N.C. Cooperative Extension - Johnston County Center

10/01/2026

Bruce Woodard served the people of Johnston County from 1976 - 1986 as the first County Extension Director. His predecessors did similar work under the title of County Extension Chairman. He was recruited for Johnston County by then Chair of the Johnston County Commissioners, Norman C. Denning. His life accomplishments were notable and some are highlighted in his obituary below. The Extension staff members of the Johnston County Center join his family in the celebration of his life and the legacy of community service that he modeled during his career. We hope that the work we do today pays tribute to his legacy and continues to meet the needs of farmers, youth, and families in our county. Please join us in honoring the life of Bruce Woodard.

View Bruce Henry Woodard's obituary, send flowers, find service dates, and sign the guestbook.

09/03/2026

Our Fall Fruit & Nut Tree Sale has begun! Be sure to place your orders by scanning the QR code below or clicking the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkI6gzZNQpu2-ZozBcUww-_6A1ZUaAVl5sDE99oJD_hmjO6Q/viewform

09/03/2026

Important InformationAnimal Waste Upcoming ClassesNative Warm Season GrassesIs it Worth the Trouble?The Fence Line EffectTrailer Packing TipsDehydration: Another Option for Mortality

08/14/2026

It's that time!

08/05/2026

Before they release a final UDO draft to the public, Johnston County Commissioners want to make sure they’re OK with its proposed land-use rules.

They’ll discuss those during a special meeting at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, in the Commissioners Meeting Room at the Courthouse in Smithfield.

The meeting will be open to the public, and the County will stream it live on its YouTube channel at youtube.com/jocogovnc .

07/22/2026

Come join us on Tuesday, August 18, 2026 5PM-8PM

Attendance is free

There will be a sponsored meal at 5PM

Johnston County Ag Center, 2736 NC 210 HWY, Smithfield 27577

Pesticide Credits Pending

Please Register by Friday, August 14.

For information, please call the Johnston County Ag Center at (919) 989-5380, or email at [email protected].

https://go.ncsu.edu/strawberrypreplantjoco

07/22/2026

Can drones help to***co growers save valuable time in the field?

Growing flue-cured to***co in North Carolina requires timely sucker control applications. Unfortunately, those applications often fall during periods of heavy rainfall. When fields are too wet for traditional ground sprayers, growers can lose valuable time, and uncontrolled suckers can reduce the quality and value of the crop.

That is where spray drones may offer a solution. Drones can apply products without driving through wet fields, but they use much lower carrier volumes than traditional equipment. For this study, three rates of maleic hydrazide, or MH, are being tested: 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 gallons per acre. The drone treatments are applied at 4 gallons per acre, while a backpack sprayer with a three-nozzle boom simulates a traditional ground rig at 50 gallons per acre. Researchers are working to determine how that difference affects sucker control and chemical residues.

These on-farm test plots were established at Sullivan Farms and Triple B Farms to compare drone applications with conventional methods under real North Carolina growing conditions.

The research is part of Luke Szoch’s master’s project at NC State. Luke is a graduate student in Crop and Soil Sciences working alongside NC State researchers, Cooperative Extension and local growers to learn whether spray drones can become another reliable tool for to***co production.

Research like this helps provide growers with real data before new technology is adopted in the field. Stay tuned as the team continues evaluating sucker control, residue levels and overall crop performance! 🌱

JoCo Grows Agriculture
NC State Extension
Triple B Farms, Inc.
Sullivan Farms
NC State University - Department of Crop & Soil Sciences

06/24/2026

We are excited to welcome Teresa Palma to our team!

JOHNSON COUNTY, N.C. – NC State Extension is pleased to welcome Teresa Palma as the Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent serving Johnston County. A native of Bath,...

05/29/2026

There's still time to sign up and get a tour of Lee's Fresh Market processing and retail space. 9-11 tomorrow morning!

Have you ever wanted to see what a local niche meat processing facility looks like? Come take a tour of the facilities at Lee's Fresh Market and learn about how a local processor seeks to meet the needs of the public from custom slaughter to niche product availability. We will have the opportunity to tour the slaughter facilities (no slaughter occurs on Saturdays) as well as processing, storage and retail facilities.
Since re-branding and building retail space a few years ago, Lee's Fresh Market has worked to become a destination for customers seeking fresh meats, poultry and seafood. They also carry a variety of frozen vegetables, barbecue sauces and old-fashioned candies.
Space is limited, so please RSVP at https://go.ncsu.edu/jctour