National Soup Month 
January
is National Soup Month, and what better meal to warm your belly on a cold winter's night? Whether you're partial to broth or bisque, a hearty bowl of soup is one of the ultimate comfort foods. To get your soup fix try this recipe for Super Tomato Soup from NC State Extension's brand new
Med Instead of Meds
program. This program is built around 7 simple steps to adopting the Mediterranean-style eating pattern which incorporates the basics of healthy eating that are traditionally practiced in countries that border the Mediterranean Sea. Eating the Mediterranean way is not only healthy, it is delicious and satisfying. Foods that you once thought of as too high in fat or unhealthy, including nuts, olive oil, olives, and whole grains, become an everyday part of your diet. Be on the lookout for this program in the New Year! Until then,
click here
for this Med-approved Super Tomato Soup recipe!
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Annual Small Fruit Plant Sale
Starts January 2nd
CLICK HERE
to get all the details on our plants for 2018!
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 4-H Update
January
January 2, 2018
Due date for Project Record Books and Awards Packets
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Burke County Beekeepers
January 9, 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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Feeding Horses
Sometimes feeding horses seems like an arcane art. Every individual seems to have their own little system and some, like a classically trained chef, have a bewildering array of secret ingredients they add to their recipe. While horses do have certain nutritional requirements, one does not need a degree in equine nutrition in order to meet them.
Horses most certainly require quality forage, free from toxic weeds and molds, and of high nutritional value. While you may be able to visually evaluate hay for weeds and molds, the nutritional analysis must come from a forage test. With the cost of hay one of the biggest expenses, paying ten dollars for a forage analysis is money in the bank. By knowing the nutrient content of your hay, you will know whether or not grain needs to be added to the daily ration.
Horses with a high activity level will usually require some supplemental grain in their diet. With this in mind, please remember that feed companies have trained nutritionists on staff that have an array of analytical equipment and years of research at their disposal. Additionally, they are able to combine ingredients of the least cost and produce a feed that precisely meets the nutritive requirements of your horse. That being said please don't make the mistake of cutting their feed with other grains. You won't really be saving any money, and will upset the careful balance of nutrients the nutritionist worked so hard to achieve.
With a good quality hay, and maybe a little supplemental feed from a reputable feed company, one can meet the nutritional needs of a vast majority of the horses in Burke County.
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The 2018 Extension Master Gardener class starts on January 17th. The deadline for applications and payment is
JANUARY 5th.
The thirteen-week training meets at the Burke County Agricultural Building on Wednesdays from 9:00 until noon. Classes are both lecture and hands-on and many knowledgeable speakers come to work with the class. After completion of the class, each new Extension Master Gardener is required to give forty hours of volunteer time to the Extension horticulture program during the next year. Volunteer hours can be earned in a multitude of ways and there are always activities to satisfy every interest. Class size is limited and applications are being taken now. The fee for the 2018 class is $125. If you would like more information or would like to have an application, call our office at 828-764-9480.
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De-Ice With Caution 
It's time for icy weather here in western North Carolina and it's time to think about the kinds of products we will be using to get rid of ice on driveways and sidewalks. Ice is very hazardous and is much harder to deal with than snow. It is important to have products available when sleet and freezing rain are predicted but at the same time the homeowner needs to be aware of the potential for damage to valuable trees and ornamental plants around the home.
There are five major ingredients that are found in most commercial ice melt products. Some are much more damaging than others and the homeowner should be prepared to read the label before purchasing a product that can cause costly damage to the landscape. Most products contain at least one of the following: calcium chloride, sodium chloride (salt), potassium chloride, urea (fertilizer) and calcium magnesium acetate.
Calcium chloride is a very common ingredient in ice-melting products and is usually not damaging to plants. Sodium chloride and potassium chloride, on the other hand, are very lethal when they come in contact with plant roots or leaves. Sometimes damage does not show up until spring. Urea, found in fertilizer is often used as an ice-melting product. It works pretty well and, when used in moderate amounts, does no harm to plants. Fertilizer, however, is not recommended for use as a de-icer. Water runoff dumps excessive amounts of this product into rivers and lakes, causing high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous in our water supplies. Calcium magnesium acetate is made from limestone and is not harmful to plant material. Its one drawback is that it is not effective below 20 degrees.
Choose your product carefully when shopping for an ice melt product. Follow the label directions and use common sense when applying. Remember that de-icers work much more effectively when applied before icing starts. They can also be used in smaller amounts when mixed with sand, kitty litter or wood ashes. Try to stay away from areas with plants and also install plantings well away from paved areas. Over use of these products can also cause damage to cement sidewalks and driveways so always use them in moderation.
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HENDERSON COUNTY CENTER / VEGETABLES AND SMALL FRUIT EXTENSION PROGRAM
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Produce Safety Alliance Growers Training for FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA)
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Dates and Times: January 17, 2018 8:30am-5:00pm
REGISTER HERE BY JANUARY 14, 2018
This one-day training course on the Produce Safety Alliance (PSA) standardized curriculum is for produce growers. This course meets the regulatory requirements of the FDA's Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule.
Registration fee: $50.00 for NC residents and $100.00 for out-of-state participants. The fee includes lunch, notebook and certificate. (A Golden Leaf grant is supporting this training and offsetting the registration costs for a limited time). Registration is limited to 40 participants.
PREREGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS REQUIRED: Deadline to register
January 14, 2018.
Who Should Attend?
The Produce Safety Rule requires that at least one representative from a farm that grows, packs, harvests and/or holds covered produce and that does not qualify for an exemption attend this training.
For additional information or if you need assistance with registration please contact Elena Rogers at
(828) 352-2519 or
[email protected], Area Specialized Agent for Food Safety-Fresh Produce for Western NC.
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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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