North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Stanly County

06/12/2026

Did you know that some local farmers apply PGRs (Plant Growth Regulators) to their wheat? PGRs reduce the internode of the plant to reduce its height and help prevent wheat from lodging. 🌾
Today we harvested an on-farm trial looking at the effects of PGR application on wheat. Heat advisory’s don’t stop farming from happening, and we are grateful to have awesome local producers who do these trials with us. We are excited to have another year of local data! 🚜
Enjoy this neat video of a wheat field from last season.

06/12/2026

🦕 Roaring success at the Stanly County Public Library this morning!
We had an amazing group of kids and moms join us for our Dino Snacks Class.Here is what our little paleontologists did today:
📖 Heard an educational book about fossils read by Jr. EMFV August.
🍫 Made delicious, edible "Prehistoric Tar Pit Cups" (recipe below!).
💃 Danced and sang along to a fun Dino Stomp song.
Missed out on the fun? Do not worry!📍 Catch us at the other library branches soon.🏡 We will return to Albemarle this July for another Dino Snacks class.

Want to make Prehistoric Tar Pit Cups at home?
Ingredients:1 Sugar-Free Chocolate Pudding Cup
2-3 Regular or Chocolate Graham Crackers
1 Small handful of fresh berries (raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries)
Directions:
Bury the Fossils: Place fresh berries at the bottom of a clear cup. Press a raspberry or blackberry against the inside wall to make a "fossil imprint" you can see from the outside!
Pour the Tar: Spoon the thick chocolate pudding over the berries until they are completely covered.
Make the Caved-In Earth: Put graham crackers into a plastic bag, seal tightly, and crush them until they look like fine dirt and rocks.
Layer the Volcanic Dirt: Pour the crushed crumbs right on top of your chocolate pudding tar pit.
Dig In!: Take a spoon, "excavate" through the dirt, and discover the hidden fruit fossils!

06/10/2026

🎉 HUGE congratulations to our incredible "Med Instead of Meds" class at the West Stanly Senior Center! We officially wrapped up our 6-session wellness journey together today, and we couldn't be prouder of this amazing group of seniors! 🥳🥗
Over the last six months, this class has been working hard to swap out processed foods for delicious, nutrient-packed Mediterranean habits. From learning to decode confusing nutrition labels to mastering mindful eating, they have truly embraced "the Med Way!"
The results speak for themselves! 100% of our participants walked out today feeling highly confident in planning healthy meals and reading food labels. Even better, multiple class members are already celebrating major health wins like weight loss and improved blood pressure! ❤️📉
Here is what some of our wonderful participants had to say about the class:
👉 "Super at explaining everything... deeply enjoyed the hands-on parts!"
👉 "Really enjoy making the baked berry yogurt with all kinds of fruits—that fruit chat is awesome!"
👉 "It was great, I don't know anything that needs changing... keep on doing the good job!"
A special thank you to the West Stanly Senior Center for hosting us, and to everyone who brought their enthusiasm (and appetite!) to class each week. Cheers to more fresh ingredients, less added sugar, and a much healthier journey ahead! 🍓🥑🥖

06/09/2026

Summer bounty is officially here! 🍓🍉

Hayley Cowell, our FCS Agent, and our incredible team of Extension Master Food Volunteers (EMFVs) had a wonderful time at the Stanly County Public Library today teaching all things "Farmers' Market Fresh"!

EMFV Kayla led the way with a live cooking demonstration, whipping up a vibrant, naturally sweet Mix & Match Fruit Salad while the rest of our volunteer team helped bring the class to life. We learned how to eat the "Med Way" using seasonal North Carolina produce and swapped out heavy syrups for natural juices.

A huge thank you to everyone who shared their favorite family food traditions and fruit memories with us. Hayley will be compiling all of your wonderful local kitchen wisdom into a community booklet for everyone to enjoy! 📖✨

Missed it? Save the date for our next session on July 14: Stay Cool: No-Cook Meals & Rethink Your Sweets.

06/08/2026

🐄🐓🐖🐐🐑
Calling young learners, 10+ (as of Jan 1, 2026)!
Visit 4honline.com and enroll as a member to sign up for this MOO-velous opportunity for some hands-on learning about livestock. We're even going on a field trip to 2 local farms! Questions? Contact Mandy Smith-Thompson at [email protected] or 704-983-3987

Announcement! Registration now open for The Moo-velous Lives of Livestock!
🐂Date: June 29th to July 1st
🐷Time: 9am to 12pm
🐑Location: Stanly County Agri-Civic Center Livestock Arena
🐐4-H age: 10 as of January 1st and up
🐔Maximum class size: 12
Come learn about how Livestock live and how we care for them. Participants will learn about digestion, growth, care, and lifecycles of farm animals and go on a tour of two cattle farms. Snack will be provided.
🐄Please register at 4HOnline.com by June 27th
Please Contact: Mandy Smith-Thompson, [email protected], or 704-983-3987 if you have any questions
We look forward to seeing you there!

06/05/2026

💪 Age is just a number, and our New London Nutrition Site crew proved it this spring! 🏋️‍♂️✨
Our amazing seniors recently wrapped up the 8-week L.I.F.T. (Lifelong Improvements through Fitness Together) program with N.C. Cooperative Extension - Stanly County Center, and the results are absolutely inspiring!
Check out what this dedicated group achieved over 14 sessions:
• 100% Strength Improvement! Every single participant tested increased their lower-body strength, with an amazing 38.8% average increase in their 30-Second Chair Stand counts! 🦵💥
• Crushing Aerobic Goals! The majority of the class built up their endurance to hit or surpass the optimal program target of 300 steps on the 2-Minute Step Test! 🏃‍♂️💨
• Incredible Flexibility Gains! One star participant improved her range of motion by a net total of 8 inches from week 1 to week 8! 🧘‍♀️✨
• Healthy Eating Shifts! Participants didn't just move more—they fueled their bodies better, with core members doubling their daily vegetable intake! 🥦🍅
Best of all, over 75% of our graduates say they plan to keep using their hand and ankle weights to stay strong and independent at home. Way to go, team! 🎓🎉

06/04/2026

Thinking about some bacon or sausage to go with your eggs check out this program and root around with the pigs!

06/03/2026

🌾 Med Instead of Meds Session 5 was a huge success today at the West Stanly Senior Center!

FCS Agent Hayley Cowell and the Extension Master Food Volunteers (EMFVs) had a wonderful time connecting with everyone. Here is what we covered in our "Make Your Grains Whole" class:

Smart Carbs: We learned which carbohydrates to choose more often and which ones to limit for optimal health.

Label Reading: We broke down how to navigate a Nutrition Facts label with confidence.

Tasty Samples: Everyone sampled a delicious, fresh brown rice salad and crunchy homemade granola.

Eating healthy can taste great! Thank you to everyone who joined us and brought such great energy to the class.

Join us for the next class!Our next session will be on June 10th at 2:00 PM. See you there!

06/03/2026

Click the link below to view the Summer 2026 edition of the Pasture Post Livestock Newsletter!

Click below to view the Summer 2026 Edition of The Pasture-Post Livestock Newsletter