WNC Ag Options

The WNC Agricultural Options program recently awarded six community groups and 47 farmers grants totaling $326,000 to assist them in farm diversification and joint marketing and distribution efforts.

This year's community grant recipients are creating cohesion, infrastructure and marketing for local products. Individual recipients are improving such diverse operations as a 75-acre kale, turnips and collards farm in Cherokee County, a new dairy in Madison County, a micro-greens venture in Watauga County, and a canned bamboo shoots business in McDowell County.

For a full list of recipients, see http://www.wncagoptions.org/home/424-2011-program-background

Since 2003, N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has supported WNC AgOptions, a N.C. Cooperative Extension program that provides resources directly to farmers diversifying or expanding their operations. "We have been a strong supporter of the WNC AgOptions program because we know western farmers appreciate the funding and know how to put it into action," said Bill Teague, NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission Acting Chairman. "These farmers have a wide variety of innovative ideas and we expect successful outcomes from which other farmers can learn."

The program has worked in partnership with RAFI-USA's Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund since 2008. RAFI-USA was also included in the $18.4 million Family Farm Innovation Fund last summer, which provided an additional $100,000 for WNC farmers this year.

While WNC AgOptions has given 300 individual grants to farm businesses since 2004, the community grant program is still in its infancy. The WNC AgOptions steering committee established the program last summer to encourage groups of farmers to solve logistical challenges in the local agricultural system, which the committee identified as the main barrier in boosting farm income.

Community groups received varying amounts totaling $92,000. Grantees are: Avery County Farmers Tailgate Marketing Association, Jackson County Christmas Tree Association, Mountain Cattle Alliance, Mill Spring Agricultural Development Center, Watauga County Farmers Market and Southern Appalachian Family Farms.

The community group grantees, which collectively impact at least 3,500 farmers, will:

· Build a distribution center and retail center to serve farmers in at least six counties and consumers in four major metropolitan areas;

· Create energy, unity and awareness of local foods shopping, Christmas tree sales and cooperative farm marketing;

· Establish a system for small and medium-sized cattle farmers to use a portable corral unit, which will facilitate meeting Beef Quality Assurance program standards to increase profits;

· Secure a permanent site for the mountain region's oldest and largest tailgate market, opening up additional space for vendors and creative marketing and educational opportunities.

Three individual farm businesses received $9,000 grants, 25 received $6,000 and 19 received $3,000. Projects increase the economic sustainability of farm businesses as well as provide demonstration to other transitioning farmers. This year's recipients will:

· Continue their family's multiple-generation tradition of farming with such ventures as wine-grape vineyards and wineries;

· Transition a 75-acre greens operation from wholesale markets to direct sales to individuals and grocery stores with the purchase of a translicer;

· Diversify a meat and vegetable operation with the addition of a dairy for 50 head of Holstein and Jersey cattle;

· Sell goat milk under North Carolina Milk for Pet Food Use Guidelines with the addition of certified milking facilities/parlors;

· Expand or add unique poultry selections such as duck, turkey and quail to their farm operations with the purchase of processing equipment;

· Build a farm store to sell several farmers' products on a well-travelled highway in Weaverville where no stand currently exists;

· Revive foods traditional to the Cherokee Indian Reservation, including crawfish and canned wild greens;

· Improve a hydroponic farm's greenhouse heating and irrigation system, increasing the business' bottom line;

· Establish a Black Perigord and Burgundy truffle operation in inoculated Filbert and Oak trees, which are expected to eventually gross between $17,500 to $35,000 annually;

· Demonstrate a unique terraced growing system for raspberries.

The ultimate goal of WNC AgOptions is to protect mountain farmland by assisting the longevity of farm enterprises.

"The sustainability of the agricultural industry in Western North Carolina is dependent upon the innovation of farmers and their willingness to try new things," said Ross Young, Madison County Extension Director and WNC AgOptions steering committee leader. "This region is a leader in agriculture innovation, and I believe that the WNC AgOptions program has played a very important role in providing farmers with educational tools and financial resources they have needed to take their wonderful ideas and turn them into reality."

For more information, see the following websites: N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; Family Farm Innovation Fund: www.ncruralcenter.org; Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, RAFI-USA: www.ncfarmgrants.org; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org.

Avery/Mitchell Winter Christmas Tree and Ornamental Update

Annual production meeting for Avery and Mitchell County Christmas tree and ornamental producers. Program includes information on Emerald Ash Borer, New Scale Problems in Christmas Trees, Estate Tax Update, New Plants for Mountain Nurseries and Results From 09-10 Algae Study. The meeting will be held at Mayland Community Colleges, Sam's Center Auditorium on Friday January 28, beginning at 11:00 a.m. Lunch will be served and two hours of pesticide recertification credit will be available. To register for the event call the Mitchell County Center at 688-4811.

Pesticide Licensing & Certification

The following is a link to a fact sheet with information about the new requirements for pesticide licensing and certification. http://ipm.ncsu.edu/pesticidesafety/AG714W.pdf

Thousand Cankers Disease

Another new pest could be coming our way. Thousand Cankers Disease has be identified in Tennessee. Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD)is a disease of Black Walnut. TCD poses a serious problem to the health of the black walnut tree. Walnut trees are important because of their nut crop and the desired wood for various products. TCD is a progressive disease that kills a tree within two to three years after initial infection. The disease-causing fungus, Geosmithia, is transmitted by the walnut twig beetle. Branches and trunk tissue are killed by repeated infections by the fungus, as the beetles carry the fungus into new bark cambium tissue.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has issued a quarantine of all plants or plant part of the genus Juglans coming into the state from Tennessee and many other western states that already have Thousand Cankers Disease established.

Invasive Weed

Plant protection specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have identified the invasive Mile-A-Minute weed in Western Alleghany County. The following link gives details about the weed and information on identifying it. If you were to identify the weed on properties you are managing then contact Rob Baldwin, NCDA&CS Plant Protection Specialist, 336-466-0478.

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm

Late Blight Early in 2010

The following is an article I have sent to the Mitchell News Journal to be the the June 2 edition. There are confirmed cases of late blight in Florida, Louisiana and Maryland, so be on the lookout for late blight on potatoes and tomatoes.

Vegetable gardeners need to be on the lookout for late blight early during the 2010 gardening season. Late blight gets its name because it normally doesn’t pose a threat until late in the gardening season, but this year late blight has already been confirmed in Florida, Louisiana and Maryland.

You might be asking what is late blight? Late blight is a fungus disease of mainly tomatoes and potatoes. The late blight pathogen is Phytophtora infestans, which in Latin means ‘plant destroyer’. The pathogen can infect foliage, stems, fruit and tubers. The pathogen will show up on the leaves as a black lesion and can have white growth around the outer edge. The infection on the stem will usually occur where a leaf or group of leaves meet the stem and will appear as a brown greasy looking lesion. On tomato fruit, late blight will appear as a dark greasy looking lesion. The pathogen can be spread by wind blown spores and it favors warm moist conditions to multiply. It may overwinter in potato tubers or could spread to our area from developing strains in Florida that stay alive long enough to move up into our area as crops in other states develop.

For gardeners control will take a multi-step process. Gardeners should use clean transplants and tubers, use resistant varieties when available, control volunteer tomato and potato plants, and when there is a risk of late blight occurring use a fungicide program as part of management. Most fungicides work as protectant’s so they must be applied before the late blight fungus infects the plants. If late blight becomes severe the foliage or fruit that rot should be destroyed to eliminate them as a source of spores for plants that aren’t infected.

For help in identifying late blight symptoms contact your local Cooperative Extension Center.

Take a Bite Out of Mosquito Problems

The recent bout of heavy, but needed rain will likely trigger a significant increase in mosquito activity in about 10 to 14 days. In residential areas in particular, now is the time for homeowners to take the initiative to reduce the likelihood of serious mosquito problems around your property before they become reality. Before resorting to insecticide applications, consider a few other critical tasks:

Standing water is the critical item because mosquitoes will not be able breed without it. Permanent bodies of water can pose a more formidable impediment, but most of our problems in residential areas are the result of MMOs or "Man-Made Objects" (yes, we guys will take the blame).

Natural low-lying areas will begin to dry slowly, but make sure you're not contributing to the problem with clogged drainage ditches, tire ruts, etc.

Other water-collecting items such as empty buckets, tires, dishes under outdoor potted plants, and the tarps over boats, equipment, etc. need to be emptied, inverted, discarded or whatever is workable to remove the water.

Have birdbaths? They make great observation posts for watching mosquito larvae in the water. There's no need to add chemicals. Do yourself and the birds a favor and flush out the birdbath. The same thing applies to pet water bowls outdoors (livestock water troughs out in pastures are another issue since they're not always as easily flushed out or routinely maintained).

The time for excuses is over. Get out the ladder and climb up there and unclog those rain gutters. The decaying leaf material and other debris actually attract mosquitoes. If you're planning home improvements, consider gutter guards to divert the debris. Also, make sure that your downspouts direct the water away from the house and not simply create a big puddle along the side of the house. If you have those concrete or plastic splash blocks, make sure they're directing water away from the foundation.

Finally, if you're using rain barrels to collect that precious rain runoff, make sure you have them screened, which helps keep out the junk and the mosquitoes as well.

And while you're at it, get your neighbors to do the same. Mosquito control "takes a village," but it only takes one careless villager to make life miserable for the rest of the neighborhood.

For more information on mosquito control around the home, see Residential, Structural and Community Pests Insect Note ENT/rsc-6 at: http://insects.ncsu.edu/Urban/mosquito.htm.

From: Charles Apperson and Mike Waldvogel, Extension Entomologists