Have questions about gardening?
Contact NC Cooperative Extension and the Master Gardener Volunteers of Chatham County! While our office is closed to the public, you can email Matt Jones (Horticulture Agent) and the Master Gardener Volunteers with any of your gardening questions.
Contact a Master Gardener by email: chathamemgv@gmail.com
NC Extension Gardener Handbook - Free Online
This national award winning book was developed especially for Extension Master Gardener℠ Volunteers and home gardeners and is a primary source for research-based information on gardening and landscaping successfully in the southeast. The Extension Gardener handbook is a fundamental reference for any seasoned gardener, but also appeals to beginners just getting their hands dirty. It explains the “why and how” basics for every gardening subject from soils and composting to vegetable gardening and wildlife management. Advice on garden design, preparation, and maintenance covers all types of plantings including lawns, ornamentals, fruits, trees, and containers.
There are specific chapters devoted to Vegetable Gardening and Organic Gardening.
Free Online Vegetable Gardening Classes
While the in-person Extension Gardener Workshop series has been postponed, Matt Jones is converting several of these classes into recorded, online lectures that you can watch anytime. After registering online, you'll receive a link to the webinar.
The first class, Soil and Nutrient Management in Vegetable Gardens, is scheduled to be released on April 3rd.
Warm Season Crops for Vegetable Gardens is expected to be released on April 15th.
A Pest, Disease, and Weed Management in Vegetable Gardens is in development, expected on May 6. A link is not available at this time.
To be notified of future gardening classes, click below to subscribe to the Chatham Gardener Newsletter (scroll down to enter your email address in the “address” box then click on the subscribe button).
Got chickens?
NC State Poultry Extension has a portal that includes many free, online resources for backyard/homestead chicken flocks . Since the Extension poultry agent for Chatham County has recently retired, you can contact the following Area Agents for all of your chicken and egg questions:
Online Beekeeping Classes
Dr. David Tarpy has online beekeeping classes through his Beekeeper education and Engagement System (BEES).
Agriculture Agent Debbie Roos has been working closely with area farmers’ markets as they create and implement new social distancing and hygiene practices as a result of the COVID19 pandemic. Farmers’ markets are considered essential like grocery stores, but of course it’s important that both vendors and customers use safe practices.
Local Farmers’ Markets Do Their Part to Flatten the Curve on Coronavirus
Speaking of farmers’ markets, early April is when all of our Chatham County farmers’ markets will be open:
COVID-19 Resources from NC State Extension
Ashley demonstrates in the video how she conducts a respirator fit test.
Livestock Agent, Ashley Robbins, is moving to greener pastures.
As of April 1, 2020, Ashley Robbins will be starting a new role within NC State Cooperative Extension. She will be the Commercial Dairy - Area Specialized Agent for the state. Ashley has very much enjoyed helping the farmers and citizens of Chatham County and is sad to be leaving them as their Livestock Agent. However, she is excited to take on this new role with the hopes of helping a struggling industry that is very near to her heart. If you know Ashley then you know she is all about dairy farming! For those of you who don’t know Ashley, her family operates a dairy farm in Chatham County and Ashley has managed two dairy farms since graduating with her masters from NC State. Ashley will still have her office in Chatham County at the Chatham County Ag & Conference Center so if you need her for anything or just want to stop in and say hi, she welcomes you! Though Ashley is changing roles, she will still work to ensure a strong agriculture community in her home county of Chatham.
We would like to announce that Phyllis Smith will be retiring at the end of April. Phyllis has worked at NC Cooperative Extension, Chatham County Center for 15 years. Before joining Extension, she worked at the Chatham County Health Department. We thank you for your service to Chatham County, Phyllis!
NC Cooperative Extension, Chatham County Center Archives
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.
Persons with disabilities and persons with limited English proficiency may request accommodations to participate by contacting Ginger Cunningham, County Extension Director, at 919-542-8202 or ginger.cunningham@chathamnc.org at least 30 days prior to the event.
Credits:
Created with images by stem.T4L - "untitled image" • Markus Spiske - "untitled image" • Kelly Neil - "Cucumbers On the Vine" • Daniel Tuttle - "Fresh backyard chicken eggs" • Damien TUPINIER - "Bees take advantage of the first light of spring" • Stijn te Strake - "untitled image" • Jet Kim - "untitled image" • Sharon Pittaway - "I decided to gather some autumn vegetables, pile them into some sort of pleasing form and see how they looked. The autumn leaves were just for effect!" • Jeremy Bishop - "The Quickest Food Service out there!" • Tai's Captures - "untitled image" • Priscilla Du Preez - "A burlap bag of apples" • David Veksler - "untitled image"