Source: N.C. COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, 9/29/11

Courtesy NCAT SAES Extension associates Kurt Taylor, and Rickie Holness, right, conduct a session on lettuce production during the Educational Forum of N.C. Small Farms Week at the N.C. A&T University Farm in 2011.

The Cooperative Extension Program at North Carolina A&T State University will host its annual Small Farms Week celebration for 2012 on March 25-31. Small Farms Week is designed to highlight the work of and show appreciation to the state’s small, part-time, limited-resource and socially-disadvantaged farmers. The theme for this year’s activities is focused on local foods and the role small farmers play in this effort.

Extension professionals who are planning programs, activities or trainings relevant to small farms or small farm families, including 4-H, are encouraged to hold those programs March 25-31, so they may be a part of this week-long celebration. Please submit proposed activities through the SFW participation form no later than Dec. 2.

Also, consider attending some of the Small Farms Week activities, particularly the kickoff in Martin County on Monday, March 26, and the appreciation luncheon on Wednesday, March 28, that will be held on the campus of A&T. Farmers can attend the luncheon for free, as long as they register in advance for an accurate luncheon headcount.