2nd Annual Montgomery County Livestock Show

2nd Annual Montgomery County Livestock Show this Saturday August 20th at the Ag Center on Glen Road in Troy, NC. The show begins around 10am with the heifer show, followed by the goat show. Come support the youth of Montgomery County! For more information, call Jamie at the Extension Office 576-6011.

 

 

Season's Harvest!

Things are sure brewing here in Montgomery North Carolina! The great thing is that it is the time of year to start canning your bountiful harvest!

Are you interested in learning the basics of water-bath canning? If so you need to come to our canning class being held on June 30th.  This will be a hands on training where you will learn the basics of canning tomatoes that you will be able to take home with you. The class will be held from 1pm to 4pm at the NC Cooperative Extension office in Troy. The registration deadline is June 27th with a fee of $10.00. For more information please contact Molly Alexi or Hayley Napier at (910) 576-6011.

We will also have a Pressure Cooker test day July 14th at the Troy Farmers' Market (417 N. Main St, Troy, NC).

There are other festivities going on at the markets as well.

July 7th at the Troy Farmers' Market Montgomery Cooperative Extension will be showcasing Dezern Farms Blackberries, so be sure to stop by 3-6pm for some delicious foods!

Farmers' Markets

Ahhh, it's that time of year again! Spring has coined a new term for our farmers' and ourselves, it means we have to SPRING into action.

That's a good thing right? For the most part it is (minus all of the work), the great part is that everyone is getting outside and planting! It is also awesome because our Farmers' Markets are starting to open.

Troy, NC Farmers' Market is already opened and has a great assortment of goodies, the market is open Thursday's 3-6pm at 417 N. Main St. The market boasts a variety of LOCAL vendors who provide meats, baked & canned goods, plants, fresh eggs, handmade crafts, and much more!

Here are some of the current farms and what they provide:

Whipowill Hill Farm-Montgomery County: Pastured PORK and POULTRY (will have fresh poultry soon!) and some produce (salad mixes and spinach for now!)

Uwharrie Heirloom- Montgomery County: Provides HEIRLOOM variety plants (flowers, herbs, and plants for your vegetable gardens!)

Fox Squirrel Farm- Moore County: Provide fresh PRODUCE, right now they are bringing spinach, salad mixes, bok choy, radishes, and more!

Dezern Farm- Randolph County: Canned & BAKED goodies as well as a variety of plants in decorative planters for your home garden!

Hope Farms- Montgomery County: Every week Hope Farms provides FRESH eggs and handmade cloth rugs!

A Wing and A Prayer Farm- Stanly/Montgomery County: This farm family works in Stanly but has a farm in Montgomery County. They provide a unique assortment of HANDMADE goats milk lotions, lip balm, soap, and even helps to increase the population of a variety of butterflies.

Delicious Creations from McAllister Farms- Montgomery County: Come try what makes the South great! McAllister Farms provides SCRUMPTIOUS baked goods and canned items!

Parson's Farm - Montgomery County: Parson's provides a variety of locally grown produce items, they currently have STRAWBERRIES in season!

Ingold Farm- Randolph County: This Santa Gertrudis farm has delicious GRASS FED beef and will even show you how to cook it!

Walkapaca Farm- Montgomery County: If you are interested in wearing some of the finest fiber in the world, Walkapaca can help you! They provide an assortment of Alpaca fiber clothing, the farm also provides fresh poultry EGGS!

Be sure to check the market out! The markets' are gearing up for an eventful season and each week something new is showing up!

If you are a locavore (people who like buying LOCAL) join our 10% Campaign if you are interested in whats available there is also a great Seasonality Chart which provides whats in season, and even the availability of NC Seafood!

4-H PLANT SALE

Anyone in the Montgomery County Area - We have LOTS and LOTS of plants (landscape and edible) at the 4-H office for sell. Please stop by to check them out on Wednesday (9 AM - 5 PM), Thursday (8 AM - 7 PM) and on Friday (8 AM - 5 PM). All proceeds help to support the 4-H youth programs offered in the county!

Eat LOCAL during the Holidays!

Ahh the Holidays are here! It is truly amazing how things arrive so quickly. For most individuals they believe it is difficult to eat local in the winter months, this however is not the case. There are a wonderful assortment of meats, cheeses, and even some fruits and vegetables. The great thing is there are farms located right here in Montgomery County who have taken the time to prepare for this holiday season. Contact your local poultry farm to see if they have any turkeys, chickens, or pheasants available for your lovely Christmas dinner. Or maybe you would like some fresh smoked bacon for your roasts or filet mignons? Dessert is not complete without a decadent apple dumpling topped with our fresh pecans. The point is this, it is the season for celebrating and sharing and just because it is cold outside doesn't mean you have to stray from your local food campaign.

For more tips on eating local join us in the 10% Campaign

If you need help creating your wonderful local dishes contact your local foods coordinator at your extension office (Montgomery County Staff) for their 10% Campaign Holiday Recipes or visit the Produce Lady's website for recipes and instructions on preparing your local meals:The Produce Lady

We here at the Montgomery County Cooperative Extension office hope you and your family have a wonderful Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

Central Park NC & STARworks Annual Gathering

Things are surely stirring in this melting pot of Montgomery County! Yesterday was a true testament that things are changing. STARworks hosted its Annual Gathering last night and it was a success, people from all over the state came to hear Joel Salatin and what is going on with the local food movement in North Carolina.
We had two of our farms on the panel, Whipowill Hill Farms and Hilltop Angus. They did an EXCELLENT job and we are so proud of them for representing this county!

Seeing the enthusiasm for this movement is enlightening and we believe that many positive things are going to start happening in this great state of North Carolina. Here is a great picture of our farms from last night's event.

2010 Household Hazardous Waste and Recycling Event

October 2 was our annual Household Hazardous Waste and Recycling Event. It was a success. Thanks to everyone who participated. Check out our photo album on facebook for pictures from the day. http://www.facebook.com/pages/Troy-NC/Montgomery-County-Cooperative-Extension/117219574995061?v=photos#!/album.php?aid=27268&id=117219574995061