Christmas Tree Safety
Christmas tree lots have sprung up all over town and at least every third car seems to have a tree tied to the top. Decorations are appearing in yards and on houses so I think it's about time to talk about Christmas tree safety.
There are things that we can do to keep our cut trees fresh and safe throughout the holiday season. We are fortunate in this area to have such easy access to fraser fir trees because they hold their needles much better than other trees. But even fraser firs need to be treated properly to insure long lasting freshness.
Store your tree in an unheated sheltered area until ready to decorate. Keep it out of the sun. Make a fresh cut across the base of the trunk so the tree will be able to take up water. Use a tree stand that holds at least a gallon of water and check the water level often. Tree preservatives aren't necessary. Set the tree up in a cool area, away from fireplaces and heat vents and check the lights for any exposed wiring or shorts before putting them on the tree.
Always remember to unplug your tree before going to bed or when leaving the house. Safety is really about doing the reasonable and responsible thing. A live Christmas tree can be both safe and enjoyable for everyone. Just use your head and enjoy the holiday season.
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Impact of Cow Size on Nutrient Needs
Cattle producers are constantly working on getting ready for winter, and although hay supplies may seem adequate, some may find they didn't plan correctly. In planning for the winter feed supply, producers need to understand nutrient needs for different body size.
Nutrient needs for cows of different body weights are not the same. Cows that weigh 1,300 pounds have greater nutrient requirements, compared to cows that weigh 1,000 pounds. If a 1,000-pound cow and a 1,300-pound cow are grazing the same forage resource, the 1,300-pound cow will need to consume more of that forage to meet her requirements. Maintenance feed intake is proportional to metabolic body weight, which is described as body weight to the 3/4 power (body wt.3/4). Metabolic body weight isn't just the weight of the animal, but also describes the surface area of the animal. Heavier cows eat more feed to meet their requirements. The question is: how much more do heavier cows eat?? Data suggests that for each 10% increase in body weight, there is not a 10% increase in maintenance feed intake. The data suggests about a 7% increase in feed intake for each 10% increase in live weight. A 1,300-pound cow is will consume 22% more feed than the 1,000-pound female although there is a 30% difference in body weight.
Keep these thoughts in mind when planning for the winter ahead, so that your cattle will be able to meet their nutrient requirements.
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Slow Cooking Safe Meals
Who can resist coming home after a long day of work to dinner already cooked and only one pot to clean? Slow cookers are a fall and winter staple, and with proper use, they are a completely safe and energy efficient way to serve up your favorite meals during this busy holiday season. Follow these tips to ensure the food coming out of your slow cooker is delicious and safe:
- Slow cooking is a great way to tenderize tougher, less expensive cuts of meat. Follow your slow cooker's manufacturers guidelines and recipes to ensure food is reaching proper temperatures while cooking.
- Start with clean hands, equipment, and utensils.
- ALWAYS thaw any meat or poultry before putting it in a slow cooker. If frozen pieces are used, they may not reach a safe temperature quick enough and could possibly result in foodborne illness. There are only three safe ways of thawing food; in the refrigerator, under cold (70°F) running water, and in the microwave (if being cooked immediately).
- Preheat your slow cooker and add hot liquids, if possible. Preheating or cooking on the highest setting for the first hour will ensure rapid heating of the food and may reduce time it spends in the Temperature Danger Zone (41°F - 135°F) where bacteria can grow at rapid rates.
- Never use the warm setting to cook food. It is designed to keep food hot once it has finished cooking.
- Avoid lifting the lid when cooking, if possible. Each time the lid is raised, internal temperature of the slow cooker drops 10-15 degrees and cook time is slowed by 30 minutes.
- ALWAYS check the internal temperature of meat and poultry with a food thermometer before taking a bite. Minimum internal cooking temperatures - Roasts: 145°F; Poultry: 165°F, Soups, stews & sauces: 165°F.
- Do not leave cooked food in the slow cooker to cool. Eat food immediately or separate into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.
- Do not reheat leftovers in a slow cooker. Reheat in a microwave or stovetop (to internal temperature of 165°F) and keep warm (at 135°F or above) in slow cooker, if needed.
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Empowering Youth and Families
Burke County is excited to announce that we will be offering the
Empowering Youth and Families Program beginning in 2019. This program
is comprised of 4 core elements which provide intensive relationship and communication education for families with a focus on providing research-based information about the impact and statistics related to opioid misuse specifically to help youth and families make informed healthy decisions.
We are currently looking for partners that would like to become certified facilitators for the program. There will be a 3-day required training in January 2019. Following the training, we will be recruiting families to participate in a 12 week cohort. If you are interested in learning more, or becoming a partner, please call Spring Williams-Byrd (828)764-9480 or send an email to
spring_williams@ncsu.edu
.
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Additional counties may be eligible for agricultural disaster assistance
Farmers urged to sign up by the Dec. 10 deadline
RALEIGH - Farmers with damage from Tropical Storm Michael may be eligible for disaster assistance from the Hurricane Florence Agricultural Disaster Program of 2018. The $240 million bill approved today by the N.C. General Assembly would help farmers with storm damage and agricultural losses from both Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael.
The program will directly assist farmers who suffered losses to commodities planted but not harvested before Sept. 13, 2018 and livestock. The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will administer the program.
"With only two weeks left in the sign-up period, farmers cannot afford to wait to sign up for assistance," said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. "The application process takes about 30 minutes per farm and assistance is available through N.C. Cooperative Extension and the NCDA&CS disaster hotline at 1-866-6459403."
The seven additional counties pending a federal disaster declaration include: Avery, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Watauga and Yadkin counties. With this addition, 61 of the state's 100 counties would have received either a primary Presidential or Secretarial-disaster declaration.
"Both Hurricane Florence and Tropical Storm Michael had significant impacts to agriculture," said Troxler. "Without this immediate assistance, it will be difficult for many farmers to continue operations."
Initial estimates for crop damage and livestock losses to North Carolina's agriculture industry from Hurricane Florence are estimated at $1.1 billion.
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4-H Discovery Night - Christmas Parade!
December 4, 2018 
Burke County 4-Hers will meet at the Extension Office at 5pm to leave for Discovery Night. Nicki Carpenter will drive the van and others can follow to downtown Morganton for Christmas Parade. Following the parade, we will return to the office for hot cocoa and a cookie swap! Please bring 2 dozen of your favorite cookie (12 for us to eat and 12 to swap). We will also find time for dinner as well.
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2019 Winter Vegetable Conference 
& Annual Tomato Growers Meeting
Event Date
: February 20th and 21st, 2019
Time
: 9:30 am Wednesday through lunch on Thursday
Location
: Crowne Plaza Resort, Asheville, NC
Cost
: $40 per person with pre-registration prior to February 7th.
Registration at the door is $50
Conference Contact
: To exhibit or sponsor, or for more information, contact Ellen Moss at 828-685-3989,
ellen_moss@yahoo.com
.
Description:
This is the largest commercial vegetable grower event in the region with a high quality educational program put together by vegetable extension specialist/agents at NC State University Cooperative Extension. There will also be a trade show and a fundraiser that supports student scholarships. The program will include presentations on many different topics to help vegetable growers. The final program will be completed in December 2018. Topics will include such things as Management of Foliar Diseases of Tomato, Using Chemigation to Manage Phytophthora Blight, Breeding for Late Blight Resistance and Tolerance to Bacterial Spot and Verticillium Wilt, Evaluation of Tomato Lines for Late Blight Resistance, Flavonoids in Tomato, Evaluation of Insecticides for Key Pests of Fruiting Vegetable Crops, Native Natural Enemies on Biological Control of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug, Growing Industrial Hemp for Cannabinoids in Western North Carolina, to name a few. There will be a sponsored lunch and awards program at noon on Thursday. Pesticide credits will be offered.
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Dine In Device-Free Day
December 3, 2018
Join families across the country as they "Dine In
Device-Free" on Dec. 3rd in celebration of home prepared meals.
Celebrate with the National Extension Association of Family & Consumer Sciences as we "Dine In
Device-Free" for Healthy Families. Take the pledge to eat together at
aafcs.org/fcsday/home or on Twitter, #FCSday and #diningin4fam or on
Facebook - American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences.
Families that eat together save money; eat more vegetables, reduce substance abuse in teens and strengthen family bonds. Plan your next family meal today.
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Poinsettias for the Holidays
Many homes in the area have one or more poinsettias in residence for the holiday season. This holiday plant is a native of Mexico and was first introduced to this country in the 1800s by Joel Poinsett, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.
The poinsettia is a tropical plant and keeping it healthy and vigorous in our climate does take some specialized care. Care should be taken when buying a poinsettia, to keep it away from wind and cold. The plant should not be placed in the trunk of the car and should be taken home as soon as possible and put in a warm location. They do not tolerate drafts, nor do they like hot air from heat vents or fireplaces. Poinsettias do best at temperatures between 50 and 75 degrees. Light requirements are also pretty specific. Poinsettias like bright indirect light but not full sun. Direct sunlight will fade the brightly colored bracts of the plant.
When choosing a poinsettia, pick a plant with dark green foliage and brightly colored bracts. Brown leaves and faded colors can mean that a plant has been chilled and is in a state of decline. Never buy a plant thinking that you can save it. The best way to enjoy a poinsettia is to buy a nice, healthy plant and enjoy it until it begins to fade. It is then best to discard the plant and purchase a new one next year.
Although it is rumored that poinsettias are poisonous, they are not. The white, milky sap can cause a slight skin irritation in some people but they are not harmful to humans or pets.
There is certain to be a poinsettia out there to suit everyones's needs. They come in many different sizes, and with over a hundred varieties and colors to choose from, the right plant for any situation is out there waiting.
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 4-H Update
December
December 1, 2018
The Winter Scrapbooking Crop Fundraiser will be held at the Burke County Agricultural Building. 4-H youth and adult volunteers are needed to assist crop patrons with set up and take down. Let Nicki know if you can help at these times: 7:45-8:45am and/or 5:15-6:15pm. Clover Cash will be awarded along with counting as county level community service.
December 4, 2018
4-H Discovery Night. We will plan to leave the Extension office at 5pm (I will drive van, others can follow). We will go downtown to watch the Morganton parade supporting fellow 4-H'ers participating with other groups. Following the parade, we will return to the office for hot cocoa and a cookie swap! Please bring 2 dozen of your favorite cookie (12 for us to eat and 12 to swap). I'm sure we will have dinner in that time as well.
December 17, 2018
A Candy Making Class will be held on Monday, December 17, 2018 at 5:30pm. at the Extension office. Bring enough supplies to make 2 batches of your favorite candy. We will taste some that evening and take some home. Please call the office at 828-764-9480 to sign up with your name (individual/family) and item you will make. We already have a wide variety on the list. No cost for this class. This will be a fun experience. Peanuts WILL be present so be aware if you have allergies.
Extension Cookbooks will make awesome holiday gifts! 4-H'ers that sell 10 cookbooks will receive a $10 gift card! Holiday Cookbook special price is 2 for $25.
Upcoming 4-H Deadlines
January 8, 2019: All award applications, project record books and portfolios are due. Club charter applications/renewals are due. Community Service hours are due to the agent.
February 1, 2019: Club and At-Large Scrapbooks are due. 4-H Online registration/enrollment/medical forms are due.
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Burke County Beekeepers
Monday, December 10, 2018
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.
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Med Instead of Meds Class
January 18 - February 22, 2019
Start off the new year right with Med Instead of Meds! The Mediterranean-style eating pattern incorporates the basics of healthy eating that are traditionally practiced in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. Eating like those who live in the Mediterranean region has been shown to promote health and decrease the risk of many chronic diseases, such as some cancers, Alzheimer's, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease. Are you interested in learning to eat the Mediterranean way, but not sure where to start
? If so, join N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke County Center on Friday Mornings from 10 am - 12 noon beginning January 18 through February 22, 2019 for Med Instead of Meds!
Med Instead of Meds is a six- session class series focused on a healthy Mediterranean style eating pattern (aka, eating the Med Way). Classes focus on the 7 simple steps to eating the Med Way. Each session explores 1-2 simple steps, a mindfulness skill, and features med way recipes from
medinsteadofmeds.com. Food demonstration or cooking instruction is included in each session. Class series is $10.
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