Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mountain Research Station

Ten hours of continuing education are required to keep my ornamental and turf commercial pesticide applicators license current during the five year period it is valid. Without these credits the license will expire and I will have to take the test again. Not that that would be much of a strain, but taking the classes is some what enjoyable and it takes me places I haven't been yet.



For the first time I went to a class at the Haywood County Cooperative Extension Center. I had not been down this road before.



The Haywood County Extension office is across the street from the Mountain Research Station.



Who knew a rural state government facility could be so picturesque.



Granted they are trying to educate and set an example. This was one very tidy facility.



Now if they had only had big picture windows in the classrooms across the street, two hours of talk on calibrating pesticide applications and personal and environmental safety precautions would have been even more enjoyable.

11 comments:

Les said...

I have to sit through a similar session every two years, and I do not look forward to it. Since I work in a largely agricultural area, most attendees are farmers and that is who the recertification is geared to. The highlight last year was the bilingual movie concerning pestacide safety. The actors were the same in both versions being fluent in Enlish and Spanish. I also enjoyed the manure management film. Both were much more engaging than the sprayer calibration video.

Carol Michel said...

Very picturesque. You live in a very pretty area of the country!

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Those barns and silos are impressive. Pumpkins are piling up around here too. It is difficult to believe there is a pumpkin shortage due to the wet cool spring we had.

Anonymous said...

Yes, but they don't have the windows so you will pay attention, haha!
What a beautiful part of the country you live in, Christopher. You must miss Hawaii, but this is a worthy substitute.

bev

Lola said...

What a fantastic view. I would never learn anything looking out upon the mtns like that.
Sure would like to see a big pumpkin patch like that.It's not quite the same down here.

Gail said...

Some of my continuing ed is just as dry! If I could get a small silo on my property...I'd use it for an office~~with windows added! gail

chuck b. said...

Why did they have pumpkins?

Christopher C. NC said...

Because it is fall?

Jeanine Davis said...

Your photos are stunning. Thanks for making them available to all of us. As for the comments about the beauty of the Mountain Research Station, you should see some of the others in the system. There are 18 in all. Another favorite of mine for the views is the Upper Mtn. Research Station in Laurel Springs. I'm located at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research Station in Mills River. A good place to get shots of amazing new ornamental trees and shrubs. Come by and see us there sometime. As for the pumpkins at the Mtn Research Station, those are part of the multi-state research project to evaluate varieties for the region. After they are finished collecting data on them all, they will make some available for sale to the public.

Christopher C. NC said...

My goodness. Hi there Jeanine. I'll have to look up the Mills River site and see about stopping by. I do recall almost taking a class there but the date didn't work out. I have been reading and regularly reference your book with Scott Persons on Green Gold. I have just the right conditions for a lucrative woodland crop.

Jeanine Davis said...

Small world (and wet one, right now)! If you want to plant some 'sang, this is a good time to order seeds. Maybe put some goldenseal and ramps in, too.