Need a great gift idea for the upcoming holidays? 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.
It's that time of year again, when we need to think about Christmas tree safety.Bringing a live tree
into the house is a wonderful way to decorate for the holidays but some guidelines need to be followed to insure the longevity of the tree and it's possible effects on the household.
Store the tree in an unheated, sheltered area until ready to decorate.
Make a fresh cut across the base of the trunk so the tree can take up water. Do not make the cut until you are ready to put it in the stand.
Use a tree stand that holds at least one gallon of water and check the water level often.Tree preservatives are unnecessary.
Set the tree up in a cool area away from fireplaces, wood stoves or heat vents.
Check lights for exposed wires and shorts before putting them on the tree.
Always unplug the tree before going to bed and when leaving the house.
We are fortunate in our area to have easy access to frasier fir trees.These trees hold their needles much longer than any other variety of Christmas tree.A live Christmas tree can be both safe and
enjoyable for everyone as long as they are treated properly to insure long-lasting freshness.
Feeding Horses
Sometimes feeding horses seems like an arcane art. Every individual seems to have their own little system and some, like a classically trained chef, have a bewildering array of secret ingredients they add to their recipe. While horses do have certain nutritional requirements, one does not need a degree in equine nutrition in order to meet them.
Horses most certainly require quality forage, free from toxic weeds and molds, and of high nutritional value. While you may be able to visually evaluate hay for weeds and molds, the nutritional analysis must come from a forage test. With the cost of hay one of the biggest expenses, paying ten dollars for a forage analysis is money in the bank.
By knowing the nutrient content of your hay, you will know whether or not grain needs to be added to the daily ration.
Horses with a high activity level will usually require some supplemental grain in their diet. With this in mind, please remember that feed companies have trained nutritionists on staff that have an array of analytical equipment and years of research at their disposal. Additionally, they are able to combine ingredients of the least cost and produce a feed that precisely meets the nutritive requirements of your horse.
That being said please don’t make the mistake of cutting their feed with other grains. You won’t really be saving any money and will upset the careful balance of nutrients the nutritionist worked so hard to achieve. With a good quality hay and maybe a little supplemental feed from a reputable feed company, one can meet the nutritional needs of a vast majority of the horses in Burke County.
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
Christmas Tree Myth Buster
If needles fall off of a Christmas tree at the lot, is it too old to last through Christmas?
No, not at all! It is normal for trees with needles to shed some of those needles at certain times of the year. These needles catch in the foliage so when you shake the tree or move it the needles will fall out. This doesn’t mean the tree is not fresh. Reach in the branches and lightly grasp the needles and pull outward. If only a couple of needles come off in your hand, the tree is good to go.
NC State University and N.C. A&T State University
work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension.
