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April 21 & 22, 2007, 1-5 pm both days The 12th Annual Piedmont Farm Tour is a great opportunity to re-connect with the changing face of North Carolina agriculture. As tobacco production gives way to vines, wines, organic fruits, veggies and flowers, North Carolina benefits from the richness and diversity that is our local agricultural community. Six new farms and three vineyards and wineries on the tour this year attest to the strength of our local agriculture. Children will be delighted with the chickens, goats, pigs, cows, and horses, while Mom and Dad can learn from the farmers how to grow veggies and flowers in their own backyard or how fuel for cars can be “grown” on a farm. Discover once again the importance of farmland to the health and life of our community. Organized as a fundraiser for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA), the Piedmont Farm Tour will draw thousands of visitors to the farms. The CFSA is a membership-based organization of more than 750 farmers, processors, gardeners, businesses, and individuals in North and South Carolina who are committed to sustainable agriculture and organic farming. Last year alone, the tour raised over $19,000 with over 6,000 visitors to the farms. Weaver Street Market and CFSA partnered 12 years ago to bring the Piedmont Farm Tour to the community so that folks could connect with where their food comes from, and as an expression of their commitment to local, sustainable agriculture. To take the tour, load up your car with family and friends, buy your ticket (a button), and plot a course on the map provided. The map indicates where there are bathroom stops, who’s selling what, and what will interest children. The tour dates are Saturday, April 21 and Sunday, April 22 from 1 to 5 pm. The cost is $30 per car for all 34 farms, or $10 per car per farm on the days of the tour. You can pick up a map and purchase your button for all farms in advance for $25 at the following locations: Weaver Street Market, Fifth Season and Maple View Ice Cream Store in Carrboro; Weaver Street Market at Southern Village and Niche Gardens in Chapel Hill; the General Store Café, Fearrington Farmers’ Market, and Chatham Marketplace in Pittsboro; Durham Co-op Grocery and the SEEDS booth at the Durham Farmers’ Market in Durham; Maple View Ice Cream Store and the Farmers’ Market in Hillsborough; Harmony Farms, Triangle Nutrition and Moore Square Farmers’ Market in Raleigh; Deep Roots Market in Greensboro; and Benjamin Vineyards & Winery in Graham. All proceeds benefit the CFSA. The farmers request that you do not visit the farms outside the posted hours. The Piedmont Farm Tour is co-sponsored by the CFSA, and Weaver Street Market. April 23rd, 2007 @ 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM This three hour workshop provides fruit and vegetable growers with important information on safe raw food-handling practices (BMPs), information on acquiring liabiity insurance and ways to avoid on-farm liability. It is especially timely as the pick-your-own season gears up. More Information
This annual event is cosponsored by NCCES and Blue Ridge Horticulture Association to market the richness of ornamental plants grown in Western North Carolina. This year's show has been moved to the Asheville Farmer's Market and is expected to attract the largest crowd ever.
Contact: Cliff Ruth at (828) 697-4891. May 5, 2007 May 10, 2007, 2:00-4:30 pm Leaders: Ken Fager (NCSU) & Steve Moore (NCA&T). Hands-on demonstration of organic production; transplanting summer vegetables into winter cover crop residues. Topics will include fertility, cover crop management, and equipment (manual and powered) for rolling and transplanting. An optional follow-up meeting on June 7, 2007 6:30-7:30 pm will examine subsequent weed suppression, residue decomposition and vegetable growth. Visit the CEFS Workshop Calendar for registration forms and directions. Contact CEFS at 919-513-0954 or cefs_info@ncsu.edu for more information. May 11, 2007 May 17, 2007 May 21,
2007, 2:30 - 7 p.m. May 22,
2007, 6:00-8:00 p.m. Learn the procedures, techniques and tools needed to provide maximum freshness, marketability, appearance, and nutritional value of your wholesale and retail produce. The workshop will include presentations combined with hands-on work at the CEFS Small Farm. Topics to be covered are refrigeration, hydro-cooling, packing, specialized boxes, washing and more. Workshop presenters include Dr. George Wilson of the NCSU Department of Horticultural Science and Bryan Green, manager of the CEFS Small Farm. Registration is required. (PDF)
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