Extension News August 2023

Cucumber Facts

Cucumbers are a good source of potassium, magnesium, and dietary fiber. These nutrients are known to lower blood pressure. Research has also proven that regular consumption of cucumber juice is helpful in reducing blood pressure in elderly people with hypertension. All the water in cucumbers can help keep you hydrated. Eating just one cucumber a day can be great. It mostly contains water. So even if you were to eat more than one, it won’t cause any harm. In fact, it will keep you full and help you avoid reaching for junk food. Check out this EFNEP recipe to use up some of those cucumbers and vegetables from your garden.

Cucumber and Avocado Salad

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 english cucumber (or your preference of cucumber), peeled and diced
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill (or 2 tablespoons dried)
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a resealable plastic bag. Squeeze bag gently to thoroughly mix ingredients.
2. Chill at least 1 hour before serving

Nutrition Information Per Serving: | 79 calories | Total fat 6g | Saturated fat 1g | Protein 2g | Total Carbohydrate 7g | Dietary Fiber 4g | Sodium 394mg | Good source of vitamins A and C.

Fall Gardening Planter Workshops Scheduled

Each month, Extension Master Gardener Volunteers plan for a great day of learning about horticulture for the home and garden. Fall Gardening Planters will be the August topic, and participants will take home something fun to enjoy.

Workshop locations are:

Mount Airy Senior Center on August 10th at 1:00 pm

Pilot Senior Center on August 24th at 1:00 pm

Mount Airy Public Library on August 31st at 2:00 pm

Search Facebook with the Surry County Extension Master Gardener volunteer hashtag, #growwithsurryemgv. All posts made by this group will be there. Check it out!

Pollinator Count Event

The Great Southeast Pollinator Count is an event being conducted through the University of Georgia. This year, N.C. State University and Cooperative Extension are partnering up and getting in on the excitement! With pollinators in decline, this citizen science project will help determine the number of pollinators we have across the southeast. This count will help guide their research and hopefully, benefit everyone in the long run.

Our LOCAL “Great Southeast Pollinator Count” will occur at the Mount Airy Public Library on August 19, 2023, from 10:00 am-12:00 pm in their newly established pollinator garden. You will not want to miss this event!

INVASIVE SPECIES ALERT

Japanese stilt grass is a summer annual weed in the Poaceae family that grows to 3.5 feet and can root at each node to make a new plant. The plant was accidentally introduced into Tennessee around 1919 as a result of being used as packing material for porcelain from China. It has now spread to 26 states, primarily the eastern and central states. It invades disturbed and undisturbed areas.

It prefers partly shaded, moist growing conditions but is very adaptable to other conditions and most soils. It spreads by seeds and vegetatively. It is listed as invasive in several states.

76th Year of the Surry County Agricultural Fair!

The tradition of county fairs is over two hundred years old. The goal was to showcase farmer’s crops and share the information they had learned with others. While the years have changed, agricultural fairs have not. Our Surry County Agricultural Fair highlights agriculture, crafts, cooking, livestock, and much more. This year, the Surry County Agricultural Fair is scheduled for August 9-13 at Veterans Memorial Park in Mount Airy. For more information and the current fair book visit.

Amanda Royall

Celebrating 5-Year Milestone

Amanda Royall has reached her 5-year milestone as Program Assistant, EFNEP-Youth for Surry County. She has served with N.C. Cooperative Extension, Surry County Center, in various positions for a total of 17 years of service. We are happy that Amanda is on our team. We look forward to many more years of working hard together to serve the people of Surry County!

Water Wisdom: Stay Hydrated – Stay Healthy

Feeling thirsty? If so, did you know you may already be dehydrated? Less frequent urination, dark-colored urine, fatigue, dizziness, and confusion are all symptoms of dehydration. On these hot and humid days, we need to consume enough liquid to help replace what we lose through perspiration.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), it is important to drink water when you’re doing physical activity or are out in the heat. Water helps your body:

• Regulate normal temperature
• Lubricate and cushion joints
• Protect your spinal cord and other sensitive tissues
• Rid waste through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements

Don't like the taste of water? Infused water may change your mind.

Infused water is created by adding fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs to water. The best flavor is created by allowing the produce to sit in the water for several hours before serving.

Many recipes are available for infused water, but they do not always mention how to prepare and store the water safely.

Steps to Control Risk

1. Keep the temperature of infused water at or below 41ºF. Temperature is the only reliable way to prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
2. Use good quality, unbruised produce. Bruised spots can introduce unwanted bacteria.
3. Wash hands thoroughly before preparing.
4. Rinse produce before adding it to water.
5. Use clean knives, prep surfaces, and containers while preparing produce.

Keep a cup of water handy, making it convenient to consume, but if infused water is kept out of the refrigerator, consider:

• Keeping enough ice in the water so the temperature is 41ºF or below. To test the temperature of the water, use a digital tip sensitive thermometer after preparing and note the time. Check the temperature at least every two hours, stirring the water first before testing to get an accurate measurement. If above 41ºF add ice as necessary to bring it down to 41ºF or below, stir, and test again. An insulated cup may help keep it cold longer.
• Allowing infused water to sit out at room temperature for no more than 4 hours. This is only safe if the temperature starts at or below 41ºF. Throw out the infusion water after 4 hours at room temperature. Wash and sanitize the container before making a new infusion.

Strawberry Mint Water

Serves 8 | Serving Size: 1 cup (8 ounces) | Prep time: 5 minutes | Chill time: 30 minutes or more | Total time: 35 minutes or more.

• 1 cup strawberries, washed and halved
• 4 sprigs mint, washed
• 1 cup ice
• Water

Add halved strawberries to a 2-quart drinking pitcher. Slightly twist the mint sprigs to release flavor, and then add then to pitcher. Top with ice, and then add water. For more flavor, chill for 30 minutes or more before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving: (Based on consumption of strawberries and mint) | Serving Size: 1 cup (8 ounces) | Vegetables: 0 cups | Fruits: ¼ cup | Calories: 6 calories | Carbohydrates: 1 gram | Fiber: 0 grams | Protein: 0 grams | Fat: 0 grams | Sodium: 10 mg |

Live Wise, Live Well - Health and Wellness Information

Tuesday, August 22, 2023

10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Please call our office at 336-401-8025 to reserve your ticket today, space is limited.

4-H Summer Fun Programs

We are winding down the summer as well as our 4-H Summer Fun programs. We have had a successful summer with seven programs and 58 registered participants! Our programs were Sew Much Fun, Junior Master Gardener, Life Skills Rodeo, All-a-Buzz, Pilot Mountain Nature Adventure, Chef & the Child, and Farmer for a Day. We have had fun and learned lots of new skills this summer! We hope that our participants will join one of our clubs and participate in events that we will be offering throughout the upcoming school year! For more information about 4-H clubs or events, contact our 4-H Agent, Amanda Gann, at (336) 401-8025 or agann@ncsu.edu.

4-H Volunteers Needed

Volunteers are needed. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Amanda Gann at 366-401-8025 or agann@ncsu.edu.

What is Topping Tobacco?

Throughout history, tobacco has been cultivated into an annual-growing plant, meaning it can complete its whole life cycle in one full growing season. If you have any experience with raising a crop of tobacco, I’m sure that you understand the importance of preventing the crop from trying to complete its life cycle.

The terminology of “topping tobacco” comes from the practice of physically removing the flower from the top of the plant to keep the plant from maturing, and ultimately stopping its life cycle. Typically, the time to top tobacco is what is called the “button stage,” which is soon after the flower begins to appear. If tobacco plants in the field are not topped for a period of 3 weeks after reaching the button stage, research has shown that yields can be reduced from 20-25 pounds per acre, per day, which equates to about 1% per acre, per day of the overall crop.

Waiting to top tobacco can decrease the overall yield of the crop if suckers are not controlled, which can also decrease a farmer’s return on investment for products such as fertilizers, chemicals, and various labor expenses. The term “suckers” is another way of referencing the flower produced on the top of the plant, and chemical options available for use on the market are named “sucker controls.” There are some other advantages to top tobacco earlier, including reducing the possibility of plants being blown over due to strong winds, stimulating earlier root development of the crop, and helping to reduce the buildup of certain insects, which can be beneficial to the field in the long term. Plus, if you are able to top your tobacco earlier, this can alleviate the workload before the peak of the tobacco harvest begins.

Article has been revised from “Topping and Sucker Control- When to Top?” publication found on the Tobacco Growers Information Portal through North Carolina State University Extension.

New Corn Growers Association Endowment

On June 8th, the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina announced the launch of a very important campaign for farmers, and other industry representatives across the state. They announced the campaign for the Ronnie W. Heiniger Distinguished Chair Endowment, named after Dr. Ron Heiniger, the current Corn Systems Specialist from North Carolina State University, for all of his service and contributions to farmers throughout North Carolina.

This new and developing endowment will strive to ensure that any future corn specialists working with North Carolina State University will be able to have proper funding to successfully deliver research recommendations to corn growers across North Carolina. The Corn Growers Association of North Carolina has set a very aggressive goal to raise a total of $5 million dollars by January 1st, 2025.

The Board of Representatives of the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina is investing heavily in this endowment for a total of $1 million dollars. Half of that amount has already been contributed to this past fiscal year, and the other half of this goal will be contributed within the next fiscal year.

Article has been revised from Rhonda Garrison, Executive Director of the Corn Growers Association of North Carolina.

Overseeding Pastures

If you are wanting to improve your pastures, one option can be overseeding! Typically, if you have enough ground contact, reseeding or overseeding by no-till drilling can result in a successful stand when planted at the right time, combined with some luck from the weather. For the best results, mow the stand prior to seeding to ensure more ground contact for planting. It is also important to control weeds and have proper soil amendments applied based on soil sampling. Since the best planting dates for many cool season forages are in the fall for the piedmont region, there still is time to prepare pastures prior to planting. To help establish the new forage in the future, grazing management becomes important to help with longevity, especially as it is getting established in the first couple years. It is important to keep at least three to four inches of forage on the ground after grazing and let the forage grow back up. This ensures there is enough root system to help the forage survive. By keeping the plant in phase two of growth, as seen in the graph below, we can have plant regrowth and nutrient dense forage. This allows us to optimize the forage we have, which becomes increasingly important as feed costs rise. For more details on how to get started, see the links below.

FAMACHA Certification Workshops

FAMACHA scoring can be a great tool to make deworming decisions easily on the farm. This workshop will provide education on parasite control in small ruminants, as well as certify producers in FAMACHA. At the end of this training, you'll be certified in the correct FAMACHA method and receive your own FAMACHA score card. This workshop will be divided into two segments: classroom education and hands-on learning. Both components are mandatory to satisfy the requirements for FAMACHA certification. All workshops are from 1-4 pm and cost $25. See the links below to register and for more details!

• August 18: Rockingham County
• August 25: Pitt County
• September 1: Haywood County
• September 8: Richmond County

Sleep Like a Baby

Every morning, when the alarm goes off, you press the snooze button, wishing you had a couple more hours of sleep. Are you one of the many adults who are sleep deprived? If so, this could be affecting not just your mood but also your overall health.

Here are some tips to help you “sleep like a baby”:

• Do something relaxing before going to bed, such as reading a book or listening to soft music.
• Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages four to six hours before bedtime.
• Be physically active during the day, but try not to exercise before bedtime since this will make falling asleep more difficult.
• Maintain a regular routine for going to bed and waking-up (including holidays & weekends).
• Avoid eating a big meal just before going to bed.

May these tips help you get sufficient sleep, so that you can wake-up well rested and energized. Pleasant dreams!