Orange County Cooperative Extension and the Economic Development Commission, in collaboration with NCSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Science, will host an open house at the W.C. Breeze Family Farm Extension and Research Center on Tuesday from 4 to 6 p.m.

The open house will feature the People Learning Agriculture Now for Tomorrow (PLANT) @ Breeze program, a new farm enterprise incubator in Orange County. The PLANT series introduces apprentice farmers to the basics of small-scale, sustainable vegetable and fruit production. The field component of the farm enterprise incubator is based at the farm in northern Orange County at the intersection of Walnut Grove Church Road and Schley Road.
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The Haw River Watch Project will host a workshop to teach about pollution in the Haw River on Aug. 30 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will collect water samples and inspect them under microscopes to monitor “river critters” with varying sensitivities to pollution. The health of these critters is an indication of the water quality.
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ChathamArts’ “Potluck in a Pasture” is a chance to enjoy locally grown food, visit a sustainable farm and meet several artists, Sunday Sept. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Castle Rock Gardens. The farm is located at 3232 Castle Rock Road in north Chatham, west of N.C. 87 between Pittsboro and Chapel Hill. Visitors are asked to bring a pot-luck dish that includes at least one locally grown ingredient (and the recipe to share, noting the origin of local items), as well as a beverage, lawn chair or blanket, and a donation to ChathamArts. For information see www.chathamarts.org. or call 219-9840.
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Central Carolina Community College can now teach students the basics of solar panels.
After getting approval from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners, the college now offers “Introduction to Photovoltaic System Design.”

The class runs from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesdays from Aug. 27 to Oct. 29 at the Chatham County Campus in Pittsboro. The class costs about $61 and the program can offer the NABCEP Entry Level Certificate of Knowledge exam. For more information or to register for the class, call 542-6495, ext. 223.

The North Carolina Botanical Garden will host a workshop Aug. 30 to teach children and families about Luna moths and their cousins, which emerge from their cocoons in the late-summer months. The workshop includes a fee of $15 per person or $25 per family with a discount for members. Space is limited.

Apex will host the Jordan Lake Arts & Music Festival on Oct. 4 and 5. The festival includes live music on five stages, local art, fun for kids, food and representatives from environmental organizations interested in protected and restoring Jordan lake.

Headlining bands include the Steep Canyon Rangers, Bambú Station and the Yo Mama’s Big Fat Booty band. Attendees are invited to bring their own instruments to jam and to camp out at Jordan Lake campgrounds. Gates open at 9 a.m. and the music starts at 10.
The festival is at 1226 Martha’s Chapel Rd. For more information or to buy tickets, see www.jordanlakeartsandmusic.org.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro will host a workshop on Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. entitled “Organic Certification” to teach farmers how to get a farm certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program.

On Aug. 25, a workshop entitled “Developing Community Based Food Systems” will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The workshop will look at the framework of local food systems, including conducting food assessments, developing new markets, policies that affect food systems and more.

For more information or to register, see www.cefs.ncsu.edu/calendar2008.htm.

Orange County Parks and Recreation will host a free music festival on Sept. 27 in Cedar Grove from noon to 6 p.m. Performers include Diana Jones, Mike Jones & Young at Heart, The Cagle Family, Chuck and the Waggin Ears, the Apple Chill Cloggers and the new River Rock Skippers. The festival will be held at the Northern Human Services Center on 86 North and food will be available. For more information, see www.co.orange.nc.us/RecParks/music_festivals.asp or call 245-2660.

Murrie joins 3CUPS
3CUPS is gearing up for a grand re-opening this fall after moving from the bizarre situation at The Courtyard to what we hope are more stable surroundings — with parking aplenty — at 227 South Elliot Rd.

Looks like the new location will be even more of a wine lover’s paradise now that Jay Murrie has become a partner in the enterprise. Murrie, who is ending his eight-year stint as head of oenology at A Southern Season this month, brings a wealth of experience along with a lot of first-hand knowledge of the small, eclectic wineries 3CUPS features. The plan is to grow the list from 40 to more than 200 labels. To paraphrase co-founder Lex Alexander, 3CUPS is changing from a coffee shop with wine to a wine, coffee and tea merchant. 3cups.net
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Now serving

BUNS, the new specialty burger joint adds its wide-ranging menu to the quick, cheap-eats options in downtown Chapel Hill, filling the huge void left by the departure of Hector’s. Beef, turkey, tuna and veggie burgers ranging from $3.98 for a single to $6.99 for a Tar Heel Triple. Fries, chili and Caesar salad sides, domestic and imported beer. BUNS is located in the old Jersey Mike’s space (or the old Columbia Street Bakery space, old timers) at 107 North Columbia. 240-2746, bunsofchapelhill.com
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The N.C. Botanical Garden will host several events for the public in August.

On Aug. 9, the garden will host “Knowing and Growing Carnivorous Plants” from 1 to 3 p.m. Staff will teach about the conditions that support Southeastern pitcher plants and how to grow them. Participants will create and take home a portable bog garden. There is a fee of $60, or $55 for garden members, to pay for the take-home garden.
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OWASA will waive the fee for boat users on University Lake on Fridays until Aug. 15. There is still a fee for renting an electric trolling motor. For a waiver, bring in a recent bill to prove you are an OWASA customer. If you have OWASA service but not a bill, bring identification that can confirm your address. University Lake is open Friday through Monday from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Call OWASA at 942-5790 for more information.

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems in Goldsboro will host a workshop on Aug. 20 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. entitled “Organic Certification” to teach farmers how to get a farm certified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Organic Program.
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The Durham-based SEEDS, or South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces, Inc., a nonprofit community gardening organization, will set up a table at the upcoming Jack Johnson concert at the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre on Tuesday, Aug. 12. Hawaiian singer-songwriter Jack Johnson has pledged to match every dollar contributed to SEEDS by the end of August. Johnson is known for his environmentally friendly tours. SEEDS runs community gardens and other programs for children, teens and others. For more information, see www.seedsnc.org.

The Blue Urban Bikes project, a bicycle-sharing program born from a collaboration between The ReCYCLEry and SURGE, was awarded the Go Chapel Hill Community Cycling Award at the annual “Kick Gas” celebration on June 26 at the Research Triangle Park Headquarters.
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