Cool Weather Coming (Maybe)...

This has been a very busy summer for many of us - not only running the farms and welcoming visitors to the wineries, but also trying to find time for family vacations. What's that, you ask?

Waiting for pumpkins at Bd. Member John Hill's farm

Ah, the need to slow down and smell the peaches, or blueberries, or chickens, or goat cheese. Fall is just around the corner, and fall agritourism farms will be in full swing. We hope that this year our tourism figures will rebound and high gas prices will not keep folks from visiting the nearest farm, winery, or county fair!

NC Farm Bureau on RFD-TV - Agritourism and Aquaculture
RFD-TV, a national satellite TV network, will broadcast North Carolina Farm Bureau Magazine's next program Aug. 22 at 6:30 p.m. The episode will be re-broadcast Aug. 23 at 2:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. and again Aug. 26 at 3:30 p.m. Farm Bureau members are encouraged to tune satellite receivers to RFD-TV and tune in to what's new in North Carolina agriculture. Farm Bureau and agriculture help keep North Carolina growing, and RFD-TV is helping in the effort. The channel for Direct TV viewers is 379 and for Dish Network audiences it is 9409.
The half-hour video magazine program will feature the following stories and examples of modern agriculture going on across North Carolina today:
Part one in the series on agritourism will transport viewers to Old Stone Winery in Salisbury and the Vollmer Farm in Franklin County. Viewers will take a hayride and see how fields of strawberries provide family fun and sweet income for the farm.
A segment on aquaculture will feature how growers produce fresh mountain trout, coastal plains catfish and tilapia in a tank. Meet three unique business people who will show viewers how they raise, market and sell their commodities.

Organization News

Your officers and board of directors are meeting Aug. 18 at the Ginger Creek Vineyards in Taylorsville for the western folks, and Aug. 21 at the Johnston Co. Extension Office for the eastern folks to begin planning for the State Fair and the January 19 business meeting and workshop. I will let you know what plans are being considered soon. So far, a quality panel on insurance issues is shaping up. We plan to start the meetings around 10 a.m. and meet for an hour to an hour and a half. Everyone is welcome - the more production interest, the better the product.

Membership News
Meg Shelton, Shelton Herb Farms - Brunswick Co., was mentioned in the Wilmington Star as one of the farmers whose stand is a part of the successful Wilmington Farmers' Market. The market has become so successful since its inception in 2004 that it now has a new and larger location. Meg draws customers with her lime and fig trees, country flowers and herbs, and gives advice and recipes.

Allyson Strickland, Strickland's Farm Produce and Corn Maze - Columbus Co., proudly reports that youngest daughter Olivia, 15, won first place in the State Farmers' Market largest watermelon division with a 175-lb. watermelon. She is very involved with FFA and grew the watermelon as her project. She also won second place at the Watermelon Festival in Fair Bluff two weeks ago with one weighing 151 pounds.

Ann Rose, Rose Mountain Farm - Ashe Co.,
Howdy, Folks --
Hope that you all have had a wonderful summer and that your root cellars are filling up. We are having an awesome flush of shiitakes this week and can mail them over night. The cost is $4 a quarter pound plus S&H. There is also a new crop of spring onions and summer squash (zucchini, payy pan and straight neck) available. I am planting this week broccoli, onions, flagolet beans, sugar snap peas, and more squash.
We still have three kid billys for sale, 2 lamancha/nubian cross and one nubian. None have papers and are $50 each. You may see them on the farm by appointment.
There are also18 muscovy ducks, 3 months old, $10 each.
If any one has any extra laying hens for sale I would much appreciate a call or email. I do not want to resort to buying from an auction. I will pay up to $7 apiece for layers of any breed of large hen.
Eat well and stay healthy - Ann Rose

Agritourism Travel Agency at the 2006 State Fair, Oct. 13 - 22
The Agritourism Travel Agency will once again be soliciting sponsorships to pay for one staff person to assist with staffing the booth. For $100 sponsorships, your farm name will be listed on a large chart, you will receive one free ticket to the fair or a t-shirt, and if you volunteer for a four-hour shift, you will receive a free t-shirt and a free ticket.

2005 State Fair Agritourism Travel Agency booth

For $50 sponsors, your farm name will be listed on a chart, and a great big thank you! We need to raise $1500 to pay the person who will help me staff the booth. She is a department employee and staffed the booth with me last year, so she will be a wonderful help to our agritourism cause. Many agritourism farms and several wineries helped staff the booth throughout the fair, and more than 200,000 at a minimum stopped at or passed by the exhibit. We will be in the Marketing Division's Goodness Grows tent just to the left of the Kerr Scott Building off Blue Ridge Road.
The "Agritourism Travel Agency" will have two computers available for visitors to find agritourism farms on the General Store to visit, either by category of activities, or by county. We provide the visitor with a printout of the farm(s). We also have a beautiful display of pictures, General Store web pages, and products I have collected from my trips to farms and wineries. (Hint: If you're not on the Agritourism web site in the General Store, this might be a good time to do that.)
Last year just over $1500 was donated. The extra funds allowed me to hire someone to help staff the booth on the two busy weekends.