Goat Doodle

Our goats and goat's milk soap have been doodled. Check out Linda L. Martin's website to see her artwork and join her on Facebook to see the goat doodle.

"The Plant" Tours

The Abundance Foundation has 3 different Tours of "The Plant," NC’s first green business park.

"The Plant" is home to Piedmont Biofuels Industrial, Eastern Carolina Organics, Piedmont Biofarm, Screech Owl Greenhouses, Green Door Design Build, EcoBlend (organic pesticides and herbicides), a Biodiversity Pollinator Garden project, Vermiculture: Carolina Worm Castings, Honey Bees, and The Abundance Foundation’s new off grid “office of the future.”

Guests can see both sustainability and community in action as we mix industrial renewable fuel with big chess, bright colors and a very symbiotic campus!

Every First Friday of the month @ 10:00 a.m., every Sunday @ 1:00 p.m. and special children's tours by appointment. Visit their website for more info.

10 Easy Steps for Becoming a Radical Homemaker

10 Easy Steps for Becoming a Radical Homemaker •Commit to hanging your laundry out to dry. •Dedicate a portion of your lawn to a vegetable garden. •Get to know your neighbors. Cooperate to save money and resources. •Go to your local farmers' market each week before you head to the grocery store. •Do some spring cleaning to identify everything in your home that you absolutely don’t need. Donate to help others save money and resources. •Make a commitment to start carrying your own reusable bags and use them on all your shopping trips. •Choose one local food item to learn how to preserve for yourself for the winter. •Get your family to spend more evenings at home, preferably with the TV off. •Cook for your family. •Focus on enjoying what you have and who are with. Stop fixating on what you think you may need, or how things could be better "if only." Read more...

The 10% Campaign

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) is committed to building North Carolina's sustainable local food economy. Through its Farm to Fork initiative and action guide, CEFS has energized and connected thousands of North Carolinians and hundreds of local, regional and statewide organizations that share this commitment. To further this commitment, CEFS is readying a statewide "10% Campaign" to encourage consumers to buy/grow local foods. The intent of the 10% Campaign is straightforward: Encourage consumers to commit 10 percent of their existing food dollars to support local food producers, related businesses and communities. Funded by the Golden LEAF Foundation, the 10% Campaign will: •Promote North Carolina's farmers, foods, communities and businesses •Educate consumers, decision makers and the media •Collaborate further with the many influential organizations/initiatives already in the field and those just beginning to bloom Why 10 percent? It is achievable for most, and meaningful for all: •North Carolinians spend about $35 billion a year on food. If individuals spent 10 percent—$1.05 per day—locally, about $3.5 billion would be available in the local economy. •The state has the 12th highest rate of adult obesity in the nation, and today, more than a third of its 10- to 17-year-olds are overweight or obese. Infusing fresh and flavorful fruits and vegetables into diets at every age can significantly reduce long-term health care expenses in the state. •Expanding the market will result in new farm, food and manufacturing businesses and create jobs. Charlotte-based Compass Group, the world's largest foodservice company, and North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service are working with CEFS to develop the initial and long-term components of the campaign. Compass Group will lead the way for institutional consumers by working with CEFS to develop a model "farm to institution" buying program and by sourcing 10 percent of the produce it serves in its North Carolina foodservice accounts from local farmers. Cooperative Extension will designate regional directors and local food coordinators in all 100 counties to advance the 10% Campaign. These on-the-ground experts will be joined by other community leaders, farmers, businesses, parents, teachers and students, many of whom are already working to build the state's sustainable local food economy, from farm to fork. A tool being developed to support the campaign is an exciting Web portal and social networking platform. These technology-based initiatives promote, educate and engage consumers and producers by connecting them with organizations and real-time information. The 10% Campaign Web site will also assist consumers in tracking their food dollars spent on buying or growing local foods. Make the choice. Make a difference. Make it local. Join the 10% Campaign! Sign up now to be one of the Campaign's first supporters! Look for 10% Compaign on Facebook!

Slow Money Fuels Local Food Economy

Slow Money Fuels Local Food Economy Abundance Foundation seeks investors, projects By Michelle Ferrier It seems to make social sense. Invest your money in local food-related businesses and help grow the local economy. That’s the idea behind slow money. Slow money, a spinoff of the slow food movement, asks residents of a community to commit to investing 1% of their assets in local food systems...within a decade. The concept is based on the book Inquiries into the Nature of Slow Money by Woody Tasch, and its focus on “restorative economies” – those that are place and people focused. The Abundance Foundation, based in Chatham County, North Carolina is taking on that challenge and putting their resources and dollars toward supporting locally based food projects. So far, they’ve funded local baker Lynette Driver so she could purchase industrial-sized mixer and bowls. They’ve contributed to the expansion of a sit-down space in a former take-out restaurant called Angelina’s Kitchen. And they’re hosting an introductory meeting about slow money in Pittsboro today (Monday, July 12) to attract new projects and investors interested in the slow money concept. Tami Schwerin, executive director of The Abundance Foundation says their mission is focused on local food and the local economy. “We put dollars into local food projects, funding things that are in our community. We’re not venture capitalists. We’re looking at growing things in the community that wouldn’t get funded by a bank,” Tami said. Tami says that she’s been pleasantly surprised by the investors willing to put their money into building the social capital of a community. The project works like this: • Criteria is that it is local food-related. The project will increase the local food in our community…like a restaurant or a farm. • Loans are a three-year term. • Minimum loan amounts might be about $2,000. $6,000 has been the most that has been given to date, but $6,000 isn’t the limit. • Borrowing rate of 3%. Lender receives 2 percent return; 1 percent goes into the pot. • Monthly or annual payment structure. “We’re still working on the structure,” Tami says. • Geographic footprint where they’re lending: Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Triangle area. “We’re totally interested in Triad,” Tami says. The 1% return to the project helps to seed other enterprises. “We want to grow a little bit of money that we can lend out,” says Tami. Right now, the slow food project is also looking for investors. “We’re asking for pledges of $500 or more,” Tami says. “We also want to be totally transparent so that if someone is late on a payment, the investment community knows.” The whole idea of slow money is predicated on the relationship to a community, a geographic tie between invested funds and those who receive the investments. “You want the lender and the borrower to have a relationship,” says Tami, “We want them to be in the same community as the borrowers. “We’re building our local foodshed, modeling renewable energy and inspiring community."

Buffalo Gal's Soap for Dogs

DAISY MAY

Since our first dog soap, Daisy's Dog Soap, has been a popular seller... I've created another new Buffalo Gal's soap especially for dogs! Keep an eye on our website and Facebook page for details about the new soap!

It will be available at the farm only or thru our web-site!

Integrated Parasite Management Workshop

There will be an Integrated Parasite Management (IPM) Workshop on Tuesday, July 27, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 45 Robinson Drive in New Oxford, Pennsylvania (about 8 miles east of Gettysburg, just off of Route 30). The workshop will consist of two hours of lecture and discussion and two hours of hands-on instruction (FAMACHA(c) and fecal analysis). Participants (over the age of 16) will be certified in the use of the FAMACHA(c) eye anemia system. The instructor for the workshop will be Susan Schoenian, Sheep & Goat Specialist for University of Maryland Extension. All aspects of internal parasites and their control will be covered in the workshop. The registration fee is $35 per farm or family. The registration fee includes a laminated FAMACHA(c) card and a booklet of reference materials. To register, contact Margie Smith at (717) 624-4772 or margiesracking@earthlink.net

Local Honey

When looking for a gift for those who enjoy fresh local honey, we suggest a Buffalo Gal's gift set. We have special gift sets which contain a jar of honey from Weavil's Bees of Bee Blossom Farms in Pfafftown.

These gift sets are available at the farm, on the website, and each Tuesday at Krankies Farmers Market.

This is the honey that we use in our Honey Creme goat's milk soap too!

Controlling Invasive Weeds With Goats

Read this article and others like it in Wild and Woolly:

Controlling Invasive Weeds With Goats

In addition to these studies, DSU welcomes a new graduate student, Jenna Warren, who will be working on the use of goats to control Invasive plant species in Delaware. This project is in collaboration with Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDoT). Invasive plant species are becoming a problem throughout the state of Delaware and the rest of the United States. The only options for controlling invasive weeds include the use of chemicals, mowing, controlled burns, and animal grazing. Animal grazing is one of the best options for weed control because it is both selective and sustainable and does not have the harmful environmental impacts. This project kicks off in June and will run until October for this year. Variables measured will include forage biomass, nutritive values, species diversity and effect of grazing on browse species during spring, summer, and fall of each grazing season. In addition, we will also determine the influence of browsing on parasite loads and body weights. If you would like more information on this research and other conducted at DSU or would like to give me your opinion about the type of research and programs you would like to see at DSU, please contact me at (302) 857– 6490 or djjackson@desu.edu.

Slow Money Gathering

Slow Money Gathering By The Abundance Foundation Dear Friends of Our Food Shed, The Slow Money Project is investing in local foods! Do you have a sustainable food-related idea or local food enterprise that could use funding? The Slow Money Project would like to help! To date we have raised $29,500 and made low-interest loans totalling $8000 to two of our very own local food enterprises. The objective of the Slow Money Project is to match people who wish to invest in improving the resilience of our community by enhancing our local food shed with borrowers who have compelling projects that can accomplish that goal. Come hear how this works on Monday, July 12th, 7-8:30pm in the Chatham Mills Conference Room, (just down the hall from the back door to the Chatham Marketplace) and find out how to apply for a low-interest loan, or how you can become an investor. Light refreshments will be provided, and you are welcome to BYOB from Chatham Markeplace. Please feel free to pass this invitation along to friends, family and anyone else you care about who might benefit from this project; as in anyone who eats food. Let's start planting our local money in our local food shed. Tomatoes and topsoil, Carol Peppe Hewitt

Rabies Vaccination Clinic - Stokes County

On July 17, the Stokes County Humane Society will sponsor a Rabies Vaccination Clinic at the Stokes Rockingham Fire Department. On August 21, an additional Clinic will be held at the Pinnacle Fire Department also sponsored by the Stokes County Humane Society. Both Clinics are from 9 AM until 12 Noon and vaccinations are $8 (cash only). RAIN OR SHINE. Help stop this deadly disease by having your pet vaccinated against rabies. For more information, contact the Stokes County Animal Shelter at 336.994.2788.

Natural Dewormers For Goats/Sheep

Check this article out in Wild & Woolly and others like it: Going "Natural" with Research by Dr. Dahlia O'Brien Small Ruminant Specialist Delaware State University Delaware State University (DSU) is currently gearing up for the start of research this summer. Last year was the completion of the study evaluating the level of dewormer resistance in the Mid-Atlantic region (Winter 2009 issue) and the graduate student that worked on this project, Elizabeth Crook, will head to Virginia Tech to study veterinary medicine in the fall. This year, research is still continuing on the use of potential natural dewormers (pumpkin seeds, papaya and ginger) to control internal parasites in sheep and goats. There will be three studies conducted looking at these natural plant products during the course of the summer and determine if they can help in reducing our reliance on chemical dewormers. As you might recall, our last study indicated that pumpkin seeds were ineffective when ground and fed mixed into the feed. A subsequent study looking at a pumpkin seed drench (6oz/75lbs body weight) and ginger drench (3g/kg body weight) administered every other day for 6 weeks found that fecal egg counts were lower for both these groups compared to a control group. Therefore, additional studies using ginger and pumpkin seeds will be conducted this summer to see if we get similar results and to determine the best route of administration to see reduction in fecal egg counts. Last year, we also found that papaya seeds (6 g/kg body weight) ground and mixed with water and given to goats orally was ineffective in controlling fecal egg counts. We will attempt to see if varying this dose can have any positive impact on fecal egg counts. These studies are being conducted in collaboration with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

The Produce Lady

Do you need more ideas for using produce from your garden? The Produce Lady can help! The Produce Lady, Brenda Sutton, teaches farmers and consumers the wonders of locally grown fruits and vegetables. Not only does she share their nutritional value, she also demonstrates how to prepare them as tasty meals and snacks or preserve them to use throughout the year. Visit her website and blog to learn more.

Support The Fair!

Read this post and others at All Things Goat: It’s that time of year again. That’s right, time for the fair. County and state fairs used to be THE anticipated event. However, as more people moved to urban areas, the popularity of fairs has declined. What those city dwellers don’t realize is fairs are a lot of fun. Not only are there rides and silly games to waste your money on, but way in the back there, where you folks rarely venture, there are animals. Lots of animals. There really are few things as joy inspiring as seeing a smile on the face of a child petting a goat…or a sheep or even a cow. For some kids, it’s a one time experience that will be remembered for a lifetime. For others, it may inspire a love for animals that can carry on into adulthood and lead to a fulfilling rural life. Ask questions; the people who show their animals love to talk about them. So take yourself and your kids to the fair. Eat a corn dog, do the ring toss, have a great time doing what families have done for generations. And pet the goats.

Blue Ridge Mobile Veterinary Services, PLLC

There's a new large animal mobile vet, Kristopher J. Eads, in Jonesville, NC who services our area. Blue Ridge Mobile Veterinary Services performs large animal medicine, surgery, reproductive services and also small animal medicine with large animal emergency 24/7.

Levering Orchard

Spend the day picking fruit at The Levering Orchard in Ararat, Virginia located only 12 miles from Downtown Mount Airy! Estimated Picking Dates Sweet Cherry Picking - May 26, 2010 Tart (Sour) Cherries - June 12, 2010 Lodi Cooking Apples - June 26, 2010 Yellow Freestone Peaches - July 30, 2010 White Freestone Peaches - July 30, 2010 Summer Apples - July 30, 2010 Gala Apples - August 14, 2010 Fall Apples - September 4, 2010

Big Woods Zip Line & Canopy Tours

Big Woods Zip Line & Canopy Tour features 14 platforms with 12 cables up to 65 feet high in the trees, and a swinging bridge! Located in Boonville, NC, right next door to Sanders Ridge Vineyard, Winery and Restaurant on 150 of the most serene and secluded acres within the Yadkin Valley.

Open year round, visit their website for hours and pricing.

Farm & Garden Tours at Sanders Ridge Vineyard

Sanders Ridge Vineyard and Winery will be open to visitors on Saturdays from June 12 thru October 30, 2010 (9am-11am). You will have the opportunity to tour the gardens on your own or go on a guided tour. They will be available to answer any questions that you might have also.

Garden Tour with Cooking Demo and Lunch

Join Sanders Ridge Vineyards at their certified organic vegetable and herb farm for a morning garden and farm tour. They'll demonstrate gardening techniques, answer your gardening questions, and gather some fresh vegetables and herbs. Following the tour, they'll take our harvest over to the winery and restaurant where Chef Starr will work it into a tasty dish for all to enjoy. Sanders Ridge Vineyard and Winery 3200 Round Hill Road, Boonville NC 27011

Happy Birthday!

HAPPY JULY 4TH!

Butterfly Farm Tours

Experience the magic of hand feeding a monarch butterfly at all-a-flutter butterfly farm! The tour consists of a 20 minute presentation (fun for kids of all ages and educational) then go inside a huge greenhouse to hand feed monarchs and have them land on you.

No reservations needed for family days, visit their website for more info.

Rabbits

Eight week old Tennessee Redback bunnies for hunt training available. $8 each straight run. $10 each otherwise.

Eight week old lionhead and mini rex bunnies available now. $15 each

Black and white dutch bunnies available mid July. $15 each

Email or call for more information.

Farmer's Markets Are Great Outlets For Goat Cheese Sales

Below is an excerpt from Dairy Goat Journal's January/February 2009 issue on Farmer's Markets Are Great Outlets For Goat Cheese.

People looking for quality food have come around to the idea of buying at farmers markets once more. Market sales were on the decline during the 1980s and 90s as mega stores enticed customers away with the one-stop-shopping concept. However, the rebirth and re-greening of the United States—and the world—has brought locally grown foods back to the town square. Locally produced goat milk cheese is one of the popular items bringing all classes of society back to the concept of buying quality food at a point closest to its source—the local farmers market. Click here to read the entire article.

Staying Busy

Between cutting hay and taking care of all the animals this past week, I managed to find time to get more Buffalo Gal's Soap packaged and ready for selling. I was also able to make two more new recipe of goat's milk soap, Lemongrass & Mint and Orange Cranberry! As a reminder... we will be at Krankies Farmers Market today from 10am until 1pm. New this week - -three different goat shapes of molded Buffalo Gal's goat's milk soap and heart shaped soaps that contain loofah sponges grown on our farm for exfoliation. Come on out and support your local farmers! We are under the big red tent!

Cricket's Nest

The hot weather has given me the opportunity to get a lot of work done with our Buffalo Gal's Soap. Earlier in the week, I took a quick trip over to the Cricket's Nest Craft Shop (in South Fork Park on Country Club Road in Winston-Salem) to restock our bars of goat's milk soap and gift sets. The Cricket's Nest is a non-profit corporation for senior craftsmen to display and sell their crafts and artwork. The Cricket's Nest has 470+ active members with 4,000 craft items on display in their 2,800 square foot shop. The Winston-Salem Recreation and Parks Department provide staff, utilities and general operation of the shop. Check their website for upcoming events and hours.

For the Kids

Lenny's Water Watch (Summer Adventures) Join April Bowman and learn how to find and identify critters that live in creeks in order to determine how healthy the water is. Bethabara Park on July 2nd (9:00 AM - Noon ) Stream Ecology for Kids What critters are living in your creek? Which animals live in and depend on our water bodies being clean? Environment plays a critical role in the ecological health of our creeks, rivers and other waterways in North Carolina. When there’s an imbalance, problems arise that can threaten the entire ecosystem. Join Wendi Hartup from North Carolina Cooperate Extension to learn about critters that live in the creek and their functions as well as the importance of environmental responsibility in providing clean homes for these animals. Reynolda Manor Library Auditorium on July 6th @ 3:00 pm Forestry 101 Join a Forest Ranger as we learn how to use a compass, how to measure/id trees, how to manage a forest for happy wildlife and learn about fire management in forests. Watch a controlled fire demonstration by Forest Rangers. Frisbee golf after lunch. For more info, contact April Bowman Horizons Park on July 9th Tree Hugging and Fish Kissing Join April Bowman for a trip to Hanging Rock State Park (9am-4pm), hike to a beautiful waterfall, and identifiy trees and wildflowers. After a bag lunch, go swimming at the park pond. Meet at the Forsyth County Agricultural Building (1450 Fairchild Road Winston-Salem) on August 9th

Buy It Local!

Buy It Local! 6/18/2010 by Lynne Mitchell Summertime means an abundance of fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables. The Forsyth County Department of Public Health encourages residents to shop at local Farmers Markets for fresh, affordable, and tasty local produce. Fruits and vegetables contain essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may help protect you from chronic diseases. Compared with people who consume a diet with only small amounts of fruits and vegetables, those who eat more generous amounts as part of a healthful diet are likely to have reduced risk of chronic diseases, including stroke and perhaps other cardiovascular diseases, and certain cancers. To get a healthy variety, think color. Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors gives your body a wide range of valuable nutrients, like fiber, folate, potassium, and vitamins A and C. Some examples include green spinach, orange sweet potatoes, black beans, yellow corn, purple plums, red watermelon, and white onions. For more variety, try new fruits and vegetables regularly. Information on Local Farmer's Markets

Other online resources for buying local include:

Local Harvest

NC Farm Fresh

Got to Be NC Agriculture

Sauratown Trail Work Day

June 26 @ 8 AM (or 9 AM for later arrivals), meet at the Sauratown Trail Center. They will be constructing new trail for a needed reroute. All help is welcome, experience not necessary. They will also have a workday Thursday, July 1 2010, @ 9:00 AM. This will be on the same reroute (meet in the same location.) For directions to the Trail Center ("the main parking area") see: http://www.sauratowntrails.org/directions.htm For details call Bob 351-0849 or 413-6965.

Western North Carolina Farm Tour

Western North Carolina Farm Tour Saturday, June 26 1pm – Sun Jun 27, 2010 6pm Includes 37 farms in six Western North Carolina counties Visit http://www.familyfarmtour.org/ for details on each farm, suggested routes, and listings of farms selling food, and to purchase admission. Buttons cost $25 plus $2 shipping at http://www.familyfarmtour.org/, or see the website for stores and restaurants selling buttons for $25. One button admits everyone in your car. You may also purchase buttons at farms on the day of the tour for $30. If you only wish to visit one farm, pay $10 on-site. Or, support the Family Farm Tour and get free admission by volunteering. Sign up to volunteer on the website.

National Pollinator Week

Come hear presentations about beekeeping - how to get started, equipment needs, management tips - from local beekeepers. Tour Cooperative Extension's Pollinator Garden at Chatham Mills and learn how to attract and protect pollinators. From 10:00 am-2:00 pm on Saturday June 26th, feel free to visit the display tables and talk with local beekeepers!!

Watch expert beekeepers work an actual hive inside a bee cage (bees inside, participants outside!), see honey bees up close and personal, and get your burning beekeeping questions answered.

Visit our kids' tent with lots of activities for kids including pollinator story time, scavenger hunt, beeswax candle making, Chatham County pollinator coloring books, papermaking, and more! Watch "Bee TV" - park yourself in front of an observation hive and watch the worker bees attending the queen. It's mesmerizing! Meet our local Chatham County beekeepers and learn all about what it takes to produce the nutritious and delicious local honey available at Chatham Marketplace. We will have beekeeping equipment and products from the hive for "show and tell". View the complete schedule and get all the details on the Growing Small Farms website at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ag/SustAg/2010pollinatorweek.html

Trotting C Farm

Trotting C Farm will be having a complete herd dispersal sale on June 26 at 11:00 AM at the Veteran's Memorial Park in Mount Airy, NC. After many years in the horse business, they have decided to disperse their entire herd of miniature horses and donkeys. There will be top quality stallions offered, including sons of Champion Farms Nighthawk, Alvadars Double Destiny, Lazy Ns Boogerman. They will also have broodmares, many with foals by their side and bred back, and young show and breeding stock. They also have both spotted and solid donkeys being sold. For more information, email Trotting C Farm.

Cutting Hay

We're cutting hay today...

Flower Arranging with Minglewood Farms

We'll be selling Buffalo Gal's Goats Milk Soap at Krankies Farmers Market again tomorrow!

Look for us at the corner of Patternson Avenue and Third Street each week. Krankies Farmers Market is held outside Krankies Coffee, on Patterson Ave. between Third and Fourth streets in downtown Winston-Salem, every Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The June 22nd market will celebrate Flower Arranging with Minglewood Farms. Plus, Cafe Gelato will be joining the market for the first time! To find out what's available at the market each week, follow them on Facebook Krankies Farmers Market on Facebook

NC Research Campus' Farmers Market

Farmers Market Opens at N.C. Research Campus

The sweet smells and flavors of locally-grown fruits and vegetables return to downtown Kannapolis on Thursday, May 20, as the N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market kicks off its third year. The 2010 market, located in the parking lot across from the Amtrak station on Main Street, will be open on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m. until September 30. The N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market offers visitors weekly educational opportunities as they shop for fresh fruits, vegetables and other items. N.C. Cooperative Extension staff from Cabarrus and Rowan counties will host events throughout the 2010 market season. Market visitors can sample tasty treats, perfect the produce-canning process, race cars made from vegetables and discover delicious fruit and vegetable recipes from The Produce Lady. N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market – Events in May & June 2010 May 20 – Where Do Plants Get Their Food? Join Heather Jones, 4-H agent with Cabarrus County, and team up as plant detectives to find out how plants use water, sunlight and carbon dioxide to make food. Visitors can make their own “Soil Sam,” a homemade Chia Pet. May 27 – Learning & Living Local Foods Do you know where your food comes from and who is growing it? Find out more about the Cabarrus County local food movement and the beginning farmer program at the Elma C. Lomax Incubator Farm in Concord with Debbie Bost, Extension director, Cabarrus County. June 3 – Sensational Seeds Watch basil seeds germinate in your hand! Market visitors will make their very own seed necklace while learning about what seeds need to grow. Visit Sara Drake, 4-H agent with Rowan County, to find out what 4-H has to offer youth. The 4-H program is the youth component of N.C. Cooperative Extension. June 10 – Preserving Nature’s Bounty Enjoy summer flavors all year! Receive the latest food preservation information from Pam Outen, Extension family and consumer sciences agent, Cabarrus County. Bring your dial-gauge pressure canner lid to have it tested for free. Visitors can also sample dehydrated fruit and fresh jelly. June 17 – I Bought It, Now How Do I Cook It? Take a step on the wild side and explore new fruits and vegetables with Toi Degree, Extension family and consumer sciences agent, Rowan County. June 24 – Second Annual Zucchini 500 Children, start your imaginations! It’s racin’ time again as the N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market hosts the Zucchini 500 for the second year. Children can create a race car from a zucchini – a la pinewood derby – and compete in prize categories, including most nutritious, best NASCAR theme and the fastest car. This year’s event will be coordinated by Armor Insurance Services, Inc. Last year’s market featured local foods, crafts and plants from more than 20 vendors. The N.C. Research Campus Farmers Market is a joint effort of Castle & Cooke; Piedmont Farmers Market, an organization of local farmers who sponsor several Cabarrus County farmers markets; and N.C. State University at the Research Campus.

--As seen on NCMarketReady.org

Seven Reasons To Cull Ewes (and Does)

Seven Good Reasons to Cull Ewes (and Does) By Jane Fyksen, Crops Editor, Agriview Most sheep producers have a few ewes that are “just on the payroll” and not really contributing to the operation’s profitability. With increasing production costs, producers really need to evaluate each and every ewe and decide whether she’s really productive. Marginal ewes –and rams—should not be maintained in the flock, says Roger High with Ohio State University’s Sheep Program. He offers a few guidelines for culling sheep. “Open ewes are the greatest contributor to low weaning percentages and are costly in terms of feed, labor and management,” he says of starting your cull list with open ewes (and then move on to those that lost lambs due to excessive lambing difficulty, as well as those that prolapsed). He maintains that a ewe that doesn’t breed one time will lose a significant amount of her lifetime production potential. It will take returns from two to three productive ewes just to pay for maintaining one open ewe. Health issues are another reason to cull. They can be a large drain in terms of labor. Sheep limping from foot rot and foot scald perform poorly and should definitely be culled. Mastitis is another health issue that suggests culling. Resulting low milk production can increase labor and cost due to having to raise orphan lambs. Also check eyes for cloudiness or other issues that may cause vision problems, High mentions. A third reason for culling a ewe is udder quality and/or soundness. “Non-functional ewes are those that have lost all or part of their udder’s function. These ewes create management difficulty because they generally cannot produce enough milk to maintain the nutritional needs of their lambs, thereby creating a need to orphan or bottle feed the lambs so they can survive until weaning,” notes High. Structurally unsound ewes, those with few teeth left and hard keeping, emaciates ewes are also candidates for culling, as their nutritional needs are higher than average, “and there is no reason to continue producing these types of genetics as possible replacements,” he stresses. A fourth reason for culling is late lambing. Look at lambing distribution during the lambing season and identify ewes that lamb during the third, fourth or later cycles. Generally, ewe and ram lambs born in the earlier lamb groups will be the most productive sheep in the flock, says High, noting, though, that “producer should keep in mind whose fault it was that the ewe bred in a later heat cycle.” Reasons not the fault of thee ewe include: Inadequate nutrition prior to breeding season (i.e. flushing) or ram infertility. “In general, the primary reason that a ewe flock does not breed early is due to ram infertility, and the primary reason that a single ewe does not breed early is due to ewe infertility at an inappropriate time of the year,” he remarks. Rams generally have lower fertility early in the breeding season (July, August and early September) and higher fertility later in the breeding season (late September, October and November). A ewe may be cycling normally in the early breeding season, but due to ram infertility, she may not become pregnant. Heat-stressed rams and infertile rams will generally need 60 days to become fertile enough to impregnate the females. If the entire ewe flock is not settling in the first two heat cycles (34 days), then a ram infertility problem should be suspected, and another ram should be placed with the ewes if you want a lamb crop during that production year, says High. A fifth potential reason for culling is a ewe’s age. “You should not automatically cull a ewe that is six years of age, but you should consider if she can effectively make it through another year,” he points out. “Ewes need to be culled while they still have a cull value, because dead ewes have no value.”“If she can effectively produce another set of lambs without requiring more of your time and attention, then she can be maintained in the flock,” he says. A sixth reason to cull is for genetic progress. Based on flock records, get rid of ewes that are most likely to produce poor quality lambs with lower-than-average weaning weights. Take into account ewe age, multiple births and so on. A two-year-olds adjustment for twins is different than a six-year-olds adjustment for twins. It may be detrimental to the flock to only select and keep females based on actual data rather than using genetic adjustment data, High cautions. Culling for poor disposition – a seventh reason – is often overlooked. However, doing so can prevent a lot of stress down the road. Ewes that are difficult to maintain in a grazing situation (i.e. run through temporary fence or get under gates) shouldn’t get kept. Ewes that step on and lay on lambs in the lambing pens because of a poor and/or flighty disposition are also candidates for culling. “In some part-time operations, ewe disposition is a very important criterion…due to lack of time for dealing with mis-mothering, injured and poor-doing lambs,” says High. He emphasizes that culling is a better tool for eliminating dysfunctional and/or non-profitable ewes than for building genetic improvement. “The vast majority of the genetic capability of the ewe comes from the rams that you have used in the past,” he reports. While some recommend replacing 15 percent of the ewe flock annually, High says the decision to cull ewes changes from one year to the next, depending on feed supply and costs, the need for cash flow, current lamb prices and the flock’s production cycle. Though not a big money-maker, cull ewes can still be included as income on the balance sheet; shepherds should watch markets and sell culls when the price is up. “Generally, the thinner ewes will have a higher value per pound of body weight, and may even create more total dollars than those ewes that are fat,” adds High. Producers might want to clip the ears on a ewe they’ve decided to cull so she’s easily identifiable; the notched ears will also serve as a mental roadblock to prevent them from going soft later on and deciding to keep her after all.

Soil Testing

Soil testing recommended for home gardens and yards

Now is the time when many homeowners are getting out in their yards and gardens, tilling up the soil, selecting plants and adding to their landscape. We should be well past the danger of frost, ensuring that young plants going into the ground should survive and thrive. Putting the plants in the ground is just one part of the process. Equally as important is making sure the plants have the proper nutrients to grow and produce blooms, fruit or vegetables. If you are not taking soil samples to find out what your garden, flowers or yard needs, then you should be. Not only are “guesstimates” often a waste of money, but they can also be harmful to the environment. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Agronomic Division does free soil testing to help you identify just what your plants need. That is important for two reasons. First, you want to make sure your hard work pays off in the end, whether through productive yields or beautiful plants. Second, you want to make sure any nutrients you are adding will assist plant growth and production, and not wash out of the soil and into water sources. The bottom line is, a soil sample can help you get the most out of your fertilizer dollar and also help protect the environment. The Agronomic Lab recently wrapped up its busy season. During that time, record numbers of soil samples come into the lab and getting results can take several weeks. Now that the workload is back to normal, home gardeners can submit samples and receive recommendations in about a week. Carbon, hydrogen and oxygen are nutrients obtained from air and water. All other essential nutrients necessary for plant health must come from soil, lime or fertilizers. These include the macronutrients nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur as well as the micronutrients boron, chlorine, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. Whew, what a list! You can probably see how a soil test would be helpful. A soil test report can help you sort all that out and provides recommendations on what nutrients you need to add to maximize results. To make the process as easy and efficient as possible, you can pick up soil sample boxes and sampling instructions at your county Cooperative Extension office or the Agronomic Division office in Raleigh. Remember, the quality of your test results and the advice you receive depends largely on the quality of your sample. Collect soil from several locations throughout the planting area, mix it together, and use this mixture to fill the sample box. Also, provide all relevant information requested on the soil sample information form. For example, it is important for staff to know what kind of plants you need nutrient recommendations for. Once you have collected the soil sample and filled out the paperwork, then you can box up the materials and send them via UPS, FedEx or DHL to 4300 Reedy Creek Road, Raleigh, NC 27607-6465, or via the U.S. Postal Service to 1040 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1040. There are a number of helpful resources available online at www.ncagr.gov/agronomi/uyrst.htm if you have more questions about taking or submitting a soil sample. We must all do our part to protect the environment. If you have never taken a soil sample for your yard or garden, I hope you will consider doing so this year. --This is an opinion/editorial column from Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler.

Crawfish Day

Crawfish lovers need to mark their calendars for Saturday, June 19, 2010 at 10 a.m. for the annual Crawfish Day at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market in Colfax. The sale will be held in the Farmers Area No. 2, which is on the left after entering the market. Live crawfish will be on sale for $5 per pound, with a 5-pound minimum purchase and a 40-pound maximum purchase per person. Cooked crawfish will be on sale for $6 per pound. “This is always one of the most eagerly anticipated events at the market,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Growers expect to have more than 1,000 pounds of North Carolina crawfish available for sale, but shoppers are still encouraged to come early to ensure availability.” Crawfish Day is sponsored by the N.C. Crawfish Growers Association. In 2009, N.C. growers raised more than 10,000 pounds of crawfish in ponds from the Piedmont to the coast.

Boonville Heritage Days

The Boonville Heritage Days will take place at Boonville Elementary School located in downtown Boonville. The festival will kickoff on Friday, June 18th with a cruise-in and entertainment beginning at 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. On Saturday, the festival will begin with a Parade at 10:00 a.m. There will be entertainment, food, children's activities throughout the day Saturday until 10:30 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 10:45 p.m.

2010 ADGA National Show

The National Show for the American Dairy Goat Association will be held at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky June 19 - 26.

Hillbilly Hideaway Restaurant

Since 1977, the Hillbilly Hideaway Restaurant has been open in Walnut Cove, North Carolina. The process starts in the kitchen. Their cooks are “home trained!” Then, that good home cookin’ food is rolled out on the carts by the “nicest waitresses” that can be found. They are always, “friendly,” “courteous,” and “anxious” to serve you and bring you all you care to eat! After a good meal you can take a stroll across the parking lot to their GENERAL STORE, GIFT SHOP and MUSIC HALL. In the “MUSIC HALL”, you can enjoy approximately three hours of Gospel, Bluegrass, and Country Music – all at “no extra charge!” The Hillbilly Hideaway Restaurant is 100% non-alcohol, so feel free to bring the “young-uns.” Bring Grandma and Grandpa, why you can even bring the Preacher! Church groups are welcome. They also welcome tour buses. So load up your car and Come on Down to the HILLBILLY HIDEAWAY! The Hillbilly Hideaway Restaurant has Country, Bluegrass, and Gospel Music every Saturday night from 6:00- 9:00 PM. They are open: FRIDAY 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM SATURDAY 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM SUNDAY 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM Reservations are not required but are welcomed.

Summer Jam

On Saturday, June 12th from 4 to 10pm Chestnut Grove Ruritan Club invites you to a FREE “Summer Jam” Concert at King Central Park, benefiting the American Cancer Society. Featured bands: 4:00 Taylor Vaden - Tribute to Elvis 5:00 Blues Creek - Blue Grass 6:00 So Glad - Rock/Blues 7:00 Holly Creek Girls - Blue Grass 8:00 Taylor Vaden, Country 9:00 Rain Jacket – Oldies. Food will be available by the Chestnut Grove Ruritan Club.

Dairy Goat Awareness Week

The modern dairy goat is ideally suited to today's changing farm and scene. A large breed dairy female (doe) weighs 150 pounds at maturity and will milk an average of 14 times her body weight in a 305-day lactation. The smaller breed Nigerian Dwarf provides less milk due to its size. Each year sees an increase in exports of these feed-efficient, structurally sound animals. American-bred dairy goats are being used in Third World countries for increased food production. The growing US dairy goat industry is well aware of the need to educate the health-conscious American consumer to the high nutritional value of goat milk products. While all of the above facts are well-known to diary goat breeders, few consumers are conscious of the role in the American economy which the dairy goat fills. The first nationwide effort to promote dairy goats was made in 1986. In Washington, DC, then Secretary of Agriculture, Richard E. Lyng, accepted six kids as a gift from members of the American Dairy Goat Association to the school children of America as part of the celebration. Each year since 1986, the second to third Saturdays in June, National Dairy Month, have been designated DAIRY GOAT AWARENESS WEEK. This designation has done, and will continue to do much to enhance the efforts of dairy goat breeders to educate the American people to the potential of dairy goats and their products for both the American and world economies. This year Dairy Goat Awareness Week is June 12-19.

FoodBankGarden

Found this in Smitty's Notes and wanted to pass the info along to those of you who might be interested in volunteering in a garden to help those who are hungry... The FoodBankGarden, located at the Children's Home, was started more than a decade ago by Jim Holmes Jr., and it is completely run by volunteers. The produce goes to the Second Harvest Food Bank of NorthWest North Carolina, our local food bank. It provides fresh produce to groups who provide food for the hungry in our community. Volunteers help plant, water, weed, pick vegetables, mow grass, etc. It is a beautiful garden on the far back land of the Children's Home, behind the farm animals. The produce is also used in the Food Bank's Triad Community Kitchen, which opened in November 2006. A course taught there by Jeff Bacon, executive chef and director of Triad Community Kitchen, provides job training for those who are under- or unemployed or homeless. The ready-to-heat meals that they prepare extend the shelf-life of perishable food for the Food Bank's partner agencies' feeding programs. I The Food Bank picks up the harvested produce three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and everything they receive is then weighed and distributed to people challenged by hunger. In 2009, the total amount came to 6,815 pounds of produce, through Oct. 1. Squash and zucchini are already coming in, and there is lots of fun work to do. Come out and help at the Food BankCommunityGarden. Harvesting Schedule for June Volunteers meet at the garden every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Dates: June 3, 6,8,10, 13,15,17, 20,22,24, 27,29. (July and August to be announced) Directions to Garden: The Food Bank Garden is located on the grounds of The Children's Home, 1001 Reynolda Road After turning left at 1001 Reynolda Rd turn left at first little intersection. Stay on the road (past the soccer fields) to the gravel road and follow it to the barn. At the barn bear right, then left. Continue down the gravel road. Garden is on your left. For more information, go to http://www.foodbankgarden.blogspot.com/

Texas Pete Twin City Rib Fest

The Texas Pete Twin City Rib Fest will bring hot ribs and cool music to the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds June 10 - 13. Kids 12 and under get in free with a paid adult. Check out this year's performers at http://www.twincityribfest.com/.

Winston-Salem Farmers' Market

The Winston-Salem Farmers' Market is held on Saturdays on the Dixie Classic Fairgrounds throughout the year from 6 until 1. Parking is off of 27th Street.

Shop for a little of everything - - - flowers, handmade baskets, cakes and pies, fresh baked goods, fruits and vegetables, jams and jellies, honey, crafts and more.

Bethabara Concert Band & Family Evenings

Bethabara Concert Band & Family Evenings Thursday, June 10, 2010, 6 – 8:30pm An evening of music under the open sky. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy the wonderful music of the Bethabara Concert Band. Hay Wagon rides, 25-cent ice cream. Band begins at 7 p.m. Combo plays dance music following the Concert.

The Downtown Farmers' Market

The Downtown Farmers' Market reopened for the season on May 4 offering produce, flowers, bakery goods, crafts, herbs, bedding plants and more!

The market is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 until 1 from now until September.

Promotions planned for the Downtown Farmers' Market this year include a Berry Baking Contest on June 8, a Fourth of July celebration and watermelon carving exhibition on July 1, the annual Salsa Contest on August 3 and a Harvest celebration on September 7.

The market is open rain or shine and is located on Sixth Street between Cherry and Trade streets in downtown Winston-Salem.

--There's a great article about this market and Krankies Farmers Market in the most recent copy of Winston-Salem Monthly.

Plants Toxic to Goats

Below is an excerpt from Dairy Goat Journal's March/April, 2009 issue on toxic plants for goats. Plants Toxic to Goats by Category •Volatile or essential oils as poisonous principle: Baneberry, buttercups, crowfoot, ground ivy, lobelia, snakeberry, spurge, white cohosh. •Saponin containing plants: Bagpod, coffee weed, purple sesban, rattlebox, soapwort. •Photosensitizing plants: Buckwheat, Goat weed, Klamath weed, Lantana, Rape, St. John's Wort. •Plants that cause mechanical injury: Clover, cocklebur, downy brome grass, sand bur, squirrel tail grass. •Tannic acid as a poisonous principle: Oaks •Poisonous principle not fully known: Inkberry (poke weed) •Resins as poisonous principle: Some discarded Christmas trees, namely Ponderosa pine needles.

Click here to read the entire article.

Nutritional Value of Goats Milk

Below is an excerpt from The Dairy Goat Journal's July/August 2009 issue on the Nutritional Value of Goats Milk. Goat milk is one of healthiest foods/drinks out on the market today. With its creamy texture, high mineral and vitamin content, goat milk replaces many of the supplements which people consume daily. Goat milk is better for most people than cow milk simply because it is composed of smaller fat globules which makes it easier to digest. This speed of digestion releases more good bacteria and enzymes in the consumer's body, better enabling them to absorb and utilize the nutrients without discomfort, stomach ache, or a variety of other typical milk allergy symptoms.

To read the entire article click here.

Dairy Day at Piedmont Triad Farmers Market

Guilford County Extension Service and the 4-H Club will host "Dairy Day" at the Piedmont Triad Farmers Market on Sunday, June 6th (10am-2pm). They encourage everyone to come out and learn how important milk and milk products play in the health and quality of our lives.

Summer In The Mountains Dairy Goat Show

It's that time of year again! The Piedmont Dairy Goat Association will be hosting their annual Summer in the Mountains Dairy Goat Show from June 3 to June 6. The show is held in beautiful Asheville, North Carolina at the Mountain State Fairgrounds. This year they will have three buck rings and two open doe shows. Judges are Evin Evans for the first buck show, Kaye Kimmel on Saturday (Alpine Specialty) and Joe Kimmel on Sunday. They also will be having a one day milk test.

Bowman Gray Racing

The short-track excitement that inspired the History Channel series "Madhouse" returned on April 24 when Bowman Gray Racing opened its 62nd season at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem. Races are held every Saturday night through August. Details and ticket information can be found at http://www.bowmangrayracing.com/