Lee County Ag Week: Small Farm Big Impact | N.C. Cooperative Extension - Lee County Center
Cultural Experiences
We are excited to announce the third annual "Lee County Ag Week", and several events that will celebrate the rich heritage of farms and farm families in Lee County while embracing future agricultural challenges and opportunities through education, awareness and community engagement.
April 22 | Container Gardening at Big Bloomers Flower Farm | 10:00 - 11:30AM | Big Bloomers Flower Farm, 275 Pressly Foushee Road Sanford, NC
A simple planter can easily add a splash or pop of color to a patio, stoop, or desk. Join Big Bloomers Staff and Amanda Bratcher, Horticulture Extension Agent, to learn about the basics of container design and talk about the basics of potting media selection. You can take home a beautiful planter and the knowledge to design your own! Additional plants and pots will be available for purchase.
| For Home Gardeners | $25 | 20 Person Max |
April 22 | Garden to Fork: Cooking with Local Foods
| 12:00-1:30PM | Garden to Fork: Cooking with Local Foods | 2420 Tramway Road, Sanford NC |
Take your homegrown harvest from pot to plate in this hands-on cooking class! As a follow-up to our Container Gardening workshop, this session will show you how to turn fresh, locally grown ingredients into delicious, seasonal dishes. Learn simple techniques for preparing and preserving your produce while exploring the flavors of farm-to-table cooking. Whether you’re harvesting from your gardens or sourcing from local markets, this class will help you make the most of fresh, sustainable ingredients. Join us for a flavorful journey from garden to fork!
| General public and families | $15 | 15 person max |
April 22 | Southern Debutants: Camellia Care and Pruning | 2:00-3:30PM Watson's Nursery, 230 Watsons Nursery Lane Sanford, NC
Camellias are prized evergreen shrubs that flower in the fall and winter for us in central North Carolina. We get questions every year about how to care for Camellias and when to prune them. We are going to the source!
Join Amanda Jurisich, owner of Watson’s Nursery, and Amanda Bratcher, horticulture agent in Lee County, for a two-hour demonstration about how to care for and prune Camellias. Watson’s Nursery has hundreds of legacy Camellias on the property and Amanda will walk with us through their history and care.
This program will be outside, and will require walking and standing for long periods of time. Please contact Amanda Wilkins, amwilkin@ncsu.edu or 9197755624, if you need accommodations.
| For Home Gardeners and Growers | $15 | 20 person max |
April 23rd |
Lee County Farm Tour: Make Your Own Flower Bouquet at Chesapeake Farm | 4:00-4:45 | Chesape
ake Farm |
676 Lanier Farm Rd, Sanford, NC 27330
Take an early evening tour through the flower fields with farmers Dana and Craig at Chesapeake Farms! Learn about the farm, learn how to make your own bouquets, and maybe get a few to take home to friends and family. The brief tour will start at 4 p.m., followed by a tutorial on how to make your own bouquet with the farmers and Horticulture Agent Amanda Bratcher, and then you will have some time to make your own small bouquet and purchase additional flowers for friends and family!
| General Public | $10 | 30 person max |
April 23rd | Lee County Farm Tour: Strawberry Farm Fun Facts and U-Pick at McNeill Farms |
5:00-5:45pm | McNeill Farms, Lemon Springs location
Join us for a “berry” good time at McNeill Farms in Lemon Springs! We’ll meet farmer Steve McNeill to learn about his farm and how they grow strawberries, which is a year-long process! This is a family-friendly event, so bring your whole crew! You’ll also have the opportunity to pick your own sweet strawberries to enjoy and take home!
| General public & young families | $5 | 30 person max |
April 23rd | Lee County Farm Tour: Large Animal Fun at Pint Size Pastures| 6:00-6:45pm | 1525 Fire Tower Rd, Sanford, NC
Let’s have a good time on the farm. With a variety of animals to learn about and Hopping J’s Food Truck on site, we will have a great time learning about different livestock. This is a family friendly event that will make for some great pictures and an educational evening. With goats, cows, emus and more available on the farm, we hope to see you in the pastures soon!
| General public & young families | $5 | 50 person max |
April 24th |
Pollinator Field Day: How to Build a Pollinator Garden Class | 9:00-10:30AM AND 2:00-3:30PM | McSwain Center, 2420 Tramway Road, Sanford, NC
Part 1: Planning a Pollinator Garden- 9-10:30 a.m.
Part 2: Maintaining a Pollinator Garden- 2-3:30 p.m.
Do you want to learn how to build a pollinator garden at your home? Join the Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Lee County for a tutorial of all-things pollinators and gardening. Learn about site assessment, plant choice and maintenance techniques.
Attendees will go home with five pollinator plants
to get their garden started or supplement a garden space they already have!
General Public ages12 to adult | $20 | 50 person max
April 24th | Pollinator Field Day: Bee Hotel Workshop for Homeschoolers | 11:00AM-12:30PM
|
McSwain Center, 2420 Tramway Road, Sanford, NC
We have amazing native bees that call North Carolina home! These bees are an important and diverse element in our food systems, and we must protect their habitats. Join us for this discussion and then learn about bee hotels, which serve as an alternative home for some of our native bees and wasps. You will then get the chance to construct a bee hotel to take home with you!
For Homeschoolers, ages 5+, their families (5 and under welcome, but activities will be geared to 5+) | $20/hotel, free to attend | 30 person max
April 24 | Pollinator Field Day: Bee Hotel Workshop for Afterschoolers | 3:30-5:00pm |
McSwain Center, 2420 Tramway Road, Sanford, NC 27332
We have amazing native bees that call North Carolina home! These bees are an important and diverse element in our food systems, and we must protect their habitats. Join us for this discussion and then learn about bee hotels, which serve as an alternative home for some of our native bees and wasps. You will then get the chance to construct a bee hotel to take home with you!
For Children ages 5+, their families (5 and under welcome, but activities will be geared to 5+) | $20/hotel, free to attend | 30 person max
April 24 | IT'S "AG TRIVIA" NIGHT |
6:30-8:30 |
Camelback Brewing Company
This evening, team up with your friends and family and join us for some agricultural themed trivia at Camelback Brewing Company. Our trivia event will include questions about agriculture at the local and state level as well as little known “facts” about our N.C. Cooperative Extension- Lee County Center team. Come thirsty for knowledge and toast with us to local agriculture!
Teams will register
Information Source: N.C. Cooperative Extension, Lee County | eventbrite