Extension Office lines up free farming how-tos for May (and beyond)
May 2—For most of us, May marks the unofficial start of a return to the outdoors, as bees vie with lawnmowers to buzz above the din of new springtime growth that signals the start of warmer weather. Tapping the incentive to make the most of Alabama's young productive season, the Cullman County Extension Office is staging a springtime filled with informative programs to help local small farmers and even backyard gardeners find their own home-grown success.
The Extension Office's May program lineup is especially tailored to small and beginning farmers, starting Tuesday, May 9 with a 6 p.m. workshop on farming niche crops and value-added products at the North Alabama Agriplex. Part of the service's new slate of programs aimed at both military veterans and civilian beginners on the farm, the May 9 session is free to attend, featuring an Extension horticulture specialist from Auburn University who'll be on hand to share insights on the unique niche crops that can be grown in North Alabama.
Representatives from Sweet Grown Alabama, the state's marketing brand for farmers, also will share information on the benefits of becoming a Sweet Grown member. To register for the free workshop, contact Tony Glover at 205-568-0005 or via email at gloveta@aces.edu.
Livestock takes the spotlight later in the month, when the Extension Office hosts a down-on-the-farm Sheep & Goat Production workshop at Jones Chapel. There's no cost to take part in the day-long session, which will be held May 17 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. and makes for a great early informational resource for anyone who's interested in raising sheep and goats of their own.
Experienced producers will be running the show, sharing presentations, fielding beginners' questions at a Q&A panel, and walking guests through a series of hands-on stations during a visit to a local farm. The workshop is free for all guests and includes a provided lunch; to register for the May 17 event, visit www.aces.edu/go/SG before the Friday, May 12 deadline.
In June, the Extension Office will team with the Agriplex to take aim at best practices for vegetable production. On June 8, the Agriplex will host a "Heavyweights in the Garden" workshop from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m., with local extension agent Kira Sims sharing secrets on how to grow giant produce — from pumpkins, watermelons, tomatoes and more — that can be entered this fall into the Cullman County Fair's new Heavyweight division. Register for the June 8 workshop by visiting agriplex.org/.
The pumpkin theme will continue in June, with the month's session of the Military Veteran & Beginning Farmer workshop focusing on "Pumpkins for Profit." Held at 6 p.m. at the Agriplex on June 13, the no-cost workshop will feature retired Auburn University researcher Arnold Caylor, who'll give tips on how to grow pumpkins, gourds, squash, and other cucurbit vegetables. Caylor will cover a range of topics, including production practices, cultivar selection (both edible and decorative), and marketing tips. To register for the free June 13 session, contact Tony Glover at 205-568-0005 or via email at gloveta@aces.edu.
In July, the Extension Office will round out the summer with its 2nd annual Cullman County Tomato Taste-off. "We are looking for the best tasting and heaviest tomatoes in the county." says Sims, who invites local growers to test their tomato-growing skills by bringing their best-tasting slicing and cherry tomatoes, as well as their biggest, heaviest slicing tomato, to the Festhalle Farmers Market on Saturday, July 15. The event kicks off at 10 a.m., with prizes going to the top tomatoes, plus the announcement of a Best of the Best winner. For more details, contact the Cullman County Extension Office at 256-737-9386.
These programs, says Sims, are only part of the Extension Office's outreach effort to help local growers get started down a successful path to raising their own produce. If you're interested in learning more about an agricultural topic that you'd like the Extension Office to focus on, share your ideas with Kira Sims, the Cullman County Extension Coordinator for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Office, and she'll keep it in mind while planning future local events.
Benjamin Bullard can be reached by phone at 256-734-2131 ext. 234.
