October Newsletter - Burke County

October is National Cookbook Month!

Yes, you read that right! There's a national month for nearly everything and one of October's is National Cookbook Month. How do you celebrate a cookbook month? Here are some ideas!

In this digital age, most of us find recipes online but what about dusting off one of those old cookbooks you have laying around and try making a new dish or two the old fashioned way? Follow the recipe carefully, create your masterpiece and before you dish it up, take a photo and post it on social media!

Find a few of those tried and true holiday recipes and give them a test run in October. If you like it, you will have a new dish for upcoming holiday meals.

Involve the kids in finding and testing recipes from your cookbooks. Let them help and teach them how to follow a recipe from start to finish. Don't forget to take some pictures along the way.

You don't have a good cookbook? We can help you with that! We have #ExtensionEats cookbooks for sale at our office. These cookbooks are packed with recipes from our staff, local farmers, cattlemen, beekeepers and more. They also have additional information like cuts of meats, tips & hints, conversion charts, etc.

Cookbooks are $10 each or 2 for $15
Buy one for yourself or several for gifts!

Lawn & Garden Care - 10 Things NOT to Do In the Fall

Do NOT fertilize trees and shrubs
Do NOT prune trees and shrubs
Do NOT transplant or move plants until after killing frost
Do NOT stop mowing as long as grass is growing but do mow a little higher (4 inches)
Do NOT use a high nitrogen fertilizer on the lawn (use a winterizer)
Do NOT any fertilizer at all on warm season grasses
Do NOT cut back asparagus ferns until after frost has killed them
Do NOT allow leaves to accumulate on the lawn
Do NOT cut back perennial foliage until after frost
Do NOT stop watering new landscape plantings if weather remains dry

Preserving Apples

It’s finally fall again, 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!

For tested recipes, check out our Trusted Food Preservation Resources Guide.

If you are interested in learning more about water bath canning apple butter, please join us for a hands-on workshop on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 at 10 am. Space is limited, so register today at go.ncsu.edu/applebuttercanning21.

Did you know that protective factors against substance misuse and family-related adolescent problems are strongest built in youth between the ages of 10 to 14 years old?

Join us this fall for engaging sessions (available face-to-face or online) aimed to empower middle schoolers and caregivers to successfully navigate the teen years and avoid substance misuse before it occurs. Weekly family dinner is provided!

Visit go.ncsu.edu/eyfpfall21 for more info and to register your family!

Fall sessions start on October 5, 2022

Forages for Horses

Good management of horse pastures can easily provide almost all dietary requirements for the average pleasure horse. Good management can greatly extend the grazing season, greatly reducing hay needs. Horses on poor pasture will require supplemental feeding, whereas those on well-managed pastures can successfully meet their nutrient requirements from forage alone. By adding legumes, such as clovers, forage production will increase without additional fertilizer inputs, based on their ability to fix nitrogen in the soil. Horses grazing well-managed pastures will also remain in better condition and tend to be healthier as well.

Read More..

Camp for Christmas!
Gift Certificates Available

Burke County 4-H will travel to the Eastern 4-H Center on June 19-23, 2022 (tenative). The cost for this week-long camp with Burke County 4-H is $520, which includes transportation, lodging, meals, store money, and a t-shirt. A $50 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your spot! Deposits are due by February 15, 2022. Spaces are limited. Register early.

Gift Certificates are available in any amount at our office.

Call our office for more information, payment options available.
828-764-9480
nicki_carpenter@ncsu.edu

Lawn & Garden Care - 10 Things To Do In the Fall

Divide and separate perennials
Spray for winter annual weeds and wild onion and garlic
Till under dead vegetable plants in the garden
Apply a winterizer fertilizer to the lawn
Plant new trees and shrubs
Add mulch to the landscape
Plant spring flowering bulbs
Keep mowing as long as grass continues to grow
Rake often as fallen leaves can damage turf grass

Implement vole control if needed:
Locate holes and set small mouse traps baited with raw apple and peanut butter at each hole. Cover hole and trap with bucket and check each day, resetting and moving the traps as needed. Continue through March and vole population will be severely depleted!

Trick-or-Treating During a Pandemic

The CDC has issued tips to stay COVID safe while trick or treating this year.

Avoid direct contact with other trick or treaters - maintain social distancing
Give out treats outdoors
Set out individually bagged treats for kids to take
Wash hands before giving out treats
Wear a mask - make your cloth mask a part of your costume
Carry hand sanitizer and use it after touching objects or other people
Wash your hands when you get home and before eating treats