Loading

Growing Chatham NC Cooperative Extension - Chatham County - March 2022

Additional Formats of Growing Chatham

Growing Chatham Video Podcast

In this month's video:

  • Updates from Tara Gregory, Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
  • From NCSU Homegrown Channel: "Nutritional Half Truths"
  • Extension Archives: Are You My Mother? Take a trip back to Siler City in 1937 featuring a H. Lee Waters documentary, "Movies of Local People".

No time to read the newsletter? No problem! Download the audio podcast!

ENROLLING IN THE CHATHAM COUNTY VOLUNTARY AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT PROGRAM

How to Enroll

Interested landowners may request a paper application or apply for VAD enrollment online. Please contact Chatham Soil and Water Conservation District at (919) 542-8228 or NC Cooperative Extension – Chatham County Center at (919) 542-8202 with questions or for assistance filling out the VAD application.

4-H LEATHERWORKS CLUB UPDATE

Written by Ric Harber, Chatham County 4-H Club Leader and Chatham Artists Guild Member

The Chatham County 4-H Leatherworks Club held its first meeting on January 11. A cooperative effort between Chatham County 4-H and the Chatham Artists Guild, the club will teach participating youth (ages 11-18) the basics of leatherwork and tooling. The club is led by Ric Harber of the Guild and Rob Burgmueller, another Chatham leatherworker and 4-H volunteer leader.

The nine youth at the inaugural meeting learned the basics of basket weave stamping. Currently, 13 youth are enrolled in the club. Any Chatham County youth interested in participating should contact Liz Mauney, 4-H Program Assistant, for more information.

STEMsational Ag: Get Growing with The Virtual Farm!

NC State University has partnered with Middle Tennessee State University’s Center for Health and Human Services to develop and share “STEMsational Ag: The Virtual Farm.”

Where does our food and clothing come from? There’s a lot more to agriculture, the system that provides us with crops we eat and fibers we use to make clothing, than most people are aware of. Youth will learn about this amazing modern industry with roots that stretch back to the beginning of civilization through the modules and units that cover a wide range of topics. Everyone is sure to learn something new!

All modules and units are absolutely FREE! They were created by experts and open the door for you to learn about food preservation, backyard produce cultivation, farm animals, and the importance of bees, just to name a few topics. Your very own home kitchen and yard will be your personal learning laboratories.

NCSU 2022 LIVESTOCK SCIENCE CAMP

NC Extension Gardener Handbook, 2nd Edition Now Available!

This national award-winning handbook, developed especially for Master Gardener℠ Volunteers and home gardeners, is full of research-based information on gardening and landscaping. It is a wonderful tool for experienced gardeners, beginners, and everyone in between.

  • 728 8.5 X 11″ pages
  • 1,067 color images,
  • detailed graphics,
  • 109 tables including 5 diagnostic tables,
  • case studies,
  • frequently asked questions, and
  • specific management strategies for insects, diseases, weeds, and other pests.

Wildlife Friendly Landscapes

Written By Lucy Bradley

Visit this new portal for information on Wildlife Friendly Landscapes. You’ll find information on:

  • Why landscape for wildlife
  • How to make a landscape for wildlife
  • How to find native plants
  • How to avoid invasive plants

Seeking Feedback on the Future of Webinars!

Chatham County Sustainable Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos is seeking feedback from folks on their experience with webinars (any webinar, not necessarily Chatham County webinars). Whether you are a webinar veteran or never attended one...love them or hate them...she wants to hear from you!

Help NC State University Researchers Study Carpenter Bees

NC State University researchers have created an online survey to gather information about peoples’ experiences with carpenter bees and current management practices for this species.

This survey is open to any adult living on private property in the United States. Even if you have never had carpenter bees on your property, your responses are still valuable.

If you decide to participate in this study, you will complete a 10-15 minute survey about the presence of eastern carpenter bees on the property where you live, any management techniques you already use, and which management methods you would prefer given multiple variables. Your participation in this survey will allow researchers and managers to develop safer, more cost-effective carpenter bee management options in the future.

Forest Farming Webinar Series Being Offered

The Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmers Coalition is offering a series of free early evening webinars on a variety of forest farming enterprises. These webinars will be offered at the intermediate grower level, although all interested parties are welcome to attend. NC State Extension is a partner on this project.

The series started in February and runs through April (recordings of past webinars can be viewed on the ABFFP website at https://www.appalachianforestfarmers.org/forestfocus). Topics include Tree Saps & Syrups, Forest Farming Ramps, Forest Farming Fungi, Forest Farming Ginseng, and Forest Farming Goldenseal and other Non-timber Forest Products.

WEBINAR: Estate Planning - Get Informed, Talk With Family, Take Action

Thurs., March 3: 6 PM - 8 PM

Land passed down without a will becomes heirs' property with multiple owners with different interests. This webinar will provide strategies and approaches to assist families to overcome the challenges of estate planning and heirs' property

Presenters:

Mavis Gragg, Director, SFLR Program, American Forest Foundation

Pamela Harrigan-Young, Estate Planning Attorney

Will Dudenhausen, Training Director, Dispute Settlement Center

What is Climate Smart Forestry? A Brief Overview

Climate smart forestry (CSF) is a recent ‘buzz word’ among forestry communities in the United States, specifically in the policy front. It is a targeted and long-term strategy to augment climate benefits from forests and the forest sector in a manner that complements other forest-based goods and services. Ultimately, CSF enables “forests and society to transform, adapt to, and mitigate climate-induced changes” (Bowditch et al., 2020). While the concept is relatively newer, landowners and managers have already been adopting and applying several CSF strategies to active forest resource management in the United States.

Despite the Pandemic, Timber Harvests in 2020 Did Not Slow Down in North Carolina

Dr. Rajan Parajuli (NCSU) reports that recent data shows the NC timber industry is resilient and continues to perform better despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Let's Talk about the American Rescue Plan Act

Chatham County is set to receive close to $14.5 million dollars in American Rescue Plan Funds to help us overcome the difficulties of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are looking to gather ideas from the community on how best to use these one-time funds. We will host two Community Conversations specifically for the Ag Community.

March 15, 2022 at Silk Hope Ruritan Club

We would love to hear as much as possible about the needs of our farmers and agricultural community. At each of these meetings:

  • Food will be provided by the Spinning Plate Food Truck at 5 PM.
  • Meeting will start at 6 PM.
  • Children are welcome as we will have activities for them.
  • Masks are required.

We will begin by going over the American Rescue Plan Act and then allow folks to talk with Chatham County staff about some ideas they have about how we can use these funds to support them. Each person will get the opportunity to talk with Chatham County staff.

Connecting About Connection (Broadband)

Kenny Sherin will be “chewing the fat” about broadband during some informal Zoom sessions in the coming weeks. This is an opportunity to learn about how N.C. Cooperative Extension can make an impact on this critical issue in North Carolina. Kenny will be talking about current grant programs for infrastructure, ways to fund digital inclusion planning, and bringing digital literacy and skills training to your county. Most importantly, Kenny wants to hear from you about your broadband issues and to visit. He believes problems can be solved through connections. Connect with Kenny about Connection! There will be three opportunities to connect: March 8th, March 29th, and April 19th.

Nutrition Half Truths from NCSU's Homegrown Channel

Congratulations to Tara and her Family

Tara recently announced that she would be on maternity leave until the late spring/early summer time frame. Since her announcement, she and her husband have welcomed a little girl to their family. We are so happy for them. If you should have a food safety question while Tara is on leave, please contact Orange County's Family and Consumer Sciences Agent, Ivelisse Colón.

Article/photo provided by porch.com

Are you busy with work and feeling overwhelmed, or do you constantly feel stressed out? Does it feel like your landlord has you down on your knees? If so, there’s no need to fret. The folks from porch.com have compiled some excellent tips about dealing with all of these things and more just by incorporating some helpful self-care practices in your everyday life. One way to reduce stress and increase your savings is by trying a “no-spend” month, reducing your spending significantly for 30 days. We guarantee if you follow these tips, you’ll not only find yourself happier and more relaxed, but you’ll also save some money in the process.

Is that my mother?

Siler City 1937, From Herbert Lee Waters film

If you could open up a time capsule to possibly get a glimpse of your mother, father, or even grandparents to see them as a child on video, would you? That happened to my husband not too long ago, and the emotions that he felt were excitement because he had just found a video clip of the first woman that he ever loved, his mother, Elizabeth Hancock. Photographer/filmmaker H. Lee Waters created this documentary, "Movies of Local People," when Elizabeth was about 10 years old. She passed away in January 2008. As soon as my husband saw the quick video clip of the little girl below, he knew immediately that this was his mother.

Elizabeth "Betty" Hancock from H. Lee Waters documentary, "Movies of Local People".

Herbert Lee Waters (1902 - 1997) was an American photographer from Lexington, NC. He created a treasure for future generations. I'd like to share this treasure with you because you may be surprised, like my husband was, when he made his discovery while viewing a H.L. Waters film.

H. Lee Waters visited the Siler City area and created a two reel documentary of local folks, living their everyday life in 1937. Many of the adults in this documentary were probably full time farmers at one time or another, but by the 1920's and 1930's, many adults started working at various factories. It was not uncommon to find the factory workers clocking out at the end of their workday and heading straight to the next job, farming. This documentary is silent, but like me, you may watch in awe and not even notice there is no sound.

Grab a comfortable seat because it's time to visit Siler City, NC in 1937.

From Our Community Partners

CCPHD Continues N95 Mask Distribution

PITTSBORO, N.C. – The Chatham County Public Health Department (CCPHD) and Chatham County Public Libraries distributed more than 100,000 N95 respirators to the Chatham community last week and have received another shipment of 100,000 masks to continue that distribution. Additionally, Moncure Fire Department has been added as a distribution site, expanding the availability of these free resources to another section of the county. The CCPHD will continue to distribute N95s to churches and other community partners as well.

TAX RETURN INFO/HELP

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has created a guide with useful information for the 2021 tax year filing. It includes information on the Economic Impact Stimulus Payments, the Child Tax Credit, and more. Below is also a link to IRS Form 8888; Form 8888 can be used to direct your federal tax refund across multiple accounts: up to three savings/mutual fund accounts, up to three savings bonds purchases, and/or receive a portion in a paper check if you desire.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sexual identity (including pregnancy), and veteran status. NC State University, N.C. A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Ginger Cunningham, County Extension Director, at 919-542-8202, ginger_cunningham@ncsu.edu, or in person at the Chatham County office at least 30 days prior to the event.

Created By
Tiffany Hancock
Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by 1388843 - "cow animal farm animals" • viarami - "mask pandemic corona"H. Lee Waters