R.M. “Pete” Thompson Agriculture Scholarship Awarded to Lilly Bunch

Mary Morris, CED & Family and Consumer Sciences Agent

Pete Thompson had a long career with N.C. Cooperative Extension and was the County Extension Director here in Chowan County from 1970-81. Pete graduated from North Carolina State University with a degree in Agriculture Education and worked in Northampton, Johnston, and Perquimans Counties before coming to Chowan County. After retirement, he worked as an Agricultural Consultant and was later elected to the General Assembly. He will be forever remembered for his infectious smile.

The Pete Thompson scholarship was established through donations from 200 citizens in his honor. The R.M. “Pete” Thompson Scholarship is a scholarship awarded every year to a youth from Chowan County who is pursuing higher education concentrating in studies related to Agriculture and Natural Resources at North Carolina State University.

This year’s awardee is Lilly Bunch a 2020 Graduate of John A. Holmes High School. Lilly has been enrolled at College of the Albemarle this past year and will be entering North Carolina State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to major in Agriculture Science with concentrations in crop and soil science in the Fall of 2021. She has aspirations of moving back to the area and being a Nutrient Waste Management Specialist. This summer Lilly will be taking summer courses at COA as well as working for the second summer at Tidewater Agronomics. After completing her summer classes, she will transfer to NC State University two credits away from being a Junior. Her goal is to graduate with a Bachelors Degree in Agriculture Science in 2023.

Lilly Bunch, awardee of this year’s R.M. “Pete” Thompson Ag. Scholarship.

Pete Thompson when serving as County Extension Director in Chowan County.

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Pie

Camaryn Byrum, 4-H Agent

School is out for the summer! Celebrate by making this dessert with your kids. This recipe combines two things kids love, ice cream and Oreos!

Ingredients

Crust –

• Vegetable oil spray
• 16 Oreo cookies, broken into large pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling –

• 2 pints cookies and cream ice cream
• 8 Oreo cookies, broken into large pieces
• 2 cups whipped cream

Directions

For the crust –

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 9-inch pie plate with vegetable oil spray.
2. Add 16 Oreo cookies (broken into large pieces) to food processor and lock lid into place. Hold down pulse button for 1 second, then release. Repeat until cookies are coarsely ground, about fifteen 1-second pulses.
3. Turn on food processor and process until crumbs are uniformly fine, about 15 seconds. Stop processor and remove lid. Add melted butter to processor and lock lid back into place. Turn on processor and process until mixture resembles wet sand, about 15 seconds.
4. Stop processor, remove lid, and carefully remove processor blade (ask an adult for help). Use rubber spatula to scrape mixture into greased pie plate. Use your hands to press crumbs into even layer covering bottom and sides of pie plate.
5. Place pie plate in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Use oven mitts to remove pie plate from oven (ask an adult for help). Place pie plate on cooling rack and let crust cool completely, about 30 minutes.

For the filling –

1. Remove ice cream from freezer and let soften on counter for 10 to 15 minutes. In large bowl, combine softened ice cream and remaining 8 Oreo cookies (broken into large pieces). Use back of large spoon to mash until well combined.
2. Use rubber spatula to transfer ice cream mixture to cooled crust, and smooth the top. Cover pie with plastic wrap and freeze until filling is completely frozen, at least 3 hours or up to 1 week.
3. Slice pie into wedges. Dollop each piece of pie with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Recipe from: The Complete Baking Cookbook for Young Chefs

North Carolina Trees & Storms Webinar Series

Katy Shook, Area Horticulture Agent

The NC Urban Forest Council is hosting a two-part North Carolina Trees & Storms webinar series for homeowners. Webinar 1, “Getting Your Trees Ready for the Storm,” will be held Tuesday, June 8 from 7 to 8 p.m. The speaker will share tips for proper tree selection and placement. Participants will learn how to hire an arborist and what to expect when they visit. Finally, participants will learn what makes a particular tree or portion of a tree more prone to failure during the storm and how to prevent substantial losses to keep a landscape safe and the trees healthy.

Webinar 2, “Now that the Storm has Passed, Plan for the Future,” will be held Thursday, June 17 from 7 to 8 p.m. In this session, participants will be guided through a typical clean-up response once the storm has passed. The speaker will share insights into what trees can be readily saved and what trees may require removal. Finally, the speaker will help participants think about future planting projects, and how to work with arborists to develop long-term plans for proper tree management that will keep the landscape healthy and beautiful for years to come, no matter what the storms may bring.

The presenter for both webinars is Dr. Barb Fair, NC State Extension Specialist. A link will be emailed to registrants prior to the webinar. Both webinars are free and open to the public. Register online.

Two free, upcoming webinars will discuss tree and storm readiness, response, and recovery.