North Carolina Cooperative Extension - Harnett County

06/08/2026

Curious about the snakes in your garden? Join our FREE Master Gardener class and discover the surprising truths behind these remarkable neighbors!

06/05/2026

Exciting news for Harnett County Agriculture!

We are thrilled to announce a major upgrade to our Extension toolkit: we’ve officially added a new tractor to our lineup!

While it looks great parked at the office, this machine will be headed to work in the field. So, what does this mean for our local farming community? Better, faster, and more localized data to help your operation thrive.

Here is how this new addition is going to elevate our service to Harnett County farmers:

Expanded On-Farm Research: We can now manage our own research trials without relying on our busy local producers to spare their own machinery during their peak seasons.

Local Test Plots: We will be establishing more localized test plots across the county. This means we can test new crop varieties, cover crops, w**d management strategies, and soil health practices right here in our local soil and climate conditions.

Data You Can Trust: Instead of relying on regional data, we will be generating unbiased, hands-on research results specific to Harnett County’s unique growing conditions.

Our goal has always been to provide you with the best science-based recommendations to improve your yields and protect your bottom line. With this new tractor, we are ready to take our field research to the next level.

Keep an eye out for upcoming field days where we’ll showcase our test plots and share our findings!

05/26/2026

Want to learn water bath canning? We only have 10 seats left in our Introduction to Water Bath Canning class! This beginner class is fun, easy to follow, and packed with helpful information — all for just $15. Details below.

05/19/2026

4-H Summer Fun Update!!!

2:00 PM Update on May 19, 2026

Cloverbud Crafts: 3 slots left
Cloverbud Kids in Conservation: 3 slots left
Cloverbud Cooking PM Session: 3 slots left

8-18 Sessions
Cooking in the Kitchen Advanced: 4 spots open
Sphero: 7 spots open
STEM Camp: 8 spots open
Sign Language: 12 spots originally, 20 spots in demand, so 8 more slots were added. Slots full.
Fit & Fun: 13 spots open
Sportfishing Advanced: 3 spots open
Rocketry Beginners: 5 spots open
Rocketry Advanced: 5 spots open
Grilling: 7 spots open
Forestry: 6 spots open

We had 100 youth registered within the first 3 minutes, and after just 2 hours, 370 of our 500 available slots for this year’s 4-H Summer Fun program had been filled — both new records for our program!

Our amazing NC State intern, Azlyn Raja, is currently reviewing registrations, working on invoices, and preparing an update on which sessions still have spots remaining.

We intentionally left the Google Form open so we can better track demand for individual sessions and adjust our offerings for 2027 if needed. We truly believe in the 4-H motto, “To Make the Best Better,” and we are always looking for ways to improve and expand opportunities for our youth.

I will update this post later with the newest registration numbers.

Thank you to everyone who registered their children for 4-H Summer Fun. Thank you to our donor who provided the funding needed to add so many additional spots for youth this year. We also want to thank the North Carolina To***co Trust Fund Commission and Harnett County Government for providing the funding to build the North Carolina To***co Trust Fund Commission Educational Kitchen (finished in April of 2025), which has allowed us to offer many new cooking and baking programs.

Jackie L. Helton
Harnett County 4-H Agent

05/15/2026

Harnett County 4-H has so many great cooking programs planned in the North Carolina To***co Trust Fund Commission Educational Kitchen this summer. If you haven't seen this amazing kitchen funded by our friends at the NCTTFC, then you have got to stop by and see it! Thank you, NCTTFC, for funding this kitchen, which has expanded the educational programs we can offer!!!

4-H Summer Fun 2026 Information packet is here! Thanks to a generous gift from a donor, we are offering more sessions than ever and have almost tripled the number of youth we served last year.This…

05/13/2026

Harnett County 4-H Summer Fun registration opens Monday, May 18, at 12:30 PM! Thanks to a generous donor, we are offering more than 500 program slots this summer, allowing us to serve nearly three times as many youth as in previous years.

We listened to your feedback from last year’s evaluations and expanded our Cloverbud offerings while also bringing back favorite sessions, including the STEM Racing Camp.

Information about all workshops, along with the full summer schedule, can be found on our Harnett County 4-H Summer Fun webpage. https://harnett.ces.ncsu.edu/4-h-summer-fun-3/

Please note that workshops may still fill quickly, so be ready to complete the Google Registration Forms when registration opens at 12:30 PM on May 18.

We will use two Google Forms for registration this year:
4-H Cloverbuds Registration: Cloverbud Registration Form
https://go.ncsu.edu/hc4h.googleform.cloverbuds
4-H Members Ages 8–18 Registration: 4-H Member Registration Form
https://go.ncsu.edu/hc4h.googleform

These links will direct you to the Summer Fun webpage until registration opens on May 18 at 12:30 PM.

We encourage you to explore the workshop options now and get ready to sign up for a fun-filled summer with Harnett County 4-H!

Jackie L. Helton 4-H Agent
Gabbie Buchanan 4-H Agent
Azlyn Raja NC State Summer Intern

4-H Summer Fun 2026 Information packet is here! Thanks to a generous gift from a donor, we are offering more sessions than ever and have almost tripled the number of youth we served last year.This…

05/12/2026

Hands-on learning in the fresh air! Don’t miss this workshop!
🐝🌿 Who’s helpful and who’s harmful? Find out at our “Good Bugs, Bad Bugs” workshop in the Extension Gardens!

04/29/2026

Navigating SNAP benefits is a matter of strategy. Here are three quick tips to help you get the most out of every dollar:

Double your food dollars: Many farmers' markets offer programs that match your SNAP spending on fresh fruits and vegetables.

Shop the sales: Check your store's weekly flyer before you go. Combining SNAP with store discounts is a total game-changer.

Buy seeds and seedlings: A little-known SNAP rule allows you to use your benefits to purchase seeds and food-producing plants. Turn your EBT into a backyard garden for a continuous supply of herbs and vegetables!

For more information about SNAP, contact the More In My Basket team. They can help you complete an application if you are likely eligible, and they can answer all your questions. Call today 855-240-1451.

04/25/2026

Thank you to our Spring Lake Tractor Supply for gifting Harnett County 4-H and gift card. Tractor Supply is a National 4-H partner that supports 4-H through 4-H Paper Clover sales twice a year. The funds from those sales allow us to offset the cost of 4-H Camp and 4-H Happy Congress for our club members. So please visit your local Tractor Supply and purchase some 4-H Paper Clovers!