HomeGrown Directory

There will be an opportunity for local farmers and chefs to meet and network at Creative Food Ventures in Ashe County. More information on Creative Food Ventures can be found on this website.

The Northern Piedmont Specialty Crops School will be held on Friday, February 29, 2008 at the Person County Cooperative Extension Center, 304 South Morgan Street in Roxboro, NC. The program will feature some good marketing ideas from regional experts such as veteran grower and Emeritus VA Tech Extension Specialist Charlie O?Dell, of Crows Nest Farm in Blacksburg, VA. Charlie will give an overview of his operation; how he got started, and how it has grown over the years to evolve into his present day operation. He will also tell us about what he does to be successful in growing and marketing specialty crops, including asparagus, blueberries, blackberries, and grapes.

Saturday, February 23
Warren Wilson College
Swannanoa, NC

Farmers who get to know the needs of local customers and buyers can thrive, given the right business and marketing skills.

Join the Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project (ASAP), local farmers, agriculture professionals, and marketing specialists for a day-long conference on marketing.

For serious farmers or those seriously interested in farming.

This year's NC Winegrowers Association Annual Meeting will be an information-packed learning and networking event. If you currently grow winegrapes or are considering doing so, you will not want to miss the experts who will be presenting here. Topics to be covered will include business planning, disease and insect management, hybrid winegrape varieties (particularly relevant for High Country growers), and vineyard management after a late spring freeze (also, alas, very relevant for our region).

There will be a growing seminar and open house at the new greenhouse facility located on the old landfill site in Johnson County from 10:00 a.m. till 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17. The demonstration will cover the cleaning, sowing and growing of rhododendron species which are native to this area. The greenhouse is located at 676 Waddell Road in Laurel Bloomery, TN. For more information, you may contact either J Jackson or Lindy Johnson at 727-6574 or e-mail tennrose@xtn.net

The Southeast Strawberry Expo takes place Nov. 11-13, with the main conference happening on Nov. 12-13, at the Sheraton Imperial Hotel, in Durham. The Expo is oriented toward plasticulture strawberry production. Any grower with a serious interest in strawberry production -- on a scale greater than a home garden -- will find it worthwhile. For example, there are session on frost/freeze protection, growing strawberries in high tunnels, and avoiding costly mistakes for new growers. And the trade show is a great way to meet suppliers of plants, packaging, etc.

The North Carolina Tree Farm Program announces a field forestry workshop at the Mountain Horticulture Center in Fletcher, NC, on Thursday, November 8, 2007 from 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM. The morning session will feature speakers on the advantages of active forest management and tax strategies, including forest health and wildlife habitat enhancements. Tree Farmers Dwight Batts from Wilson County and Dr. Bob Cooper from Forsyth County will discuss the advantages of Tree Farm Certification to family forest owners.

The Independent Small Animal Meat Processors of WNC has been formed as an advocacy organization to provide training and education to those wishing to professionalize their businesses, and to advocate for the development of an inspected slaughter and processing facility in the region.

Last month the organization received a small grant from USDA to help organize the group. Thomas Beckett, a lawyer and friend of agriculture in Henderson County, assisted in filing articles of incorporation for the association as a nonprofit focused on training and education.

The Save Our Seed project is addressing one of the most daunting problems among organic producers with our free Organic Seed Sourcing Service. By making readily available our access to comprehensive seed dealer databases, we are able to quickly and easily provide lists of available organic seeds to growers with specific requests. We are now more accessible on the web at www.organicseedsourcing.com, and this year we are also offering, when available to us, lists of equivalent cultivars in the case that the requested seed is, to our knowledge, not available organically. These lists will be provided to us by seed dealers if they feel they offer a seed comparable to one being sought by the grower.