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MARCH, 2024
BURKE COUNTY CENTER
Burke County Cattlemen's Association Scholarships

The Burke County Cattlemen’s Association is offering two $1,000.00 Scholarships to two eligible High School Seniors or undergrad or grad students pursuing a degree in an agricultural related field. Completed applications must be returned by April 1st.  Applications can be hand delivered or mailed and must be postmarked by April 1st to:

BCCA
 130 Ammons Drive, Suite 2
 Morganton, NC 28655

Applications are available at our office or on our website.

Call our office at 828-764-9480 to register for the 2024 Annual Cattlemen's Meeting. REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED!
Go to our website for a printable registration form or pick one up at the meeting.
BURKE COUNTY 4-H YARD SALE FUNDRAISER
Burke County 4-H is also accepting donations of items for the yard sale.  If you have items to donate, bring them by our office at 130 Ammons Drive in Morganton. 
 
Each year, Small Farms Week highlights the programs and activities conducted by  Cooperative Extension at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University that support limited-resource, small-scale, part-time, and alternative-enterprise farmers.

Small Farms Week 2024 offers participants "New Paths to Profits," featuring informational sessions and hands-on experiences on such subjects as preserving wealth through family land holdings, transitioning into a smart farm enterprise and profitable organic practices. Plenty of experienced professionals will share their stories in a Voices from the Field session, and we'll also feature a session on marketing opportunities for small and mid-sized farmers.

Go to Small Farms Week for more information or to register!

March is Living Well Month
The National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences proudly celebrates Living Well Month every year in March to promote healthy living and the great work Family and Consumer Sciences professionals do to educate individuals, families, and communities across the country.

Use this 31 Days of Healthy Living calendar to help you live better today.
Developing Replacement Heifers
Damon Pollard, Extension Agent, Livestock

Developing replacement heifers that are sound, durable, and efficient additions to the cow herd is important to the viability of a beef producer. Whether purchased, or home grown, replacement heifers are a necessary expense to the cattlemen and should be developed properly to insure long term success.
 Producers should first be sure to get heifers to the target weight before breeding. This is generally recognized as 65% of their mature weight. So for a producer with a 1350 lb. average mature cow size, a heifer should weigh in at around 850-875 lbs. This shocks some producers, but as average cow size has increased, target weights have gone up in relation to these increases. This means heifers that are 650 lbs. at weaning, need to gain around 225 lbs. by breeding date. These heifers will need to gain around 1lb a day from weaning to the beginning of the breeding season to reach the target weight. These gains can be accomplished through a consistent nutrition program and can be accomplished without high energy feeds. Keep average daily gains steady and consistent and avoid pushing heifers early and then backing off during winter when feed resources are more scarce. If creep feeding through weaning, try to continue on the same plane of nutrition through breeding. There is some research that shows that heifers roughed through their first winter and then fed on a rising plane of nutrition up to the breeding season show little production differences than those fed throughout their development and there is more than one way to skin a cat. But for the average producer, keep weight gains steady and on a rising nutritional plane through breeding to insure good conception rates and greater lifetime production. Producers can utilize feeds with ionophores such as Rumensin or Bovatec in the diet to maximize weight gain and reach maturity earlier. Keep up a good mineral program for developing heifers, making it available at all times, to support their development.

Read more....
Burke County 4-H March Calendar
Nicki Carpenter, Extension Agent, 4-H Youth Development
March 5
5:30-7:00 pm
4-H Foundations - Positive Youth-Adult Partnerships
Ages:  Adults and/or teens 12+

March 26
10:00-11:00 am
Discovery Day - Pollinators
Hands-on STEAM activities for various age groups
In Burke County, contact Brandi Silver at bsilver@ncsu.edu or 828-764-9480
Burke County 4-H  will head to the Eastern 4-H Center for summer camp from June 16-21, 2024. Camp is for youth ages 8-14. Spots are limited so sign up now. A $50 deposit is required to hold your spot.

Youth do not have to be in 4-H to attend.  All activities are facilitated by trained camp counselors and program instructors.  Activities include kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, rock climbing, ecology, crabbing, archery, swimming, arts and crafts, sports, games, and more.

Burke County 4-H campers will be provided fundraising opportunities to offset camp costs. Scholarship applicaton are also available. Please contact our office at 828-764-9480 if you have questions or want to sign up.

Visit Eastern 4-H Center for more information on summer camp.
 
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University works in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
N.C. Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity provider.
 
 


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