Extension News October 2023

Surry County Cooperative Extension Has a New Intern!

Brittany Holyfield

I'm Brittany Holyfield, and I am currently interning at Surry County Cooperative Extension. I grew up in Surry County and have always been interested in agriculture, specifically agriculture education. This interest led me to continue my education, and I am currently a senior at North Carolina A&T University, majoring in Agricultural Education. I am excited for my time with Cooperative Extension, and I look forward to learning a lot.

We are excited for the opportunity to have Brittany intern at our Surry County Center. Brittany's internship will give her meaningful, practical, work-related experience in her field of study at North Carolina A&T University. Please join us in welcoming Brittany to our team for the next couple of months.

October is Apple Month and NC Crunch

When I think of fall, I think of apples. From the delicious aromas of fresh baked apple cakes, pies, apple butter, dried apples, applesauce, and cooked apples, I love them all.

One summer, our 4-H food preservation class had the experience of making homemade applesauce. The highlights of the day were cranking the apple peeler, slicer and corer and cooking the apple rings to make the homemade sauce. The youth couldn’t believe how simple applesauce is to make, just apples and sugar. We used a stick immersion blender in the pot we cooked the apples in to magically make the texture smooth. They were surprised at the difference between store bought and homemade applesauce and how delicious it tasted. One participant summed up the thoughts of the group. “There is apple sauce, and then there is APPLE SAUCE!” The 4-Her’s came back for seconds and thirds until the applesauce pot was scraped clean.

Fall is the perfect time to can or freeze some extra applesauce to enjoy throughout the year. The recommended processing time for applesauce in a boiling-water canner-hot pack is 20 minutes for pints and 25 minutes for quarts. In a weighted gauge pressure canner, process at 10 lbs. of pressure-hot pack pints for 8 minutes and quarts for 10 minutes. In a dial gauge canner, hot pack pints for 8 minutes and quarts for 10 minutes at 6 lbs. of pressure for up to 2000 feet altitude.

A benefit of apples is their long storage life compared to many other fruits. Select apples that are firm to hard and have been kept refrigerated. Apples will ripen and therefore turn soft 10 times faster at room temperature and nearly 5 times faster at 40 degrees F. Cold temperatures keep apples from continuing to ripen after being picked, which can result in a mushy texture. Place apples in a plastic bag and store them in the crisper of your refrigerator for up to six weeks. Check the bags frequently and remove any apples that have started to decay. For longer storage, apples can be canned, dried, or frozen. For more information on any of these techniques, visit the National Center for Home Food Preservation at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension.

Crunch Day

This year, we have even more reason to enjoy one of our favorite fruits. Join kids and adults across North Carolina on Wednesday, October 18, at 12:00 noon by crunching into a locally grown apple. This event is about uniting together to celebrate North Carolina agriculture, National Farm to School Month, Early Care and Education Month, apples grown by local farmers, and healthy eating.

Use your favorite apples, Pink Lady is one of mine, to make some Crunchy Apple Salad on Crunch Day with this easy recipe the whole family will like. For an even easier snack, just sprinkle apple slices with cinnamon. Enjoy some apples prepared your preferred way today.

Crunchy Apple Salad

• 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons walnuts (optional)
• 2 tablespoons raisins (optional)
• 2 large apples, one green and one red, washed
• 1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits, in juice, drained

Wisk together the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Cut unpeeled apples into bite-sized pieces. Stir apples, pineapple tidbits, raisins, and nuts into the yogurt mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

Homemade Applesauce

• 6 pounds apples
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar (optional)

Peel apples, core them and slice or cut them into chunks. Measure water into large stock pot and add apples. Cook on high until apples are tender, approximately 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the variety and ripeness of the apples. For smoother applesauce, put the cooked apples through a food mill or sieve, or use an immersion blender in the stock pot. For a chunky applesauce leave the apples in pieces. Add sugar to achieve the desired sweetness. Makes 4 pints. Can be frozen or processed for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.

Holiday Spending

The holidays will be here before we know it. Join us on Thursday, October 5 at 11:00 am for our monthly virtual Extension at Home class which focuses on Preparing for Holiday Spending. If this time frame doesn't work with your schedule, register and you will be sent a recording after the session that you can view at your own convenience.

Diabetes & You Program

The next Diabetes & You class on Fall for Carbs will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023 at 11:30. Please RSVP our office at 336-401-8025.

Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period

Apple Butterflies

Your kids will be excited to come home for these tasty, afterschool nutritious snacks that look like colorful butterflies. Add a few raisins to each apple wing, and they transform into butterflies with spotted wings.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 4 fresh baby carrots
• 1 large red apple
• 8 (2 inch) thin strips of celery
• Colored decorator sugar, if desired.

Directions:

1. Spoon 2 tablespoons of peanut butter (you can use sunbutter) onto the center of each of the 4 individual plates. Shape the peanut butter on each plate into a mound about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. Place 1 carrot in the center of each mound of peanut butter.

2. Cut the apple into quarters; remove the core. Cut each quarter into 7 thin slices; cut 1 slice in half crosswise. Fan 3 apple slices on each side near the top of each carrot to form the upper wings. Place 1 half-slice on each side near the bottom of each carrot to form lower wings.

Vitamin D Deficiency

• Vitamin D is very important for our bones and muscles. Unfortunately, many of us might have insufficient levels in our blood. If you have been diagnosed with having a vitamin D deficiency, you could increase it by trying one of these suggestions:
• Eat more foods that contain vitamin D, such as salmon, mackerel, tuna, and fortified foods.
• Expose your skin to sufficient sunlight (being careful not to over-do-it).
• Take a supplement.

Remember, it is very important to talk to your doctor before starting to take any supplement since taking too much could be harmful or could interfere with other medications. Try adding this easy tuna recipe to your family’s menu this week.

National 4-H Week

October 1-7 2023 has been declared National 4-H Week. 4‑H is America’s largest youth development organization—empowering nearly six million young people with the skills to lead for a lifetime! In 4‑H, we believe in the power of young people. We see that every child has valuable strengths and real influence to improve the world around us. 4‑H is delivered by Cooperative Extension—a community of more than 100 public universities across the nation that provides experiences where young people learn by doing. For more than 100 years, 4‑H has welcomed young people of all beliefs and backgrounds, giving kids a voice to express who they are and how they make their lives and communities better. In 4‑H programs, kids and teens ages 5-18 complete hands-on projects in areas like health, science, agriculture, and civic engagement in a positive environment where they receive guidance from adult mentors and are encouraged to take on proactive leadership roles. Kids experience 4‑H in every county and parish in the country through in-school and after-school programs, school and community clubs, and 4‑H camps. 4‑H’s reach and depth are unmatched, reaching kids in every corner of America, from urban neighborhoods to suburban schoolyards to rural farming communities. Our network of 500,000 volunteers and 3,500 4‑H professionals provides caring and supportive mentoring to all 6 million 4‑H’ers, helping them grow into true leaders today and in life. So, you may ask if 4-H is really making a difference in the lives of our youth and our communities. These are some of the latest statistics: 4-H’ers are four times more likely to give back in service to their communities. They are two times more likely to make healthy decisions based on information they have learned in their 4-H programs. They are twice as likely to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) based activities, because they have learned by doing hands-on activities through their local 4-H. Unlike many extracurricular activities, there is no cost to join 4-H and most activities are free or very low-cost. We know that families are busy! 4-H clubs usually meet once or twice per month. If you don’t feel like you can make a monthly commitment, we also offer special programs throughout the school year and during the summer. You can choose the activities that work for your family’s schedule. If you are interested in finding out about 4-H Clubs and programs offered in Surry County, contact Amanda Gann at (336)-401-8025 or agann@ncsu.edu.

Hay Testing and Contest

Now is a great time to take inventory of your hay supply for the fall! Knowing the amount of hay you have available is important to note, along with how much hay was used last year. Based on this, you can make estimates on what needs to be purchased, if any. To get more accurate information, a hay sample can be taken. The quality of the hay can change based on many factors, like the forage type, stage of maturity at harvest, soil type, and fertilizer rate. The stage of maturity at harvest is especially important because, as the forage matures, the fiber content increases, resulting in decreased digestibility. Knowing the nutrient content of your hay can help in management decisions to better meet the nutritional requirements of the herd and utilize your hay supply more efficiently. It can also guide decisions on how to supplement, if needed.

This year, we will be hosting a hay contest for producers in Surry County. Contest rules are linked below; entries will be due on October 27th. To participate, please contact Bailey Wood at (336)-401-8025 or at bailey_wood@ncsu.edu.

Reference: drovers.com

Surry County Hay Contest

This contest is open to anyone in Surry County who produces their own hay, and all of the rules of the contest are included below. Please be sure to submit entries by Friday, October 27th.

1. This contest is open to any hay producer in Surry County, North Carolina. Entries must be submitted by the farm where the forage was grown, and it must be produced within the current year. The NCDA Hay Sample Form will serve as the entry form.
2. Hay samples, entry forms, and the analysis/entry fee must be submitted to the Extension Office by October 27th.
3. Hay samples will be collected by the Surry County Livestock Agent using a forage probe to ensure uniform sampling between entries. Please reach out to coordinate a time for the visit.
4. Two hay samples will be collected per entry: one for lab analysis (sent to NCDA for testing) and the second for display purposes.
5. Lab analysis samples must be taken from a single lot of hay. 5-10 bales will be randomly sampled. A lot of hay is defined as forage taken from the same farm, field, and cut under uniform conditions within a 48 hour time period. These samples will be collected in a quart zip-lock bag.
6. One display sample will be collected from the same lot as the lab analysis sample. The display samples will be collected in a gallon zip-lock bag.
7. Entries will be judged using the analysis run by NCDA and based on the display sample.
8. Sample results will be returned to each producer once the results are back from NCDA.
9. Entries will be grouped into categories based on the type of forage, stage of maturity, and whether the hay is wrapped or not.
10. First place prizes will be awarded for each category.

Surry County Sheep and Goat Producers

We are hoping to expand our livestock programming to include small ruminant-specific events. Cooperative Extension recently hosted a Sheep and Goat Producer Social for local producers to come out and meet others here in the county. We had 10 participants for this event and got to receive feedback to help guide future programming.

If you are a sheep or goat producer in Surry County, please consider filling out our survey! We are looking for your input so we can learn what would be useful to you and your operation, and we would love to add you to our mailing list. Please spread the word to anyone who may be interested in this type of programming!

Surry County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day

Every year Surry County Public Works, in partnership with North Carolina Cooperative Extension Surry County Center, conducts a collection day for any household hazardous materials for proper disposal. The next Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day for the county has been scheduled for October 28th. The event will take place at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Mount Airy from 9 a.m. until around 2 p.m.

Some of the items that will be accepted on the upcoming collection day include paints or paint strippers, thinners, weed killers or pesticides, solvents, drain solvents, gasoline, oils, acids, and pool chemicals. The event is free and open to any Surry County resident, but no commercial waste materials will be accepted. For more information, feel free to contact Surry County Public Works at (336)-401-8376.

2023 Small Grain Data Released

The 2023 North Carolina Official Variety Test Small Grain Data is now available and can be found on the North Carolina Official Variety Testing Program’s website.

Growers are always encouraged to pick varieties that best suit local growing conditions and have the possibility for a positive return on investment with good yield potential. With that in mind, the Official Variety Testing Program here in North Carolina has developed an interactive database called the “Variety Selection Tool” to help growers with various variety selection criteria. The tool can be used to help with variety selection for not only small grains but also corn and soybeans.

Applications for the 2023 Surry County Agricultural Hall of Fame Award

Nomination applications for the 2023 Surry County Agricultural Hall of Fame Award are now available. This new award recognizes Surry County citizens for superior contributions and outstanding leadership in agriculture. Recognition will be given to recipients whose work has benefited the agricultural community while improving the quality of life in Surry County. The recipient’s work in agriculture or an agriculture-related field may be, but is not limited to, education, policymaking, technical assistance, invention, agri-business, or demonstrated effective agricultural practices.

Persons selected for recognition will be honored and formally inducted into the Hall of Fame during the annual Surry County Farm City event in November.

Nomination Application are due by November 1, 2023