ORGANIC GARDENING AND FARMING

January 10, 2011

Organic gardening and farming meeting topic
W. Terry Smith
Editor The Daily Southerner Mon Jan 10, 2011, 11:39 AM EST

TARBORO — Have you been to the grocery store and noticed some vegetables were labeled “organically grown” and wondered what that meant?

What does “organic” mean?

That is the kind of things that will be discussed Thursday night at Saint Anne’s Chapel during a program titled Organic Gardening and Farming. Good Health, Good Profits and Good for the Earth.

The free event begins at 7 p.m. and is sponsored by Edgecombe Community College, the county Cooperative Extension Service and the county Health Department. There’s no pre-registration, but you might want to bring a chair, said Kevin Wilson of Saint Anne’s at the corner of McNair Road and Howard Avenue Extension.

In case of problematic weather, the class will be at ECC.

The speaker will be Tony Kleese of Earthwise Co. in Wake Forest whose mission is “to create places that sustain and enrich human life and the natural systems that support it.”

Kleese has been active in the development of local and organic food systems in the Carolinas as a farmer and an activist since 1989. He’s managed several organic vegetable and cut flower operations across North Carolina and is a founding member of Eastern Carolina Organics.

Following Kleese’s presentation, there will be an open discussion facilitated by a panel including Kleese, Extension Agent Bob Filbrun and Derrick Haskins, health promotion coordinator with the health department.

Topics of the discussion will include What does organic mean? What is the difference between organize and sustainable agriculture? What does it take to create an organic garden or convert to organic methods?

“The purpose of this event is to share information and discuss opportunities to participate in the growing local and organic food industry in Eastern North Carolina,” said George Anderson, sustainability coordinator at ECC.

There will be an introduction to a new class that will be taught at ECC on sustainable farming and/or gardening. The 12-week class will be taught by Kleese, begin March 17 and will cover subjects from planning to planting, soil management, weed and pest control, irrigation, harvesting and more.

The lab portion of the class will be taught at Oak Grove Farm where students will start a organic garden from scratch. If you have questions about the class call Anderson 955-2027 or Filbrun 641-7815.

“We don’t need lettuce from California,” Anderson said, “Why ship it 3,000 miles when we can grow our own and reduce the carbon footprint.”

On Saturday, Saint Anne’s is host to a healing drum circle from 1 to 3 p.m. Greg Whitt of Drums for Change out of Raleigh will be the facilitator and there will be drums for loan. The cost is $10 per person or $20 for a family. Wilson asks that you call him at 641-0262 and register.