March / April 2024
We Grow Agriculture
On March 1, Livestock Agent Micah Orfield and Horticulture Agent Blake Williams hosted the West Central District Agricultural Agents Meeting. A group of 20 Agriculture Agents came to Ashe County to tour the Upper Mountain Research Station and Barr Evergreens with Rusty Barr. They enjoyed lunch at Oldhouse Goods before returning to their home counties.
2024 H2A workers have begun arriving in Ashe County to begin working in our fields. Initially, these workers will be shearing Christmas trees, spraying fields and trees, planting, and finally harvesting in the Fall. Once harvest is over, H2A workers return to their home countries. Ashe County Migrant Education Program Coordinator and Farm Worker Health Educator Michelle Pelayo is busy recruiting clients to the Ashe County Migrant Education Program and providing Worker Protection Safety (WPS) classes at our local farms, while also addressing any concerns or issues the grower or workers may have.
On April 20, Ashe County held its yearly Respirator Fit test at Family Central with over 60 farmworkers participating. The North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Ashe County Center along with the Migrant Education Program coordinated the event and were able to provide breakfast and lunch for all attendees. AppHealthCare Farmworker Program and Legal Aid of North Carolina were present to give the workers information and answer questions. Growers were able to sign up their farm for flu shots in the Fall for their employees who might want them before flu season.
On April 30, the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Ashe County Center, County of Ashe and North Carolina Department of Agriculture worked together to collect and properly dispose of 1,423 pounds of unwanted pesticides. This one day event is provided to farmers, homeowners and landscapers to dispose of unwanted or expired pesticides in large quantities. Pesticides can be collected throughout the year at the Recycling Center on Dogget Road, which is open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. For more information regarding pesticide disposal, please contact the NC Cooperative Extension, Ashe County Center at 336-846-5850 or the Dogget Road Recycling Center at 336-846-7198.
We Grow Nutrition
EFNEP Program Associate Rhonda Church nominated Robin Nethery for an Ashe County Volunteer Award. Robin is the Family Support Specialist with the Partnership of Ashe Family Foundations Program. For the past 5 years the Family Foundations Program has included EFNEP for an additional education program that helps families learn simple ways to plan healthy meals, shop for healthy food with less money and incorporate physical activities that the whole family can participate in together. Collaboration efforts prove very beneficial and the families comment on how much they love the program. Volunteers like Robin are vital for the success of EFNEP to help families in the community develop healthy lifestyles.
The Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program graduated fifty five 4th grade and forty one 6th grade students at Westwood Elementary. Each student received a graduation certificate from North Carolina State University and EFNEP, plus a water bottle to help them achieve their healthy goal to drink more water.
We Grow Youth
On March 28, 2024, Livestock Agent Micah Orfield, 4-H Agent Caroline Goss and Horticulture Agent Blake Williams enjoyed the day at the Ashe County Middle School Career Fair. Students that visited with Cooperative Extension Agents learned about the anatomy of cattle, pigs, and sheep and also learned about the development stages of chicks. There was also an opportunity to explore a limb of a Fraser fir tree with symptoms of parasites. The students had specific career related questions to help them further explore Cooperative Extension as a future career option.
During spring break, Cooperative Extension hosted “Celebrate Earth Month with Ashe 4-H.” Throughout the two-day event, participants engaged in discussions about the earth and its inhabitants, ecosystems, environmental stewardship, hiked through the woods and explored a portion of South Beaver Creek.
During 4-H Paws-a-Palooza, participants were treated to a visit by dog trainer Maggie Hunter and her dog, Arlo, learning about dog behavior and language. Attendees also baked dog treats for Watauga Humane Society and then toured the facility, learning about the work they do and how animal shelters operate, and spent time with artist, Dee Pellicio, creating their own dog art. As the day wrapped up, dog history and fun facts were also discussed!
On April 5, 2024, Extension Agents Micah Orfield, Blake Williams and Caroline Goss were involved in organizing a tour of Ashe County food industries for the Virginia 4-H Food Challenge participants. They visited Cheek Homestead Creamery, A B Vannoy Ham House, and Ashe County Cheese.
We Grow Community
The High Country Seed Swap returned to West Jefferson on April 6th. The event was a huge success, having roughly 200 people visit the event. Several individuals and groups in the community support this event, one of which is our own Ashe County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers (EMGVs). The EMGVs were able to distribute numerous packets of the Victory Garden seeds saved during the 2023 season. The group was also able to help answer horticulture and garden related questions. The event saw numerous varieties and cultivars being shared, including vegetable seeds, heirloom apple scions, garden flower seeds, corms and bulbs, and even live plant divisions. This event helps preserve several regionally significant varieties which would otherwise be lost as they change hands between generations. If you have any heirloom vegetable varieties you are interested in preserving, please contact our office at (336) 846-5850.
Horticulture Agent Blake Williams and Livestock Agent Micah Orfield hosted a 3 day Homesteading Workshop. The topics included gardening, seed saving, food preservation and animal husbandry. There were a wide variety of speakers including Local Foods Agent Jill Cockerham, Area Agent Richard Boylan, Area Agent Lauren Greene, Appalachian State University Fermentation Sciences Professor Brett Taubman, Extension Agent Micah Orfield and Extension Agent Blake Williams.
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), gender identity, sexual orientation and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.