Our Mission: North Carolina Cooperative Extension partners with communities to deliver education and technology that enrich the lives, land and economy of North Carolinians.
Cabarrus County 4-H
Cabarrus County 4-H Wildlife Habitat Education Program
WHEP is a national 4-H program that teaches 4-Hers about the fundamentals of Wildlife Management. It also brings 4-Hers together to develop team and leadership skills, as well as providing opportunities for 4-Hers to work with natural resource professionals.
The Cabarrus County WHEP 4-H Club has an opportunity to take part in an annual competition of knowledge. This competition’s purpose is to increase participant’s knowledge of Wildlife Management while promoting life skills.
For more information please contact Molly Kleman at 704-920-3310 or molly_kleman@ncsu.edu
Youth Market
Check out our 4-H Entrepreneurs at the Winecoff location of the Piedmont Farmers Market.
518 Winecoff School Rd, Concord, NC 28027
Saturday, December 10⋅8:00am – 12:00pm
Cabarrus County Horticulture
Cabarrus County Cooperative Extension Office’s Pollinator Garden
Have you seen our new pollinator garden? Thanks to Cabarrus County Extension Master Gardeners we have added a pollinator garden to our office located at 715 Cabarrus Ave West. It has been a yearlong project but it is well worth all the hard work as it will positively impact our community and wildlife. Be on the lookout for the garden filled with native plants as you drive by on U.S. 601 South.
Why a pollinator garden?
A pollinator is any animal that carries pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for reproduction, usually while feeding and flying from plant to plant. Most commonly we think of insects like bees or butterflies however there are some bird species that assist in the pollination process as well. Pollinators are an essential part of how many flowering plants survive. They promote the production of over 85% of our food and fiber producing crops.
Pollinators have been in decline due to habitat loss, new diseases and pollution. Planting and maintaining a pollinator garden will help to support these amazing creatures. Having healthy and abundant pollinator populations play a vital role in our food systems and in promoting biodiversity. They are also a perfect way for us to help pollinators continue their essential work for our ecosystems.
Thinking of adding your own pollinator garden? Reach out to Morgan Menaker (Horticulture Agent), or call our office at 704-920-3310.
Cabarrus County Family and Consumer Sciences
Celebrate the Holidays
Special thank you to everyone who came out to our "Celebrate the Holidays" educational event, hosted by Cabarrus County ECA. We had a great time sharing ideas on decorating for the holidays and some early holiday shopping.
Chad Mueller, Executive Chef at Cabarrus Arena, also shared tips on " Preparing Holiday Appetizers" and we all enjoyed the food sampling after his presentation.
If you have any questions about nutrition, health, food safety, or food preservation please contact Pamela Outen.
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Cabarrus County Agriculture
Cabarrus County Visit NC Farms App
Looking for local produce?
Looking for grain-fed beef?
Searching for a local farm to visit?
What’s a Farm App?
• Connects farms to consumers
• Outlet for farmers to list products, information and events
• An App for consumers to search/filter for farms, products or events they’re interested in
If you would like more information on the Visit Farm NC app check out : Cabarrus County Visit NC Farms App
Cabarrus County Cattlemen's Association
For more information about Cabarrus County Cattlemen's Association please contact Mackenzie Hall.
Extension Partnership Showcase
Barbee Farms and Extension Agent, Agriculture - Horticulture
During the Spring of 2022 Cabarrus County Horticulture Extension Agent, Morgan Menaker, received a call from Tommy Barbee, owner and operator of a 6th generation farm; T&A Barbee Farms. The call was regarding a voracious pest, the Diamondback Moth. The moth exclusively feeds on Cole crops like kale, collards or broccoli. The damage was extensive and led to a massive reduction in marketable yield.
After visiting, Morgan consulted with Area Specialized Agent, Craig Mauney, and NC State Specialist, Dr. Jim Walgenbach to develop a plan with the grower for the fall planting. The plan involved a few parts. The first was to move the fall planting to an area of the farm as far away from the original pest population as possible. The second was to use a systemic insecticide pre-transplant to provide control as plants entered the field. The third and final measure was to use a mating disruptor pheromone spray to confuse adult male moths from finding a female mate.
After developing the plan, Morgan and Tommy put the plant into action. Morgan and Dr. Walgenbach used pheromone traps and weekly monitoring to assess adult Diamondback moth populations. In the spring the traps averaged 120 adult males per week. In the fall the traps averaged 2 adult males per week. Damage to the crop went from 100% affected in the spring to under 5% in the fall.
If you have any questions or need any help please contact Morgan Menaker.
Also be sure to check out Barbee Farms!!
Credits:
Created with images by NC Cooperative Extension - Cabarrus County Staff, and nadezhda1906 - "boy looking at butterfy, kids learning nature" • DirkDaniel - "Bee - Apis mellifera - pollinates Rudbeckia fulgida"