Bucolic Briefs
The Ashe County Friends of Agriculture is sponsoring an Extreme Mountain Cowboy Race Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. at the Ashe County Ag Expo grounds in West Jefferson. All ages are invited to participate in a timed and points obstacle course on horseback. For more, call (336) 877-0557 or 877-6331.
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The N.C. Forestry Association will hold its annual meeting Oct. 7-9 at the Marriott Grande Dunes Resort in Myrtle Beach, S.C. For more, contact Chris Brown with the NCFA at (800) 231-7723.
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The Coastal Carolina Saddle Club will a hold horse show Oct. 10 beginning at 10 a.m. Rain dates are the following Sundays. Shows feature English, Western and gaming classes. For more, contact Linda Barker at (252) 560-3213.
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The University of North Carolina at Pembroke and the NCCCS BioNetwork BioAg Center will host the Robeson Farm Bureau BioAg Symposium Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UNCP Regional Center and Biotechnology Research and Training Center. The program will cover opportunities for farm diversification, forestry and the farm, global positioning systems, organic food production, North Carolina honey bees, practical seed and plant tissue culture, advancements in biofuels, impact of farming on natural resources, biofuels quality and viticulture. Admission is free and lunch is provided. To register, contact Jennifer Hickman at (910) 345-0082.
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Jordan Lake Farm at 1226 Marthas Chapel Road, Apex, is sponsoring a Jordan Lake Cool Car Show and Music Festival Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The event featured cars, live music, arts and crafts, helicopter rides, nature walks, children’s activities and more. Tickets are $10 each day. For more, contact George Faget, (919) 475-1847 or gfaget@gmail.com or go to www.jordanlakeartsandmusic.org.
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The first Harnett Regional Agricultural Fair will be held Nov. 3-7 in Lillington. For more, go to harnettcountyfair.com or call (910) 814-6049.
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The Farm Bureau BioAg Symposium will be held Nov. 12 at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke Biotechnology Research and Training Center. The free, day-long education symposium will cover many aspects of agriculture. Topics focus on: forestry, freshwater fish production, organic food production, increased farm production, honey bees and the N.C. food supply, practical seed and plant tissue culture, future feedstocks in North Carolina, impacts of farming on the state’s natural resources and biofuels quality. Lunch will be provided. The event is hosted by UNCP and the N.C. Community College System’s BioNetwork/BioAg Center. For more, contact Ed Hunt, (910) 345-0080 or e-mail at hunte@ncbionetwork.org.
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The 2009 American Breeds Livestock Conservancy Annual Conference will be held Nov. 13 and 14 at the Clarion Hotel State Capitol, Raleigh. “Crucial Cuisine: Putting Rare Breeds Back on the Table” is the event theme, featuring a number of clinics focused on hog husbandry, breeding rare rabbits, selecting heritage chicken breeding stock and introduction to microdairying with sheep, cattle and goats. To register, contact the ALBC at (919) 542-5704 or go to wwww.albc-usa.org.
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The 3rd Annual East Coast Thanksgiving Boer Goat Sale and Show will be held Nov. 27 and 28 at the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds in Winston-Salem. A free Boer goat seminar will be held Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. The sale will begin Nov. 28 at 9:39 a.m. followed by the ABGA Boer Goat Show at noon. For more, go to www.eastcoastsale.com or call Todd McLeod at (336) 241-2245.
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The Seventh 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. 9 at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel and Convention Center in Durham. This year’s theme is “Humans & Birds & Pigs – Oh My! A One Medicine Approach to Emerging Influenzae.” The symposium is geared toward physicians, nurses, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, public health professionals, environmental health specialists, agriculture professionals, wildlife professionals, and federal, military, and state and local disaster responders. Cost is $35. Go to www.OneMedicineNC.org or call (919) 515-2261 to register or for more information.
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The North Carolina chapter of Re-Run, a non-profit organization that places ex-racehorses into adoptive homes, now has thoroughbred racehorses available for adoption. Thoroughbreds are versatile and do well in any number of disciplines such as show horses, eventers, fox hunters or pleasure horses, according to Elizabeth Macdonald with Re-Run. For more, go to www.rerun.org or contact Elizabeth Macdonald at hemacd@mindspring.com.
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The United States Equine Rescue League Inc. has hundreds of healthy horses available for adoption. All horses have current Coggins test, up-to-date vaccines and various levels of training. There is a small fee to adopt. To learn more about fostering, adopting or volunteering go to www.USERL.org or contact Sue Meadows, (252) 224-0959, Teresa Campbell, (919) 221-1564, or Cindy Mantyla, (252) 244-2813.
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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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