Perry-winkle Farm has collaborated with Cooperative Extension on on-farm research projects as well as a cut flower farmer mentoring program. Here Cathy explains the importance of postharvest handling to a group of cut flower growers in front of a refrigerated truck body which serves as the farm's walk-in cooler.

Cathy talks with growers about cut flower production at a field day and farm tour.

Perry-winkle Farm often participates in farm tours, hosting various groups of both farmers and non-farmers who are interested in learning more about local agriculture.

Cathy explains to the cut flower mentoring program participants how Calendula flower petals are removed and mixed with salad greens as part of a premium salad mix. Local grower Judy Lessler gets a up-close view.

Cathy demonstrates the proper stage of development for harvesting sunflowers for the cut flower mentoring program participants. The class met for three hours every other week during the summer of 2006 and often ended with a walk through the fields.

The cut flower mentoring program participants talk about harvesting Gomphrena and other cuts.

Faculty from North Carolina State University often enlist Extension to help in finding farms willing to host researchers. Perry-winkle is always a popular stop. These yellow sticky traps were placed around the farm to monitor thrips, a tiny sucking insect that damages flowers and vegetables.

This researcher samples thrips from a weed growing on the farm. She was interested in learning which species were present on the farm.

Perry-winkle Farm collaborated with the Chatham County Extension Center on two on-farm research projects. The first project evaluated the efficacy of using parasitic Pediobius wasps to control the Mexican bean beetle, a major pest of snap beans. The wasps are purchased through the mail and arrive in a vial of "mummies", bean beetle larvae that have been parasitized. A couple of days after arrival, the wasps complete their metamorphosis from pupa to adult and hatch from the mummies. Here Cathy releases the newly-emerged wasps in the bean field. The wasps are so tiny they are barely visible with the naked eye! The white "cages" shown above are the control plots where row covers were used to exclude wasps from beans.

Another on-farm research plot evaluated the use of cut flowers as beneficial insect habitat for Trichogramma and braconid wasps, parasitoids of tomato fruitworm and tomato hornworm.

Veterinary students from North Carolina State University make regular trips to Perry-winkle Farm to learn about pasture-based poultry systems.