Happy New Year! I hope you had a fantastic holiday season and were able to get some much-needed rest and relaxation!

As you start planning the 2020 growing season, I would like to remind you that CFSA staff can help you address food safety, high tunnel, organic production and certification, and any marketing/business planning questions you may have. Just visit our website to get started!

While you’re there, check out our lineup for this year’s Organic Commodities and Livestock Conference on Feb. 11th in Raleigh.

If you have not already done so, now is the time to be submitting soil samples and there are two great expert tip videos in this month’s newsletter to help you do that.

• For those in SC looking to get started in farming, the SC New & Beginning Farmer Program at Clemson is accepting applications until Feb. 16.
• If you’re in WNC, make note that Living Web Farms is hosting six repair cafes throughout 2020, the first kicking off on Feb. 25. The public is invited to bring in anything from rusty tools to troublesome small engines to each event for free, hands-on help to fix those items up.
• A few folks are conducting a five-minute survey to gather data on internet connectivity from NC farmers. Take a moment and fill it out, as the data will be used to inform research, policy, and funding recommendations to assist communities where internet access is inadequate.

Cheers,

Karen McSwain, CFSA’s Associate Executive Director for Programs

While a shovel or trowel will do the job, taking multiple samples can be strenuous and getting a uniform sample can be difficult. Probes are great at creating a uniform sample but have trouble collecting compacted soils. So, what’s the solution?

Our organic research coordinator breaks down how to build your own soil sampler, using affordable things you likely already have laying around the farm, and then shows you how to use it to collect uniform soil samples.