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Drexel Community Fair 
August 6-11, 2018
The Drexel Community Fair is next week and it's time for gardeners, canners, bakers, artists, and crafters of all ages to bring their entries to the exhibit hall. Whether your forte is flowers, vegetables, arts & crafts or baking, there will be a spot waiting for your prize selections at the fair this year.
Entries should be brought to the Drexel fairgrounds on Sunday, August 5th between 2:00 and 6:00pm. Judging will take place on Monday, August 6th and ribbons and premiums will be awarded to the best of the best.
Don't miss the 4-H and youth livestock exhibition in the barn all week and the 4-H and youth Livestock show on Tuesday evening at 6:30pm.
The Veggie Varmint contest for both youth and adults will be on Thursday evening from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Come by and create an animal out of vegetables. Creations will be judged on Friday and prizes will be awarded.
Come by the Cattlemen's Booth and try their hamburgers, hotdogs, fries and more!
If you need more information about the fair you can give us a call at 828-764-9480.
Fair entry books are available for pick-up at our office.
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August is National Peach Month 
Peach Facts:
- Peaches are native to China and were introduced to the southeastern United State more than 300 years ago when the Spanish visited the Florida region in the 1500s.
- California is the nation's top producer of peaches with North Carolina ranking approximately 12th.
- There two main varieties of peaches: clingstone (the flesh sticks to the stone) and freestone (the stone is easily separated from the flesh).
- The peach can have yellow or white flesh, which is sweeter and less acidic than its more traditional golden counterpart.
- A large peach has fewer than 70 calories and contains 3 grams of fiber. It's also a good source of vitamins A and C.
- Peach season in North Carolina is from June through September.
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Food Recalls Involving Whey Powder 
You have likely seen news of several food recalls in the past week.
However, there is still a lot that is unknown about these voluntary recalls and the potential aftermath effects. We do not know how many food companies used the potentially contaminated (Salmonella) whey protein powder from AMPI (American Milk Producers Inc). Also, we do not how many pounds of whey protein powder has been recalled and we do not know how many foods will be recalled.
What we do know:
1) AMPI said during their test-and-hold protocol that Salmonella was found in a sample of the whey protein powder. 2) There are no confi
rmed cases, so far, of Salmonella illness linked to this recalled food. 3) Scott Gottlieb, from the FDA issued a statement on Tuesday regarding recalls and alerts that have already been posted due to the whey ingredient. Several nationwide notices have gone out in the last couple of weeks for products including: one flavor of Hungry Man frozen chicken dinners, several brands of Swiss rolls, several varieties of Ritz crackers, and several varieties of Goldfish crackers.
Advice to consumers:
Food contaminated with Salmonella bacteria does not look or smell bad, but it can still cause serious infections. Anyone who has eaten any of the recalled foods and developed symptoms of Salmonella infection should seek medical attention and tell their doctors about the possible exposure to the bacteria. Specific lab tests are needed to diagnose and treat Salmonella infections.
Although people of any age can be infected by Salmonella, infants, children, seniors and those with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of serious illness that can result in hospitalization and life-long complications.
Symptoms of a Salmonella infection, called salmonellosis, typically start 6 to 72 hours after exposure to the bacteria, but in some people it takes two weeks for symptoms to develop. Symptoms include fever, chills, diarrhea, abdominal cramps, headache, nausea and vomiting. The symptoms usually last for four to seven days.
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Annual Tomato Field Day
August 16, 2018
Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center
The 2018 Field Day will take place from
8am-12:30pm at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center (
74 Research Drive, Mills River, NC 28759) on Thursday, August 16, 2018. Registration & Tradeshow is from
8-9am. Field Tours:
9am-12:30pm followed by complimentary lunch at
12:30pm. Pre-registration is not required. Please see the flyer below for more information. Pesticide Credits will be available for those attending the Tomato Field Day. Come learn about the latest Tomato research being conducted at NC State University.
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Reducing Weaning Stress 
Weaning is a very a stressful time for calves. Reducing weaning stress in calves can increase their daily gain. There are four stress factors that calves can experience during weaning: physical, environmental, nutritional and social. Proper management can reduce or eliminate some of these.
Physical stress can occur happens periods of moving or standing in working facilities, rough handling in the chute or hauling. Castration and dehorning at weaning can greatly increase stress, so by castrating at birth and vaccinating before weaning producers can reduce this type of stress.
Environmental stress can be created by the producer or a product of the climate. The weaning pen is a huge factor in this type of stress. When you bring calves from a clean pasture to a weaning lot, and they are not familiar with the new surroundings it can be a stress factor. These calves may have never eaten from a feed bunk, or drank water out of a tank, so the stress adds up. Putting calves to dusty dry lot, where they walk the fence in a confined space stirring up dust, can cause respiratory problems and decreased weight gain. Weather such as rain, ice, snow and wind are a fact of life, but you can try to schedule weaning time to avoid those conditions.
Social stress is usually caused by removing the calf from its mother. While this is an inevitable part of weaning, you can decrease the stress by using fenceline weaning. This method involves separating the calves from their mothers with a strong fence between them that will keep them apart, but allow them to have fenceline contact. This calms the calves to a degree and separation isn't such a large stressor. Even a greater distance apart, as long as the calves can see the cows, stress levels will be reduced.
Nutritional stress occurs when calves are moved from momma's milk and pasture diet to a stored forage and grain diet. Having high-quality pasture available to calves during weaning time in the spring and the fall helps reduce nutritional stress. For fall weaning, calves can graze regrowth on hayfields or stockpiled fescue fields. Producers should graze or clip pastures and fertilize between mid-August to mid-September to allow enough time for regrowth. Turn calves into the pasture when forage is 8 to 12 inches tall and graze until grasses are 3 to 4 inches tall.
Pasture weaning can really reduce stress levels compared to the conventional dry lot method. Pasture weaning reduces the nutritional and environmental stress as calves are already used to pasture and their diet doesn't drastically change. To be successful with this method, it will take planning on your part regarding high-quality, available pastures.
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 4-H Update
August
Monday - Friday from 8:30 - 4:00 daily
4-H Summer Fun Registration continues until all spaces are filled.
July 31 - August 3
Summer Fun Find Your Creativity Week for ages 9 & up. Come all week or attend certain days based on your interests. Participants will create fun and easy "make and take" items suitable to enter in the Drexel Community Fair. Class size is limited to 12. Cost is $100 or $30/day.
July 31 - Art August 2 - Canning
August 1 - Sewing August 3 - Baking
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Food Preservation Workshop - Canning Pickles 
August 9, 2018
10:00 am - 12:00 noon
Burke County Agricultural Building
Cost of the workshop is $5 (cash or check). Pre-registration is required - please call our office at 828-764-9480 to register.
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Make sure your canning equipment is in check. If your canner has a pressure gauge, it should be tested for accuracy each year to ensure safe food processing. You can get your pressure canner gauge tested for
FREE
at our office. Call Emily Troutman at 828-764-9480 to schedule an appointment.
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Burke County Beekeepers
Monday, August 13, 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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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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