Home Food Preservation Brandi Silver, Extension Agent, FCS
Preserving your garden’s bounty is a rewarding and practical way to enjoy fresh flavors year-round. However, ensuring your processed goods are safe for consumption is paramount.
Whether you’re preserving foods through home canning or considering freezing as an option, it’s essential to rely on research-based guidance. This not only saves you time and money but also ensures the safety of your foods. Visit our Home Food Preservation Resourcespage to explore a plethora of resources from USDA and Extension services to assist you in this endeavor.
These resources are invaluable in helping you make informed decisions and guaranteeing the quality and safety of your preserved foods.
For those eager to deepen their knowledge of home food preservation, Brandi, our Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) agent, is here to answer any canning questions you might have. Contact her at 828-764-9480 or at bsilver@ncsu.edu.
Seasonal Canning Series
N.C. Cooperative Extension, Buncombe County Center; West District FCS Agents; WNC Farmers Market and WNC Foodworks are partnering to provide seasonal canning series of classes this year. You can register for one class or register for all to learn various methods of canning. Each class will start with a tour of the market to explore the options of buying in bulk, then learning about the WNC Foodworks facility and ending with a hands on class where we will can together. Check out the class lineup and details on registering on the Buncombe County website.
Fescue is a tough forage that handles trampling and drought and hot weather much better than many of its counterparts and we as livestock producers rely on it to produce most of our forage needs. But, this hardiness is made possible by a fungus that exists between the cell walls of KY 31 fescue plants and protects the plant from many climactic conditions. This endophyte (fungus) attributes greatly to summer slump in beef herds. Symptoms range from rough haircoats and poor shedding, to elevated body temps and sloughing of the tail switch and hooves. These animals often stand in water or under shade and pant profusely. The main thing is they are not grazing and filling up that rumen, and converting forage intake efficiently. The greatest problems from fescue toxicosis occurs in the summer months and into early fall. Toxin levels are at their greatest when seed heads are present with high concentrations in the seeds. Calves grazing toxic fescue show reduced weight gains on this reduced quality forage and milk production of their dams is lower.
The Great Southeast Pollinator Census is a citizen science project created by the University of Georgia. This project is designed for everyone to participate and make a difference for pollinator conservation!
Join us as we celebrate the 2024 Great Southeast Pollinator Census, counting pollinators throughout Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina & Florida on August 23rd and 24th.
For more information and to get registered to participate, visit gsepc.org
Empowering Parenting: Cultivating Discipline and Loving Connections
Brandi Silver, Extension Agent, FCS
Navigating the challenges of parenting and discipline is a journey shared by many in our community. As a Family and Consumer Sciences agent, I frequently engage with community members seeking guidance on effective parenting strategies. Recently, a grandmother reached out to me for support and parenting classes as she navigates the complexities of raising her grandson. Her story reflects the common struggle many caregivers face today. In response to her concerns, I provided research-based resources aimed at establishing a strong foundation for a successful summer and beyond.
Many of us encounter similar dilemmas, but it’s essential to remember that discipline goes beyond mere enforcement of rules—it’s about fostering a holistic approach that helps children understand boundaries, respect others, and take responsibility for their actions.
Unraveling the Sun’s Gifts and Safeguarding With Sunscreen Brandi Silver, Extension Agent, FCS
Isn’t it amazing how our relationship with the sun is so complex? The sun actually does a lot for us, like giving us Vitamin D to help our bodies absorb calcium and keep our bones strong. Plus, soaking up some sun in moderation can really boost our mood, help us sleep better, and even reduce stress. It just goes to show that a little sunshine can do wonders for our overall well-being!
Searching online for information about sunscreen might have left you feeling uneasy about using these lotions and creams on yourself and your family. Dr. Jennifer Lin, an assistant professor of dermatology at Harvard Medical School, urges the public not to let myths deter them from protecting their skin.
Cedar-Quince Rust Matt Rodriguez, Extension Agent, Horticulture
Cedar-quince rust is a fungal infection that operates with two host plants. The Primary hosts of this fungus are typically evergreens like Junipers and Cedars. The Alternate hosts are found among Apples. Quince, Hawthorn, and other members of the Rose family. This includes Pears which typically do not suffer from this infection, however the conditions have been ideal for this to spread as of late. Asian Pears are known to be resistant to this kind of fungal infection. Spores created by this fungus are carried by wind and rain to unsuspecting fruiting trees and result in tiny orange to pinkish fungal “tubular” like growths on the fruit called aecia.
Symptoms can vary depending on the host plant and conditions. Primary hosts can exhibit swelling on branches and twigs and eventually dieback can occur after some orange-like substance bursts from the swellings. Branches can be infected for years until ideal conditions persist.
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.
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.
