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National 4-H Week is October 4-10 and the theme is Opportunity4All.
Take advantage of this important week to highlight the remarkable 4-H youth in your communities and showcase the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people.
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Red Maple Poisoning in Horses
Fall is a wonderful time to enjoy being outdoors, but with fall comes the seasonal hazard of toxic poisoning from falling leaves. Red maples are particularly dangerous to horses. They are abundant in Burke County and whenever they are stressed by drought or change of season, chemical changes within the leaves create toxins that are fatal to horses. 
An abscission layer forms on each leaf stem and seals off water from the roots. The trapped chemicals within the leaf become toxic and when eaten by a horse, cause the kidneys to hemorrhage and they essentially bleed to death.
In the buds on each twig are tiny leaves which may also be a threat during winter. Horses allowed access to red maples during winter can be poisoned from browsing on these buds. Canadian vets call red maple poisoning "red snow disease", identifiable by the trail of bloody urine through the snow, from horses who have consumed the buds.
So, identify the red maples in and around your pastures and eliminate them whenever possible. Avoid feeding hay under or around red maple trees, and manage forage to provide adequate grazing, supplementing it with good quality hay when pastures are dormant, as most poisoning occurs from accidental ingestion.
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The TSC Paper Clover Campaign is just around the corner!
October 7-18, 2020
TSC Paper Clover Just Around the Corner - October 7-18, 2020 The Fall 2020 TSC Paper Clover begins in two weeks. This year donations may be made online using the TSC website or the TSC app. 90% of the funds go to the state in which they were raised with 10% going to the National 4-H Council. Because of COVID 19 restrictions TSC has asked 4-H clubs to not participate in any in-store activities this fall. This restriction is only for the Fall 2020 campaign. Funds from the sales of Paper Clovers may be used to support leadership and camping activities for youth.
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A New Crop of Master Gardeners - Finally! After much delay and frustration, the 2020 class of Extension Master Gardener Volunteers have finally finished their studies and joined our Burke County Master Gardeners. Classes traditionally start in mid-January and finish in mid-April (13 weeks) but because of the Covid-19 shutdown, classes were suspended for what we thought would be a short time. Obviously this was not the case and the class was finally finished up via Zoom online this summer.  Participants were given the option to finish class online or to wait and join the 2021 class in January. Twelve decided to finish online with 4 class members opting to wait for the 2021 class. Although it has been a struggle, especially in trying to pick back up and remember what they had learned so may months ago, they all did very well in their remaining weeks of class and on their final exam and we hope they are as excited as we are to welcome them into the Extension Master Gardener Volunteer organization. An online graduation was held in late September where they received their badges and certificates virtually with many of our present Master Gardeners cheering them on. If you would be interested in becoming an Extension Master Gardener, give us a call and we can give you the details. Plans for 2021 are not yet complete but we'll have everything worked out in plenty of time for any interested gardeners or gardener want-a-bees! |
October Pasture Management
Abundant rainfall this summer has helped our pastures thrive, but to cash in on Fall growth you still have time to fertilize fescue. Producers should hold nitrogen amounts to 30-40 lbs/acre. If soil moisture is not limited, and ambient temperatures are above 50'F at night and less than 80'F during the day, fescue can grow at least 15 to 25 lbs./acre/day.
Fescue pastures and hayfields can also still be overseeded. If pastures have more than 60% ground cover from fescue plants, reseeding is generally not economical. However, if fescue stands are so thin that there are not enough plants to respond to management, overseeding can be beneficial, by providing more growth during winter and spring. Overseeding a winter annual such as rye, wheat or triticale or seeding more fescue or other cool season grass is largely a matter of long-term goals for that particular pasture. Winter annuals can provide short term forage but must be reseeded. Winter annuals can be mixed with legumes such as crimson clover to provide higher protein levels. Reseeding fescue or other cool season grasses will serve to thicken existing stands, and continue to provide a long-term perennial forage base.
Finish planting cool season legumes into pastures by October 20th. Planting clovers or other legumes later than this increases the likelihood of spewing, or ground frost pushing young legume seedlings out of the soil as it freezes and thaws.
By taking the time to feed your cool season forages now, you can take advantage of increased fall growth, and you may even hold off feeding hay a bit longer this year, which puts money in your pocket. Imagine that!
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Apple Butter
Fall is finally here, and for many people, that means the sweet smell of apples filling up the house. We are in the season of peak apple production, and you might be considering preserving some apples to have all year long. Whether it's your grandma's apple pie recipe or an apple butter recipe you found online, make sure you are keeping your sweet treats safe!
Apples can be dried, made into applesauce or apple butter, or into a delicious pie filling. It is possible to can or freeze apple slices, but you expect to lose some quality in the process. You may be tempted to can that old family recipe, but we recommend only using tested recipes for canning. Approved recipes have been tested for proper acidity, water activity, time, and temperature to prevent the growth of potentially harmful spoilage organisms. Using recipes that have not been tested for safety can put you and your family at risk, so if you found an apple butter recipe online, make sure you keep it in your refrigerator instead of in a jar on your shelf!
Try this tested Apple Butter recipe from the National Center for Home Food Preservation!
Apple Butter
 Use Jonathan, Winesap, Stayman, Golden Delicious, Maclntosh, or other tasty apple varieties for good results.Yield: About 8 to 9 pints
Procedure:
Wash, remove stems, quarter and core fruit. Cook slowly in cider and vinegar until soft. Press fruit through a colander, food mill, or strainer. Cook fruit pulp with sugar and spices, stirring frequently. To test for doneness, remove a spoonful and hold it away from steam for 2 minutes. It is done if the butter remains mounded on the spoon. Another way to determine when the butter is cooked adequately is to spoon a small quantity onto a plate. When a rim of liquid does not separate around the edge of the butter, it is ready for canning. Fill hot into sterile half-pint or pint jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process according to the recommendations in Table 1.
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4-H Camp For Christmas: Gift Certificates Available
Burke County 4-H will travel to the Eastern 4-H Center on June 20-25, 2021. The cost for this week-long camp with Burke County 4-H is $460, which includes transportation, lodging, meals, store money, and a t-shirt. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot! Spaces are limited.
Call our office for more information, payment options available.
828-764-9480 |
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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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