Nebraska Extension in Douglas-Sarpy Counties |
|
Community Partner of the Month: Loveland Garden Club
Governor Pillen signed a proclamation making April Native Plant Month in Nebraska! Present for the signing of the proclamation were members of the Loveland Garden Club, Douglas-Sarpy Master Gardeners and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum. Governor Pillen was gifted a butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa), buttonbush shrub
(Cephalanthus occidentalis) and a beautyberry shrub (Callicarpa) that will be
planted on the grounds of the Governor's mansion. Learn more about annuals and perennials
that are native to Nebraska by browsing our NebGuides here.
Pictured from left to right: Ann Hosford and Jennifer Pospichal of Loveland Garden Club, Governor Jim Pillen, Paula Ashford of Loveland Garden Club and NSA Executive Director Hanna Pinneo.
|
|
Hatch Chicks This Summer with 4-H
This year's hatch will be June 20 - July 14. Payment will be made at the time of pick up. Payment can be made by cash, check or credit card.
Participants will pick up eggs and incubator on June 20 at the Douglas-Sarpy Extension Office (8015 West Center Road, Omaha) and return items on July 14.
The cost for Summer Embryology will be
- $40 for incubator and eggs
- $15 for eggs only
|
|
Extension Helps Rural Communities Find Creative Solutions to Childcare Needs |
|
Across the country, parents of young children face challenges in finding high-quality, affordable childcare. In Nebraska, several rural communities have turned to the University of Nebraska to help find creative solutions to address their childcare needs. Extension Educator, Linda Reddish, provides insights into how and why quality childcare is a critical building block of a community’s success at: https://mediahub.unl.edu/media/20482
|
|
Homemade Ice Cream in a Bag |
|
 |
Protect yourself from the danger of possible Salmonella infection by avoiding the use of raw eggs in homemade ice cream. The following recipe from Food.unl.edu does not use eggs.
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 - 2 Tablespoons soft fruit
- ½ cup low-fat milk
- 1/3 cup rock salt (outside bag)
- Ice cubes
Directions:
- Wash hands with soap and water. Put sugar in quart size freezer bag that has zip closure. Add vanilla and soft fruit. Seal the bag tightly. Mix well by squeezing with fingers until everything is combined.
- Open bag and add milk. Reseal bag again and mix until everything is combined.
- Open a gallon size freezer bag with zip closure and put in 1/3 cup rock salt. DO NOT PUT SALT IN SMALL BAG! Fill the gallon size bag halfway full of ice cubes.
- Put the quart bag into the gallon bag and seal shut. Shake the bag for 5 minutes or until the liquid has changed to ice cream. You can toss the bag gently with a partner, too, to share the fun and the cold.
- Take quart bag out of gallon bag. Eat with spoon and ENJOY!
|
|
|
|
Helping Small Children Respond to Severe Weather Fears
Some preschool and school-age children will react to reports of severe weather with anxiety and questions, others with little anxiety, but lots of interest. Still other children may experience little anxiety and little interest.
Our responsibility as parents is to:
- Recognize that every child is an individual.
- Reassure children of their own safety and security.
- Help children play and talk through their feelings and understandings.
- Limit their exposure to scary images by reducing exposure to the media.
- Help children participate in global events in ways that are meaningful to them.
Learn more from our experts here.
|
|
May is a Good Time to Mulch
Mulch around newly planted trees and shrubs. This practice reduces weeds, controls fluctuations in soil temperature, retains moisture, prevents damage from lawn mowers and looks attractive.
Be cautious, too much mulch can be harmful. Ideal mulching is 2-3 inches of wood chips that start about 6 inches away from the trunk and extend about 4-5 feet outwards. Photo courtesy of North Dakota Extension.
Do you have gardening and plant questions?
Our Master Gardeners are now available to answer questions from 9 am to noon.
By phone: 402-444-7804
In person: 8015 West Center Road, Omaha.
|
|
May is National Salsa Month
Salsas, Spanish for the word "sauce," are low in calories, full of flavor, and available with a variety of ingredients. Check out the following tips for sensational salsas.
Spice up Snacks and Meals with Salsa:
Add taste without adding lots of calories. A combination of tomatoes, onions and peppers can add zest to chips. A mixture of fruit, herbs, onion, and pepper added to meat or fish can add unique flavors to dishes.
Salsa ingredients and preparation tips.
Keep cut fruits, such as apples, pears, bananas and peaches, from turning brown by coating them with an acidic juice such as lemon, orange or pineapple juice. Cover and refrigerate cut fruit and veggies until ready to serve. Most salsas taste best if refrigerated for about an hour before serving to let flavors blend.
Salsa canning basics
Canning your own salsa recipe or changing the proportions of ingredients in a tested salsa recipe can be unsafe. The types and amounts of ingredients used, as well as the preparation method, are important considerations in how a salsa is canned. Improperly canned salsas or other tomato-pepper combinations have been implicated in more than one outbreak of botulism poisoning. If you are new to canning or need a refresher course, check out resources and information at: http://food.unl.edu/canning.
|
|
New Podcast - Nebraska Grows
Nebraska Grows is a new podcast for commercial fruit and vegetable producers. This podcast can be found on most popular podcast subscription services (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, Player FM, and several others) or it can be downloaded straight from the podcast website https://nebraskagrows.buzzsprout.com. There is also a supporting Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/nebraskagrows which will have posts that can be shared, including when new podcasts come out.
|
|
Want to learn more about horticulture and the 4-H program?
Sign up for our Newsletters:
-
Monthly Horticulture Newsletter by emailing John Fech here.
-
Weekly 4-H Newsletter by emailing Rachel Wright here.
Learn more about our programs in our:
|
|
8015 West Center Road, Omaha
402-444-7804
go.unl.edu/douglassarpyext
Our south office is located at 1102 E. 1st St., Papillion, NE 68046.
Call 402-444-7804 to schedule an appointment at our Papillion Office.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
