December Newsletter

Mental Wellness After the Storm

After the devastation caused by the recent storm, many in our community are still reeling. While property damage and food loss are visible challenges, the emotional toll of a disaster often runs deeper than we might realize. It’s important to acknowledge that the mental and emotional strain can be just as significant as any physical damage.

Farmers, in particular, may feel an immense pressure to recover quickly and get back to work, but the stress can be more than anyone is prepared to face alone. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone, and there are resources available to help. The North Carolina Farm Help Line is here for you—whether by phone or text at 844-325-3276—to connect you to the support you need. Additionally, the 988 Lifeline offers a national network of crisis centers with trained staff ready to listen and guide you through tough emotions.

Winter Feeding Areas for Livestock
Damon Pollard, Extension Agent, Livestock

As we move into colder weather, it is time to think about strategies for winter-feeding of livestock. Choosing a poor location for winter-feeding can negatively impact both soil and water quality. A significant amount of run-off can occur if winter-feeding is conducted around streams, ponds, flood plains or creek bottoms. Storm-water runoff from these areas can carry mud and manure into nearby water bodies, creating water quality problems.

Always, feed in well-drained locations. These should be areas that don’t allow runoff of mud and manure. The farther from surface or ground water resources, the better, as it is less likely for water pollution to occur.

Next, producers should consider using confinement feeding allowing livestock to access a structure or paddock for feeding but then return to a larger pasture. These smaller “sacrifice” pastures reduce the area damaged from winter- feeding. Place water and mineral supplements away from feeders, so livestock will be enticed to eat and then move out and away to water and minerals. This will help lessen the volume of manure at the feeding areas and spread it throughout the fields.

Finally, heavy-use area pads around winter-feeding areas are a worthwhile investment and can greatly reduce mud and rutting from tractor and hoof traffic. These pads are constructed using geo-textile fabric, crushed stone and dense grade aggregate.

By making these considerations for winter-feeding of livestock, producers can greatly reduce the potential to contaminate water resources and can improve production.

Winter Garden Chores
Matt Rodriguez, Extension Agent, Horticulture

Just because the “official” growing season is over doesn't mean that garden care and chores are done as well. There is still plenty to do. Fall/early winter can be a good time to prune what we call “Bleeder trees”. The trees that typically fall into this category are Maple, Elm, Dogwoods, and birch. Most other trees are better pruned in the later part of winter.

In Addition to pruning, there is leaf litter that can either be left to degrade into compost and provide temporary shelter to leaf dwelling critters. Small mammals and insects utilize this hummus layer for raising young and foraging.

Now that the main growing season is over. Fall is a great time to give some TLC to our well worn garden tools. Sharpening blades on your mower along with the necessary oil changes and other ‘tune-ups’ will have you ready to tackle the lawn the following spring. Don’t neglect your Garden hoes and weeding tools. They can be sharpened up using a metal file. Include your shovels in this work as well. If you need to repair or cover up your hoses or faucets, now might be a good time before heavy frosts set in.

If you're open to it, don't be afraid to plant a cover crop in your beds. Legumes like clover and alfalfa are great nitrogen fixators and can feed the soil once tilled in early spring.

It’s not too late to install and repair any season extenders you may be using. Retrofit your garden beds with diy cold frames and other season extenders. Reach out to your horticulture agent for some great resources if you’re interested.

If you are buying a real christmas tree then come to our upcoming workshop on Dec. 6th for an in depth discussion on christmas tree care for the homeowner.

Speaking of Christmas, don't forget the gardener in your life. You still have time to buy them a nice gift to benefit the garden space.

Don't Feed the Strings!
Damon Pollard, Extension Agent, Livestock

When winter comes to livestock producers in Burke County, it generally leads us into our hay-feeding regimen. This often means trudging through mud, maybe some snow and ice. Most of us are doing this in the dark and the hay-feeding season is a lot like work. To speed up our evening chores, we may take short cuts and leave some twine or net wrap on the bales. And it’s highly likely that some of our animals eat at least some of this twine, whether we want to admit it or not. Some of this twine that’s eaten passes completely through the digestive tract
and ends up in manure, but a large amount of it can end up as a tangled-up ball that gets stuck in the rumen, especially plastic twine. A recent survey of veterinarians suggests that deaths from twine blockages isn’t all that common, however, it can limit intake in the rumen, and open up pathways for health problems and compromise the individual animal’s health.

As producers, keeping costs low is of utmost concern. A dead animal, or one whose health is compromised, costs us money. To avoid problems with animals consuming hay bale twine, remember that it doesn’t appear to be a common health concern, but it is still prudent to remove as much twine, especially the plastic twine, as possible before feeding. Anyone who has observed animals feeding on hay with the strings left on, has seen an animal with a string hanging from the side of its mouth, trying to ingest the tail of string dragging along behind, and besides, the string is hard on bush hogs and disc mower bearings, so let’s get it off to start with.