Burke County Extension Staff is here to serve YOU!
While we have had to move many of our programs online and field visits are usually getting done virtually, we are still here to provide you with the answers and training you need, every day!
As we move forward, please check out our
website
or
Facebook page, for up to date information on our programming and services.
Our staff can be reached by calling (828) 764-9480.
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Face Masks for Farmworkers
The farmworker health and safety education program has been involved in a lot of projects to provide education to farmworkers and their employers in North Carolina. This bilingual and general information on the importance of using a face mask, can be used by populations other than farmworkers.
NC Emergency Management working with N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke Center is distributing cloth face masks to farmworkers. This comes at a perfect time with the new state requirement of face masks in public.
If you or someone you know is in need of a face mask, please contact us at (828) 764-9480.
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Virtual T-Shirt Quilt Sewing Camp
Description
Our virtual DIY T-Shirt Quilt sewing class will be held July 20-31 M-F each day from 9 a.m. - 10 a.m. Youth will receive interactive, step by step instruction daily and then will be able to complete steps at their own pace throughout the day. Staff will also be available daily from 2-2:20 p.m. for questions and troubleshooting. No costs. Youth will be responsible for all materials. Materials list will be sent after registration. This class is most appropriate for ages 10-18. Must have sewing experience and know how to fluently use and troubleshoot with machine (see below).
Enrollment/Registration
Enrollment is required in
nc.4honline.com
. When registering for this and other 4-H events, select the member from the family home page in the bottom event registration box to see what events each member is eligible to attend.
Suggested Materials List
Youth will receive materials list after registering. While there are choices for brands and where to buy, specific items are required to complete the task. Youth will need a sewing machine. It is possible to hand sew, but it requires a LOT of sewing and hand sewing is not suggested. It is best to brush up on sewing skills before this class. My class teaching partner, Tracy LeCompte, has
compiled
sewing resources
to help you along the way. Happy sewing!
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Garden Tip from Donna!
Harvest Early in the Day
Vegetables should be picked early in the day for peak freshness. Take the harvest somewhere cool until it is used or preserved. Sweet corn, especially, should be cooled down immediately and used as soon as possible for the sweetest taste.
FYI
My Grandma always told me you should have the water boiling before you went to the corn field for the best corn on the cob!
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Modern hydrangeas come in a wealth of sizes, styles and colors. There's a hydrangea for everyone, even some small enough to grow in containers. But, you still have to follow the basic steps for growing and pruning. We'll learn how to grow the perfect hydrangea and how to prune it. We'll look at not only the older cultivars but also at some of the new selections that have been introduced-they're fabulous. Insects and diseases will also be discussed.
Join Extension Agent, Donna Teasley for a look at how to grow beautiful hydrangeas in your own landscape.
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Control Next Year's Japanese Beetles in July
Japanese beetles are hatching now and they are already laying next year's eggs in the soil. Eggs will hatch around the middle of August. Insecticides containing imidacloprid (Bayer Advanced Season Long Grub Control) or chlorantraniliprate (Scotts Grubex) may be applied any time during July and early August to prevent these eggs from hatching.
Apply according to the directions on the label and water the product after applying. This product does not work on adult Japanese beetles or hatched white grubs.
Frequent applications of insecticides such as liquid Sevin will kill adult Japanese beetles. The insect must ingest the poison so it must be re-applied after rain events. Applying liquid Sevin in the evening after honeybees have finished foraging for the day will limit the damage to bees.
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Just Because it Seals, Doesn't Mean it's Safe
We are well into canning season, and many people are looking for answers to their food preservation troubleshooting questions. A common assumption is that as long as the jar seals, it will be preserved and safe to consume. This is not always the case.
Although a good seal is important for a safe canned product, proper processing technique is arguably the most important step. Sealing without proper processing can lead to microorganism growth, spoilage, and possible harmful toxin formation.
The photo below shows canned carrots; the jars were hot packed the exact same way, but only the one on the right was properly processed at the correct time and pressure as directed by a tested canning recipe. Once the hot carrots and water were packed into the jar on the left, the jar sat at room temperature and sealed from the pressure change from the heat of the contents. In this instance, you can see the cloudy signs of spoilage in the jar that was not processed correctly, however, there are not always visual signs when a canned product is unsafe for consumption. Open kettle, oven canning, and other not-recommended forms of canning may give these, or similar unsafe results.
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Midsummer is the time that we typically think of fescue toxicosis, as our thoughts are towards making hay and dealing with pinkeye. I usually receive many calls from producers in late spring and early summer regarding many symptoms of this toxicity.
Fescue is a tough forage that handles trampling and drought and hot weather much better than many of its counterparts and we as livestock producers rely on it to produce most of our forage needs. But, this hardiness is made possible by a fungus that exists between the cell walls of KY 31 fescue plants and protects the plant from many climactic conditions. This endophyte (fungus) attributes greatly to summer slump in beef herds. Symptoms range from rough haircoats and poor shedding, to elevated body temps and sloughing of the tail switch and hooves. These animals often stand in water or under shade and pant profusely. The main thing is they are not grazing and filling up that rumen, and converting forage intake efficiently. The greatest problems from fescue toxicosis occurs in the summer months and into early fall. Toxin levels are at their greatest when seed heads are present with high concentrations in the seeds. Calves grazing toxic fescue show reduced weight gains on this reduced quality forage and milk production of their dams is lower.
In managing pastures to counter the effects of fescue toxicosis producers do have some tools to lessen the effects. Grazing pastures heavily or clipping to remove seed heads is a big help. This removes the toxin-laden seeds and starts the plants back growing. Try to get grass clipped while still in the boot stage or just before the flower emerges from the sheath for optimum results. In addition, producers should provide an abundant source of clean, fresh water and graze pastures with adequate shade during the hottest months of the year, as this is the time when animals will suffer most from an elevated body temperature and they need some relief.
Finally, maintaining around 30% clover in these infected fescue pastures can dilute the effects of the endophyte fungus. This can also apply to hayfields, as they are a big part of the forage production system. The extra nutrition from the clover can help along with these other management practices to minimize the effects of fescue toxicity in your herd.
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Burke County 4-H Updates
- The 4-H agent and several Burke County 4-H delegates will attend Virtual 4-H Electric Congress July 7-9, 2020. Attendees will break out into Electric and Leadership workshops, celebrate virtual awards programs and enjoy fun interactive networking events.
- The 4-H agent and several Burke County 4-H'ers will attend virtual 4-H Congress July 20-23, 2020. During zoom sessions, youth will participate in NC Honor Club tapping, state officer campaigns and voting, leadership workshops, networking with games and music, talent show and be recognized during awards ceremonies.
- 4-H Discovery will NOT be held in July (as we focus on summer activities)
- Check the Burke County 4-H Website, Burke County 4-H Public Calendar, Facebook and Instagram for special Burke county 4-H Summer Activities!
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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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