NC A&T and Guilford County Extension Team for Small Farm Day 

August 28, 1998 


 

Also this month:

* NC A&T Project to Improve Food Stamp Nutrition

* Tailored Information Best for Farm Safety

* NC A&T Specialist Advises on Child Care Options for Infants

* Innovative Internship Program Exposes Students to Retail Management

* NC A&T Hosts USDA Scholars

* NC A&T Department Faculty at National Conference


Other News Links:

Press Release Archive  

Cooperative Extension Press Releases 

Agricultural Research Press Releases 


General Links:

NC A&T School of Agriculture 

Agricultural Communications 

Mitch Arnold, news editor 

Greensboro, NC: Triad small-scale farmers can learn about alternative enterprises and innovations in farming practices at the North Carolina A&T State University Farm Complex, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., on September 26. Small Farm Demonstration and Field Day will also provide landowners who aren't farmers with introductions to agricultural enterprises which can succeed without vast acreage or large capital outlays.


The event will consist of presentations and on-site seminars on topics ranging from pasture poultry to pond management, and will be oriented toward small-scale farmers and people considering small-scale farming.


"The goal of the day is to introduce people to farming techniques that they might be interested in considering," said Gwyn Riddick, director of Guilford County Cooperative Extension. "This event has particular value to farmers in the Triad who have small plots of land with which they want to do something, but who are unsure of where to start."


Riddick indicates that though much of the Triad is undergoing urbanization, there remain small plots of land ideal for specialty crops. Small Farm Demonstration and Field Day will acquaint people interested in such enterprises with the resources and issues involved in small-scale agriculture, and will give people a chance to meet with experts in small-scale farming and representatives from support agencies.


According to Dr. M. Ray McKinnie, interim director for university farm operations at NC A&T, using the NC A&T Farm Complex allows the event's activities to be conducted in a realistic setting.


"The Farm Complex is designed to provide our faculty and students with a representative sampling of several topographies common in the North Carolina Piedmont," said McKinnie. "In addition, on our 567 acres, we have constructed wetlands, soil research plots, livestock units and a variety of equipment needed for a successful farm operation."


Presentations will include: goats, drip irrigation, pasture poultry, and farm management and marketing.


On-site seminars will include: soil sampling, raised bed horticulture, and selecting a greenhouse.


Field demonstration topics will include: erosion control, cover crops, and pond and forestry management.


Among the organizations expected to be represented are: North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, NC A&T State University, North Carolina State University, North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.


Registration for Small Farm Demonstration Day will take place from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., with presentations and on-site seminars to follow. All activities are free and open to the public, and lunch will be provided to registered participants.


The NC A&T Farm Complex is located on McConnell Road, east of Greensboro. The event is on the south side of the road opposite the Environmental Center.


Advanced registration is encouraged. For more information, contact the Guilford County Cooperative Extension Center, at (336) 375-5876.


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