Bucolic Briefs
The N.C. Aquaculture Development Conference will be held Jan. 22 and 23 at the Sheraton Atlantic Beach. The conference features presentations and panel discussions from industry leaders and researchers and special interest workshops on finfish and shell fish. Participants can take self-guided farm tours on Jan. 21. For more, call (252) 633-1477 or go to www.ncaquaculture.org. The event is sponsored by the N.C. Aquaculture Association, N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, N.C. Farm Bureau, N.C. Sea Grant Program, N.C. Small Business and Technology Development Center and N.C. State University.
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The Johnston County Horse Show Series has announced its 2010 schedule, which is open to riders and horses from all riding levels, breeds and disciplines. All events will be held at the Johnston County Livestock Arena in Smithfield. Following are upcoming dates and start times: Jan. 23 at 10 a.m.; Feb. 20 at 10 a.m.; March 20 at 8:30 a.m.; April 17 at 8:30 a.m.; May 22 at 8:30 a.m.; June 26 at 8:30 a.m. Rain dates for all events will be the following day. For more, contact Michele McLaughlin at (919) 934-1344, by e-mail at sileeno@ipass.net or go to www.ipass.net/blaine_mclaughlin.
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The 4th Annual Agritourism Networking Association Winter Conference will be held Feb. 18 and 19 at the City Hotel and Bistro on Greenville Boulevard in Greenville. A reception will be held Feb. 18 and there will seven workshops on Feb. 19. Keynote speaker Lynn Minges, assistant commerce secretary, will talk about “Marketing Rural Tourism in North Carolina.” Workshop topics include “Planning for Success,” “Grassroots Gumption: Persuasion and Public Policy,” and “Agritourism Farms – What Flies and Flops.” Early registration by Feb. 1 is $65 for ANA members and $75 for non-members. The registration fee increases to $85 after Feb.1. For more information or registration form, go to www.ncagr.com/agritourism, or call Martha Glass at (919) 733-7887, ext. 276.
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The 2010 N.C. State University Turfgrass Short Course starts Feb. 22 and will include four-and-a-half days of educational courses. The event will be held at the McKimmon Center in Raleigh. For more information, contact Dr. Dan Bowman, (919) 513-2085, or to register online go to http://www.turffiles.ncsu.edu/Calendar/. The program is held once a year and sells out quickly.
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The Cabarrus Master Gardener Volunteer Association will host its 5th Annual Spring Herb and Plant Festival April 17 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Piedmont Farmers Market at 518 Winecoff School Road in Concord. The festival will feature more than 75 vendors offering an array of plants, herbs, baked goods, garden art and accessories and garden products. In addition, master gardeners and extension agent Davis Goforth will be available to answer garden and plant-related questions. The event is free and will be held rain or shine. For more, contact Becky Lewis at (704) 920-3315 or e-mail at bhlewis@cabarruscounty.us.
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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’ Veterinary division is looking for small or large backyard or independent poultry flocks to test for avian influenza throughout the state. A minimum of 10 birds per flock would be tested by oral swabs four times each year at no cost to the owner. This program is to maintain surveillance for bird flu in North Carolina. Bird owners with questions or who want to be sure their flock is free of bird flu, can contact Dr. Sarah Mason or Jimmy Collie at (919) 733-7601.
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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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