North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Richmond County

05/08/2026

We were thrilled to lead the Ag Day Tour for Leadership Richmond again this year! Thanks to all our great hosts for sharing their story and their time with the group!

05/08/2026

New gardening resources from NC State Extension! Check it out below!

Let's get growing.Whether you've got a backyard, a balcony or just a sunny windowsill, this is your starting point. NC State Extension is serving up expert-backed tips, local know-how and the tools…

04/29/2026

Eggs are one of the "Big 9" allergens, meaning they are in a category that is responsible for 90% of food allergies in the U.S. In fact, many people have egg allergies and don't realize it. Egg allergies are common in children but can also occur during adulthood.

Yesterday attendees in the "Homesteading Basics: A Guide to Egg Free Binding in Cooking" class learned the best non-egg binders for different foods. Attendees also prepared dishes using a variety of non-egg binders, gaining hands-on experience in creating foods made with egg-free binding alternatives from start to finish. The binders used in class also packed powerful nutrients and health benefits, as a bonus!

Attendees made their own "chia egg" to gain experience in how the "egg" will form from chia seeds to a gelatinous egg substitute.

100% of attendees were pleasantly surprised and really like the taste of the food👍🥰. Everyone said they will definitely use the information learned in class when cooking at home and cooking for crowds.

04/15/2026

It's not too late to register for the Homesteading Basics: Seed Saving Workshop. Participants will learn about seeds that can be saved, how pollination works for different plants, methods of seed collection, and much more!

Click the Eventbrite link below to register and for more information.

Thursday, April 16, 2026
5:30-7pm
Ag Services Center

Seed saving is a great way to save money and preserve your favorite open pollinated/heirloom varieties!

04/13/2026

South Carolina Topiary artist, with world-famous garden, passes.

A self-taught topiary artist, he discovered a talent for carving trees and shrubs into extraordinary shapes, creating a world-famous garden in a tiny South Carolina town.

04/10/2026

Don't forget! Saturday, April 11! Bring your old paint, batteries, pesticides (in labeled containers), lightbulbs, solvents, pool chemicals etc.! Clean out that shed!

04/01/2026

No jokes here!

April brings a variety of seasonal produce. This month look for strawberries, beets, and greens!

03/27/2026

This is cool!!!

03/26/2026

🌱 Seed Library Spotlight: Luffa 🌱

The Richmond County Seed Library has a new offering!

Luffa can be eaten when immature, but can also be cured and used as a sponge. This vine requires trellising or support and needs a long growing season. Transplant or direct seed after last frost.

Pictures taken and seeds saved and donated by a community member!

More information about the Richmond Seed Library: https://richmond.ces.ncsu.edu/horticulture-richmond/

03/26/2026

Extension offers so many great classes for the community! Yesterday, attendees learned the process of canning meat using both the raw pack and hot pack methods. The raw pack method involves processing the meat with no added liquids, while the hot pack requires adding liquid. For our hot pack we used chicken broth for our chicken and tomato juice for our beef. As you can see in the photos, while our raw packs did produce some liquid it was not as much as the hot packs. This is not a safety issue but more of a quality issue in terms of appearance. It is best to consume the products that are not fully covered quicker rather than later.

As an added bonus, it's always a special treat when our Livestock Agent, Anthony Growe can come and share information with the group. The group learned a wealth of info about reading and understanding the packaging labels and terms that we often see on meats, as well as, the legal requirements for meat vendors. This was a wonderful opportunity for our community to ask all the questions they ever wanted to know about meat from farm to table.

03/26/2026

Growing in the sandy soils of our region requires special skills and knowledge. Attend this important program on April 14th to get expert guidance on growing wheat in the Sandhills. The event is free however registration is requested. See details in the link below.

JACKSON SPRINGS, N.C. -- N.C. Producers, agricultural professionals, and community members are invited to attend an upcoming Wheat Production Field Day at the Sandhills Research...