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Beef Cattle Marketing Seminar
The Burke County Cattlemen's Association will host a Beef Cattle Marketing seminar on Thursday, April 5th, 2018 at 6:30pm at the Burke County Agricultural Building. Dr. Steven Matthews will speak to the group on marketing opportunities. A meal will be provided. Please call the Extension office to pre-register at 828-764-9480.
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Moles: Myths & Solutions
Every other phone call at the office is about moles. Almost everyone has them and they can be a real nuisance when they create their humped tunnels all over the yard. But, contrary to popular belief, you probably don't have dozens of the pesky critters in your yard, you most likely have 2 or 3. They certainly can make a mess!
Here are some popular solutions that
DON'T WORK:
- Castor beans planted in the lawn
- Castor oil sprayed on the lawn.
- Juicy Fruit chewing gum dropped in their tunnels
- Pin wheels stuck in the lawn
- Sonar devices
- Poison peanuts
And my personal favorite but most illegal method:
- Using carbon monoxide to asphyxiate them in their tunnels
Here's what
does work:
- A good outside cat
- A spring-loaded mole trap from the hardware store (they do work when used properly)
- Poison fake earthworms-new to NC but effective
Here's why the first list doesn't work:
Moles only eat grubs, worms and insects so they won't eat poison peanuts, chewing gum or castor bean roots. Sonar devices and vibrating pinwheels-really? They might scare a mole for about 2 seconds but then it's business as usual. As for hooking up a hose to your car and poisoning them with carbon monoxide, there's way too many tunnels and air vents to affect them. It's also illegal and you could get a hefty fine for such a stunt.
Here's why the second list does work:
Cats can be great hunters. It is in their nature to catch moles and they will if they aren't too lazy. Mole traps do a good job but many folks fail by not following the instructions that come with the trap. You simply stomp down a section of tunnel and set the trap in that spot. When the mole comes along and attempts to reopen the tunnel it trips a spring and you get mole-kabobs. Sharp prongs plunge into the soil, killing the mole. Poison earthworms are relatively new, but effective. They are made to feel and taste like a real earthworm and when placed in the tunnel, they are eaten by foraging moles. They are available in area garden centers and hardware stores.
So, forget the old-wive's tales and myths and use the methods that will get rid of your moles. Good luck!
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 4-H Update
April
April 12, 2018
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Join Burke County 4-H for a night of fun at XCAPE, Escape Room Attraction in Hudson, NC. Bring your friends and family and see is you can ESCAPE!
Cost is $20 per person which includes the escape attraction, food and fun. Youth under 12 will need an adult chaperone. Space and transportation is limited. Please register and pay by April 10th at 5:00 pm. Call our office at 828-764-9480 to reserve your spot today!
4-H Achievement Night will be held on Tuesday, May 15, 2018 at the Hildebran Library. Achievement Night recognizes 4-H members, clubs and supporters accomplishment from 2017 to present.
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Successful Gardener Workshops
Thursday, April 19, 2018
Landscaping on Slopes
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Burke County Agricultural Building
This workshop will talk about good plants for planting on sloped areas as well as ways to get the plants established and growing well.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Fire Ant Control in Lawns & Pastures
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Burke County Agricultural Building
Damon Pollard and Donna Teasley will help homeowners and farmers understand how fire ant control can be achieved and maintained in home lawns and pastures.
Call our office at 828-764-9480 to register for either of these FREE workshops.
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Rotational Grazing Improves Pasture Use
Abundant forage growth is wonderful to see in pastures. Following basic recommendations like fertilizing according to soil test results, controlling weeds and planting clovers will help provide this growth. However, don t follow good forage production with poor harvest procedures. One of the mistakes that occur every year in pastures is poor utilization of excess pasture growth. A tall fescue plant's initial growth during the spring is good quality forage. The new leaves are high in protein and energy. But as the spring progresses, the plant matures and produces a seedhead. The main goal of the plant changes from trying to grow leaves to filling the seeds in order to reproduce itself. The amount of leaf growth drops because energy is going to the seedhead instead of the parts of the plant that produce leaves. Forage quality also drops. As the leaves are growing older, the protein and energy levels are decreasing and the fiber level is increasing. The result is lower quality forage. The problems of low quality and reduced leaf growth in the late spring and early summer are the result of excess forage growth in pastures. The plants are growing faster than the livestock can eat them. The difficulties caused by this excess growth can be minimized if good grazing principles are used. Controlled grazing is simple if you understand one basic concept. The goal is to force livestock to eat all the forage available in the pasture without overgrazing. If livestock are given a large area to graze, they will do the most of their grazing close to water and shade. Other areas of the pasture will not be grazed, resulting in wasted forage. If forage on the edges of the pasture is not grazed, it will get mature, drop in quality and be wasted. In a good grazing program, pasture size is reduced and livestock are concentrated on a smaller area where they cannot be selective as to where they graze. They are forced to graze the entire pasture and remove all of the forage. Little forage is wasted. After livestock graze the forage in this smaller pasture (or paddock), they are moved into a new paddock, and the process starts over again. Utilizing this type of management helps in two basic ways. First, as mentioned earlier, it decreases the amount of wasted forage. In the spring some of the acreage can be cut for hay because not as many acres are needed for grazing. As spring progresses and high temperatures develop, forage growth will decrease. The acres that were used for hay can then be put into the grazing rotation. The early forage growth that in the past was wasted on the edge of the pastures will now be put up as hay. Second, this form of management allows a rest period for the plants. Once the paddock is grazed down, livestock are moved to a new paddock, and plants in the previous paddock are allowed to regrow. This is important during the summer, when high temperatures and drought are stressful for tall fescue. Instead of being constantly grazed, the young regrowth is allowed to fully regrow, restore depleted root energy reserves, and recover. This will result in quicker regrowth and a healthier stand. The advantages are clear: decreasing pasture size and concentrating livestock on a smaller area of land will improve forage utilization, decrease stand loss from overgrazing, and improve per acre production.
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4-H Horse Bowl Results 
The 2018 NC State 4-H Horse Bowl contest was held March 3 at NC State University. There were twelve teams in each age division (Junior, Mixed and Senior), fifty-seven in the Junior Division, sixty in the Mixed division and fifty-three in the Senior Division, equaling 36 teams and 170 youth participating from all over North Carolina.
Burke County 4-H had three teams travel and compete at the state level, one in each age division. The Hippology portion of the contest began very early on that Saturday and youth competed in individual written test/exams for points. A team could also compete in the Hippology portion. One of our Junior competitors, Jenna Garrison, placed 2nd in the Junior Exam/ID Top Ten and 3rd in the Junior Overall Top Ten. Our Senior team placed 5th in Senior Team Problem and 6th in Senior Top Ten Teams Overall. The Horse Bowl competition began late morning and did not conclude with awards until after nightfall. Our NC State Horse Bowl Contest results were: (out of 12 teams) Burke Junior Team: 4th place State Award. Junior Individual High Point Awards, 9th place: Abby Wood and 8th place: Anna Beth Gould.
All three teams that were representing Burke County, engaged and competed in a strong and dignified manner promoting the 4-H program as leaders!
2018 Burke County 4-H Horse Bowl Teams:
Junior: Coach: Elizabeth Gould
Abby Wood, Anna Beth Gould, Clara Lane, Jessica Henson, Graysyn Pritchard
Mixed: Wendy Bradshaw
Jenna Garrison, Laura Lail, Jett Moody, Emme Clark, Lindsey Cook
Senior: Wendy Callahan
Rachel Wood, Courtney Clark, Katie Callahan, Elizabeth Decker
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Burke County Beekeepers
Monday, April 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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Youth in Government Day
April 27, 2018
The Burke County Commissioners have declared
April 27, 2018 as "Youth in Government" Day!
N.C. Cooperative Extension, Burke Center will be working with county departments to host high school students for the day.
Student Government Associations were asked to send delegates to participate from Draughn, East Burke, Patton, and Freedom High Schools. In addition, Burke Middle College, Hallyburton Academy, and Burke County Home School Educators were invited to send representatives.
Students will tour county facilities and participate in a luncheon with the County Commissioners to celebrate National County Government Month.
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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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