Iredell Informed Newsletter August 2022

Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Bowl

Ingredients

For the vegetables:

1 large sweet potato chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups broccoli florets
2 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups Brussels sprouts cut in half
1/2 red onion sliced
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 cups chopped kale

For the Quinoa:

1 cup quinoa rinsed
2 cups water
Pinch of salt

For the Lemon Tahini Dressing:

1/3 cup tahini
1 clove garlic
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cup warm water
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place the vegetables on two baking sheets, making sure they are in an even layer and spread out a little. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until the vegetables are coated. Season with salt and black pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and toss the vegetables. Place the pans back in the oven and roast for 15-20 more minutes or until vegetables are tender and slightly crisp. I prefer my vegetables crispy and a little black on the edges so I let them roast for about 40 minutes total.
While the vegetables are roasting make the quinoa. In a medium saucepan, combine water, rinsed quinoa, and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered. Remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork.
To make the lemon tahini dressing, whisk together the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and, water in a small bowl or jar. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. If the dressing is too thick, add a little more water and whisk again.
To assemble the bowls, add quinoa, an assortment of the roasted vegetables, and chopped kale. Drizzle with lemon tahini dressing.
Note-If you are meal prepping, you can place the dressing in a separate container and wait to dress the bowls. You can heat up the roasted vegetables and quinoa in the microwave and add the kale and dressing when you are ready to eat. Feel free to roast whatever vegetables you like!

National Farm Safety and Health Week 2022

Protecting Agriculture's Future - September 18-24, 2022

Daily Topics of Focus

Monday, September 19, 2022 - Tractor Safety & Rural Roadway Safety
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 - Overall Farmer Health
Wednesday, September 21, 2022 - Safety & Health for Youth in Agriculture
Thursday, September 22, 2022 - Confined Spaces
Friday, September 23, 2022 - Safety & Health for Women in Agriculture

History

The 2019 data for the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that the agricultural sector is still the most dangerous in America with 573 fatalities, or an equivalent of 23.1 deaths per 100,000 workers. Fall harvest time can be one of the busiest and most dangerous seasons of the year for the agriculture industry. For this reason, the third week of September has been recognized as National Farm Safety and Health Week. This annual promotion initiated by the National Safety Council has been proclaimed as such by each sitting U.S. President since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944. National Farm Safety and Health Week is led by the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS), the agricultural partner of the National Safety Council.

AgriSafe Webinars

Each day during National Farm Safety & Health Week, AgriSafe will host two FREE webinars related to the daily topic of focus. Participants only need to register one time to access all of the NFSHW webinars.

The North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has confirmed the first established presence of the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) in the state. Initial surveys indicate the known distribution of the pest is within a 5-mile radius in Forsyth County near Interstate 40 in Kernersville extending to the Guilford County line. Survey efforts are ongoing.

“We have been actively looking for this pest for years and had ramped up surveillance when it was detected last year near the North Carolina-Virginia line,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “Members of our Plant Industry Division and the N.C. Forest Service are moving quickly to eradicate this brightly colored pest, and we ask members of the public to be on the lookout for more spotted lanternfly and report any finds.”

Spotted lanternfly poses a serious threat to the state’s wine and grape industries and can feed and cause damage on over 70 species of plants including apples, roses and other landscape plants, said Dr. Bill Foote, director of the NCDA&CS Plant Industry Division.

When spotted lanternfly populations jumped from the northern end of Virginia to an area just over the North Carolina state line, NCDA&CS increased its outreach and surveying, particularly to the state’s most vulnerable wine-producing regions. This pest has been rapidly spreading since it was first identified in Pennsylvania in 2014.

Concentrated spotted lanternfly surveys are continuing in the initial Forsyth County discovery area to determine if the pest is in additional locations. Treatments are planned this week before mated females begin laying eggs.

Early detection and rapid response are critical in the control of spotted lanternfly and the Plant Industry Division has been preparing to provide the most effective response to slow the spread of this invasive pest in our state, Foote said.

If you see a suspect spotted lanternfly in North Carolina submit a picture through the online reporting tool.

Iredell County 4-H'er Quincy Sherrill had the opportunity to attend YouthVoice, the youth advocacy component of the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners annual conference. YouthVoice provides county commissioners with the opportunity to connect with the next generation of leaders. The event brings together Youth Delegates from 4-H Youth Development clubs and Boys and Girls Clubs of North Carolina. YouthVoice offers sessions that help youth gain a better understanding of what county governments do and the role of commissioners as the governing body for counties, and provides multiple opportunities for youth and county officials to connect. Quincy said that she had a wonderful time connecting with county leaders and her peers, and was able to further develop her personal leadership style. For more information on attending this program, contact our office at 704-873-0507.

Extension has daily slots on the local radio station, WAME 92.9FM/550AM!

Check them out at 6:40am and 6:40pm

Mondays- Taylor Jenkins and Kelly Pierce for 4-H/Youth
   Development

Tuesdays-   Andrea Sherrill for Family & Consumer Science

Wednesdays- Melinda Roberts for Horticulture

Thursdays- Laura Elmore and Jenny Carleo for Crops and
  Livestock

Fridays- Nancy Keith, Dairy and Extension Director News

Need to get in touch with Extension Staff?

--Just click on the person below--

Agents/Associates:

Nancy Keith: County Extension Director, Dairy

Andrea Sherrill: Family & Consumer Science

Jenny Carleo: Area Specialized Agent, Grain Crops

Laura Elmore: Livestock and Crops

Taylor Jenkins: 4-H Youth Development

Kelly Pierce: 4-H Program Associate

Melinda Roberts: Horticulture

Associate Support Staff:

Beth Cloninger
Latoya Boller

NC Cooperative Extension
Iredell County Center
444 Bristol Drive Statesville NC 28677
704-873-0507