Chatham County Cooperative Extension

10/20/2026

Sharing a few new things from your local Cooperative Extension center!

1. Peak Season for Soil Samples information
NC State Extension Master Gardener℠ volunteers with N.C. Cooperative Extension Chatham County Center encourage Chatham County residents and gardeners to have their soil tested 2-3 months before installing new plantings, and every 2-3 years for established lawns and gardens samples by Nov 22nd.
Samples dropped off on or after Nov. 23rd will be held for April delivery.
Cost: From now until November 22 there is NO FEE...It's FREE! BUT! (and there is always a but), beginning November 26 and through March 31, 2027, the new peak season fee will be $5 per sample.
Starting April 1, 2027 soil testing will once be free. There will be NO deliveries made during the peak season.
To learn more about soil samples, please visit: https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/lawn-and-garden-soil-test-drive/

2. Youth Invited to Raise Chicks Through 4-H Chicken Project
Your family doesn’t need a farm, a flock, or any experience with chickens to take part in the 2027 North Central District 4-H Poultry Show. Youth start with five baby chicks and learn as they go, and our Cooperative Extension staff is with them the whole way, answering questions and helping with everything from setting up a brooder to getting ready for show day. If your child has ever wanted to raise an animal of their own, this is a great place to start.
To learn more about Raising Chicks Through the 4-H Chicken Project, please visit: https://go.ncsu.edu/chicken

3. Help Chatham County Extension's Donation Station reach our goal of collecting 150lbs of local produce for CORA by the end of the year!
To learn more please visit, https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/news/donation-station-now-in-chatham-county/

4. Interested in Youth Livestock Opportunities?
Chatham County Center is launching a Call for Interest to explore expanding youth livestock opportunities in our community! Whether your child is passionate about animals, interested in competitive team events, or simply eager to learn about agriculture, we want to hear from you.
We are currently gathering feedback from Chatham County families to gauge community interest and determine our next steps. Your input helps us measure community interest so we can evaluate potential next steps, which will depend on interest levels and adult volunteer support.
To learn more about Youth Livestock Opportunities, please visit, https://go.ncsu.edu/barn

5. Explore NC Cooperative Extension Chatham County Center!
Visit our website! https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/
Visit our YouTube Channel! https://www.youtube.com/ Like and Subscribe to our channel! New content is added every month!

6. Contact a Master Gardener for all of your plant and gardening questions!
919-542-8206
Plant Clinic Hours
Monday & Wednesday 1:00 - 4:00
Friday 9:00 - 12:00

7. Contact us!
To access our staff directory, please visit https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/people/

10/19/2026

Love Chatham invites you to join them for their upcoming community fundraiser!

Event Details:
- Date: Saturday, November 7, 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Location: Bray Park (700 Alston Bridge Road, Siler City)

How You Can Get Involved:
- Help Us Spread the Word: We would deeply appreciate it if you could share these on your social channels, post them in your office, or simply tell your network!
- Join in as a Vendor: Showcase your work and support the cause. Vendor space fees are $20. You can register by following the QR code on one of the flyers or by going to this link to register: https://freedomfamilychurch.churchcenter.com/registrations/events/3872153

10/19/2026

Join the Chatham 4-H Game of Drones Teams

What is the Game of Drones Coding Competition?

Game of Drones is a 4-H competition hosted by the 4-H STEM team at North Carolina A&T State University and STEMerald City LLC. Participation will include coding autonomous flights and basic maneuvers using aerial and land-based drones. All teams will compete using Tello aerial drones. Middle school teams will also work with Sphero robots using block-based coding, while high school teams will take on the challenge of DJI EP Core robots with text-based coding.

Want to see this in action?

Check out video from the 2025 event!
https://youtu.be/gP5cff1r_7M?si=xSOgzRO3w1I4jkOE

Interested? Learn more about this competition by visiting,
https://chatham.ces.ncsu.edu/news/chatham-4-h-game-of-drones-teams/

10/19/2026

4-H Chicken Project

Ever wanted to raise your own chickens? The 4-H Chicken Project is the perfect place to start! Youth get 5 chicks to care for while learning animal management and flock care alongside our 4-H team. The project wraps up with an exciting district poultry show where participants showcase their full-grown birds.

To learn more and join the interest list visit:
https://go.ncsu.edu/chicken

10/19/2026

Fundamentals of Composting
Extension Gardener Workshop
Oct. 28, 2026 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.
Food scraps and yard trimmings together account for more than a quarter of household waste. Instead of trucking this waste to the landfill, use composting - the controlled decomposition of organic materials into a soil-like substance - to turn it into a valuable soil amendment!

Join Matt Jones and the NC State Extension Master Gardener (SM) volunteers of Chatham County for a workshop on the fundamentals of composting at home.

Participants will learn about the science of the decomposition process, understand the types of materials that are readily compostable, how to fine-tune the composting process by finding optimal temperature, moisture, aeration, and pile dimensions, and troubleshooting common composting problems. We will present research-based information from NC State Extension and visit our on-site composting demonstration area.

The workshop will be held in the west conference room at the NC Cooperative Extension - Chatham County Center and in the EMG Education Garden​.

To learn more please visit,

Extension Gardener WorkshopOct. 28, 2026 10:00 am - 12:00 pm.Food scraps and yard trimmings together account for more than a quarter of household waste. Instead of trucking this waste to the…

10/19/2026

4-H Youth Entrepreneur Project - Youth Vendor Application
The 4-H Youth Entrepreneur Project is designed to teach youth essential skills for starting and managing a business. This hands-on program will cover a range of topics such as business planning, money management, marketing, and customer service. There will be two (2) in-person classes that will have hands-on activities and real life examples to help prepare youth with skills needed to launch a business.
Class dates and times will be announced shortly.
The culminating vendor event - the Youth Holiday Market - will take place at the 4-H Gingerbread Extravaganza
Tues​day, December 8th
3:00pm-7:00pm at the Chatham County Ag Center.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: October 27, 2026 at 5:00pm
​For more details and to register please visit:

10/19/2026

Save the date! This is going to be a great field day!

Save The Date! Be sure to mark your calendars for a full day of cattle technologies! Featuring technologies that can help make your beef or dairy operation more efficient and profitable! More details to come!

10/17/2026

Interested in Youth Livestock Opportunities?
Call for Youth & Volunteer Interest

We are launching a Call for Interest to explore expanding youth livestock opportunities in our community! Whether your child is passionate about animals, interested in competitive team events, or simply eager to learn about agriculture, we want to hear from you.

Visit the link to learn more and submit our interest form!
https://go.ncsu.edu/barn

10/16/2026

Don’t forget that you can use your SNAP benefits at the Pittsboro Farmer's Market! Visit the welcome table at the market where you'll get wooden tokens in exchange for your EBT payment, then shop for eligible local goodies.

Pittsboro Farmers Market is open every Thursdays from 3:00-6:00PM
Downtown Pittsboro Pop-Up Park
50 W. Salisbury St.

10/15/2026

Take a little time to focus on your health this fall!

Chatham County Cooperative Extension and the Chatham County Public Health Department invite you to join Move It & Make It: Cooking & Fitness for Everyday Life!

This 4-week program combines weekly group exercise with a virtual cook-along, led by registered dietitians Laura Hearn and Tara Gregory. Participants receive ingredients, practical tips, and ongoing support to build confidence in preparing nutritious meals and staying active.

When: Mondays & Thursdays, beginning November 9, 2026 (no sessions Thanksgiving week)

Where: Dunlap Building, Pittsboro, NC (+ Zoom for cook-alongs)

The program is $25 per person. Registration is open through Eventbrite: tinyurl.com/3w3zfd3n.