Bucolic Briefs
Three open and two youth rabbit shows will be held April 2 at the Wilson County Fairgrounds in Wilson. These are CPRBA, ECRBA and MARCS shows and are officially sanctioned by the American Rabbit Breeders Association. Prizes will be awarded to the Best of Breed and Best of Show animals. Ribbons will be awarded for first through fifth place rabbits in all shows except the MARCS Show. For more, contact show secretary, Mae Howell, at (919) 580-8330 or e-mail at hareboro@hotmail.com.
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The Union County Antique Tractor & Plow Club Inc. will host its 2nd Annual Farm Show & Festival April 9 and 10 at the Union County Ag Center in Monroe. Antique tractors and antique farm equipment including lawn and garden equipment, hit and miss engines, fire trucks and more will be on display. Pinetuckett will perform at 5 p.m. April 9 with Village Green taking the stage at 8 p.m. The Journeymen will perform gospel music April 10 at 11 a.m.
Show hours at 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5. For more, contact Ashley Baucom at (704) 507-0025 or Butch Zimmerman at (704) 292-0523 or go to www.unioncountytractors.com.
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White Pine Farm in Rutherfordton will host classes with horseman Peter Campbell, April 15-18. Class sizes are small, so early registration is recommended. To sign up or for information, contact Josh or Heather Church at (828) 429-9672 or e-mail at lazystockhorses@yahoo.com.
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The 6th Annual Spring Herb and Plant Festival will be held April 16 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Piedmont Farmers Market grounds in Concord. For more information, go to www.piedmont-farmersmarket.com or call Becky Lewis at (704) 920-3310.
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The Johnston County Mule and Donkey Fundraiser Show will be held May 7 at the Johnston County Arena on N.C. Hwy. 210 in Smithfield. Prizes will be awarded for division winners and trophies and ribbons will be presented in each class. Entry fee is $8 per class. The entry deadline is April 29. Registration starts at 8 a.m. with the show starting at 10 a.m. Admission is $5 for adults and children 12 and under are admitted free. For more, contact Leon Joyner, (910) 379-9916 or e-mail at LeonJoyner55@yahoo.com.
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Dairy farmers will vote May 24 on whether to continue to allocate a portion of the mandatory national dairy check-off fee collected for North Carolina dairy promotions. Currently, 10 cents of the 15 cents collected per hundredweight of milk is designated to dairy promotions in North Carolina. The remaining 5 cents goes to National Dairy Promotion and Research Board. N.C. dairy producers must vote every six years to renew the 10-cent local promotion option through the N.C. Dairy Referendum. Every dairy farm in the state has one vote, and to pass the referendum, two-thirds of those voting must approve the measure. Dairymen should contact their local N.C. Cooperative Extension Service to find their voting location.
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The N.C. State Championship Horse Drawn Plowing Contest will be held June 4 at 10 a.m. at the historic Ivey Burn Plantation six miles south of Erwin on N.C. 217. Contest categories include single walking plow, team walking plow, team antique riding plow, team modern riding plow, team consisting of three or more horses, mules, single oxen and team oxen. Cost to enter contests is $10 per category. Event is free for spectators. For more, contact Ronnie Bowen at (919) 820-4067 or Wayne Collier at (910) 980-0066 or e-mail at bowen898@yahoo.com.
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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 including shows, events, fox hunting or pleasure riding, 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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