Growing Small Farms

Had a great visit this afternoon to Perry-winkle Farm to see Cathy Jones and her crew. I was accompanied by our summer intern Sydney Kain. The farm crew was busy making bouquets from the flowers harvested this morning for the Carrboro Farmers Market tomorrow. I was very impressed by the farm's bumper crop of potatoes this year!

Very important information for NC beekeepers, but others can have a role in monitoring!

Invasive Yellow-legged Hornet Confirmed in North Carolina - Growing Small Farms | NC State Extension From a July 27, 2026 press release issued by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (NCDA&CS):Contact:Dr. William (Bill) Foote(919) 707-3730NCDA&CS confirms…

Central Carolina Community College's Sustainable Agriculture Program in Pittsboro is enrolling students now for the Ecological Landscaping certificate. This certificate is designed to give students the tools necessary to become competent practitioners of ecological gardening and effective land stewards. Courses in plant science, plant propagation, biological pest management and design are paired with hands-on gardening labs and opportunities to tour and understand the key principles of ecological landscaping with professionals. Classes begin 8/17/26.

Apply here: https://www.cccc.edu/admissions/apply-now/new-students

Chatham, Harnett and Lee county recent (and not too recent) High School graduates may be eligible to attend tuition-free through the Central Carolina Promise and Promise Plus programs.

I had a great group this morning for my Pollinator Garden Tour! Everyone was very interested and hung in there for our sweaty walk-about!

Register now for a summer tour of Chatham County Cooperative Extension's Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden and see how this habitat that includes about 240 species of plants (85% native to North Carolina) is doing in our record-breaking heat and drought!

Register Now for a Summer Tour of the Pollinator Paradise Garden! - Growing Small Farms | NC State Extension Summer tours of North Carolina Cooperative Extension's Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden in Pittsboro start in mid-July!The garden features over 235 species of perennials, trees, shrubs,…

I had a great visit yesterday to In Good Heart Farm to help grower Ben Shields with a tomato problem. I was practically salivating seeing all of the gorgeous tomatoes and can't wait until they start ripening! While there I spent time scouting for critters among the tomatoes and cucumbers in the high tunnel. Here are a few examples of my findings.

My next public tour of Chatham County Cooperative Extension's Pollinator Paradise Demo Garden is next Tuesday, May 26 at 10 am and there's still room! The tours are free but registration is required. Spring is a lovely time to visit the garden. Check out the link below to register.

Pollinator Garden Tour Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos will give a tour of Chatham County Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden.

Registration is now open for tours of Chatham County Cooperative Extension's popular Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden in Pittsboro! The garden features over 240 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines, and grasses, and 85% of them are native to North Carolina. This is a great opportunity to visit the popular gathering spot for bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and other beneficial critters in addition to their human admirers! Visit the web page below for a link to tour dates and registration. Tours are free but registration is required.

Register Now for Spring Tours of the Pollinator Paradise Garden! - Growing Small Farms | NC State Extension Spring tours of North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s Pollinator Paradise Demonstration Garden in Pittsboro start on May 9!The garden features over 240 species of perennials, trees, shrubs, vines,…

What a special day out at Granite Springs Farm! Today was the day that farmer Meredith Leight and crew started planting fruit trees in the geothermal tunnel! This has been a dream of Meredith's for years, inspired by her son-in-law Luis Gochez' love of fruits from his native El Salvador. Fruits that not many, if any, people are growing for sale in our region. Fruits that need the protection of a geothermal tunnel which will keep them from freezing in the winter. I loved that it was such a family effort! In addition to Meredith, friend and long-time helper Kim Gotwals was there as well as Luis and his Dad Jose, plus Meredith's granddaughter Carolina who wanted to be right there helping with every tree! It will take some to get them all planted, and some of the more cold-hardy species will get planted outside. Today's planting included papaya, banana, mango, and citrus! Before planting they removed the crimson clover cover crop where the trees would be planted, but left it to grow a bit longer between trees. The edges of the beds are planted with ripening strawberries! I have many more photos to post but it will take time so consider this a teaser.