SAVE THE DATE!

Please make plans to join us for the official launch of the Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail – a tourism initiative involving Autauga, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Coosa, Elmore, Lee, Randolph, and Tallapoosa counties.

November 17, 2011
Horseshoe Bend National Military Park
11288 Horseshoe Bend Rd.
Daviston, AL 36256
1:00 p.m. CST

A ceremony will take place at 1 p.m. CST at Horseshoe Bend National Military Park near Alexander City, Ala.  Guest speaker will be Lee Sentell, Alabama Tourism Director.

Other speakers will include representatives from the Alabama Tourism Department, Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs, Alabama Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, University of Alabama Center for Economic Development, Senators, State Representatives, local dignitaries and officials from nine east-central Alabama counties.  Download Press Release Press Release Piedmond Plateau Birding Trail (64)

The Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail includes 34 birding sites located along 3.5 million acres of Central Alabama’s great outdoors! Download invitation flyer for info: Piedmont Plateau Birding Trail flyer (77)

Mark your calendar!  Come experience Bama’s best birds!

http://www.outdooralabama.com

October 28 and 29, 2011

Organic Farming Workshop Set for October 2011.

A fall organic farming workshop will identify challenges to continued growth of the organic produce industry in Alabama and propose solutions. Set for Oct. 28 through 29 at Tuskegee University, the conference is sponsored by Tuskegee University, Auburn University and Alabama A&M University in partnership with the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network (ASAN) and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. Funded by USDA’s Organic Farming Program, the workshop will identify marketing, policy, production and research challenges that organic growers face in Alabama and propose options for alleviating the constraints. “There will be a number of research, Extension, and farmer panel discussions along with useful updates on organic producer associations in other states and on produce marketing,” says Dr. Ayanava Majumdar, a vegetable entomologist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the state coordinator for Sustainable Agriculture at Auburn University. The workshop will be held at Tuskegee’s Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. The workshop is open to all, and organizers would like a diverse audience. In addition to farmers, scientists, retailers, restaurant owners and representatives of key institutions such as local school boards hospitals, nursing homes, farmers markets and policy makers are encouraged to attend.

The event is free to the public but pre-registration is required to attend. Pre-registration information for the meeting is posted on the ASANwebsite (http://www.asanonline.org). For additional information, contact Kokoasse Kpomblekou at (334) 724-4521 (kka@mytu.tuskegee.edu), Jan Garrett at (334) 844-2124 (garrecj@auburn.edu), or Regine Mankolo at (256) 372-4689 (Regine.mankolo@aamu.edu).

2011 Alabama Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association Conference

February 11 & 12, 2011

This year our conference will begin on Friday afternoon, February 11th, with a Sports Turf Management Tour. We will tour Jordan Hare Stadium, home of the Auburn Tigers Football Team. This tour will be followed by a barbecue supper and fellowship at the Ham Wilson Livestock Arena.

Listed below are many of the topics that will be covered during the 2011 AFVGA Conference in Auburn on February 12th beginning at 8:00 am in the Auburn University Student Center.

• Good Agricultural Practices and Food Safety for Fruits and Vegetables
• Soil Fumigation Alternatives and New Regulations
• Greenhouse Crops and Production Systems
• Hurtles to Overcome in Greenhouse Production
• Soil Improvement – Benefits of Cover Crops
• Soil Fertility and Best Management Practices
• High Tunnel Production and Experiences
• Updates in Fruit and Vegetable Pest Management New Chemistry (insects, diseases, and weeds)
• Vegetable and Fruit Variety Updates
• Website Development Basics and Advanced Learning (Sign up for time slot at conference)

A full agenda will be available soon on all topics and updates will also be provided on our website at http://www.aces.edu/dept/associations/afvga/ and at the conference.

During January’s National Radon Action Month, the U.S. Surgeon General and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) urge all Americans to protect their health by testing their homes for radon. This is especially important in Zone 1 areas such as Clay County.  Radon is a natural radioactive gas that you can’t see, smell, or taste but could be present at a dangerous level in your home. As the second leading cause of lung cancer deaths in the U.S. and the first leading cause among non-smokers, radon claims more than 20,000 lives in the U.S. annually. If a high radon level is detected in your home, you can take steps to fix it to protect yourself and your family. For more information about what you can do to protect your health and take action against radon during National Radon Action Month, please visit www.epa.gov/radon/nram/public.html.  Radon test kits are available at the Clay County Extension Office in Ashland.

Marsha S. Moorehead – moorems@aces.edu
County Extension Coordinator
P.O. Box 23
Ashland, AL  36251
256-354-5976
(fax) 256-354-7787