How it began:

Famers started Nickels for Know-How in a referendum held November 3, 1951.  The General Assembly authorized a vote on the self-help program after it had been requested by the North Carolina Farm Bureau and the NC State Grange.

How it works:

Manufacturers originally added a nickel - five cents - to the price of their feed and fertilizers to support the referendum.  Over time, the amount collected has increased to 15 cents.

Who can vote:

If you or your family buy feed or fertilizer, you can vote.  Consumers decide every six years if they wish to continue the program.  If two thirds of the voters vote "Yes" in the referendum, the Nickels for Know-How program will continue for another six years.

Where to vote:

In Burke County, there will be three polling places open from 8:00 - 5:00 on Tuesday, November 1, 2016. 

Burke County Cooperative Extension Office

130 Ammons Drive, Morganton

Belle Farm

3851 Kathy Road, Morganton

Homer's Feed & Seed 

305 3rd Street, Hildebran 

 

Are you a scrapbooker or card maker? Would you like to spend a day with others who share your passion for this hobby? If so you'll want to attend the Fall 4-H Crop on Saturday, November 5th at the Burke County Agricultural Building in Morganton. This crop offers a great place to spread out your materials on your own 6-foot table, loading and unloading assistance, continental breakfast, lunch and snacks throughout the day, door prizes and goody bags. Vendors will be onsite and participants will have access to a computer and printer as well as Cricut and Sizzix.

 

 

The Extension Cookbook will be available soon; just in time for holiday gift giving.  The cost of the cookbook will be $15.  Check our website or Facebook page for updates on when the books are here. 

The Secret to Growing Great Onions

If you have ever planted onions only to grow a lackluster harvest of small bulbs, your growing technique may not be the issue. You may have started with the wrong onion. There are three types of onions, each one better suited for a certain part of the country. If you plant the wrong one, you may not get much of a harvest. Here's how to tell which onion is right for you.

How Onions Grow

Onions form bulbs in response to day-length. When the number of daylight hours reaches a certain level, onion plants start bulbing, or forming bulbs. Long-day onions need about 14 to 15 hours of daylight to bulb. Short-day onions need 10 hours of daylight. Day-neutral onions form bulbs regardless of daylight hours and produce well in almost any region. As soon as day-length hits the 10-hour mark, a short-day onion starts forming a bulb. If the top of the plant hasn't had enough time to grow big and lush, the resulting bulb will be small. Conversely, if you live where day-length never hits 14 hours, long-day onions will never form a bulb. All you'll get are green leaves. By choosing the right type of onion for your region, you'll get healthy green stems that are large enough to fuel forming fat and tasty bulbs.

Choosing the Right Onion for You

Planting onion seedlings ensures a good start for both green onions and bulbing.

Which onion type you should plant depends on where you live.
Burke County is in zone 7. 

• In the South, summer days don't vary as much in length from winter ones. This region includes zone 7 and warmer. If you garden in this area, grow short-day onions.

Types of Onions

Short-day onions

• Form bulbs with 10 to 12 hours of daylight
• Need mild winter climate (zone 7 or warmer)
• Planted in fall, mature in late spring
• Can be grown in the North, but bulbs don't get as large
• Matures in 110 days in the South with fall planting, 75 days in the North with spring planting
• Examples: Georgia Sweet, Sweet Red, Texas Super Sweet, Texas Sweet White 

When to Plant

You want to tuck onions into soil at the right time to allow them a long growing season for top growth (leaves), which is necessary to yield plump bulbs. In general, follow these planting guidelines:

• Short-day onions: In zone 7 and warmer, plant in fall, grow through winter, harvest in late spring.

Burke County 4-H County Council

November 7, 2016

5:30 pm

The program will be on project record books and planning the holiday service project.  

Burke County Beekeepers Meeting

November 8, 2016 at 6:30 pm

The Burke County Beekeepers Association (BCBA) meets monthly at the Burke County Agricultural Building located at 130 Ammons Drive in Morganton.  There is a featured speaker each month and the public is invited to attend. The BCBA is a chapter of the North Carolina State Beekeepers Association.

The program for the November meeting will be conducted by Travis Snodgrass. Travis is a pesticide inspector with NCDA. Travis will address "Bee Watch" a program designed to give a measure of protection to bee yards when a pesticide is being applied nearby.

Farm City Week Celebration

November 29, 2016

Join Burke County Cooperative Extension on Tuesday, Nov. 29th at the Marque Cinemas in Morganton for a viewing of "Farmland - The Evolution of a Tradition," to celebrate 2016 Farm City Week.  Participants will have the opportunity to view this documentary and have discussion about the importance of Agriculture to our community.  To find out more or to get a ticket, contact our office at (828) 764-9480. 

 

• Cows should be turned out on stockpiled pastures which were set aside and fertilized in August.
• Begin supplementary winter feeding when needed.
• Have forages tested and properly balance winter rations.
• Excellent hay can be harvested from cool season grasses this month. Avoid baling hay that is too high in moisture as drying conditions are often slower this time of year.
• Cattle herds should be split into the following categories for winter feeding; replacement heifers, bred heifers, bulls, backgrounding steers, and dry cows. Each category has different nutritional requirements.  Suggested winter rations for each of these categories can be found in the Burke County Cattle Management Calendar or from your Extension Agent.
• Mares due to foal in February should be removed from fescue pastures at this time and fed a forage other than fescue to avoid endophyte related foaling problems.