NFREC Happenings
For questions regarding this blog, please contact Charlene Cupp Kinch at accupp@ufl.edu.
Gardening Friends of the Big Bend
March 30, 2009
After decades of lining-up in two parallel lines next to the highway, the large ambitious camellia bushes in the front of the Quincy Center have redistributed themselves around the lawn in a most attractive landscape. And who do we thank for this remarkable display?
Gardening Friends of the Big Bend, Inc., (GFBB) is a group of avid gardeners and industry professionals organized to support the gardens and research/extension programs at the North Florida Research and Education Center, Quincy. You will be impressed with the plans they hae to build a Demonstration Garden at the entrance (with the above mentioned camellias as the first edition).
For more information about Gardening Friends, including how to become a member, check out their new website, www.thegfbb.com.
NFREC-Suwannee Valley Hosted "Starting a Successful Hydroponic Business"
March 23, 2009
On March 16-18, 2009 NFREC, Suwannee Valley Hosted a “Starting a Successful Hydroponic Business” Short Course This short course was designed to teach attendees the basic skills needed to start a hydroponic based business including: planning, marketing, and production techniques. Much of the program was conducted in the greenhouses so attendees could "learn by doing". Attendees received a notebook for the class and were taught where to find information on the web.
In fact, interest was so high that IFAS’ first multiple-day course on hydroponic techniques became overbooked to the extent that a second course was added at the last minute. In total, the courses have drawn more than 70 attendees — not just from Florida, but also from Alabama, Ohio, New York and Georgia.
More courses are being planned in the area of Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises as the NFREC- Suwannee Valley gears up to be ‘the’ place to go for this information.
Related to that, the NFREC- Quincy is offering a course for new farmers and small producers on tractor selection, maintenance, safety and use along with the proper use of tractor implements. Folks from John Deere are partnering with the NFREC to make sure the short course will be successful. Check out our website for more information.
4-H Meets at NFREC
March 18, 2009
Saturday, March 14th, NFREC rang with the sound of 90 young folks and their leaders as youth 8-13 gathered to explore what 4-H has to offer. There was fun in the sun, arts and crafts, mock legislature and a chance to Speak Out! The day’s events provided opportunity to make new friends, discover potential, develop leadership skills and celebrate the 100th birthday of 4-H.
The foundation of 4-H lies within the 106 land-grant universities across the country that deliver research driven programs through Extension agents in each of the more than 3,000 counties. The Gadsden County 4-H is the youth development organization of the Cooperative Extension Service and is supported by the local county government, the University of Florida, Florida A & M University, and the United States Department of Agriculture.