"From Rags to Rugs"

Make your own rag rugs. Nov.15^th from 9:30 a.m. to 12 pm at the Bakersville Extension Center. Class is Free. Call 688-4811 for more information and for a list of materials needed for class.

Pesticide Licensing & Certification

The following is a link to a fact sheet with information about the new requirements for pesticide licensing and certification. http://ipm.ncsu.edu/pesticidesafety/AG714W.pdf

Grants to boost local farms and agricultural system
WNC AgOptions Intent to Apply deadline November 1;
Application deadline November 22

MARSHALL — Farm businesses that are diversifying or expanding their operations are eligible for grants to offset the risk of trying new ventures. WNC Agricultural Options will award in December approximately 40 grants ranging from $3,000 to $9,000 for farm diversification projects.

"We're proud to be the funding partner for the WNC AgOptions program," said William Upchurch, Executive Director of the NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission. "Over the past few years, the farmers in western North Carolina have developed very innovative projects and have shown that their ideas can generate some great results."

The North Carolina Tobacco Trust Fund Commission has supported WNC AgOptions since 2003. Since then, WNC AgOptions has administered more than 250 grants in 17 counties and the Cherokee Indian Reservation to mountain farmers diversifying or expanding their operations.

The new Family Farm Innovation Fund, which Gov. Beverly Perdue announced in August, is providing $100,000 to WNC AgOptions, in addition to the $225,000 that the program distributes annually. RAFI-USA's Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, with which N.C. Cooperative Extension partners to administer WNC AgOptions, was included in the $18.4 million package to five state and federal programs assisting farmers.

Applications are available at www.wncagoptions.org or at county Cooperative Extension Centers. The postmark deadline of November 22 is earlier than previous years. Interested applicants should contact their local Cooperative Extension Agents by November 1 to express their intent to apply.

A Question and Answer Session will be held Monday, October 11 at the Swain Extension Center on 60 Almond Road, Bryson City and Tuesday, October 12 at the Jackson Extension Center on 538 Scotts Creek Road, Sylva from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. Megan Riley, WNC AgOptions Project Manager, and Christy Bredenkamp, Area Agent, N.C. Cooperative Extension, will be available to assist applicants. For more information about these sessions, contact Bredenkamp at 586-4009 or 488-3848.

Individual farm business projects awarded in 2010 include: a produce packaging facility for improving sales to local grocery chains, a propagation house for food and medicinal plants, hops production for steep terrains, a maple syrup finishing cooker, no-till production of specialty winter squash, and a screened greenhouse for commercial disease-free strawberry plants.

Priority will be given to projects that provide demonstration to other farmers and encourage the economic sustainability of cooperating farm businesses. Applicants should extensively research the logistics, markets, expenses and timelines for their projects.

COMMUNITY GRANTS PROGRAM

WNC Agricultural Options is also introducing a new community grants program that will support projects that are improving the local agricultural system. WNC AgOptions will fund at least three farmer-led group projects that address processing, marketing, packaging and other distribution needs in the mountain region.

The WNC AgOptions steering committee determined that logistical challenges related to distribution are the main barriers in improving the local agricultural system. "Solving distribution issues is often more challenging than growing the product," said Ross Young, Madison County Cooperative Extension Director and leader of the WNC AgOptions steering committee. "We hope applicants will use this opportunity to create systems that help local farmers respond to the high demand for local products, as well as improve the availability of locally grown products to consumers."

The size of the community grant is dependent upon the expenses associated with the project. The maximum amount to be awarded per applicant group is $20,000.

Successful community grant projects will require participation from a diversity of people, organizations, and institutions. Groups of farmers, farm coops, farmer associations, churches, local businesses, civic organizations, non-profit organizations or combinations of these are eligible and encouraged to apply. Western North Carolina farmers must be active in the leadership of the group.

The ultimate goal of WNC AgOptions is to protect mountain farmland by assisting the longevity of farm enterprises. Members of the WNC AgOptions steering committee include: representatives from the N.C. Cooperative Extension, HandMade in America, N.C. Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services, Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project and other agricultural business leaders.

For more information, see the following: N.C. Cooperative Extension Centers: www.ces.ncsu.edu; Family Farm Innovation Fund: www.ncruralcenter.org; Tobacco Communities Reinvestment Fund, RAFI-USA: www.ncfarmgrants.org; N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund Commission: www.tobaccotrustfund.org

4-H at the Avery Fair

Our Mitchell County 4-H’ers have done it again at the Livestock Show at the Avery County Fair on Sat., Sept. 11. We had 8 youth showing their goats, lambs, and heifers. These kids did a great job in their Showmanship classes. We also had some youth at the Mountain State Fair showing their sheep on Sun., Sept. 12 in Fletcher.

National 4-H Week

Taking the Lead

National 4-H Week

October 3-9, 2010

Look at your local 4-H, and you will find young people taking the lead in addressing today’s challenges. 4-H is where young people explore, learn and discover in a safe environment. In 4-H, youth find their true passions, gain confidence and give back to their community.

Celebrate 4-H as youth step up and take responsibility for their futures- and ours.

For more information, contact Robbie Potter, 4-H Agent or Kim Slotnick, 4-H Program Assistant at (828)688-4811.

Thousand Cankers Disease

Another new pest could be coming our way. Thousand Cankers Disease has be identified in Tennessee. Thousand Cankers Disease (TCD)is a disease of Black Walnut. TCD poses a serious problem to the health of the black walnut tree. Walnut trees are important because of their nut crop and the desired wood for various products. TCD is a progressive disease that kills a tree within two to three years after initial infection. The disease-causing fungus, Geosmithia, is transmitted by the walnut twig beetle. Branches and trunk tissue are killed by repeated infections by the fungus, as the beetles carry the fungus into new bark cambium tissue.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has issued a quarantine of all plants or plant part of the genus Juglans coming into the state from Tennessee and many other western states that already have Thousand Cankers Disease established.

Scoliid Wasp

I have recently had some calls and have seen Scoliid Wasp flying around in peoples yards. Below is a description of the wasp and why it is swarming around the yard. The important thing is that they are not aggressive and shouldn't sting you.

Scoliid wasps are dark in color, often metalic, relatively large, robust, slightly hairy insects with light yellow spots or other markings. One of the most common Scoliid wasps in North Carolina is Scolia dubia. It is sometimes referred to as the blue-winged wasp. The adult is over one-half inch long with black antennae and a shiny black head, thorax and fore abdomen. About midway along the abdomen are two yellow spots (one on each side). These may appear as a band across the abdomen when the wasp is flying. The latter portion of the abdomen is brownish and somewhat fuzzy. The wings are dark blue.

Biology
Scoliid wasps are usually considered beneficial insects because they help control green June beetle and other grubs. Scoliid wasps are present in North Carolina from June to October. However, they are most abundant during August. The female wasp flies low across the soil in search of grubs. When it detects one, it digs through the soil burrowing its own tunnel or following one made by the grub. Once locating a grub, she stings it on the throat and paralyzes it. The grub at first appears to be dead but after a day or so it can feebly move its legs. Such paralyzed grubs can live for a considerable time. The female wasp then lays an egg transversely on the third segment of the grub. The paralyzed grub provides a fresh food supply for the wasp larva after it hatches from the egg. Once a grub has been stung, it never recovers.

These wasps, therefore, are very important natural agents in the control of green June beetle grubs in the soil. Adult Scoliid wasps feed on nectar and pollen of flowers. They will not sting unless greatly aggravated or captured in the hands. In early August, the wasps often rest on plants but later they burrow into the soil to spend the night. Scoliid wasps are often noticed flying just a few inches above lawns infested with grubs in a loose figure-eight pattern. Sometimes these wasps are quite abundant and conspicuous as they fly their mating dances. After mating, females spend more time digging for grubs and flying wasps are not as noticeable.

Control
Since there is no record of anyone having been stung by Scoliid wasps, no control measures seem needed. Their presence, however, means that grubs are present. A little monitoring for an infestation may be appropriate. If grubs have been a problem, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Note No. 67, White Grubs in Turf.

Invasive Weed

Plant protection specialist with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services have identified the invasive Mile-A-Minute weed in Western Alleghany County. The following link gives details about the weed and information on identifying it. If you were to identify the weed on properties you are managing then contact Rob Baldwin, NCDA&CS Plant Protection Specialist, 336-466-0478.

http://www.nps.gov/plants/alien/fact/pepe1.htm

McDowell Livestock Show

Our Mitchell County 4-H’ers have successfully shown their knowledge of livestock at a recent Livestock Show held in McDowell County on August 7, bringing home rosettes and ribbons. Five youth represented Mitchell County, showing heifers, sheep, and goats. All these kids placed well in their Showmanship classes. Look for more updates as these youth represent us at the Avery County Fair, in Newland and at the Mountain State Fair, in Fletcher.

Fall Webworms

You may not want to think of fall during July and August, but the signs of fall are already here. From mid-July through the end of August you will see an increase in the number of long web like structures on the tips of tree branches. This problem is caused by an insect called fall webworm.

Fall webworms emerge as early as the beginning of June, although they generally don’t reach their peak until August. The silken webs spun by fall webworm often contain leaf litter, casts of immature insects, and hundreds of white, hairy caterpillars. The webs will enlarge to lengths of up to 3 feet by the end of the season. After several weeks of feeding, the caterpillars will emerge from the webs, crawl down to the soil, and spin cocoons. Depending on the weather there can be as many as three given generations per year. They will over winter in cocoons and emerge the following year to lay eggs in the tree. Each caterpillar can lay between 300-900 eggs.

Although the webs found in trees are unsightly and cause much concern for homeowners, fall webworms will rarely cause much longterm damage to a tree. They will cause the tree to partially defoliate, however it is rare for the damage to be extensive enough in one year or even in several consecutive years to cause severe damage or death to the tree.

Homeowners who wish to control fall webworms face a few challenges, most notably how to reach the webs on very tall trees. Most of the time, this is difficult or impossible. Those webs that can be reached can be removed with a stick or by hand, and caterpillars inside the webs can be removed with a stick or otherwise disposed of. Pesticides such as Orthene or Bacillus thuringiensis (Dipel) can be sprayed, but again, reaching the higher webs will be difficult for most homeowners. In addition to these options, any leaves or other plant material that falls to the ground below an infected tree in the fall should be raked up and disposed of, as this will likely decrease the amount of webworms present the following year.

All in all, fall webworms are a problem that looks much worse than it is. While no one enjoys the site of multiple webs covering their favorite tree, they pose little longterm threat to the tree and are more of a visual nuisance than a truly damaging pest.

Mitchell County 4-H Youth Compete

Eight Mitchell County youths attended the 4-H District Activity Day held in Cullowhee, NC on June 24, 2010. Five of these youth participated in public speaking competition by doing a demonstrated talk and public speaking on various topics. Each of the kids that participated placed in the competition. There was a gold medal winner, Jeremiah Vance, 13; three silver medal winners, Justin McMahan, 13, Chelsea Phillips, 16, and Kellyn Slotnick, 14; and a bronze medal winner, Jamie Slotnick 13. Three of the kids were the winners at the 4-H Talent Show held in April and they participated in the Entertains portion of the competition. Hayden Brewer, 14, performed a guitar solo and Tori Riddle, 10 and Courtney Thomas, 11 performed a dance act. These kids received a blue ribbon and both acts were video taped and sent to Raleigh for possible inclusion in other 4-H activities.

The gold and silver medal winners went on to compete at the 4-H Congress held in Raleigh, NC on July 20. Congress is an annual gathering of 4-Her’s from across the state. The kids participate in competitions, workshops and entertainment at NCSU. These kids worked hard and did a great job of representing the youth of our county.

2010 Summer Day Camps

We had a small but great group of kids at our Summer Day Camps. We played in the creek and talked about water quality while investigating what organisms live in our creeks. We did some orienteering, learning to use a compass and a set of instructions to find a destination. We also discovered bugs in the garden, which ones were good and which were bad. We learned to make pizza and fruit smoothies and ate what we made too.We sat in on a DUI court session and learned first hand what kind of loop holes our legal system must deal with. We spent a day horseback riding and took a hayride. Lastly we fished and fished and fished.

Emerald Ash Borer

This week the Tennessee Department of Agriculture announced that emerald ash borer has been found in Knox and Loudon counties. This places it very close to Swain and Graham counties in North Carolina. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture and USDA’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service are expected to issue quarantine measures on the movement of firewood, ash nursery stock and ash timber.

Emerald ash borer beetles can kill an ash tree within three years of the initial infestation. Adults are dark green, one-half inch in length and one-eighth inch wide, and fly from April until September, depending on the climate of the area (probably more like May to August in North Carolina). Larvae spend the rest of the year beneath the bark of ash trees. When they emerge as adults, they leave D-shaped holes in the bark about one-eighth inch wide.

For more information, see the USDA Forest Service’s Pest Alert on the emerald ash borer at http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/pest_al/eab/eab.pdf. If you want help identifying an ash tree, go to http://www.anr.msu.edu/robertsd/ash/ashtree_id.html.

From: Steve Bambara and Steve Frank, Extension Entomologists

Powdery Mildew on Squash and Other Cucurbits

Powdery mildew is a common disease of cucurbits under field and greenhouse conditions in most areas of the world. Yields are reduced because of a decrease in the size or number of fruit, or a shortened harvest period. Premature senescence of infected leaves can result in lower market quality because fruit become sunburned or ripen prematurely or incompletely.

Symptoms are white, powdery fungal growth developing on both leaf surfaces, petioles, and stems. Symptoms usually develop first on crown leaves, on shaded lower leaves, and on leaf undersurfaces. Yellow spots may form on upper leaf surfaces opposite powdery mildew colonies. Older plants are affected first. Infected leaves usually wither and die. Plants may senesce prematurely.

Control - Fungicides should be applied every 7-10 days beginning early in disease development following detection through an IPM scouting program. Inspect plants weekly beginning in July and after fruit initiation (when plants become more susceptible). Examine upper and under surfaces of five older leaves at ten separate sites or until symptoms are found. Initiate a weekly spray program when symptoms are found.

Genetic resistance is used extensively as a control measure in cucumber and melon, and is being incorporated into other cucurbit crops. Yield potential should be considered when selecting varieties because some resistant summer squash varieties produce less fruit than susceptible varieties that have not been treated with fungicides. Resistant varieties of pumpkin and winter squash are under development. Successive cucurbit plantings should be physically separated because older plants can serve as a source of conidia.

Information for this article was taken from the fact sheet, "Powdery Mildew of Cucurbits" Cooperative Extension, New York State, Cornell University.

Forestry Newsletter

To better serve Woodland Owners in NC, NCSU Extension Forestry has created a new listserv “Woodland Owners Update”. This service updates you directly through email on woodland owner events throughout the state. We also inform you on current and new publications as they come out. Informed landowners make the right decisions about their woodlands and we are dedicated to providing NC woodland owners the best information available. If you would like to join Woodland Owners Update, please visit our website

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/resources/woodland_owner_update.php

Fall Webworms

It seems early, but fall webworms have hatched their early season brood. This is the less abundant race of fall webworm that develops in mid-summer and defies their common name. The web starts at the branch tips and becomes enlarged to encompass fresh, green leaves until the web may become two to three feet long. This is more noticeable with the later season race. Because fall webworm damage accrues over the summer, they usually cause little long-term health damage to the trees they defoliate. At any one location, the populations of fall webworms wax and wane so that they are conspicuous and damaging for a year or two and then the populations seem to thin.

Webworms feed on over 600 types of trees, shrubs and other plants. In North Carolina they are most often reported on pecans, persimmons, sourwoods and willows. Small trees infested with several broods of caterpillars may be entirely enclosed in webs. After feeding for four or five weeks, the caterpillars crawl down, spin cocoons and pupate in mulch or soil.

Fall webworms can be managed by pulling down the webs and destroying the caterpillars if the webs are within reach by a pole. If the webs are within reach of a sprayer, several insecticides can be sprayed for control. Only spray foliage adjacent to the web. Insecticides work best when the caterpillars are young, so it is best to treat as soon as the webs are first noticed. A product containing Bacillus thuringiensis or carbaryl is appropriate for homeowner use, while commercial applicators can use B.t. (e.g., Dipel), Conserve, Talstar or one of several other options. View a QuickTime movie clip about fall webworms at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/shrubs/note07/fallwebworm.mov. For more information about fall webworms, see Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note No. 46 available on the “web” at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/trees/note46/note46.html.

From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist

Yellow Jackets in the Landscape

Yellow jackets are social wasps and are well equipped to defend a nest when disturbed. They almost always nest in the ground. They really don't dig, so they depend on preexisting holes or loose organic matter that they can remove. In the landscape, container-planted material where the peat moss has decomposed, mulch piles, voids under sidewalks and rotting landscape timbers, and even places where stumps or logs were buried in the yard during new home construction are common locations. The rarely seen nests are quite similar to the paper hornet nests that are sometimes seen in trees, but on a smaller scale.

Yellow jackets can actually be considered beneficial because they eat a lot of other insects. They may even help indicate scale infestations if they are seen scouting plants for honeydew. However, a nest in the wrong place may need to be treated. The best control is usually an aerosol can of "hornet and wasp killer" sprayed directly into the hole in late evening. The product must be delivered inside the nest or it will not be effective. While pouring gasoline down the hole is tried and true, it is illegal, dangerous, and will ruin the soil making it hard to grow anything in that spot for a while. Nest populations start from a single queen every spring and build through July. When enough individuals are present, a disturbed nest will respond in defense. For more information, see Residential, Structural and Community Pests Insect Note No. 15 at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/horn-yj.htm.

From: Steve Bambara, Extension Entomologist

Japanese Beetles Have Arrived

On Wednesday, June 16, we caught the first Japanese beetles of the year on the North Carolina State University campus in Raleigh. Last year Japanese beetles were not very abundant here so it will be interesting to see what this year brings. As most people know, Japanese beetles emerge once per year to feast on a variety of ornamental and crop plants. Their favorite ornamental hosts include roses, rosaceous trees and shrubs such as crab apple, crape myrtle, and linden. Beetles aggregate on plants in response to plant volatiles (smells) and pheromones from other beetles. This aggregation can result in rapid defoliation of trees and shrubs. It also means that one plant can be severely damaged while nearby plants are just nibbled on.

Japanese beetle traps do not offer any protection to landscape plants and may actually attract more beetles on to your property, so hang them in your neighbor’s yard! Likewise, treating a lawn for Japanese beetles grubs will not reduce defoliation of plants on that property since beetles fly in from great distances. Long-term protection for landscape and nursery plants can be achieved a neonicotinoid insecticide such as imidacloprid (e.g., Merit, Marathon II) or acetamiprid (Tri-Star). A new product with extremely low vertebrate toxicity but good efficacy for a number of pests including Japanese beetles is Acelepryn (chlorantraniliprole). For more information on the biology and management of adult Japanese beetles in nurseries and landscapes, consult Ornamentals and Turf Insect Information Note No. 147 at http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/O&T/flowers/note147/note147.html.

From: Steve Frank, Extension Entomologist