When it Comes to Pruning, Timing is Everything
Are those blue skies smiling at you? They are definitely smiling at me and it makes me want to work in the garden. I'm sure many folks feel the same way and they just have to get out there and do things. I get lots of pruning calls this time of year and there are some things that can be cut back now but there are also lots of plants that shouldn't be pruned this time of year.
Most evergreen shrubs can be pruned just as new growth starts. Also, plants that bloom early such as yellow bells, azaleas and rhododendrons should be pruned just as the flowers begin to fade. Later flowering trees such as crape myrtle and rose of sharon should be pruned in February so it is too late to prune now. Early flowering trees such as dogwood and redbud need to wait until flowering is finished. Right now is the perfect time to cut back last year's monkey grass. Mow it or use the weed eater to get rid of last year's scraggly growth. Prune back leggy rose bushes now. You might delay the first blooms just a bit but it won't matter. Don't let those knockouts get too big. Prune them now!
Timing is the most important thing a gardener needs to learn about pruning. It'll make or break your plants. So, if you're not sure, call before you cut! I can help you make those difficult pruning decisions.
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Don't Wash Your Chicken! 
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that about a million people get sick from contaminated raw poultry each year. While chicken is a common and nutritious protein source for Americans, it is commonly associated with campylobacter (found on close to half of commercially available chicken), salmonella, and clostridium perfringens bacteria. Infections from these bacteria can cause a wealth of gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps), and can be especially bad for those with compromised immune systems, including young, elderly, and pregnant people. While there is risk involved with handling raw poultry in the kitchen, there are several precautions you can take to significantly reduce that risk and give you a better chance of protecting yourself and your family from food borne illness.
While you may have grown up watching family members wash raw chicken before cooking, we are lucky that science has shown us the risk involved with washing meat in the kitchen sink. It is common belief among home cooks that washing poultry will rid the surface of any germs that may be present. In actuality, washing your chicken prior to cooking is more likely to spread harmful germs around the kitchen than get rid of them, which may, in turn, increase risk for foodborne illness. Research has shown that bacteria already present on raw chicken can travel up to 3 feet from where the meat is being washed. Think about what could be within 3 feet of your sink: maybe cutting boards, utensils, paper towels, or ready-to-eat foods? If bacteria is splashed, those things are all at risk of becoming vehicles of cross-contamination and food borne illness. Instead of washing your poultry, use cooking to 165°F as the method for bacteria removal.
If chicken is on your menu, use these tips to reduce risk of food borne illness in your home:
- Place chicken in disposable plastic bag before placing in your cart or refrigerator to prevent raw juices from contaminating other foods.
- Use a food thermometer to ensure poultry reaches proper internal cooking temperature of 165°F.
- Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds after handling raw poultry and use a one-use towel to dry.
- Use a separate cutting board for raw chicken.
- Sanitize cutting boards, utensils, dishes, and countertops after preparing raw chicken.
- Store raw poultry in the bottom of your refrigerator to prevent raw juices from dripping onto other foods.
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Empowering Youth and Families Program 
12 session special interest club for youth ages 10-14, in partnership with their caregivers, to improve family relationships and communication, develop civic engagement skills, provide service learning opportunities, and combat the opioid crisis in our communities.
What is the purpose of this program?
Empowering Youth and Families Program focuses on family relationships and communication and will build on the strong foundation already in place, but the goal of the program is much larger than just learning and growing as a family.
At the end of the twelve weekly sessions, a retreat for youth and their families is held at a campground. Youth and families from each county join with families from other counties to design community outreach events to engage people in their counties in the conversation about opioid prevention. After the retreat, youth and their caregivers continue with service learning to stage their community event.
Youth and their families in the program will reach and teach their counties to help prevent opioid misuse through knowledge and healthy behaviors.
What do we do?
Each session, youth ages 10-14 and their families meet to share dinner and fellowship with other families. Next, caregivers and youth will participate in separate sessions that provide age-appropriate training in the art of family building or information about opioid misuse. Finally, families will come back together to practice new skills and behaviors.
When will we meet?
The Empowering Youth and Families Program will meet at the Burke County Agricultural Building on Wednesday, April 3rd and then each of the following Tuesdays at 5:30 pm. (A schedule will be provided.) Depending on the needs of a youth's family, child care may be facilitated at the meeting site for children younger than 10 or older than 14 so that caregivers of the youth ages 10-14 can participate in programming.
Call (828) 764-9480 for more information about the Burke County Empowering Youth and Families Program or email erica_baxter@ncsu.edu.
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Container Gardening Workshop 
April 27, 2019
10:00 am
Ace Hardware in Morganton
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Developing Replacement Heifers
Developing replacement heifers that are sound, durable, and efficient additions to the cow herd is important to the viability of a beef producer. Whether purchased, or home grown, replacement heifers are a necessary expense to cattlemen and should be developed properly to insure long term success.
Producers should first be sure to get heifers to the target weight before breeding. This is generally recognized as 65% of their mature weight. So for a producer with a 1350 lb. average mature cow size, a heifer should weigh in at around 850-875 lbs. This shocks some producers, but as average cow size has increased, target weights have gone up in relation to these increases. This means heifers that are 650 lbs. at weaning, need to gain around 225 lbs. by breeding date. These heifers will need to gain around 1lb a day from weaning to the beginning of the breeding season to reach the target weight. These gains can be accomplished through a consistent nutrition program and can be accomplished without high energy feeds. Keep average daily gains steady and consistent and avoid pushing heifers early and then backing off during winter when feed resources are more scarce. If creep feeding through weaning, try to continue on the same plane of nutrition through breeding. There is some research that shows that heifers roughed through their first winter and then fed on a rising plane of nutrition up to the breeding season show little production differences than those fed throughout their development and there is more than one way to skin a cat. But for the average producer, keep weight gains steady and on a rising nutritional plane through breeding to insure good conception rates and greater lifetime production. Producers can utilize feeds with ionophores such as Rumensin or Bovatec in the diet to maximize weight gain and reach maturity earlier. Keep up a good mineral program for developing heifers, making it available at all times, to support their development.
While producers certainly don't want to under-develop heifers, they should also avoid overdeveloping them as well. Overweight heifers don't perform well and excess fat deposited in the mammary gland can lead to low milk production and obese heifers can be prone to more calving difficulties.
Producers should avoid implanting heifers they raise, or buying heifers that have received implants. Just don't take the risk. Keep good records on your heifers, taking time to eartag or tattoo them so you can document their development accurately. Vaccinate them according to your program and time the vaccinations to give a pre-breeding booster. It is a good idea to work with your veterinarian to develop a comprehensive herd health program, not just for your heifers, but your entire herd. Last but not least, keep those replacement heifers away from any bull calves present, to avoid any pregnancy risk before the breeding season. Heifers bred too early rarely reach their full potential as replacements, as they are behind from the start.
By implementing these fundamental elements of heifer development in your operation, you can increase the odds of your heifers being successful, productive cows that yield greater returns on your investment.
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 4-H Update
April
April 2, 2019
Burke County 4-H Achievement Night @ 6:00 pm
4-Hers will be recognized for their 2018 achievements.
April 13, 2019
4-H Scrapbook Crop Fundraiser
8:00 am - 6:00 pm
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MOWING TIPS 
* Keep mower blades sharp-annually is best
* Never mow while grass is wet
* Cut less than 50 percent of leaf surface at any one cutting
* Fescue lawns should never be cut to less than 3-3.5 inches
* Let grass clippings fall back on the lawn except when excessive rainfall causes clippings to be long
These tips should be used as guidelines for maintaining your lawn. Rainfall, temperatures, type of turfgrass and type of mower all play a role in proper cutting of the lawn. Dull mower blades tend to tear the turfgrass, giving it a ragged appearance. Wet grass mashes down and does not cut evenly. Grass should not be cut too short because this allows the lawn to become sunburned, resulting in stress to the lawn. Grass clippings do not cause thatch buildup and do put back a considerable amount of fertilizer and organic matter into the soil.
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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.
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