MITCHELL COUNTY CENTER
Extension E-News February 2021

Happy February! Happy National Heart Month! 

National Heart Month is focused on adopting healthy lifestyles to prevent heart disease. Research shows that we are more successful at meeting health goals when we work with others. Here are a few ideas of buddy based healthy habits that will support heart health: 

  • Commit to a walking schedule with a friend or family member, even if you can’t walk together. 
  • Try a new recipe weekly. Ask others to share their favorite heart healthy recipes with you. If you are looking for inspiration, check out the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website
  • Plan a date to go on a hike or cook a heart healthy meal with your loved one on Valentine’s Day. <3 

If you have questions or want to learn more about National Heart Month or anything Family and Consumer Sciences related, feel free to contact Jessica Zucchino at jessica.zucchino@ncsu.edu.


2021 Spring Plant Sale Will Begin Soon!
 
Spring is just around the corner and Mitchell County Extension is preparing for the 2021 Annual Spring Plant Sale! Order form will be available mid-February.

Why do you need to apply lime in the spring before plant growth? Lime can be produced from Calcium or Magnesium components and is categorized as Agricultural or Dolomitic. Agricultural limes are Calcium Carbonate based and are finer than Dolomitic lime. Often these limes will be treated with oxides or hydroxides to improve effectiveness. Dolomitic limes, in comparison, will be composed of Calcium and Magnesium . Lime will typically take 60-90 days to start adjusting your soil’s pH (potential Hydrogen) which is the basis for determining if a soil is acidic or alkaline. A soil’s pH range can be determined by conducting a soil test which is a service available through The Mitchell County Center of NC Cooperative Extension. Most plants grow on the acidic side of the pH scale at 5.5-6.5.  
 
Determining a soil’s pH is crucial because it directly affects the nutrients available to one’s plants. A low pH has a negative effect on a plant’s ability to absorb nutrients. Think of it this way, if you drank orange juice all day eventually your stomach would become too acidic and your digestive system would fail to breakdown the nutrients properly. In comparison, if a gardener’s or farmer’s pH is too low and fertilizer is applied annually, the soil will continue to become more acidic and plant growth will decline. This is a waste of money spent on fertilizer because more fertilizer does not always equal better plant growth. Lime is used to correct this by raising a soil’s pH range back into levels where nutrients are readily available to plants. When conducting a soil test, one should secure test boxes provided by the Mitchell County Extension Center. One should then take random samples of the soil free of rocks, sticks, and other organic matter, label, and mail them to the address on the box for analysis. A soil report will be emailed to the client and provide recommendations to adjust and improve the soil. To get busy testing, apply your lime early to allow time for activation, which will save some money on fertilizer.  

COVID-19 vaccine: It’s our turn to roll up our sleeves and get vaccinated!

It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t know COVID-19 existed. Now when people say “virus,” we know what they mean. The impact of COVID-19 on our lives, our activities, and our freedom has affected us all. The responsibility is ours, as a community, to help stop this virus. Now we have a new, safe, and effective tool to help us do that—COVID-19 vaccines.

It takes everyone.

We all need to step up to beat COVID-19. We ask you to join us in protecting yourself, your family and friends, and our community by getting vaccinated.

Getting vaccinated adds an important layer of protection for you, your family, and loved ones. Here are some things you should know about the COVID-19 vaccine:

  • All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States are very effective at preventing the disease.
  • The most common side effects are pain in the arm where you got the shot, feeling tired, headache, body aches, chills, and fever.
  • Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available—wearing masks, staying at least 6 feet apart from people who don’t live with you, avoiding crowds and poorly ventilated spaces, washing your hands frequently, and getting vaccinated.

We want everyone in our community to be safe and get back to hugging our families and friends and shaking hands with our neighbors.

We all play a part in this effort, and you are key. Please sign up to get your COVID-19 vaccination through the Mitchell County Health Department.

If you have questions about vaccination clinics in Mitchell County, please contact Mitchell County Health Department of 828.688.2371.

If you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine, visit CDC’s FAQs web page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/faq.html.


With spring just around the corner, pasture improvements and forages become a priority. Multiple actions can be taken to improve your pasture. This time of year, overseeding/frost seeding is one of the main methods.

What
Overseeding/Frost seeding is the act of casting cool season forage and legume seed over an established pasture to increase the species stand of that particular forage or legume. This is beneficial to pastures because it increases the desired forage or legume available to livestock, making the pasture more efficient. This increases livestock’s consumption and weight gain on forage, increasing profits.

When
For this particular area, mountains above 2500 ft elevation, overseeding/frostseeding should occur between March 1 through April 30, for optimal germination of seeds. This time period allows seeds to be introduced to the soil through freezing and thawing of snow and frost. This allows seeds to germinate and start growth before other stands of unwanted species giving the beneficial species optimal time to become established.

How
To start this process of pasture improvement, it is helpful for the producer to prepare now so materials and equipment are ready for use during the optimal time window. During this preparation time, producers are advised to do the following:
  1. Purchase desired seed.
  2. If current grass stand is higher than 4 inches, bushhog or cut pastures to allow seed to reach the ground adequately.
  3. Prepare equipment such as tractor and broadcaster.
  4. Schedule a tentative time, during the optimal frost seeding window (March 1 – April 30) to frost seed the pasture.


For more information, contact Michelle South, Area Extension Agent, Agriculture- Livestock at the Mitchell County Cooperative Extension Center 828.688.4811a or email Michelle_South@ncsu.edu.

Welcome back to the new 4-H year! 

The first step to becoming an active 4-H member, volunteer, or participant during this year’s 4-H program (2021) is to "enroll or re-enroll". If you are a 4-H member under 18, your parent or guardian can renew your membership. *New youth members, volunteers and participants are strongly encouraged to enroll now too.

North Carolina 4-H uses an online system, called 4-HOnline 2.0, to manage 4-H memberships, clubs, projects, activities, and communications. *All members who participate in North Carolina 4-H must have a 4-HOnline 2.0 profile.

4-HOnline 2.0 accounts are family-based, which means every family creates a “master” profile with its own login ID and password. A member file is then created within the family profile for each individual involved in North Carolina 4-H.

If you were previously enrolled and / or if someone in your family was involved in North Carolina 4-H from 2018 to 2020, you probably have an existing family profile in 4-HOnline 2.0. Previous members should use their existing login and password to access their family profile in the new 4-H Online 2.0 platform. *Members who are re-enrolling should NOT create a new account. 

North Carolina 4-H has created a new 4-HOnline 2.0 Recourse Site that houses a variety of tip sheets, videos and step-by step instructions for using the new program including:
  • Family Enrollment Guide
  • How to Re-Enroll
  • New Member Enrollment
  • Member Password Support
  • 4-H Club Leader Guide to Using 4-HOnline 2.0
 
 
Begin your re-enrollment / enrollment process now - 4-HOnline 2.0.

4-H Youth Stepping FOURWARD - Application Deadline is February 12

Wanna learn more about leadership and practice your skills? Are you interested in becoming more involved in your community? Have you ever thought of creating your own service project as a group of young people?

Mitchell 4-H is accepting applications (don't worry, it's easy!) for youth (ages 12 and older) to be a part of "4-H Youth Stepping FOURWARD" - a series of activities to learn more about leadership, practice skills and complete a service project that you design! It'll be fun! The application deadline is 5pm, Friday, February 12.

Each session will be facilitated by 4-H volunteers - youth and adults! Yay! We'll work with all those enrolled to determine the start and end date and time of day to meet (virtually for the instruction) and face-to-face (with all Covid safety protocols) for the service project. Timeline will be February-March to learn and we'll do the service project in April.

Come on! Join us! We'll learn some stuff and have fun doing it! For more information, call Eve Kindley at 828.688.4811 or email emkindle@ncsu.edu

Do you love 4-H? Do you think everyone should be a member?
Do you enjoy telling others about your 4-H experience?
 
Then the 4-H Ambassador Program might just be for you! The mission of the North Carolina 4-H Ambassador program is to empower teen 4-H leaders with the knowledge, skills, and aspirations necessary to be effective advocates for NC. It's sorta like being a salesperson for 4-H! 

NC 4-H Ambassador Program Guidelines
 
To apply to become an NC 4-H Ambassador, a member must be at least 13 years old and have been a 4-H member for 2 years, both as of January 1, 2021.
 
For More Information About the Ambassador Program Levels and Requirements go here! Once on this link, be sure to look around and read about "Ambassador Levels and Requirements" as well as the "Ambassador Introduction Chart."

To Register for 4-H Ambassador Classes, please complete the google form registration no later than February 15. A zoom link will be shared with you for each class. 


Still not sure? Call Eve at 828.688.4811 or email emkindle@ncsu.edu.


4-H Project Records Due February 15!

It's hard to believe it but it's almost time to submit 4-H Project Records! If you need help, Eve is willing and able - just ask! 4-H Project Records are due to the Mitchell County Extension Center NO LATER THAN 5PM, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15. More information can be found on the Mitchell County Cooperative Extension website.

4-H Youth In Action Awards 

4-H programs support youth to find their purpose, develop their passions, and inspire others to do the same. Now through March 29th, 4-H’ers ages 15-19 can share their incredible stories and apply for the 4-H Youth in Action Awards! National 4-H Council will recognize four dynamic young leaders who are making a difference in their communities in Agriculture, Civic Engagement, Healthy Living, and STEM with a $5,000 scholarship and the chance to share their stories at a national level. Applications are available at www.4-H.org/YouthinAction.
 
Youth in Action Applications
The 4‑H Youth in Action Program recognizes four confident young leaders with diverse backgrounds and unique perspectives in our core pillar areas: agriculture, civic engagement, healthy living and STEM. Each year, Pillar Winners will experience an exciting year of telling their 4‑H story and celebrating their leadership. Winners receive:
 
  • A $5,000 higher education scholarship;
  • A promotional video showcasing their 4‑H impact story;
  • An all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. for National 4‑H Council’s Legacy Awards;
  • Networking opportunities with 4‑H celebrities and other prominent alumni; and
  • Recognition as the official 4‑H youth spokesperson for their pillar.
 
Applications should be submitted no later than 11:59 PM PT on Monday, March 29, 2021.
Teen Mental Health During Pandemic

The COVID 19 pandemic has caused a great deal of stress to people of all ages, but one group specifically affected is teenagers. As we continue dealing with this, it's important to be aware of your teen’s mental health. Pediatrician Lauren Strelitz, MD, provides some advice on helping teens navigate this difficult time. 

Dr. Strelitz states, “This is a time where they’re developmentally supposed to be gaining independence.” So being stuck at home and missing out on extracurricular activities can be tough. It’s important to find creative ways to help your teenager spend time with their friends. Examples could include zoom meetings to watch movies together, or even to hang out in a socially distanced manner with one or two friends is important for teens’ well-being. 

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.

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.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made 
to Eve Kindley 828.688.4811 eve_kindley@ncsu.edu