Rutherford Weekly - Shelby NC
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Thursday, February 9-February 15, 2023 www.rutherfordweekly.com 828-248-1408 Rutherford Weekly - Page 9 Organic Growers School is excited to hold its 30th Annual Spring Conference this February 24-26, 2023. The fi rst Organic Growers School Spring Conference was held in 1993 with just over 100 participants. Since then, the event has grown exponentially to serve more than 1,500 farmers, gardeners, educators, students, consumers, and chefs. They gather from over 18 states and Canada, making the OGS Spring Conference the largest event in the Southeast. Through this anniversary conference, OGS will continue its mission to support, inspire, and educate people to farm, garden, and live organically by providing affordable, practical, and hands- on education. The Spring Conference will take place over three days. Friday is dedicated to day-long, pre-conference workshops at sites around Western North Carolina. These will include an intro to beekeeping with Oxx Beekeeping, a regenerative soils measurement class with Russell Hedrick, and a dive into the traditional plants, medicines, and stories of the Cherokee peoples with Tyson Sampson and Amy Walker. Over the weekend, the offerings include 60 90-minute workshops organized into 15 themed tracks, such as Farming, Mushrooms, Herbs, Gardening, Forest Farming, Cooking, and Sustainable Living. There will also be ten half-day workshops that provide opportunities to get more hands-on experience with topics such as fermentation, land design, and backyard poultry, led by local experts, innovators, and educators. The weekend's classes will be held at Mars Hill University in Mars Hill, NC. The Conference will also feature a lively Exhibit Hall full of local vendors, an annual Seed and Plant Exchange, a raffl e, fun networking opportunities, and more. In addition, three local food trucks will be present: Cecilia's Kitchen, La Semilla, and Root Down Farm, providing participants with delicious meals throughout the weekend. The schedule is jam- packed with practical workshops to prepare for the growing season. Whether you are an enthusiastic local eater, food system advocate, new to growing, or have a few seasons under your belt, the Spring Conference is an excellent way to kick off the new season with the growing community. Read more about the workshops and speaker line-ups on the OGS website. Expect to encounter many familiar faces and some new ones from growing communities in Appalachia. Online registration is available until February 19, and walk-in registration is available on- site. Organic Growers School, a 501(c)3 organization, offers year-round programming for farmers, gardeners, homesteaders, and those passionate about food justice. Their vision is to build a mutually supportive network of prosperous farmers, productive gardeners, and informed consumers engaged in creating healthy communities. For more information, please visit https:// organicgrowersschool.org/ conferences/spring/. Email: Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com events@rutherfordweekly.com Mail or Drop-Off: Mail or Drop-Off: 157 W Main St, • Forest City, NC 28043 157 W Main St, • Forest City, NC 28043 *Publisher has fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. We Want Your Kids Sports Photos! •Basketball •Baseball •Softball •Soccer •Archery •Equestrian •Etc! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Sportsman's Corner Sportsman's Corner Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com Mail: 157 W Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 Phone: 828-248-1408 *Publisher has the fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. I get excited this time of year. The deer season is over but another season that involves deer is just around the corner. It's the season to hunt antler sheds. If you don't know, each year bucks shed their antlers and grow new ones. In my area they begin to drop off in February and they begin to grow them back almost immediately. During late February and into April, some of the most sought-after treasures are the antlers which are found lying along paths and in bedding areas. These make great decorations and even have a monetary value. The true pleasure, however, is just getting back out into the woods and fi nding these hidden jewels before the squirrels and other animals eat them up for their mineral value. In areas where large deer live, the discoveries can be impressive. Not only are these fi nds exciting for their immediate value, but they tell hunters just what bucks made it through last season's gauntlet of arrows and bullets. They tell us what deer survived and what to expect the coming year. They tell us who will be emerging as the dominate leaders in the future. These will be the ones all hunters will be watching as the next season emerges. What goes for dominate deer also goes for dominate humans. There comes a time when the loudest voices and strongest infl uencers give way to the next generation of leaders. This goes for our political, military, family, and spiritual life. Even now, I can mention the names of some profound leaders to only one generation removed, and there is no immediate recognition. The spiritual patriarchs that once dominated the lives of so many people of faith, have lost their infl uence with the masses. What to remember however is this. The leaders who are still alive, are not losing their infl uence, they are just moving it to the next generation of leaders. I think of the retired military generals who are teaching the new military generals. I think of the retired politicians who are offering wisdom to the future leaders of our country. And I think of the spiritual giants who are spending their time with the emerging spiritual giants. While these infl uencers may have retired from being hands-on, they have not retired from imparting their knowledge, wisdom, and experience, to those who are now on the front lines. And when it comes to these things, they are only gained by time. And that's something no present leader will ever be able to overtake from the past leaders whose shoes they are fi lling. By By Gary Miller Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ Make sure to get my new book, full of these articles. Outdoor Truths Volume Four. I also speak at wild-game dinners and men's events for churches and associations. gary@outdoortruths.org GARY MILLER Offi cials at the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission have confi rmed that students across the state will gather for North Carolina's National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) State Tournament in Winston-Salem, February 17-18. Over 1,100 students from 46 schools will compete in elementary, middle and high school divisions. "The tournament provides students an opportunity to showcase their hard work and improvement by competing individually and as part of a team," stated Lee Scripture, archery education coordinator with the Wildlife Commission. "It's the next generation of shooting sports at its best." Tickets to attend the competition are $5, and the public is welcome. Awards will be given to the top three schools in each division and to the top three male and top three female individuals in each division. Top fi nishers will move on to the national championships held in Louisville, Kentucky in May. The National Archery in Schools Program teaches and promotes international-style target archery as part of an in-school curriculum to improve educational performance and participation in the shooting sports among students in grades 4-12. For more information, or to fi nd out how your school can participate, visit naspschools.org or email lee.scripture@ ncwildlife.org. Dates Announced for Youth Archery State Competition Winston-Salem will host the 2023 National Archery in the Schools Program event Article by: ncwildlife.org. Forest City 828-247-1871 2410 US 221S; Hwy 74 bypass to exit 178 (Hwy 221), south 1 mi on right. Corner of Hwy 221 & Shiloh Rd. M-F 8am-5pm • Sat 8am-12pm MAYSE MFG. 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