September 2026 Activities
September 8------------ Catawba Valley Cattlemen's Assoc Meeting
September 12----------- 4-H Fall Open House
September 18----------- Pesticide Credits Class
September 21----------- Catawba Valley Beekeepers Meeting
September 22----------- From Garden to Kitchen: Muscadines
September 24----------- Lost Arts: Cover Crops
4-H Fall Open House
Are you interested in horses or poultry? Do you want to experiment with STEM or electricity? Do you dig gardening or get excited about cooking? Have you ever
wondered what a 4-H project book or presentation is?
Then come check out 4-H at our annual 4-H Fall Open House on Saturday, September 12th at the Agricultural Resource Center, located at 1175 South Brady Ave, Newton.
Drop in any time between 10:00am and 12:00pm and visit our showcase of clubs!
Meet the leaders and members of our 14 clubs and interact with hands-on activities to get a taste of what each club offers. Bring your questions about project books and presentations!
Once you visit each table, enjoy a bowl of ice cream with your favorite toppings!
We would love for you to find your spot with Catawba County 4-H.
4-H Library LEGO Robotics
A new school year means a new theme at 4-H Library LEGO Robotics! We are digging into UNEARTHED and checking out archaeology. This 6-week class is hosted at three libraries throughout the school year. The sessions are identical, so you can pick the location that best suits your child's schedule.
All sessions meet on Wednesdays from 4:30pm to 5:45pm. St Stephen's Branch Library- September 30- November 4 Newton Main Library- January 20- February 17
Southwest Library- March 3- April 7
Registration for each session opens about 3-4 weeks before the class starts. You can add your name to the interest list here.
Parent volunteers are needed as table leaders, and background checked parents will get priority registration for their child.
CCYC Applications are Open
The Catawba County Youth Council has been a part of the County and United Way since 2003 and has been facilitated by Catawba County Cooperative Extension since 2014. Our group includes high school students from public, private, and home schools all across the county.
The Youth Council meets monthly during the school year for programs on citizenship, leadership, and community issues. Members are involved in various community projects and volunteering with the goal of making Catawba County a better place to live. A favorite annual project for the group is working on the United Way Youth Grant Allocations.
If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, apply here
Applications are due October 2, 2025 by 4 pm.
Catawba County Cooperative Extension Move
We anticipate the Catawba County Cooperative Extension offices will be moving in the next few months, tentatively around October 1. Please be understanding if you visit and see boxes stacked ready for moving or if you need to reach our staff around the October 1 timeframe. We advise visitors call before coming to the office, if you have a question or need materials in early October during this transition time.
Our new office will be located at 2760 Hwy 70 SE
behind Northern Tool (in the former CVCC East Campus building).
Pesticide Credit Opportunities
We have opportunities to receive your pesticide credit updates.
The classes will be at the Agriculture Resource Center 1175 South Brady Ave; Newton NC
September 18, 9:00 am - 11:00 pm
NCDA&CS Private Applicators Recertification: 2 credits of V
September 18, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Private Pesticide Recertification Class X: 2 credits of A, B, D, G, H, I , K , L, M, N, O, T, X
Contact Carson Johnson for call 828-465-8240 to RSVP.
Catawba Valley Cattlemen's Association
The Catawba Valley Cattlemen's Association meeting is Tuesday September 8 at 6pm
This meeting will be held at Howard Reinhardt's Farm: 6793 Startown Rd, Maiden NC 28605.
This month's meeting with have guest speakers Clinton Barden & Isabella Roeske
Topic: Deterring and Managing Vultures on Cattle Farms
The Hickory American Legion Fair starts Wednesday September 2. Come join in the fun!
Local Food Guide & Farmers Markets
The Local Food Guide has been updated for 2026 online.
Check out opening dates for all the Farmers Markets in Catawba County, new U-pick farms, new farm stands and stores, several new restaurants sourcing local, artisan products and farms offering a great selection of locally sourced foods.
Lost Arts: Using Cover Crops in your Garden or Farm
Thursday September 24 at 6:00 p.m.
at the Catawba County Agricultural Resource Center
This is a change to the original program. Craig Mauney has been working with farmers since the 1970's all over the world. He has extensive knowledge of fruit and vegetable
production and using sustainable methods such as cover crops to address crop needs.
This program is free.
Register for this class and other Lost Arts Programs in 2026.
Cultivating Marshmallow and Ashwaganda
Tuesday Oct. 27th 1 p.m. -4 p.m.
Davie County 154 Government Center Dr. Mocksville
This workshop offered by the Piedmont Medicinal Herb Growers Group will provide practical knowledge to help you cultivate these soothing herbs. Registration is $12.
From Garden to Kitchen: Muscadines
Tuesday, September 22 3:30 p.m.-5:30 p.m.
Cost: $5
at the Catawba County Agricultural Resource Center
The muscadines in the Extension demo garden are almost ready for harvesting. Come and learn some basics about planting and growing muscadines at home.
After some time in the garden, we will spend time in the kitchen learning some basics to making jelly while making muscadine jelly. You will be able to learn some basics of water bath canning jellies and jams and get involved in making a jar of jelly to enjoy at home. A $5 fee is charged to off-set the cost of supplies, but we are able to waive the fee if the cost creates a hardship. Register by Sept. 18. Let us know if you would like to see other Garden to Kitchen workshops.
Register online or contact Donna_Mull@ncsu.edu for more information.
Pressure Canner Testing
Get ready for summer home canning with garden fresh produce arriving soon! It is recommended that you have your canner tested once a year to make sure the dial gauge is working properly for safe canning.
FREE pressure canner testing is available through Cooperative Extension office and only takes a few minutes.
Contact the Extension office at 828-465-8240 to schedule an appointment to bring in your lid for yearly testing.
Catawba Valley Beekeepers
The next meeting will be held on September 21 at 7:00 pm
This meeting, we will hold a local honey tasting contest featuring honey produced by our members’ own hives. It looks like we’ll have close to 40 jars of honey to judge! Judging will be based entirely on taste, and everyone at the meeting will have the opportunity to be a judge. Trophies will be awarded to the top three entries.
As an added bonus, we’ll send the first-place honey to Jonah Ventures for DNA testing to learn more about the floral sources that contributed to the winning honey.
To learn visit the club's website: catawbavalleybeekeepers.org
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
N.C. Cooperative Extension - Catawba County Center, 1175 S Brady Ave, Newton, NC 28658, United States
