We Grow NC
Report to the People & Volunteer Appreciation
During our recent Report to the People, Burke County Extension staff shared accomplishments and successes from 2018 in a variety of program areas. Guests of the evening also had an opportunity to network with others, enjoy a meal, and celebrate the many volunteers that work with N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke County Center. In addition to the Extension Staff, supporters, and volunteers, several special guests were present, including Senator Warren Daniel; Representative Hugh Blackwell; Burke County Commissioner Chairman Jeff Brittain and Commissioner Maynard Taylor.
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Extension Volunteer of the Year
Also during our Report to the People, N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke County Center recognized our first annual "Volunteer of the Year." This year's recipient is Lisa Hanlon. Lisa has been active as a 4-H Volunteer Leader working with several clubs throughout the county and participating at the District, State, and Southern Region levels. She also serves on the Burke County Extension Advisory Council and supports programming in agriculture, horticulture, and family and consumer sciences. During 2017-2018, Lisa coordinated community service activities for Cooperative Extension and manned exhibits and booths to advocate for Burke County.
Congratulations Lisa and
THANK YOU!
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Southeast Hay Contest Winners Announced
The Southeastern Hay Contest is the premiere forage quality contest in the Southeast, with entries coming from hundreds of producers across 13 states. The goal of contest is to demonstrate the potential for high quality hay and bailage, showcase the management abilities of producers, and highlight technology and equipment that make it all possible.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension-Burke County Center would like to congratulate Hayden Cline of Cline Farms in Valdese, for producing second-place entries in two different categories in the 2018 contest at the Southeastern Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia. Hayden had the second-place entry in Alfalfa Hay, with a RFQ (relative Feed Quality) of 283. He also submitted the second-place entry of Mixed Grass hay with an RFQ of 170.
Hayden has worked tirelessly to produce high quality hay for both the horse market and the local livestock community. His attention to detailed management, and perseverance, have earned him a spot among the best hay producers in the Southeast.
Congratulations, Hayden Cline!
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Fall Lawn & Garden Do's & Don'ts 
10 Things Not To Do in the Fall
- Do NOT fertilize trees and shrubs
- Do NOT prune trees and shrubs
- Do NOT transplant or move plants until after killing frost
- Do NOT stop mowing as long as grass is growing but do mow a little higher (4 inches)
- Do NOT use a high nitrogen fertilizer on the lawn (use a winterizer)
- Do NOT any fertilizer at all on warm season grasses
- Do NOT cut back asparagus ferns until after frost has killed them
- Do NOT allow leaves to accumulate on the lawn
- Do NOT cut back perennial foliage until after frost
- Do NOT stop watering new landscape plantings if weather remains dry
10 Things To Do in the Fall
- Divide and separate perennials
- Spray for winter annual weeds and wild onion and garlic
- Till under dead vegetable plants in the garden
- Apply a winterizer fertilizer to the lawn
- Plant new trees and shrubs
- Add mulch to the landscape
- Plant spring flowering bulbs
- Keep mowing as long as grass continues to grow
- Rake often as fallen leaves can damage turf grass
- Implement vole control if needed:
Locate holes and set small mouse traps baited with raw apple and peanut butter at each hole. Cover hole and trap with bucket and check each day, resetting and moving the traps as needed. Continue through March and vole population will be severely depleted!
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Extension Master Gardener Class 
Would you like to become a part of the most dynamic group of volunteers in Burke County? Would you like to learn to be a better gardener? Would you also enjoy participating in programs, projects and activities around the county and state? You're in luck!!
The 2019 Extension Master Gardener class will be starting on Wednesday, January 16, 2019 from 9am -12noon and will continue on Wednesday mornings through mid-April. When you become a Master Gardener you agree to give 40 hours of volunteer time to the Extension horticulture program in the next year. Volunteer hours may be completed in many ways: working at the fair, assisting with workshops around the county, working on garden projects with the schools and other organizations and many other projects throughout the year.
This class is for newcomers, retirees, couples, singles, newbie gardeners or expert gardeners, anyone who has a desire to learn about gardening. The friends you'll make and the fun you'll have are the icing on the cake! There will be hands-on activities as well as classroom work.
The cost of the class is $125 if paid by December 17, 2018. $140 if paid after December 17, 2018. We are accepting applications now. You can call our office at 828-764-9480 to get an application mailed or emailed to you. If you have additional questions, you can give our office a call. Don't wait because even though summer has just ended, spring is just around the corner!
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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
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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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Safe Food for the Holidays
Holiday meals have been linked to many harmful pathogens, including Salmonella and Campylobacter.
Cooking for a large crowd, whether in the home or a community kitchen, can lead to mistakes at the expense of food safety.
Follow these tips to have a safe and happy holiday season:
- Clean and sanitize utensils and work surfaces after preparing raw turkey for roasting.
- Wash your hands after handling raw meat or poultry.
- Don't wash your turkey - research shows that when washing poultry, pathogens can be spread within 3 feet of the sink, where other foods may be prepared.
- Color is not an indicator of safety or doneness - the only way to know whether the turkey is done is with a tip-sensitive digital thermometer reading at least 165 degrees Farenheit.
- Test temperature in multiple spots, without hitting the bone - hitting the bone could give an inaccurate temperature reading
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of taking it out of the oven - Turkey should be cooled to 41 degrees Farenheit quickly. This is best accomplished by slicing it and placing it in small re-sealable bags and laying them flat in the refrigerator. Some spore-forming bacteria will grow and form toxins if kept at room temperature for too long.
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 4-H Update
November
November 3, 2018
West District Ag Day for youth and Fall Fling for 4-H Adults. This day long event will be held in Haywood County and both groups will be offered workshops, hands on activities, fellowship, a meal and t-shirt. The focus will be Agriculture, Leadership and Networking.
November 6
Burke County Schools Teacher Workday, so 4-H will be offering a Project Record Book Workshop from
1-6pm to start, work on or finish 2018 record books.
November 6
4-H Discovery Night from
6-7:30pm is for all 4-H family members to come out to learn and share their 4-H experiences. This night our program focus will be electing county youth to be officers that will help plan next year's events and to make Winter Homeless Bags for a community service project. Please plan to join us if you are new to 4-H or seasoned. It will be great fall fun!
November 26
5:30-7:30pm we will prepare our 4-H vehicle for the J. Iverson Riddle Parade (JIRDC) that will be held on
Thursday November 29.
November 29, 2018
Burke County 4-H will meet at the J. Iverson Riddle Development Center to participate in the holiday parade that afternoon. Meeting times and line up location will be announced closer to date.
December 1, 2018
Winter Scrapbooking Crop Fundraiser will be held at the Burke County Agricultural Building. Spaces are still available for table rental. I will also need 4-H youth and adult volunteers to assist crop patrons in 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).
December 4, 2018
4-H Discovery Night... Stay tuned... It will include Christmas lights, a parade and cocoa!!
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Burke County Beekeepers
NOVEMBER MEETING DATE CHANGED TO:
Tuesday, November 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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