Bucolic Briefs
A meeting will be held Aug. 28 at 6 p.m. for people who are interested in learning about growing and marketing asparagus. The Asparagus Twilight Meeting will be held at the Garnett Carr farm at 980 Flem Clayton Rd., Roxboro. The meeting will showcase the quarter acre variety trial plot that was planted in 2005 and first harvested in 2007. Attendees can compare the 12 different varieties grown and discuss the yield results from the eighth harvest season.The meeting will also discuss rhubarb. The meeting is free and no pre-registration is required. For more information, contact Carl Cantaluppi at 919-603-1350 or by email at carl_cantaluppi@ncsu.edu.
***
The N.C. Simmental Association Fall Harvest Sale will be held Sept. 6 at noon at the Shuffler Sale Facility in Union Grove. Sale will include bulls, cows, pairs and heifers. For a sale catalog, go to www.ncsimmental.com or call 336-468-1679 or email at mcsa@yadtel.net.
***
The 73rd Annual N.C. Gourd Arts and Crafts Festival and the American Gourd Society 2nd National Show will be held Sept. 6 & 7 at the Holshouser Building, State Fairgrounds in Raleigh. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The event features gourds from around the world, special gourd workshops, competitions and vendors selling dried gourds, gourd seeds, gourd crafts, gourd art, books and crafting supplies. There is a live auction on Saturday at noon and also a free gourd-crafting table for kids. Details about the festival, a listing of workshops and information on how to enter the competitions can be found at www.ncgourdsociety.org/festival. Admission is $2 for adults, and free for children under 16, workshop students and N.C. Gourd Society members. For more, contact Kate Mahony, festival chair, at tolecat@nc.rr.com or 910-639-4577.
***
Two Johnston County horse show series, one an open class and the second a hunter class, have been announced. The hunter show dates are Sept. 6 and Nov. 8. Following are open horse show dates: Aug. 9 & 10 at the Hunt Horse Complex in Raleigh, Sept. 20, Oct. 25 and Nov. 22. Events are held at the Johnston County Livestock Arena in Smithfield, except where noted. For more, go to www.blaine-mclaughlin-stables.com or call Michele McLaughlin at 919-934-1344.
***
Beekeepers with bees for rent and growers interested in bee pollination services can post their information on the BeeLinked website at www.ncagr.com/beelinked. The site is hosted by the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the N.C. State University Apiculture Program. Anyone interested in listing their information can do so by filling out an online Submit Your Ad form on the BeeLinked page or by contacting NCDA&CS at 919-233-8214 or by email at NCHoneybee@ncagr.gov or call NCSU at 919-515-1660. The NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division regulates the movement of agricultural or related items capable of spreading harmful insects, diseases, and other pests. Beekeepers participating in this program will be required to comply with all honey and bee industry regulations.
***
