2018 State Meeting

"Waves of Opportunity"

June 26-28, 2018

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Atlantic Beach Oceanfront

• Online Registration Form

• Agenda

• Committee Chairs

The 2018 North Carolina Association of County Agricultural Agents state meeting will be hosted by the Southeast District in Atlantic Beach, NC. The meeting will be June 26-28. Our headquarters hotel is the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, Atlantic Beach Oceanfront. The Southeast District has put together what we think is a great meeting starting with pre-conference activities on June 26th. Annual Leave must be taken for early bird activities. The State Board will hold their meeting Tuesday evening. The meeting will officially begin with Wednesday's opening luncheon, followed by professional development sessions and then a Cookout and Cornhole Tournament on the grounds of the Doubletree Wednesday evening. Thursday will begin with professional development tours for members, life members, spouses, and youth, followed by the annual business meeting. The meeting will close out Thursday evening with the Awards Banquet to recognize YASA, AA, and DSA winners from across the state.

**Communication Awards will be presented at the opening luncheon on Wednesday. Therefore, all award winners are asked to be present at the opening luncheon to receive their awards.**

**ALL THURSDAY TOURS HAVE REACHED CAPACITY**

Hotel Rates & Room TypesHotel room rates have been secured for the following rates at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel, Atlantic Beach Oceanfront:

• Oceanview (standard room) - $139/night

• Oceanfront - $179/night

• Suite - $219/night

• Room rates are good if the rooms are reserved on or before May 24th, however, since the meeting is during tourist season, attendees may want to reserve extra nights as soon as possible.

• Use the conference code "CAA" to get these room rates.

• The hotel will honor these room rates for three days prior or three days after the event as long as there is space available.

• Hotel room rates are subject to applicable state and local taxes (currently 12.75%) in effect at the time of check in.

• Individuals should call the hotel directly at (252) 222-4010 to make reservation.

Early Bird Activities

1) Captain's Choice Golf Tournament

Time: Tee off at 1:00pm (Please plan to arrive by 12:30pm)

Location: Crystal Coast Country Club Golf Course, Pine Knoll Shores

Cost: $30 per person for first 10 registrants ($42 for all others) **Fee includes use of Crystal Coast Country Club facilities for the day**

• Registration is limited!!

• All registrants will go on waiting list once 10 golfers have registered.

• Anyone wishing to play with particular individuals should indicate pairings during registration.

2) Carrot Island Ferry Tour

Time: 3 trips departing at 1:00pm, 1:30pm, and 2:00pm (Please plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time)

Location: Island Ferry Adventures, 610 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516

Cost: $10 adults, $5 for children 11 and under.

• Guided tour departs at 2:00pm

• Departure from Carrot Island on your own time with last ferry departure at 5:25pm.

• All ticket sales are final.

• In the event of cancelation due to weather, tickets will be honored from June 26-July 1, 2018.

• No open-toed shoes. Wear shoes and clothes that can get muddy.

• Bring your own sunscreen and bug spray.

• Water is provided on the island for participants.

• Due to the remote location and limited facilities of this tour location, it is not advised for small children.

• No strollers.

3) Wild Pony & Dolphin Scenic Tour

Time: 4:00-5:30pm (please plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time)

Location: Crystal Coast Lady Cruises, 600 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516

Cost (includes tax): $25.62 for adults; $16.01 for children aged 3-11; Free for children under 3 years; $23.49 for seniors and active military.

4) Sunset Dinner Cruise

Time: 7:00-9:00pm (please plan to arrive 30 minutes before departure time)

Location: Crystal Coast Lady Cruises, 600 Front Street, Beaufort, NC 28516

Cost (includes tax): $44.84 for adults; $22.42 for children aged 3-11; Free for children under 3 years; $42.70 for seniors and active military.

• All ticket sales are final.

  • In the event of cancelation due to weather, tickets will be honored from June 26-July 1, 2018.

5) Fishing Tournament

Time: 9:00am-6:00pm

Location: Oceanana Fishing Pier, 700 East Fort Macon Road, Atlantic Beach, NC 28512

Cost: $20 per person (Cash prize will be awarded for winner)

Professional Development Sessions

Session I

• 2:00-3:15pm (Cape Fear Room)

  • Identifying Nutrients Deficiencies in Field Crops and resources available to agents, Dr. Carl Crozier, Cooperative Extension Soil Science Specialist. NCSU

• 2:00-2:40pm (Pamlico Room)

  • Tips and Tricks - Identifying beneficials in the Landscape and Home Gardens, Dr. Matt Bertone, Entomologist, Plant Disease & Insect Clinic, NCSU

• 2:50-3:30pm (Pamlico Room)

  • Identifying Common Diseases in the Landscape, Dr. Jim Kerns, Associate, Professor and Extension Specialist of Turfgrass Pathology, NCSU

• 2:00-2:40pm (Hatteras Room)

  • Youth for Quality Care of Animals, Brent Jennings, Extension Associate Animal Science, NCSU

• 2:50-3:30pm (Hatteras Room)

  • Livestock Skill-a-thon Program, Brent Jennings, Extension Associate Animal Science, NCSU

Session II

• 3:40-4:50pm (Cape Fear and Cape Lookout Rooms)

  • Managing Field Plots to Maximize Data Usage, Megan Miller, Small Grains Extension Associate; Andrew Baucom, Small Grains & OVT Research Assistant

• 3:40-4:10pm (Pamlico Room)

  • Putting Together a Strong Master Gardener program, Charlotte Glen, State Coordinator, NC Extension Master Gardener Program

• 4:20-4:50pm (Pamlico Room)

  • Ideas for Master Gardener Project, Charlotte Glen, State Coordinator, NC Extension Master Gardener Program

Professional Improvement Tours

Tour Option 1 (8:30AM-12:00PM)

**TOUR CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED**

NC Coastal Federation

• We will visit with the North Carolina Coastal Federation and learn about their mission to help protect and restore North Carolina Coastlines. The North Carolina Coastal Federation works to protect and restore coastal water quality and habitats throughout the North Carolina coast by collaborating with and engaging people from all walks of life who are committed to preserving the coast for current and future generations.

Fort Macon State Park

• Following our visit with the Coastal Federation, we will travel to Fort Macon State Park and receive a guided tour of the restored Civil War Era Fort, including a musket demonstration by Park staff. Fort Macon was the second State Park in N.C. and was last garrisoned during WWII. The Park includes hiking trails, a visitors center, and beach access for the public. We plan to eat lunch at the Park.

Tour Option 2 (8:30AM-1:30PM) **There is an age restriction for this tour of 12+ years old**

**TOUR CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED**

Open Ground Farms

• We will visit the 45,000 acre Open Grounds Farm in Carteret County, NC, and learn about the challenges of managing such a large farm in a environmentally sensitive area. We will plan to visit the grain storage facility as part of this tour.

Parker Boats Production Facility Tour

• Following Open Grounds Farm, we will visit the production facility of Parker Boats in Beaufort, NC. Born from the fishing and boat building history of Eastern North Carolina, Parker Boats has been producing marine craft since 1972. We will tour the production floor and see how modern fiberglass boats are made.

Underground Farms (Local and CSA production)

• Following Parker Boats, we will visit Underground Farm and Learning Center in Beaufort, NC. Underground Farm is part of the Carteret Local Food Network and provides locally produced foods to CSA members, farmers markets, and local restaurants and produce stands. We plan to eat lunch at the farm.

Tour Option 3 (8:30AM-1:45PM)

**TOUR CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED**

Marshallberg Sturgeon Farm

• Marshallberg Farm is located on Core Sound near Cape Lookout on the Atlantic Ocean, about 12 miles east of Beaufort and Morehead City in North Carolina. The farm raises sturgeon in 40 indoor recirculation aquaculture system tanks in two buildings of about 54,000 sq-ft in total. It also operates a 6,200 sq-ft processing building including five cold rooms, totaling 1,800 sq-ft, at various temperatures. Together with its LaPaz facility in Lenoir, NC, this company is the largest producer of Russian Sturgeon (Acipenser gueidenstaedtii) meat and Osetra caviar in North America.

NOAA Beaufort Labs

• Following our visit to Marshallberg Farm, we will visit the NOAA Southeast Fisheries Science Center Beaufort Lab in Beaufort, NC. This lab is a partnership of several entities whose mission is to assess fish stocks, study sea turtles and dolphins, and collect and analyze data from various marine resources.

CMAST Facility – NCSU Center for Marine Sciences and Technology

• Following our visit to NOAA Beaufort Lab, we will visit and tour the NCSU Center for Marine Sciences and Technology in Morehead City, NC. Located on the Campus of Carteret Community College, the CMAST facility houses faculty, staff, and students from 3 different colleges and 6 departments, including NC Sea Grant and N.C. Cooperative Extension. The CMAST’s principal mission is to discover innovative solutions to questions and problems in marine systems and provide effective communication of these discoveries. We plan to eat lunch at CMAST.

Youth Activities

Wednesday (12:00-5:00pm)

• 12:15pm - Depart for Fort Macon

• 12:15pm - Lunch @ Fort Macon (options include: hamburger, cheeseburger, or chicken nuggets)

• 1:00pm - Fort Macon Tour

• 2:00pm - Depart for Pine Knoll Shores

• 2:20pm - Pine Knolls Shore Aquarium

• 4:00pm - Dairy Queen Sundaes (options include: strawberry, caramel, chocolate, or plain)

• 5:00pm - Depart for Hotel