to www.ncaquaculture.org or call (252) 633-1477.
A six-week course designed for women involved with farming or married to a farmer and wanting to understand the business more will be offered beginning Jan. 17 and continuing for the following six Thursdays at the Vernon James Center. Class hours are 6-9 p.m. Supper and youth friendly activities will be provided. Contact Gerda Rhodes at (252) 793-2163 for more.
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Montgomery Community College in Troy will offer a beekeeping class weekly Jan. 28 through March 17 from 7-9 p.m. The course is designed for the beginner to experienced beekeeper and will cover the equipment needed for beekeeping, disease treatments, pesticide regulations and more. Cost is $25. Contact Gary Saunders, (910) 576-6222 for more
A Keeping the Farm Workshop will be held Jan. 30 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Commons Building, Wake County Office Park, 4011 Carya Drive. The workshop will cover such topics as financial planning, estate planning, taxes and what can be done for your land and your family’s future. For more and to register, contact Grace Lawrence, (919) 250-1103 or at grace_lawrence@ncsu.edu.
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The 2008 N.C. Agritourism Networking Association Conference is scheduled for Friday, Feb. 1 at Caraway Conference Center near Asheboro. Registration deadline is Dec. 27. Contact Martha Glass, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Agritourism Office, at (919) 733-7887 or Martha.Glass@ncagr.gov for more information.
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Planning for Your Farm’s Future, a statewide conference focused on estate planning and more, will be held Feb. 6 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cooperative Extension Office in Louisburg. The conference is free. For more, contact Martha Mobley at (919) 496-3344 or at martha_mobley@ncsu.edu, or go to http://franklin.ces.ncsu.edu
Educational horse classes will be held Feb. 21 and 28, March 6 and 13 beginning at 6 p.m. with dinner followed by program. Topics include saddle fitting, pasture management, hay information and more.
Contact Martha Mobley at (919) 496-3344 or at martha_mobley @ncsu.edu for more.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will host the first Got to Be NC Festival June 5-8, 2008 at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. The event will be a celebration of North Carolina agriculture and heritage and will feature North Carolina food products, a display of antique farm equipment, tractor and mule pulls, music, a state barbecue competition and much more. Admission is free. There is a $5 fee for Grandstand concerts and pulls. Mark your calendars now for this inaugural event. Look for more information at www.ncagfest.com.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services encourages livestock producers to register their farms with the NCFarmID program. NCFarmID is a voluntary program to register farms for a national identification number as a way to protect livestock in the event of a disease outbreak. For more, contact NCDA&CS at (919) 715-2951 or go to www.NCFarmID.com.
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