Bucolic Briefs

The Southeast Strawberry Expo will be held Nov. 6-8 at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte. The Expo is the Southeast’s leading forum for strawberry education and networking, attracting strawberry producers from throughout the region. Topics covered during the Expo include: Strawberry Plasticulture for New Growers, Are you Making a Profit?, Exploring New Fumigants, Disease Diagnosis and Management, New Options for Plastic Mulch Recycling, Farm Labor, Using the Web for Marketing and Promotion, Fine-Tuning Fertilization and Special Issues for Young Growers. For a detailed schedule and registration form, go to www.ncstrawberry.com, e-mail info@ncstrawberry.com or call Debby Wechsler at (919) 542-4037.

The Rodeo Legends Tour will host a number of upcoming rodeo, bull riding and bull fighting events in August and September. Following is a list of events and contact information: Oct. 3 & 4 at 8 p.m at the Ruritan Park Arena in Efland – Pro rodeo; Oct. 5 & 12 at 7 p.m at the Dixie Classic Fair Arena in Winston-Salem – Bulls & Broncs; Oct. 30 & Nov. 1 at 8 p.m at the All American Sports Arena South in Monroe – Halloween Festival, Pro bull riding and UBF Freestyle bull fighting. Call (704) 882-6994 for all events.

Boothill Farm in Chapel Hill will host Hunter shows the third Saturday in October and November beginning at 9 a.m. The rain date for the shows is the third Sunday. Fee is $10 per class. For more information, go to www.boothillfarm.com or call (919) 967-2994.

A two-day short course on crop diversification geared toward current and previous tobacco growers will be held Oct. 23 and Oct. 30 from 7-9 p.m. at the Granville County Extension Center in Oxford. Topics for the two classes include: Growing Specialty Crops on a Small Scale, Getting Started in Vegetable Production, Know Your Costs of Production to Realize a Profit, Growing Cool Season Vegetables, Growing Warm Season Vegetables, Vegetable Insect and Disease Identification and Control, Marketing Options for Fruit and Vegetable Growers, and Growing Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries and Grapes.
Cost is $10 and covers a workbook. A couple can register for the $10 fee and will receive one notebook. Pre-registration is recommended. For more or to pre-register, call Carl Cantaluppi, area horticulture agent for Granville and Person counties, at (919) 603-1350 or e-mail at carl_cantaluppi@ncsu.edu.

The 15th annual Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair will be held Oct. 24-26 at the WNC Agricultural Center in Fletcher. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Oct. 24 and 25, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 26. The event features fiber animals, workshops, demonstrations and vendors. Cost is $3. For more, contact Teri Gabic, (864) 468-4220 or Shirley Thobe, (828) 337-9032.

The Joyful Noise Open Horse Series will be held at 4-T Stables in Lewisville Oct. 25 featuring English, Western and gaming divisions. The event includes youth, open and amateur classes. For more, contact Joyful Noise Farm at (336) 786-9130 or (336) 429-6240.

The Johnston County Horse Show Series features monthly horse shows starting at 8:30 a.m. at the Johnston County Livestock Arena in Smithfield. A negative Coggins test is required for all horses. Cost is $7.50 per class. Following are upcoming show dates: Oct. 25 and Nov. 22. Rain dates for all shows are the following day. For more, contact Michele McLaughlin, (919) 934-1344 or e-mail sileeno@ipass.net.

An organic gardening and farming information fair will be held Oct. 28 from 6-8 p.m. at the L.E. McLaughlin Building Auditorium, 423 E. Central Ave., Raeford. For more, contact the Hoke County Cooperative Extension office at (910) 875-3461 or e-mail at mary_hollingsworth@ncsu.edu.

The Southeastern Horseshoers on Education will hold a free Fall Horseowners and Farriers Clinic Nov. 1 at 9 a.m. at New Salem Stables on N.C. 205 in New Salem. Activities include a farrier horseshoeing contest, educational seminars on feed and veterinary care, a raffle and lunch. For more, contact Patty Reed, (704) 385-9352, Marcia Baker, (704) 579-1989, Paula Hafermalz, (704) 385-9441 or go to www.NewSalem.biz for directions.

The inaugural Father/Son Registered Angus Bull Sale will be held at noon on Nov. 15 at the Shelby Livestock Yard. The sale will feature more than 20 Angus bulls, mostly yearlings with a few 2- and 3-year olds. All are high quality. A few females will also be sold, including bred commercial heifers and possibly some three-in-ones. For more, contact Clint Harrill at (828) 429-9273.

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.

The annual Carolina Green Living Expo will be held Nov. 21-23 in Concord. The free event will cover many aspects of agriculture from biofuels to sustainable farming, and will include a number of educational seminars. The hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 21 & 22, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Nov. 23. Organizers are still seeking vendors. Call (910) 795-0292 or go to www.carolinalivinggreenexpo.com for more information.
***