Pin It!

Monday, December 31, 2012

Backyard Poultry Intensive Workshop by the Abundance Foundation

Backyard Poultry Intensive Workshop

January 12, 2013 from 9am-5pm


Held at Company Shops Market, Burlington’s Food Coop; 268 E. Front St.
 Burlington, NC Part of the workshop will be at the Co-op and then we will go on a tour of TS Designs and visit their backyard chicken operation.

A workshop for backyard poultry enthusiasts and small, sustainable farmers who are interested in breeding, growing and enjoying standard bred poultry. This all day workshop will include the following sessions: ”Identifying Standard Bred & Heritage Poultry”, “Facilities, Feed, Forage & The Backyard”, “Selecting and Culling your Flock from Production”, “Basic Poultry Health Management and Disease Control”, and “Opportunities for Breeding, Preservation, Exhibition and Marketing”.
About the Instructor:
Jim Adkins started his poultry interest as a young man who grew up in 4-H, raising and exhibiting poultry in southwest Washington State. For the past thirty years, Jim has raised over fifty breeds and varieties of standard bred poultry (that includes chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys). In 1994, he received his poultry judging license from the American Poultry Association which has taken him to thirty plus states, Canada, and Australia to judge standard bred poultry. Jim recently worked for a large commercial turkey company; supervising five ranches that produced over a half million turkeys a year. Jim is a passionate, effective communicator who loves poultry and loves to teach people about the available opportunities with poultry. He has been teaching poultry field days and workshops throughout the United States and abroad as well. He has been invited to teach courses at Calpolyin San Luis Obispo, CA, the University of Montana, the University of Alaska and the University of Arizona. Jim established the International Center for Poultry in 1992 and currently lives in McDowell County, NC and serves as a sustainable poultry specialist.
$45 – Early Bird Registration until Jan. 1st
$50 Jan 2nd to Jan 12th
Registration and Pre-payment required
Workshop is limited to 20 participants.
Register using Secure Google Checkout:

SOLD OUT! Please email wow@theabundancefoundation.org to be informed of upcoming workshops.

Or mail your check to:
The Abundance Foundation
220 Lorax Lane #5
Pittsboro, NC 27312
Questions? Call 919-533-5181 or Email wow@theabundancefoundation.org

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Aged Raw Milk Aged Goat Cheese

In the summer of 2012, we began making our first raw milk aged farmstead cheeses, using only milk from our herd, in our new creamery. These cheeses are aged from two to eight months in both natural rinds and waxed rinds.





In October 2012, we received our Grade B Goat Dairy license and began selling our goat cheeses in the farm store.
In 2013, we will begin producing fresh chevre along with our favorite, both plain and marinated fetas.

Due to the seasonality of our products, not all cheeses are available at all times in our farm store.



Tomme-Style Aged Raw Milk Goat Cheese
Tomme is a generic name given to an ancient mountain cheese produced in Switzerland and the French Alps.

Our tomme-style white goat cheese is made in a circular round shape with either a red waxed rind or a thin natural
edible rind.  It is a hard, dry, granular sharp flavored cheese, with the scent of our cheese cave and all its good microflora
(good bacteria).  It is suitable for grating and makes an excellent melted cheese dish with potatoes, pasta sauces and is
used over salads, soups and pizzas.

Tomme-Style Shredded Aged Raw Milk Goat Cheese
Tomme is a generic name given to an ancient mountain cheese produced in Switzerland and the French Alps.

Our tomme-style white goat cheese is made in a circular round shape with either a red waxed rind or a natural edible rind.
It is a hard, dry, granular sharp flavored cheese, with the scent of our cheese cave and all its good microflora (good

bacteria). It is suitable for grating and makes an excellent melted cheese dish with potatoes, pasta sauces and is used
over salads, soups and pizzas.  This tomme-style cheese is already shredded for your convenience.

Gouda
Gouda, a Dutch origin cheese from Holland, is a white cheese made in a circular round shape with a red wax-coated exterior.

It is a smooth, velvety, sweet cheese that is dense and tangy.  It is easy to slice or cube and is eaten as a snack, as a grilled
cheese or melted on pizza or shredded over salad.  Gouda is also a good table cheese and compliments fresh fruit such
as grapes, nuts and crusty breads.

Havarti
Havarti, originally a Dutch origin cheese from Denmark in the 1800's, is a white cheese made in a circular round shape
with a red wax-coated exterior. It is a smooth, creamy, sharp cheese that is dense and becomes saltier and sharper with age.
It is easy to slice or cube and is eaten as a snack, as a grilled cheese with tomato or grilled cheese with prosciutto and onion.


Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery is located on Buffalo Creek Farm Road in Germanton, NC near the intersection of Hwy 65 and Hwy 8 (Germanton Road) at the Forsyth / Stokes County line. We are a few miles north of Winston-Salem and a short drive from Rural Hall, King, Walkertown, Kernersville. Walnut Cove, Danbury, High Point, Greensboro, Pilot Mountain, Mt. Airy and other communities in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia. In our on site Farm Store, we have raw milk aged goat cheese, grass fed beef, pastured lamb and pastured free range eggs along with our handmade goat's milk soap and other local goodness.

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Winter's Dry Skin?


Ravens Moon Herbal is located in Walkertown, North Carolina and we sell a variety of their goat's milk lotions in our store at Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC.


Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Friday, December 21, 2012

Happy Girls!

 


We sell limited amounts of fresh eggs from our chickens usually during the spring and summer months.  The unusually warm December weather is keeping our girls happy and egg production is up.

Here at Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC our chickens are raised on pasture. They are both happy and healthy. Their eggshells are thicker, whites whiter and the yolks are larger, firmer and a bright orange. (Don't try cooking a white cake with these eggs if you want the layers to be white.) Our Golden Comet hens have the opportunity to forage and interact with other animals throughout the farm. While foraging for grasses/seeds, grubs and insects, the chickens consume approximately 30 percent of their diet. They receive Vitamin D from the sun while getting protein from their "bug" diet. This free ranging reduces the need for supplemental feed and more importantly improves egg flavor. The remainder of their diet consists of locally purchased feed with no antibiotics, added hormones or animal by-products. Chickens also provide a much needed service on the farm - - they help control flies by eating fly larvae and also cultivate and fertilize the pastures. Each egg is washed individually and provided to you in recycled egg cartons.


Eggs are available in our farm store.  Email or call ahead to check availability.
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Sweet!


Looking for fresh raw honey? You'll love the fresh honey from our friends at Tyson's Farm in Madison, NC!

In addition to their new bottles with plastic flip-top lids that are kid friendly, we have LARGER containers who use honey daily for cooking.

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Local Meats


We have farmstead meats available in our farm store.  "Farmstead" meat is meat that comes from our own herd.  Our farm is located in Forsyth County, near the Stokes County line, off Germanton Road (Highway 8) which is only 6 miles from Winston-Salem.

The meat is frozen fresh at the time of processing.  Beef, Lamb, Chicken, and Rabbit are available in the farm store.  Call or email for availability of your favorite cuts.  Pricing is available on the website also.

Our beef cattle are taken to a local meat processor, M. L. Mitchell & Son Meat Processing in Walnut Cove, NC for processing. Our meat is USDA inspected and it is available for purchase in our Farm Store. It is vacuum sealed, labeled and frozen by our processor in portion quantities per package. For example, there is usually one steak per package and our hamburger is in one pound packages. Packages are sold by weight and package weight will vary slightly.

Our beef cattle are raised on grass only with free choice minerals provided. Any hay they receive, only if grass is covered by snow, is grown on our farm using no sprays or commercial fertilizers.

Our sheep are pasture raised and supplemented with grain. Hay for the winter months is grown on our farm using no sprays or commercial fertilizers. Our lambs are taken to a local meat processor, Vealco in Madison, NC for processing. Our meat is USDA inspected and it is available for purchase in our Farm Store. It is vacuum sealed, labeled and frozen by our processor in portion quantities per package. Packages are sold by weight and package weight will vary slightly.
Our chicken is pasture raised and they are supplemented with laying pellets and scratch grains. Our poultry is taken to Chauldhry in Siler City, NC and is processed Halal. The chicken is also USDA inspected and it is available for purchase in our Farm Store. It is vacuum sealed, labeled and frozen whole by our processor. Packages are sold by weight and package weight will vary. Our chicken usually varies from 3.5 - 6 pounds.
Our rabbits are taken to Chauldhry in Siler City, NC and are processed Halal.

Rabbit
is available for purchase in our Farm Store. It is vacuum sealed, labeled and frozen by our processor. Packages are sold by weight.

A 2% sales tax will be added to all meat sales.

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery is located on Buffalo Creek Farm Road in Germanton, NC near the intersection of Hwy 65 and Hwy 8 (Germanton Road) at the Forsyth / Stokes County line. We are a few miles north of Winston-Salem and a short drive from Rural Hall, King, Walkertown, Kernersville. Walnut Cove, Danbury, High Point, Greensboro, Pilot Mountain, Mt. Airy and other communities in the Piedmont of North Carolina and Virginia. In our on site Farm Store, we have raw milk aged goat cheese, grass fed beef, pastured lamb and pastured free range eggs along with our handmade goat's milk soap and other local goodness.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Piedmont Farm School 2013

                      Piedmont Farm School 2013
The Piedmont Farm School that is a great way to help answer these questions and more for individuals who are seriously considering or currently involved in farming and is designed to provide training in production practices and business planning.
This school will offer seven business-planning seminars that will provide you the tools to create a viable business plan for a small-scale, economically sustainable farm enterprise. This training will include seven field trips to different working farms around the region led by successful innovative farmers and agricultural professionals.
Each month from February to June and September to October, the group will meet one evening for business training and on another day for a field trip to local farms. Field trip topics include the following: whole farm planning, livestock basics (beef cattle, hogs, meat and dairy goats, poultry), fruits, vegetables, specialty crops, agritourism, and marketing.

Check out the brochure for more information about registration and cost.


Feb. 12
Whole Farm Planning

Feb. 28
Farm Trip to Peregrine Farm in Alamance County
 
March 12
Farm Planning
March 28
Small Scale Dairy Goat Lady Dairy in Liberty, NC Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC in Germanton, NC
 
April 9
Financial Record Keeping
April 25
Specialty Crops Farm Trip (Hops & Mushrooms) in Yadkin & Iredell Counties
 
May 14
Farm History & Current Situation "What Have You Got?”
May 30
Fruits Farm Trip to High Rock Nursery and The Persimmon Branch

June 11
Marketing Fundamentals

June 27
Vegetables Farm Trip to Piedmont Research Station
Salisbury and Correll Farms, Cleveland in Rowan County
 
September 10
Your Business Planning
September 26
Pasture Pork and Poultry Farm
Trip to Wild Turkey Farm in Rowan County
 
October 8
Student Review
October 27
Agritourism, Marketing Sanders Ridge Winery, Vineyard & Organic Farm, in Booneville

Pucker Up!


Our farm store got a new delivery in of natural lip balms from Germanton's own Long Family Farm - - tangerine and spearmint. These make great stocking stuffers!

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Monday, December 17, 2012

Farmer's Market Managers Workshop

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE FARMERS MARKET MANAGERS WORKSHOP NEAREST TO YOU

NCDA&CS will hold its annual Farmers Market Managers workshops in three locations in late February and early March 2013 as follows:

Friday, February 22 - New Hanover Government Center, Wilmington, NC

Friday, March 8 - Johnston County Extension Office, Smithfield, NC

Wednesday, March 13 - Virginia Boone Building, WNC Ag Center, Fletcher, NC

Registration for the workshops will open on January 14.

Stay tuned!

Annette Dunlap, MBA
Food Business Specialist

2 West Edenton Street
Raleigh, NC 27601

1020 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1020

 Phone: 919.707.3117
Fax: 919.733.0999

annette.dunlap@ncagr.gov

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Slow Food Piedmont's Second Annual Seed Swap


Slow Food Piedmont's
Second Annual Seed Swap & Potluck
at Old Salem
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Single Brothers' Workshop
(10 W. Academy Street)
Join the seed swapping fun!
Slow Food Piedmont, with support from the Horticulture Department of Old Salem Museums & Gardens, will be holding the much anticipated annual seed swapping event for both new and long-time heirloom seed growers. Free.

Seed swapping is also story swapping, so this year’s event will provide time to share the known history of special seeds, as well as swap growing experiences with the wide variety of seeds grown and saved in our area.

A potluck lunch is a part of this day of fun, swap, & share – you are invited to bring a dish you love to make from your garden bounty or from a favorite family recipe. Everyone is welcome!

9:00am -10:30am
Seeds with Stories Exchange
(pre-registration required)
This session is designed for seasoned seed savers who are encouraged to bring their seeds, corms, or scions along with their stories to share with other seed savers. Pre-registration is required; please email slowfoodpiedmont@gmail.com

11:00am - 1:30pm
Seed Swap and Potluck
(open to all)
Come one and all - first timers and seasoned swappers! Please bring seeds, stories, and/or questions. Also, a dish to share.
Local experts will be on hand to answer questions.

In the event of inclement weather, or if Old Salem is closed, the Seed Swap will be cancelled and rescheduled to January 26.

For further information, please email slowfoodpiedmont@gmail.com.





Saturday, December 1, 2012

BEST Christmas lights!

Winston-Salem Monthly magazine has been scouring the area for the best Christmas lights. They're sharing one a day on their page--old favorites like this Hardee's (picture by J.Sinclair) and some local, lesser known impressive displays!

Friday, November 30, 2012

Meat The Rabbit



Today is "Meat the Rabbit" Day at the Farm. We're picking up our own homegrown whole rabbits from the processor today.  The whole, frozen rabbits will be available for purchase in the farm store.
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Poinsettia Open House

Photo: Watch us tonight on WFMY News 2 in Greensboro at 6:00. They did a segment on Mitchell's Nursery on Made in the Triad sponsored by Newbridge Bank.
 
Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 2nd from 12:30-4:30! You will not want to miss Mitchells Nursery's Poinsettia Open House. 

They are growing over 8,000 poinsettias with 80 different kinds. Go see an amazing greenhouse full of red, white, burgundy, jingle bells, and a mixture of these. Some even have double blooms. Vote on your favorites and get into the Christmas spirit. There will be free refreshments and door prizes. The event is free.

There will be poinsettias available for purchase and can be custom wrapped with a hand tied bow.

Get in the Christmas spirit!

http://myfox8.com/2012/11/27/new-varieties-of-poinsettias-just-in-time-for-the-holidays/

1088 W. Dalton Rd King, North Carolina 27021
336-983-4107

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Lost but Not Forgotten


This 8x10" oil painting, "Lost but Not Forgotten" of St Philips, was painted by Amy EvansIt will be part of one of the longest running Miniature shows in the U.S. which is held at the local Germanton Gellery and Winery.   The 20th Annual Southest Invitational Miniature Art Show will run November 30th thru January 1st.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Staying local for Small Business Saturday




WXII 12 News reporter Stephanie Berzinski and photographer Joey McDonald visited our farm store on Saturday morning to do a segment on Small Business Saturday.

We appreciate everyone who chose to "Shop Small" with us on Saturday and all of the customer who visit us every day!

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Small Business Saturday


 


Our celebration of Small Business Saturday has been a busy day!

On Small Business Saturday (November 24th), customers can SAMPLE our goat's milk cheese and soap, jams and jellies from Mother Holtz Farm, honey from Tyson Farm, candy from Piedmont Candy Company, and Raven's Moon goat's milk lotions.

Everyone who stops by today can enter to win a gift set containing our goat's milk soap! Each customer spending at least $10 will receive a FREE ornament (available in the store for $5) .

Visit our website to learn more about our farm and what is available in the farm store!

We, along with other small businesses, appreciate your support on this day and all year long!



Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Friday, November 23, 2012

Tomorrow


 Tomorrow the farm store will be open for a celebration of Small Business Saturday, 

On Small Business Saturday (November 24th), customers will be able to SAMPLE our goat's milk cheese and soap, jams and jellies from Mother Holtz Farm, honey from Tyson Farm, candy from Piedmont Candy Company, and Raven's Moon goat's milk lotions.

Everyone who stops by on Saturday can enter to win a gift set containing our goat's milk soap! Each customer spending at least $10 will receive a FREE ornament (available in the store for $5) .

If the weather cooperates, there may be a couple special 'guests' joining us at the store to help celebrate. Check the
farm's Facebook page closer to the event for more details.
 
Visit our website to learn more about our farm and what is available in the farm store!

www.buffalocreekfarmandcreamery.com

Hope to see you tomorrow! We, along with other small businesses, appreciate your support on this day and all year long! 

Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Thanksgiving



Happy Thanksgiving! 

The farm store will be open normal hours every day Thanksgiving week, so if you want to get out of the house come on over!
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Meow!

If you've stopped by our farm store, you've likely been introduced to Simon.




Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Workshop: Fiber Animal Production

December 5, 2012
8:30a - 5pm

The Chatham County Center of North Carolina Cooperative Extension will offer a workshop on fiber animal production at the Silk Hope Farm Heritage Center in Silk Hope, NC. We offer a full day of educational programs and exhibits, plus lots of opportunities for sharing and networking and show and tell!
Program Agenda:
Introduction and Learning Resources Debbie Roos, Chatham County Cooperative Extension
Animal Care - Dr. Barbara Walton, DVM, Third Street Veterinary Clinic
  • How to Find a Veterinarian
  • First Aid Kit for the Farm
  • Preventative Care
  • Common Ailments and Diseases
How to Control those Pesky Worms: Integrated Parasite Management for Small Ruminants – Dr. Niki Whitley, North Carolina A&T State University
Forage and Nutrition – Sam Groce, Chatham County Cooperative Extension, and Dr. Jean-Marie Luginbuhl, North Carolina State University
  • How to Establish & Maintain Pasture
  • Forage and Browse for the Piedmont Region
  • NCSU Research on Lespedeza for Parasite Control
Animal Spotlights: Producers will discuss breeds, harvesting fiber, unique production needs, and more!
Producer Panel:
  • Marketing Fiber (internet, farmers’ markets, fiber artist guilds, yarn shops, social media, etc. )
  • Income Potential from Fiber Animal Production
Exhibitors: All the producers will have exhibits of their fiber products and tools and equipment for harvesting and processing fiber.
A local lunch will be catered by Celebrity Dairy.
Participants will receive handouts and a Resource CD. Cost of the workshop is $45 and includes breakfast, local lunch, and the CD. Pre-registration is required. The deadline for registration is November 30.Space is limited so register early!
To register, visit Cooperative Extension’s Growing Small Farms website and download a registration form:http://bit.ly/GSFworkshops
Call 919-542-8202 or email Debbie Roos at debbie.roos@chathamnc.org for more information.

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Shop Small


 
 
Our farm is located on the Forsyth/Stokes County line, near the intersection of Hwy 65 and Hwy 8 (Germanton Rd)--6 miles from Winston-Salem. Our farm store is open daily 9-6 Monday-Saturday and 1-6 on Sundays.

In our farm store, we sell our aged raw milk goat cheese, farm-fresh eggs, farmstead meats (beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit), and handmade goat's milk soap. We also sell handmade gifts, local country ham, jams, jellies, candy and honey. Farm and goat gifts are available also - toys, necklaces, ornaments, windchimes and more!

On Small Business Saturday (November 24th), customers will be able to SAMPLE our goat's milk cheese and soap, jams and jellies from Mother Holtz Farm, honey from Tyson Farm, candy from Piedmont Candy Company, and Raven's Moon goat's milk lotions.

Everyone who stops by on Saturday can enter to win a gift set containing our goat's milk soap! Each customer spending at least $10 will receive a FREE ornament (available in the store for $5) .

If the weather cooperates, there may be a couple special 'guests' joining us at the store to help celebrate. Check the farm's Facebook page closer to the event for more details.


Visit our website to learn more about our farm and what is available in the farm store!

www.buffalocreekfarmandcreamery.com

Hope to see you the 24th if not before! Remember to support other small businesses in your area on this day and all year long too!

 
 
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Farm Love

Farm Love 

Show your farm love with a unique tile displayed on a funky silverplated fork easel by our web-nanny DinnerTimeChimes.

Shop online or stop by our farm store.

Options...
-Keep Calm and Cluck On
-Keep Calm and Love Goats (image options: Nubian doe, Nigerian doe, Pygmy)
-Keep Calm and Love Sheep
-Keep Calm and Count Sheep
-Keep Calm and Love Rabbits
-Keep Calm and Love Llamas
-Keep Calm and Love Cows
-Keep Calm and Love Horses
-Milk life for all it's worth! (image options: Nubian doe, Nigerian doe)
-------Additional images and/or wording may be possible!

 Farm Love
 
Farm Love
 
Farm Love
 
Farm Love
 
 
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Yesterday was the day . . .

Our first raw milk goat milk Havarti style cheese has been aging for 120 days. We opened our first wheel yesterday morning and what a pretty cheese. A sharp, smooth, creamy flavor that becomes sharper with age. Come by the farm store and try some for yourself!



 
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Christmas Open House and Decking the Farm

Christmas Open House and Decking the Farm
Saturday, December 8, 2012
11:00 am to 4:00 pm

 
Come deck the Malcolm Blue Farm with holly, pine boughs and wreaths. It’s an interactive open house where the visitors participate in making the decorations and adorning the native cedar, weaving grapevine wreaths, tying bows of holly and pine and turning pinecones into birdfeeders. Relax inside stringing popcorn by the fire while listening to local musicians.

Come for the tours and stay for the day. Their will be Brunswick stew, cornbread, an old fashioned candy buffet and hot cider. Monetary donations to the farm are encouraged.

MBHS founder Martha Swaringen says, “The Blue Farm Open House has been a tradition for thirty-six years. This year we are giving our guests the chance to be active participants in decorating the farm. Guided by the Blue’s Family Cookery we have recreated tastes from the past and welcome everybody to sample old Southern recipes of Brunswick stew and homemade sweets.”

Join us at our Annual Board Meeting from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.
 
 

Malcolm Blue Farm open Friday and Saturday 1-4 pm. Please call for appointments for other times and/or dates.
1177 Bethesda Road, P.O. Box 603, Aberdeen, NC 28315 - Telephone/fax 910-944-7558 -
malcolmblue@windstream.net

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers Coming to Stokes County!

I am pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for the gardening community of Stokes County. The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Program is coming to Stokes County in 2013.

A Brief History

From 1914 until after World War II, the main audience for the Cooperative Extension program was the American farm family. But the explosive growth of the American suburbs in the 1950s and 1960s fueled unprecedented interest in lawns, ornamental gardens, and small-scale vegetable crops. Local county extension offices in booming areas began to be overwhelmed with questions pouring in from suburban homeowners.

To meet this challenge, the effort that would become the first Master Gardener program was launched in 1973 by Washington State’s Cooperative Extension Service. Among the approaches considered was the concept of recruiting and training volunteers to serve the urban audience. This appeared to be the most feasible option as it would allow Area Agents David Gibby and Bill Scheer to be proactive in fulfilling educational needs.

A small cadre of volunteers underwent formal training to handle typical inquiries about lawn care, flower and vegetable gardens, pesticides, the environment and more. The volunteer force quickly proved its worth to the extension program as they did indeed afford local extension agents more time to focus on educational programs and the more technical horticulture questions.

The Master Gardener concept soon spread, eventually taking root in all fifty states. Today, thousands of certified Master Gardener volunteers throughout the nation work alongside Cooperative Extension staff to reach out to the public through workshops, publications, demonstration gardens, plant clinics, telephone hotlines and other projects.

To help you decide if you should apply to become a Master Gardener Volunteer, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I want to learn more about the culture of many types of plants?
• Am I eager to participate in a practical and intense training program?
• Do I look forward to sharing knowledge with people in my community?
• Do I have enough time to attend training sessions and to serve as a volunteer?

If you answered yes to these questions, the Extension Master Gardener Program could be for you!

What do I do next?

• Attend the planning / informational meeting at the Stokes Cooperative Extension office on Tuesday, December 4 at 7:00 PM

What will it cost?

• There is no cost to attend the informational meeting. The cost of the Extension Master Gardener Program will be $100 per person

What will I get?

• The Extension Master Gardener Training Manual, filled with the best, first rate, up to the minute horticulture information

• 16 weeks of intensive horticulture training

• The opportunity to participate in lots of fun activities such as –

• Create and maintain a demonstration garden
• Garden with the elderly and handicapped
• Work at county fairs and plant clinics
• Conduct school gardening program
• Give talks to groups interested in horticulture
• Work on special events projects (Arbor Day, Wake Up to Agriculture, Environmental Field Days)
• Plan and complete community beautification projects
• Photograph Master Gardener activities
• Judge school science fair
• Establish and maintain community gardens

I hope to see you at our informational meeting on December 4 at 7:00 pm!

-Randy Fulk, Horticulture Extension Agent- Stokes County

Monday, November 12, 2012

Goat Love

It's always a fun day when the grands are both at the farm and helping in the farm store!
 
It tough to keep them out of the pasture. 
They LOVE the Nubian goats, especially when there's baby goats!
 
 


 
Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Carolina Meat Conference

December 3rd and 4th 2012
with a very special keynote address by
Dr. Temple Grandin
and dinner with the Blind Pig of Asheville

WinMock Barn and Event Center, Bermuda Run, NC

 
Join a diverse group of professionals within the local and niche meat industry for two days of panel discussions, workshops, networking and demonstrations! Topics include cured meats in retail and foodservice, efficiency in small plants, regulatory issues, controlling input costs in pastured meat production, challenges of value-added processing, innovative marketing, and more! Back by popular demand- intensive hands-on workshops for consumers, farmers and chefs.
 
Online registration for the 2nd Annual Carolina Meat Conference is open at www.carolinameatconference.com

…with special Monday night social, dinner with the Blind Pig Supper Club, welcome and comments with Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler and keynote address with Dr. Temple Grandin and featuring some of NC’s best farmers, meat processors, educators and food professionals including: Acre Station Meat Farm Chop Shop, Butchery Foothills Pilot Plant, Mays Meats, Proffitt Family Farm, Rogers Cattle Company, Rose’s Meats, and Sweets San Giusseppe Salami Company, Weeping Radish Brewery and Butchery and many more…

as well as
Animal Welfare Approved
Kari Underly, Range, Inc, Chicago, IL
Adam Tiberio, Tiberio Custom Meats, Brooklyn, NY
Craig Deihl Cypress, Charleston, SC
Tanya Cauthen, Belmont Butchery, Richmond
VA T&E Meats, Harrisonburg
VA Arion Thiboumery
NMPAN and Lorentz Meats
 
How Much Does It Cost?2 day General Registration $145
includes 2 light breakfasts, 2 lunches and breaks
Monday Night Social, Dinner with
The Blind Pig and Keynote with Dr. Temple Grandin
$29 with General Registration
$60 for those not attending the conference
Download the Sneak Peak here! The complete conference schedule will be available soon. For updates, stay tuned to the NC Choices listserve, join us on Facebook or at www.carolinameatconference.com
North Carolina Cooperative Extension personnel should contact casey@ncchoices.com before registering for General Sessions.
Sponsorship and Exhibitor Space is still available. Contact meredith@ncchoices.com for more information.

Piedmont Triad Living: Shop Local: Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery in Ger...

The blogger of Piedmont Triad Living fame stopped by the farm recently to check us out.  Read about her experience here...



Piedmont Triad Living: Shop Local: Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery in Germanton, NC: Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery is an easy drive from Winston-Salem, just a few minutes down NC 8...

Saturday, November 10, 2012

New goodies

Check out these new goodies available in our farm store ...
 
pig note pads

handmade pot holders







rulers


Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698

Friday, November 9, 2012

LOVE these shirts!

I LOVE these shirts! 
They’re less than $13 bucks, but more importantly they have goats on them!!  
There is usually an online coupon for CafePress making the deal even better—percentage  off, free shopping, etc.  These designs are available on other items too – tote, sweatshirts, coffee cup, apron, etc.
mainImg
mainImg
I’m a Stock Broker
The More Stock I Get The Broker I Become
 
You can buy one for yourself or buy gifts for barn buddies on CafePress here:
goat only image 
or

Workshop: How to Start your own Specialty Food Business

 
November 10, 2012
8:30am - 4:30pm
 
Workshop presenter Jody Currin brings her recipe for successful entrepreneurship to James Sprunt Community College!
 
Topics include:
-What it takes for long-term success in the food business
-Understanding the food industry
-Getting ready to market
-Product packaging, labeling, and pricing
-Marketing

About the presenter:
Mrs. Picky Fanicky, as Jody Currin has become known, started her own food business in Erwin, NC in 2009 with her now famous marmalades. Since then, she has added many products such as her “Mrs. Picky’s Biskits” that won an award at the International Biscuit Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2011, and her award winning “Jacob’s Crazy Good Ketchup” that she co-produces with her son, Jacob. She has been featured in many newspapers and magazines, and was recently in Our State Magazine’s feature story on “100 Foods You Must Eat in North Carolina’s 100 counties.”

Location:
Eastern Carolina Food Ventures Incubator Kitchen
946 Penney Branch Rd., Warsaw, NC

More information and registration:This workshop is sponsored by the James Sprunt Community College. The workshop fee of $50 per person will be paid by the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission.
The class is limited to 25 attendees so call or email to register early at 910-296-2431, 910-290-0525, or sbc@jamessprunt.edu. Lunch will be included in the workshop.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Artisan Cheese Workshop

 
Workshop: Artisan Cheese Making
December 4, 2012 9:00am to 3:00pm
Presented by the Piedmont Farm School, topics include:
- Cheese Making Food Safety Guidelines
- NCDA Regulations- Artisan Cheese Making Demonstration- Questions/Answers with Local Cheese Makers
COST: $25 (includes lunch)
LOCATION: Iredell Extension Office
444 Bristol Drive, Statesville, NC 28677
To Pre-register: Call 704-873‐0507 or e‐mail kelly_pierce@ncsu.edu by Nov. 30.
Make checks payable to Iredell County Cooperative Extension and mail to
PO Box 311, Statesville, NC 28687, Attention: Kelly Pierce

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

We signed on the dotted line . . .

We ordered a 30 gallon pasteurizer for Spring, 2013 delivery.  We need to sell lots of our goats milk cheese in our farm store!



Buffalo Creek Farm and Creamery, LLC
Germanton, NC 27019
336.969.5698
 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Yes, all 3 minutes worth!

A YouTube documentary of our town from one end to the other - - - Yes, all 3 minutes worth!

We're the farm on the right when it first starts out :)



Before the dismantling of St. Philip's in Germanton, NC, locals documented the drive through Germanton, traveling north and then south on NC Highway 8.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Christmas By Lamplight



Dec. 4 & 6: Christmas By Lamplight at Horne Creek Living Historical Farm in PinnacleTuesday and Thursday
Experience the warmth of a rural turn-of-the-20th-century Christmas. Music and food of the era will be featured. Reservations necessary for this one-and-a-half-hour program.
Fee charged: Adults: $15.00; Children ages 6 - 12: $6.00.
Please note: This program not recommended for children under 6 years of age.
Program Times:
5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
8:00 pm - 9:30 pm