|
Pasture Savings Account
Pastures are like a savings account, the more time and effort that you put in, the more return on your investment. In order to have a productive pasture, there are several yearly maintenance tasks that need to be accomplished.
First, producers should take soil samples to determine what their pastures require for optimum fertility. Anything less is purely a guess. By knowing what your pastures require, you can get the most out of your fertilizer dollars, which is vital to profitability. Over fertilizing forages with an improper soil pH will not maximize production. By using proper fertilizer rates and adjusting soil pH levels, yields will be increased to optimum levels and producers can set the stage for long-term forage productivity.
Cool season pastures will always suffer varying degrees of stand loss, and fall is ideal to reseed fescue and Orchardgrass. Try to fill in bare spots, and feeding areas to prevent weed invasion. By preventing avenues of opportunity, producers can lessen weed problems, as they will fill these bare areas if you do not. Also, research has shown that increased fly populations can result, from round bale feeding areas. The problem is that the mud, manure and wasted hay around hay rings can create an ideal environment for stable fly production. By cleaning up these areas and reseeding them, producers can actually lower stable fly populations. That is an added bonus that alone makes it worth the effort. The job of reseeding can be done most effectively with a no-till drill as this ensures good seed to soil contact, and I remind you that the Burke Soil and Water Conservation District has one for rent at a cost of eight dollars per acre, or a forty dollar minimum for less than five acres.
Seeding clovers into existing grass stands is also a great idea, as some Ladino varieties can return up to 150 lbs of nitrogen to the soil, which greatly reduces fertilizer requirements and also reduces the effects of the fescue endophyte fungus. Producers are encouraged to maintain at least 25 % clover to help soil fertility and increase weight gains during the summer slump. Clover can be frost seeded in February and early March, with a high degree of success, by simply broadcasting clover on a cold morning when the ground is frozen. The freezing and thawing of the soil will act to incorporate the seed into the ground. Be sure that the seed has been inoculated or inoculate yourself, because if not, it will not return any nitrogen to the soil. Ladino clover lends itself well to grazing and 2 to 4 lbs of seed to the acre is ideal. Red clover can be used as well, at 4 to 6 lbs. of seed to the acre. Red clover will tolerate poorer soils and lower soil pH levels, so it has a place in our forage production. Producers could choose to seed both types in their pastures, and the truth is, the more variety of forages you have, the better off you are.
When renovating pastures, make it a point to give them the added rest time they need to recover and for young seedlings to become established before grazing them. Give them time to grow, or you have wasted your time and money.
By planning now and using best management practices, livestock producers can reduce input costs, and make a valiant effort to retain as wide a profit margin as possible. Changing economies and inflation are inevitable, but producers should continue to invest in their pasture savings account and benefit from the interest.
|
It's Vole Hunting Season
Most folks do not even know what voles are, but anyone who has ever experienced the devastation that voles can cause will never forget them. Voles are in the rodent family and look like mice. There are two types of voles: the pine vole, which is about three inches long and the meadow vole, which is about five inches long.
Homeowners don't usually realize that voles are present until they begin seeing damage in their landscapes and flowerbeds. They eat bulbs and roots and even the trunks of small ornamentals. Plants will begin to wilt and will be completely loose in the ground where the vole has eaten the roots or bulbs. They can also girdle trees and are a particular nuisance to apple growers.
Pine voles do most of their damage under the ground. They live in burrows and only come out at night. They dig holes about 1 1/2 inches in diameter right beside the plants they destroy. They will however come out long enough to scurry to another burrow and sometimes their trails are visible. Pine voles are probably more of a problem in this area than meadow voles.
Meadow voles do their damage above ground and can kill trees by eating the bark all the way around the trunk at ground level. Close inspection will show teeth grooves in the wood.
Pine voles do the most damage to home plantings. They are active year round and the trick to controlling them is to set mousetraps by their holes baited with raw apple pieces. Cover the trap and hole with a bucket. The trap and hole must be covered because pine voles do not come above ground. The timing is also very important. Trapping is most successful when done between November and March when plants are dormant and food is scarce.
Meadow voles are more easily controlled by keeping all tall grass and weeds mown away from the base of trees. Be sure and keep mulch raked back from the base of ornamental trees. They can quickly kill a mature Bradford pear. Excessive mulch is a perfect vole habitat.
Tour your landscape and flowerbeds often and watch for holes and wilted plants. If you suspect that there are voles present start trapping them. These varmints are smart but you can win if you persevere.
|
Take Control - Controlling Your Fat Intake 
The holidays are fast approaching, time to celebrate with family, friends, and food! There are healthy food choices we can make when it comes to FATS, especially during the holidays. Fat is an essential nutrient that our bodies actually need. Fat provides energy and calories. Fat is also needed for our bodies to absorb and transport certain vitamins; however, not all fats are created equal. There are 3 types of fats:
Unsaturated fat, Saturated fat, and Trans-fat. Saturated and Trans-fats raise our risk of cardiovascular disease, while unsaturated fats can actually help lower our risk. Learn more about the difference among the three by clicking on the link above and choose wisely as you prepare your meals.
Here are a few tips you can begin practicing to help you make the transition from unhealthy fats to healthy fats easier and more beneficial for your health:
- Choose leaner cuts of meat; drain the fat when cooking, cut off the fat, or remove the skin before cooking and eating.
- Instead of eating meats with saturated fat, you can select fish that contain heart healthy fats.
- Choose beans over meat at least once or twice a week. Beans are a great source of protein that do not contain any saturated fat.
- Whenever possible, choose lower fat dairy products such as fat-free (skim) or low- fat (1%) fluid milk and yogurt. Look for skim or part-skim cheese (like mozzarella).
- Other dairy foods such as ice cream and pudding have a lot of added sugar and those should be limited regardless of if they're low-fat.
- Use the lowest fat version of milk whenever possible. If you drink whole milk (the red top milk), gradually change to fat-free milk by starting with 2%, then moving to 1% and finally to the fat-free version. If one of these changes is difficult, mix the milk you are currently drinking with the lower fat variety.
- Especially with cooking and baking, a lower fat milk often doesn't affect the taste or texture but will definitely reduce the saturated fat.
- Replace snack foods like chips, cookies, donuts with nuts, low-fat cheese, whole grain crackers, fruits and vegetables.
- Use mayonnaise made with olive or canola oil which replaces some of the saturated fat with the healthier fats.
- Nuts & seeds are heart healthy snacks which still have calories and should be consumed in moderation. Look for nuts/seeds without added salt.
- Choose healthier cooking methods that allow for you to use canola oil and olive oil such as roasting, stir frying, baking, grilling, steaming, sauteĢing, and crockpot/slow cooker.
Take Control of your health today. Be mindful of your fat intake by making small changes one step at a time. You'll come to notice replacing unhealthy fats with healthy fats may not make a big difference in the taste of your meals but it will definitely make a difference in your health for the better.
This information is provided by the SNAP-Ed Steps to Health - Take Control Program and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or healthcare provider. Please consult your healthcare provider for advice about a specific medical condition.
|
Is your electric pressure cooker still sitting in the box, and you're not sure where to start?
Learn how to prepare amazing dinners in a quarter of the time!
With the fast pace of life, slow cookers are a thing of the past - learn to cook it quickly under pressure!
Watch a demonstration and get some amazing recipes, tips, and tricks to conquer your fear of pressure cooking.
Registration fee is $10
Hurry, there are limited spots available!
|
4-H Update 
- No Discovery Night in November. Youth are encouraged to begin the finalization of their project record books as we approach the end of 2019.
- West District 4-H Fall Adult/Parent/Leader Day, Saturday November 16, 2019 10am-3pm. Fun hands-on workshops available, pack your own lunch. For payment and registration information, please call our office at 828-764-9480.
- Club parents/leaders, reminder this year our reporting system changed and each of your participating youth and caregivers need to be registered in the 4-H Online system. Each calendar year, participants must apply any updates and re-submit for active status.
|
Burke County Beekeepers 
Monday, November 11, 2019
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.
|
Extension Master Gardener Association Meeting
November 25, 2019
@ 9:30 am
The Extension Master Gardener Association of Burke
County meets monthly at the Burke County Agricultural Building. Each month there is a featured speaker or program and the public is invited to attend.
The November meeting will feature a program on What is Cooperative Extension? with Spring Williams-Byrd, County Extension Director.
|
|
|
NC State Extension is committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, political beliefs, family and marital status, sex, age, veteran status, sexual identity, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability.
|
|
|
|
|
|
