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In central North Carolina almost any type of vegetable or fruit can be grown successfully provided you choose appropriate varieties and plant at the right time. This publication covers climate, season and potential pests that all affect the selection of what and when to plant. Also included is a planting chart and calendar.
This publication covers the keys to a successful community garden of individual plots including forming a strong planning team, choosing a safe site accessible to the target audience with sunlight and water, organizing a simple transparent system for management and designing and installing the garden. Appendices offer a sample layout, sample by-laws, sample budgets and a list of resources.
This comprehensive guide offers information on different grasses for North Carolina lawns, as well as how to establish, care for, maintain, and renovate a new lawn.
Phorid flies are small flies that breed in moist, decaying organic matter and can be a problem in and around homes. This factsheet covers their identification, biology, habits, management and control.
This factsheet offers instructions for cleaning and sanitizing kitchen dishes, utensils, and cooking implements after a flood.
Agricultural tourism increases the potential for on-farm sales with value-adding products and services, further diversifying the farm operation's product line. There are three agritourism basics: have something for visitors to see, something for them to do, and something for them to buy. This publication covers all elements of planning a successful agritourism enterprise, including business planning, marketing, learning legal rules and regulations, assessing risk and safety considerations, and considering customer satisfaction.
This publication discusses the environmental, economic, health, and community benefits that local food systems provide to communities.
This publication tells gardeners why they should test their soil, how to obtain a soil test and interpret the results and how to use the soil test to improve their soils.
This publication for individuals and groups describes how to reduce waste by reusing materials, including clothing and household items.
This third in a series on pruning offers general tips on pruning most landscape plants.
This factsheet provides basic information about prevention and control of Africanized honey bees prior to their expected arrival in North Carolina. (Part 2 of a 3-part series.)
This publication explains genetic engineering and its use in food, agriculture, and the environment. It answers key questions about genetic engineering, including its definition, applications, safety, ethical issues, and related regulations. The publication also discusses potential risks and concludes with resources for more information.
This publication discusses how to set up a worm-growing business. It includes information on potential markets, earthworm biology, and setting up an earthworm-growing operation.
This publication discusses the components to collaborate successfully in rural revitalization efforts. If focuses on coming together, staying together, and growing together to create a social mechanism stakeholders can use to work toward common goals.
Grain products and other foodstuffs kept in kitchen cabinets, pantries, or storage areas can arrive infested or become infested with insects and other arthropods. These food thieves are colloquially referred to as “pantry pests'' since they invade foods that are frequently stored in the pantry. Most human food products, and even pet or wild animal foods, are susceptible to damage by stored product pests. Beetles (Order: Coleoptera) and moths (Order: Lepidoptera) are the most important insect groups responsible for contamination of foodstuffs in the United States, so we will focus on these groups for this fact sheet.
A rainwater harvesting system captures stormwater runoff, often from a rooftop, and stores the water in a cistern for later use. In this guide for homeowners, the authors describe the components of a rainwater harvesting system and how they work together. Guidelines for choosing, sizing and installing the components are included.
This article describes and defines the different types of insects that sting and are also often mistaken for honey bees.
This publication discusses how floods can affect food gardens. In it, you'll find recommendations for preparing your garden before a flood, precautions to take after the storm, and how to safely clean up and replant after floodwaters recede.
This series of publications provides information about how to grow, harvest, and prepare a variety of fruits and vegetables from your garden. Each publication features recipes, recommended uses, nutrition information, and more.
This publication is a home gardener's guide to planting, maintaining and harvesting blackberries.
This factsheet outlines the history, movement, distribution, and present status of the Africanized honey bee in the United States. (Part 1 of a 3-part series)
This publication describes how to build and maintain a composting pile to use the compost in your yard or garden.
This factsheet for business owners describes North Carolina waste reduction programs that can benefit a business. It includes some recommended practices for reducing waste and a list of organizations that can provide information and assistance in planning and conducting a waste reduction and recycling program.
This publication will help you identify the several species of ticks found in North Carolina and the diseases they transmit. It also describes chemical and non-chemical ways you can protect yourself from ticks outdoors and control ticks in and around your home.
Learn how communities across North Carolina can protect and retain trees. This guide is based on a statewide review of municipal and county land use and tree protection regulations. The authors provide examples of ordinances in North Carolina that regulate tree removal, maintenance and replacement. They also discuss enforcement, incentives and alternatives and common tree conservation issues that NC communities face.
It is the goal of every beekeeper to maintain healthy, productive colonies. This can only be accomplished by reducing the frequency and prevalence of disease within beehives. The following is an outline of recommendations for detecting and treating colonies for economically important parasites and pathogens of honey bees so that beekeepers may achieve this goal, and do so in a sustainable way for the long-term health of their colonies.
Turfgrass, trees, and shrubs are desired in most landscapes because they are attractive and useful. Unfortunately, growing turfgrasses in the presence of trees and shrubs can be a formidable task because each plant group competes with the other for the light, water, and nutrients that are essential for survival and growth. Even so, homeowners can take steps to improve the performance of a lawn growing in shade.
This factsheet explains how you can set up and maintain a worm composting bin for your home or office. Worm composting reduces the amount of material that ends up in the landfill and provides compost that can enrich the soil.
You can attract the many butterflies found throughout North Carolina to your backyard by following the simple practices described in this publication.
This publication covers items to consider when trying to salvage flood-damaged appliances.
As urban development continues to expand across the state, it is important that North Carolinians recognize the value of reptile and amphibian populations and learn how to conserve them.
This publication discusses strategies and techniques for stabilizing stream banks where erosion is an issue.
This publication outlines key elements that local governments should consider when planning, implementing, publicizing and evaluating recycling programs.
Beekeeping is a very enjoyable and rewarding pastime that is relatively inexpensive to get started. Moreover, it’s a hobby that can eventually make you money! This factsheet is a primer on how to start your first hive and begin keeping bees.
Community gardens have been part of the American landscape since the mid-1700s. Today, community gardens continue to make positive contributions in neighborhoods across North Carolina. Winner of an American Society for Horticultural Science, Extension Division, 2017 Educational Materials Award, Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook is a practical guide to community gardening. Based on experience and research, it is packed with best practices, tested strategies, and useful checklists. The guide covers every step in the community gardening process, from starting a new garden to sustainable long-term garden management and policy. Whether you are new to community gardening or a seasoned veteran, Collard Greens and Common Ground will help your community garden flourish.
This publication discusses ways that gardeners can protect water quality and avoid runoff and soil erosion.
This publication provides guidance on who is responsible for the maintenance and care of public and private trees in a community.
In this publication you will find ideas to get you started growing your own edibles. Included are simple designs and potential settings for a single container, a small group of containers and a larger grouping of containers. The benefits and challenges of various planting options will also be explored.
This factsheet answers basic questions about Africanized honey bees. (Part 3 of a 3-part series)
This publication offers general guidelines for cleaning or replacing flood-damaged carpets and rugs.
This publication describes how homeowners can create backyards and other urban habitats that attract a variety of songbirds.
This publication provides definitions of the Program Planning and Evaluation Model and the Reactive Programming Model for Extension work and how these models inform the work of NC State Extension.
This factsheet covers the description, biology, and management of the jumping earthworm, a common pest in North Carolina gardening.
This publication offers tips to deal with snakes, both indoors and outdoors, during the recovery process of a flood or disaster with strewn debris.
This publication covers the supplies you will need at home in the event of an emergency or disaster.
This series of publications provides information about how to grow, harvest, and prepare a variety of fruits and vegetables from your garden. Each publication features recipes, recommended uses, nutrition information, and more.
This publication describes how communities can develop and implement backyard composting programs that reduce the amount of waste in the landfill and return nutrients to the soil.
This publication summarizes the findings of a research project aimed at understanding urban audiences, identifying barriers to engagement in wildlife-dependent recreation, and identifying strategies that the Service can implement to overcome these barriers.
This publication is designed to help landowners learn whether their property might be a candidate for a solar lease and what to expect when a solar developer performs due diligence. It also provides a description of legal issues that may arise, such as unclear ownership, zoning restrictions, and other encumbrances such as liens, easements, and existing leases.
A guide to maintaining quality turf on athletic fields, including recommendations for establishing and caring for new fields, maintaining established fields, and managing pests.
This publication offers tips to people returning to their homes and communities after evacuation during an emergency or disaster.
This publication offers information and guidance on how to clean and recondition tractors that have been submerged in floodwaters.
This publication covers potential moisture problems in attics, crawl spaces and walls after a flood or other disaster.
A compass and pacing can be useful in many different woodlot activities. A compass can indicate the direction you are headed relative to magnetic north, and pacing is a simple means of measuring linear distance by walking. This publication will help you use a compass to determine direction and determine your pace.
This publication outlines and describes core concepts of risk that are used in various environmental, health, and societal circumstances. It covers the following topics: defining risks, identifying and assessing risks, managing risks, and communicating risks.
This publication covers important information about cleaning household textiles after a flood.
This second in a series on pruning offers tips on selecting the right tool for the job and for evaluating a tool’s quality.
This final publication in the Pruning Trees & Shrubs series gives tips for pruning specific plants.
Water is an essential component for plant growth. In turfgrasses it comprises 75 to 90 percent of the fresh weight of the plant, and irrigation is a key cultural practice in turfgrass management. Only 1 percent of the water absorbed is utilized for metabolic activity. By considering the factors that contribute to water loss, turfgrass managers can devise effective irrigation plans for specific sites.
This FactSheet provides a guide to understanding and addressing PFAS in our communities, which may be helpful for Extension agents, community members, and others who are interested in learning more about PFAS and their potential impacts.
This publication provides basic information on the nutrient needs of trees and shrubs, types of fertilizers to apply and recommended methods and times of application.
This publication discusses how communities use tree ordinances as tools to protect trees, preserve green space and promote healthy, managed urban forests. To protect trees and prevent their loss in the urban environment, communities need to understand tree ordinances, their limitations and their proper implementation.
This Youth, Community, and Therapeutic Gardening Chapter from the Extension Gardener Handbook helps volunteers understand how these types of gardens can be sucessful and the steps needed to be an effective mentor.
This publication discusses the impacts of coastal hazards on the tourism industry of North Carolina's Outer Banks (OBX) based on a survey of visitors to this popular beach destination.
This publication serves as a guide on building local food economies for planners, economic developers, and local government professionals.
This publication covers steps to take to clean up your kitchen after a disaster or emergency.
This publication discusses how to possibly restore furniture, including antiques, damaged by floodwaters.
This first of four publications in the Pruning Trees & Shrubs series introduces basic pruning concepts and key terms. Subsequent publications in the series provide more information on woody plant biology, necessary tools and pruning guidelines for general purposes and specific species.
Maintenance contracts for turfgrass areas should be written to provide security for all parties involved. The person or company receiving services (the contractor) should be aware of everything it has agreed to and therefore is required to do. This publication provides basic guidelines on how to write a good contract regarding turfgrass maintenance.
This publication, chapter 8 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, discusses soil management in community food gardens.
The key to surviving a hurricane is preparation. This factsheet takes you through the thought process of what needs to be done before a storm so that you are prepared.
This factsheet shares some statistics about the H-2A visa program in North Carolina.
This publication offers a guide to growing edible plants year-round in containers. Includes planting and harvest guides.
This publication, chapter 11 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, offers information on fundraising, dues, and grants.
This publication provides basic information on animal production systems and reviews the movement of nitrogen in concentrated feeding operations for swine.
“Se hacen puentes al andar” is about highlighting the power of family belonging and the risks associated with family rejection; lack of positive LGBTQ+ representation; and rigid adherence to traditional gender roles. Each story featured is drawn from a study about Latino LGBTQ+ youth belonging within a familial context and includes corresponding research-based and participant-informed recommendations for you—the parent, caregiver, or loved one of an LGBTQ+ youth.
This publication offers guidelines if a recent storm results in water damage to pesticide containers or application equipment in your home or on your property.
This factsheet provides information on spring development, protection and disinfection, and water testing.
This publication explains how microentrepreneurs can use emerging web-based marketplaces to sell services, goods, and experiences to untapped markets.
This publication presents plans and instructions for an easily constructed greenhouse that costs approximately $100 and may be used for many purposes.
This publication offers a list of steps to take for cleanup and repair of your home following a disaster or emergency.
Landowners share a deep connection to their land and the legacy they’ll leave behind. With so many conservation options to consider, landowners need to have a working knowledge of the choices to protect their land in the near and long term. Landowners should identify their goals before embarking upon a conservation strategy. Once a conservation strategy is selected, then the implications of state and federal taxes can be explored. This publication reviews the most common land conservation and protection options.
This publication, chapter 9 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, focuses on planting strategies and planting times for various crops in food gardens.
This guide provides an overview of market gardens for small and beginning farmers in North Carolina, with a focus on planning that can result in a profitable market garden enterprise. This publication is a starting reference point for anyone interested in market gardens.
This factsheet is a guide to introducing children to common garden insects in an early childcare setting. It includes age-appropriate activities for childcare providers to engage young children in identifying garden insects at all life stages.
This publication shows how to build a simple, economical bale press and gives instructions on baling plastic bottles and jugs for recycling.
There is a need for a better understanding of what people mean when they say “agritourism,” so farmers can realize the full economic benefit of this activity. The authors of this publication conducted a study to discover the preferences of farmers, local residents (visitors or potential visitors), and extension faculty in North Carolina and Missouri with regard to labels for and definitions of agritourism, and to determine where common ground lies among these groups.
This publication, chapter 4 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, discusses step-by-step methods for designing a new community food garden.
This publication describes the evaluation of plant survival and vigor on 11 extensive green roofs in the Research Triangle region of North Carolina and provides plant selection guidelines for future green roof installations.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains how to make a composting bin to house earthworms and recycle food scraps.
This publication, chapter 2 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, guides readers through several initial steps in starting a community garden.
Your land is valuable to you and your family. Protection and successful transition begins with a flexible land conservation plan. A conservation plan describes your intentions and methods to achieve a desired outcome. To achieve your specific conservation vision, there are proven checkpoints to complete your journey. These checkpoints will result in a plan you can use to enroll your land in the conservation program(s) that meets your needs. Every plan may be unique but all will have the checkpoints of the journey in common. This handbook provides the recommended checkpoints to help begin your planning journey and simple tools to help you complete a working land conservation plan.
Agritourism, defined as activities offered on working farms and other agricultural settings for entertainment or educational purposes, has been increasing over the last ten years. Despite its growth, there is uncertainty about the benefits that agritourism brings to society, especially to rural communities. Understanding the benefits of agritourism is essential to further develop this recreational activity and to strengthen marketing efforts to attract more visitors to farms. To document perceptions of the socio-cultural, environmental, and economic benefits of agritourism, an online survey was conducted in 2010 among North Carolina agritourism providers (“farmers”) and a non-random panel of current and potential visitors (“residents”).
This publication presents maintenance guidelines for stormwater wetlands and wet ponds, two stormwater practices that are being constructed across North Carolina. Stormwater management practices must be kept in proper working order to maintain their intended functions and aesthetic appeal.
This publication summarizes an evaluation of the 4-H Science: Building a 4-H STEM Career Pathway Initiative with the goals of tracking the initiative's implementation, describing the extent to which the initiative goals were being met, and evaluating the 4-H Career Pathway for further implementation.
This publication summarizes research about the potential of oysters to become part of the North Carolina tourism industry.
This publication focuses on the importance of needs assessments to address community needs and create positive change for complex problems.
If a major disaster has been declared in your area, you may be eligible to receive financial assistance from FEMA. There are four ways to apply for federal disaster assistance: online, in the FEMA app, by phone, or in person.
On January 22, 2024, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) published a new rule changing the Individual Assistance Program. These changes aim to make the Individual Assistance program more equitable by expanding eligibility for some types of assistance, removing procedural barriers to entry, and simplifying certain processes overall.
Agritourism–defined in this study as any activity or service provided on a working farm with the purpose of attracting visitors–has grown in popularity due to structural changes affecting farmers and communities across the nation and throughout North Carolina. According to the North Carolina Rural Center, the number of farms in North Carolina has dramatically declined in recent years to just 17% of the total number of farms present in the 1940s. The changing economy, fluctuations in agricultural income, and farmers’ desire to preserve land and resources have pressured North Carolina farmers to examine alternative economic opportunities.
This publication offers safety tips and first aid procedures to prevent and treat heat stress disorders that may occur during clean-up after a hurricane or other disaster.
This publication offers tips to rid your refrigerator of odors after an extended loss of power due to an emergency or disaster.
This publication discusses a pilot study considering 17 historic structures at Cape Lookout National Seashore. The study was performed develop guidance and methods to help inform climate adaptation planning for cultural resources.
This publication, chapter 7 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, offers users management tips for a community garden, including a seasonal maintenance calendar.
This publication, chapter 6 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, discusses the organization of the community garden, including roles and responsibilities.
This publication examine's women's success in the agritourism industry through survey responses to help maximize the benefits of agritourism to farms and rural communities.
This publication is a guide for researchers, scholars, extension agents, government officials, and others interested in engaging stakeholders and community members to identify and address potential environmental and societal issues.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains how to identify a wide variety of animal tracks.
This publication offers tips on choosing a contractor for home repairs after an emergency or disaster.
This publication offers general information and guidance on how to recondition farm equipment that has been submerged in floodwaters.
This publication, chapter 10 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, discusses food safety when growing crops in a community garden, including pesticides, sanitation, and irrigation.
Esta publicación muestra cómo construir una prensa de fardos sencilla y económica y da instrucciones sobre cómo embalar botellas y garrafas de plástico jarras para reciclar.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to keep detailed records of butterfly observations and recommends which plants would be most beneficial to local butterflies.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to collect and identify stream insects and other tiny invertebrates in a group outing.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to observe urban wildlife, record information and use findings to develop a wildlife habitat improvement plan.
Agritourism – also known as farm tourism, agri-tainment, agricultural tourism, or agrotourism – has a long history in America. Because of the generation gap between farm and non-farm families, the demand for a slower paced farm experience has now become the catalyst for farm-based recreation to become an important business. Agritourism has become a tool that has a direct economic impact on farms and the surrounding communities.
This brochure describes the economic, environmental and health benefits that urban trees provide to a community. It provides a list of organizations to contact for more information about urban forestry.
Durable athletic fields begin with sound construction and careful planning. Good management practices can increase a field's durability. The basic concepts presented in this guide can help field managers extend the usability of athletic fields.
This publication presents the results of interviews with women in agritourism across North Carolina. It discusses the successes, challenges, and opportunities these women face in the agritourism industry and offers conclusions on strategies to overcome challenges and improve success.
This publication, chapter 3 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, offers community garden organizers insight on choosing potential sites for a community food garden.
This publication, chapter 12 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, offers advice for community gardeners to expand their involvement in the larger community.
This publication, chapter 13 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, offers strategies for dealing with common gardening problems in a community garden setting.
This appendix is part of the Extension Gardener Handbook and gives users to the tools to implement a youth, community, or therapeutic garden.
A major storm disaster declaration refers to a formal process that requests federal assistance to deal with a major disaster that overwhelms state and local capacity under the Stafford Act. The formal request allows the federal government to provide support such as mobilizing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Guard as well as other support, depending upon the situation.
The federal government provides several types of disaster aid related to major storm events. Aid programs can be provided to individuals as well as communities. The specific type of aid available will depend on the storm event and its disaster declaration. The disaster declaration will establish the locations and type of aid available for that disaster.
This factsheet explains how wetlands type and location influence water quality, and it reviews the cases for development or preservation.
The basis of any promotional program is product excellence. If your product or operation is excellent, promotion will enhance your sales. If your product is poor, all the advertising in the world will not help. This publication offers some suggestions for promoting your agritourism business.
As the use of permeable pavement increases in North Carolina, practitioners can look to research findings for guidance. Recent research in North Carolina and elsewhere has focused on four aspects: runoff reduction, clogging, long-term hydrology and water quality. This overview highlights research findings, discusses research implications, and provides direct links to the research.
This publication discusses how residents of the North Carolina Triad area perceive the benefits of local wine tourism.
These new design guidelines for stormwater wetlands focus on four design points: internal wetland zones, herbaceous plants that thrive in stormwater wetlands, a proper growing medium, and the importance of a flexible outlet structure and its construction.
This publication, chapter 5 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Garden Handbook, offers a step-by-step guide for preparing a new garden site.
This manual covers Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP), a food safety plan for schools to reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness by handling food safely from the time it is received until the time it is served.
Residential camps generate food scraps from meal preparation, plate scrapings, and leftover or spoiled food. Many camps have horses, resulting in manure to manage. Composting and vermicomposting are viable options for managing food scraps, horse manure, and other types of organic waste materials.
This publication illustrates the NC State Extension Model for Program Planning and Evaluation for proactive and reactive programming.
This publication documents the lessons learned by agritourism operators whose businesses were impacted by the COVID-19 crisis in North Carolina. Understanding the practices used by these operators provides insights for strengthening the industry's resilience during a public health crisis.
“Se hacen puentes al andar” es sobre resaltar la importancia de sentirse parte de la familia y los riesgos asociados con el rechazo familiar, la falta de representación positiva de personas LGBTQ+, y el cumplimiento a los rígidos roles tradicionales de género. Cada historia que contamos proviene de un estudio de jóvenes latinos LGBTQ+ dentro de un contexto familiar e incluye recomendaciones correspondientes para usted—el padre, el tutor o el ser querido de un joven LGBTQ+—basadas en evidencia y en las experiencias de los participantes.
This resource guide explores how Early Care and Education programs serve families and show potential collaborations for Extension agents; inspires new local collaboration by highlighting successful programs within communities; and encourages cross-program activities to increase program support from Extension across North Carolina.
Early childhood educators can easily engage children in growing, harvesting, and preparing tree fruits that provide numerous opportunities for hands-on learning. Fruit trees add year-round value to childcare outdoor learning environments and provide opportunities for children to follow seasonal changes. In addition, fruit trees help to increase the natural diversity of the spaces and provide pockets of shade. While growing fruit trees can be a very rewarding process, proper planning, preparation, and care of the trees takes time and is essential for success.
A pump for the cistern or tank of a water-harvesting system can increase the system's uses significantly. In this publication get step-by-step guidance on how to choose a pump to best suit the system.
This factsheet explains the problems related to nitrate in drinking water and how to prevent it from affecting your water supply.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to build a model of a wetland and its functions or map how stormwater flows between their neighborhoods and the ocean.
This guide describes common types of well construction in North Carolina and offers advice for safely constructing and caring for a well.
This publication discusses flying unmanned aerial vehicles (drones, model aircraft) for commercial purposes. You'll learn about the requirements becoming a commercial UAV pilot and how to obtain a remote pilot certificate.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains how to build, place and monitor a suitable nesting structure for mourning doves.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains basic rules for being a good sportsman while hunting or fishing on another’s property.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to collect information on fish populations and evaluate it to determine management recommendations for ponds.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to recognize and record wild turkey vocalizations; then give an oral presentation discussing how turkeys communicate.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to properly handle, store, dress and prepare wild game or fish.
This guide provides home gardeners with instructions for growing strawberries, blueberries, brambles (blackberries and raspberries), and grapes.
This guide provides an overview of the community supported agriculture (CSA) program at Research Triangle Institute International (RTI). Filled with ideas, examples, and lessons learned from this workplace CSA pilot project, the guide provides information for farmers, businesses, Extension agents, and others who are considering starting a workplace CSA program.
Although groundwater and surface waters are rarely polluted by turfgrass pesticides, turf managers should consider the potential for environmental contamination when choosing a pesticide.
This publication, chapter 1 of Collard Greens and Common Ground: A North Carolina Community Food Gardening Handbook, offers an introduction to and overview of community gardening.
This publication for farmers covers the guidelines to deal with pesticide storage facilities that may have been damaged by a flood or other disaster.
The growing craft beverage industry is generating tourism in Wake County. This publication discusses the resources needed to sustain growth in the industry and the related benefits it produces to understand ways to advance craft beverage tourism.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains characteristics of lizards that distinguish them from other animals.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains which bodies of water are suitable for amphibian growth and development.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 offers information about turtles and their role in nature.
A wide variety of regulations may affect agritourism enterprise operations. The affect of regulations may depend on the type of attractions offered, location of the enterprise, whether employees are hired and a number of other factors specific to each enterprise. These regulations may be imposed at the federal, state and local levels of government. It is important to investigate all regulations applicable to your agritourism enterprise in order to avoid penalties, fines or interruptions to you business. This resource document provides an introduction to a number of regulations that may impact agritourism operations.
This publication covers how to spot a tornado, where to go during a storm and tornado survival rules and tips.
When there has been a major disaster, the federal government often offers housing assistance for people in need. There are two main types of housing assistance. First, housing assistance may be financial, which means that people will receive money to find and pay for housing. Second, housing assistance may be direct, which means that a person will not receive money, but they will receive a place to stay, such as a trailer or RV. The federal government decides what types of housing assistance will be available based on the type of major disaster that has taken place, and it will decide what type of assistance a person may be offered. A person only needs to apply for assistance one time to be considered for all types of housing assistance.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains how to identify and locate household materials to recycle in the construction of archery equipment.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to plant food plots and manipulate the seed bank to improve food resources for white-tailed deer and other wildlife species.
This publication is a literature review on wildlife-dependent recreation in urban areas.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains the different types of baits and lures and their effectiveness in attracting fish.
This publication will help you care for your lawn in ways that prevent and reduce contamination of our water resources by sediment, fertilizers, and pesticides.
Knowing a few basics and having some appropriate tools is all that is necessary before you can build your own baseball field. These illustrated instructions can be used to set up a baseball field on a relatively level, open area of ground.
This publication discusses the perspectives of locals in the North Carolina Triad with regard to social relationships between wineries and the communities.
Online sales can benefit tech-savvy local food producers who are looking for an emerging way to connect with consumers. There are multiple online sales platforms that can help ease the administrative burden of direct-to-consumer sales and help with online marketing to reach consumers. Here is a list of resources that farmers can utilize and a list of questions to consider when thinking about adopting an online platform. With the growing popularity of online shopping, producers should consider becoming involved in online sales to consumers as a strategy to make their agribusiness more resilient.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explores studying beaver biology and behavior through inquiry-based learning strategies.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explains how to identify snakes and their behavior in nature.
Customer service encompasses many things including appearance of your operation, reception the customer receives, knowledge of your employees, accuracy of directions and ease of accessibility. While satisfied customers will provide repeat business and attract more customers to your business, dissatisfied customers won't return and they may discourage potential customers from visiting your business. Steps to improve customer service include: developing a written customer plan, identifying your customers, and determining what it will take to satisfy them. If you fall short of full satisfaction, you need to know how to correct the problem as soon as possible.
There are a number of questions that must be asked and honestly answered when considering whether to start and operate an agritourism operation. For example, you should evaluate factors such as personal characteristics and skills, target markets, market potential, land and property resources and characteristics, individual and family goals, time and labor considerations, and financial needs and resources. An honest evaluation of these factors will help you understand your potential for success.
What types of risk are you taking on when you engage in agritourism? The first risk normally thought of is liability. While liability is extremely important, other types of risk are also important for you to consider. To be successful, you must correctly assess and manage risk.
This publication explains how future agricultural practices must be designed and managed to protect water quality.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explores food preferences in animals through inquiry-based learning strategies.
Gardens bring communities together. Not only are community gardens a good way to get more fresh fruits and vegetables in our diets, they also allow us to be active outdoors and build a strong community.
Vacationer Supported Agriculture (VSA) is a project led by NC State’s P1tLab and NC State Extension (Local Foods, Community Development, and Tourism Extension) aiming to connect small farmers with new opportunities to increase farm revenue through direct sales of fresh produce. VSA meets discerning vacationers’ desires to: a) have convenient access to fresh local produce, b) connect with the place they are visiting by buying from local farms, and c) leave positive impacts in the destinations they visit, by coordinating the sale and delivery of produce bags from local farmers. VSA enables vacation home realties to showcase their commitment to the sustainable and equitable development of their local communities by recommending the produce bags to their guests. In each county, the Extension Center and Tourism Authority play the critical role of recruiting and supporting local farmer groups and vacation home rentals. In turn they receive records of the impact this initiative had on farmer revenue and destination competitiveness.
This chapter of the Farm to Early Care and Education Resource Guide for North Carolina Extension Agents discusses potential partner organizations.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to collect used materials, construct and strategically place nest boxes for wood ducks.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains how to identify nuisance wildlife situations and make recommendations for minimizing damage.
This publication covers the supplies needed for an evacuation due to an emergency or disaster, as well as a checklist of things to do before leaving your house.
This publication presents the findings from survey research with visitors to the North Shore tourism region along Lake Superior in Minnesota with the intention to to enhance tourism and recreation providers’ understanding of current visitor behaviors and how visitor behaviors may respond to various scenarios of climate change projected for the North Shore.
A local food directory is a listing of farms and food businesses where customers can find local food. Directories are a tool to connect consumers and producers. People who want to buy local food have to know where to find it. Many Extension offices across the state either generate their own directory or provide support for one. Volunteers, such as Extension Master Food Volunteers can help by helping to gather information about farms and food businesses. This guide outlines a process on how to engage volunteers in building a local food directory.
The home water treatment industry has expanded tremendously in recent years. New products are constantly being introduced which claim to solve a variety of water quality problems. Consumers often make costly decisions about water treatment equipment without being well-informed. Many people simply do not know what questions to ask to ensure wise investments. This fact sheet offers the 12 questions consumers should ask of water treatment manufacturers or distributors.
This educational resource for children aged 9-12 explores the nesting and feeding requirements of birds and explains how to build nesting boxes.
This factsheet describes important considerations for developing an effective marketing plan to promote an agritourism business.
Most North Carolina homeowners could easily reduce their indoor water consumption by about 30 percent through the installation of very simple water conserving devices. This publication covers a few suggestions to reduce household water use.
This educational resource for children aged 13-15 explains the physical and technical skills expected of entry-level wildlife and fishery biologists and/or law enforcement officers, and explains how to evaluate personal abilities along with educational and vocational needs and opportunities.
