Extension News May 2024

ASk a master gardener!

Beginning May 7, NC State Extension Master Gardener volunteers will be available to answer residential lawn and gardening questions for Surry County residents. They will be at the Extension Office from 10 am to 12 noon every Tuesday until the end of the growing season.

If you have any vital or burning questions and need advice from a Master Gardener volunteer (EMGV), call (336) 401-8025, email surrymastergardener@gmail.com or visit 915 E Atkins Street in Dobson.

Local Beekeepers Partner with Local Radio Station, WIFM

Tune in each Wednesday at 5:05 pm on 100.9, WIFM, for the Surry County Beekeepers Report.

Photo Contest

The Surry County Beekeepers Association is sponsoring a “Photo Contest” from now through June 30. The photo must have a “Bee” theme and include a 250–350-word essay explaining the photo and why you believe it relates to bees and pollination. Only one entry per person is allowed. First through third place winners will receive CASH prizes, and the photo will be published in the NC Bee Buzz and Bee Culture. For more information and the entry form.

May is National Egg Month!

May is a great time to recognize our egg farmers, as it is national egg month! Egg farmers are located all throughout North Carolina. In our state, there are around 15 million birds laying over 4 billion eggs, with hens laying an egg about once every 24-26 hours. The average person in North Carolina will consume 250 eggs per year, and there are a variety of egg production systems that offer consumers many choices in the grocery store. Chickens are fed a mixture of corn and soybean meal that is formulated by nutritionists to meet the chickens’ dietary requirements. These mixtures also contain the needed vitamins and minerals to keep chickens healthy. Farmers work hard all year long to get eggs from the farm to your plate. Let’s celebrate National Egg month by recognizing the work they do and having some fun trying out new egg-inspired recipes! The recipe below is from the NC Egg Association and is perfect for the warmer weather!

Delayed Release of the Soybean Support Tool

If you attended the Soybean Production Meeting held in Yadkin County back in February of this year, you might have heard Dr. Rachel Vann, from North Carolina State University, mention the launch of a grower decision support tool being released in April of 2024. Unfortunately, the grower decision support tool release will be delayed to at least the fall of 2024. The delayed release is to address some of the last remaining work needed with the tool, but to have further implications for helping growers with soybean maturity groups, and planting rate decisions for the upcoming 2025 growing season.

The overall goal of the grower decision support tool was to allow growers to input their location within the state of North Carolina to predict the best soybean planting date, maturity group selection, and planting rate decisions based on five years of field-based data from across North Carolina. There has been a team of computer scientists, agronomists, and various Extension Agents collaborating together to develop this tool for soybean growers throughout North Carolina, so stay tuned!

The article has been revised by Dr. Rachel Vann, Soybean Extension Specialist from North Carolina State University.

Summer Fun Registration is Now Open!

In less than 2 months, our Summer Fun programs will be in full swing! Now is the time to register for programs, so your kids don’t miss out on any of the fun. Our first program of the summer will be Candy Science with the Mad Scientist. He will be doing several experiments with candy and even making cotton candy that the kids will be able to taste!

Once again, we will be offering our Sew Much Fun program, where kids can learn the basics of hand sewing as well as using a sewing machine. They will create a decorative throw pillow or a simple garment of clothing to take home with them.

For our nature lovers, we have Environmental Explorers! We will be heading to Pilot Mountain State Park in the morning. We will take a hike down to the creek and see what is hiding beneath the rocks. We will also be on the lookout for native animals, birds, and insects that call the park home. Finally, we will have a scavenger hunt to see how many native plants we can identify!

Canning and food preservation is an art that has been lost for future generations. In our 2-day Preserve It & Serve It program, participants will learn how to make pickles and jam from fresh fruit by using the water bath canning method. They will also learn things that pair well with pickles and jelly to serve with them!

For those who love making and building things, we have our Innovation Station program. The Innovation Station bus from North Carolina A&T University will be coming up for the morning. Once on board, participants will have their own work station to complete a STEM activity led by our innovator experts!

Do you have a teen who is always thinking about starting their own business? If so, they should join us on our Tour de Entrepreneurs! We will be traveling in the van to several local businesses, which grew from just an idea. They will share tips and suggestions that will help them get their business off the ground.

Does your child like to help cook and learn new skills in the kitchen? If so, our Chef and the Child program may be just what they need! Students will be joined by a real chef who will demonstrate knife skills, peeling fruits and vegetables, and garnishing dishes. They will also be using fresh produce as well as common pantry items to make some tasty tidbits. Each participant will take a cookbook home at the end of the week, so they can make the recipes for their family!

Do you have a teen who is interested in agriculture? We will be heading down to Salisbury to tour the Piedmont Research Station to learn about research being done in poultry and dairy production, as well as agriculture crop trials and planting methods. It will be a day of fun and learning!

For our youngest 4-H’ers, our Cloverbuds, we have a program called All About Animals. We will be looking at animals that live in Surry County, identifying animal tracks, making a simple animal themed snack, and making an animal craft. It will be a morning on the wild side!

For our youth who are interested in beekeeping, we are offering a Junior Beekeeping School. Our Surry County Beekeepers Association will be sharing their knowledge about bees and teaching the participants the art of beekeeping. Participants will even get to put on a bee suit and head out to the bee yard to watch the work firsthand!

Finally, our last (but not least) program of the summer is Paint With All the Colors. Youth will be able to try their hand at several painting techniques, from suncatchers to painting on canvas. It will be a day to let the creativity flow and see what masterpieces are made!

If you have a child or grandchild who is interested in participating in one of our Summer Fun programs, they can register now through their 4-H Online account by going to the Events tab. If you are not currently registered in 4-H Online but would like to sign up for Summer Fun, contact Amanda Gann at (336) 401-8025 or agann@ncu.edu and she will help you get signed up!

Fruit Smoothies

Children need 2-3 cups of milk each day for good health and growth. Offering children milk instead of soft drinks or other sugary beverages also helps them maintain a healthy weight. Smoothies are a great milk treat with lots of flavor.

Check out the Fruit Smoothies recipes from Cooking with EFNEP cookbook:

Makes 2 servings | Serving Size: 1 cup

Choose 1/2 cup of a fruit

• Bananas
• Strawberries
• Peaches
• Blueberries

Choose 1 cup of a base

• Low-fat plain yogurt
• Low-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
• Frozen juice concentrate, such as apple or orange

Choose 1/2 cup of a liquid

• Low-fat or fat-free milk
• 100% fruit juice
• Calcium-fortified soy milk
• Low-fat vanilla yogurt
• Frozen fruit
• Ice cubes

Example 1

• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk

Example 2

• 1/2 cup banana
• 1 cup frozen orange juice
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk

Example 3

• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 cup low-fat frozen vanilla yogurt
• 1/2 cup orange juice

Directions:

Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Serve immediately. This will give you enough for two people. If there are more than two of you, you can make twice as much.

Nutrition Information Per Serving

110 Calories, Total Fat 1.5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Protein 8g, Total Carbohydrate 14g, Dietary Fiber 1g, Sodium 115mg. Excellent source of calcium and vitamin C.

Vitamin C

Most of us know that citrus fruits, such as oranges and tangerines, are good sources of vitamin C. However, you might be surprised to know that red peppers, broccoli, and potatoes are great sources too.

Our bodies use vitamin C to build and repair tissue. It also helps our body absorb iron, which our body needs to transport oxygen.

An easy way to include both vitamin C and iron in our diet could be by adding a spinach salad to our meal. Try adding some fruit, such as blueberries, to your spinach salad as pictured below, or better yet, some tangerines.

Celebrate Salad Month

Chinese Chicken Salad

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to be able to pull a complete meal out of the refrigerator? With a little planning, this dream can become a reality. Try a salad meal. Anyone who believes salads are only made with iceberg lettuce just does not know what they are missing. Salad possibilities are endless. Salads can be the main dish, side dishes, or desserts. Use the MyPlate guidelines to ensure you have enough variety to cover all the food groups.

Think about preparing some salads utilizing vegetables and fruits. These should cover about one-half of the plate. One-fourth of the plate needs protein. These salads could include dried beans, lean meats, and poultry. The other fourth will be filled with a grain salad. Options may include a pasta salad or a salad with quinoa, brown rice, or barley.

Some salads, like Chinese Chicken Salad, incorporate multiple food groups. Instead of traditional chicken salad, which contains mostly meat and high-fat mayonnaise, you can make this quick salad that incorporates so many more vegetables and is as satisfying and delicious as it is good for you. Chinese Chicken Salad makes 8 servings and is a great recipe for meal prep.

Even if you decide not to make a complete meal of salads, use a couple to complement a simple sandwich or piece of grilled chicken. Remember, recipes are just guides. Salads are flexible enough for you to add or subtract ingredients to suit your family’s taste preferences. Be creative and utilize salads to make your life more convenient. Having most of the clean-up already completed before the meal begins is another plus. The concept works well when having company or if you need to make food ahead so it will be ready to eat when you are. Celebrate Salad Month today and enjoy some delicious, nutritious flavors.

Chinese Chicken Salad

8 Servings Ingredients

• 4 ½ cups shredded cabbage – I use Cole slaw mix with carrots and purple cabbage
• 1 Ramen noodle package
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• ¼ cup vinegar (rice or white wine)
• 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon Ramen noodle flavor packet
• ½ cup bell pepper, gently rubbed under cold running water,
• chopped
• ¼ cup scallions, gently rubbed under cold running water,
• minced
• ½ cup unsalted peanuts OR sliced almonds
• 1 (12.5 ounce) can of chicken* drained

Directions:

1. Wash hands with soap and water.
2. Gently rub cabbage under cold running water, then shred with either a knife or grater. Set aside.
3. Break up Ramen noodles. Set aside.
4. Make dressing in a small bowl by combining sugar, vinegar, oil and 1 teaspoon of the Ramen noodle flavor packet. Stir well and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, combine bell pepper, scallions, and nuts. Add chicken and cabbage. Stir gently.
6. Pour dressing over cabbage mixture and stir gently. Top the cabbage mixture with broken noodles.
7. Although this recipe is best when eaten right away, leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Note: Wait and add noodles when ready to eat to keep them crisp.

*Use 2 cooked chicken breasts (heated to an internal temperature of 165 ºF as measured with a food thermometer) in place of canned chicken. For more color and nutrients, add one (8 oz.) can of drained mandarin oranges to the salad.

Nutrition Information per Serving (1/8 of recipe): Calories 220, Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Cholesterol 60mg, Sodium 430mg, Total Carbohydrates 13g, Fiber 2g, Total Sugars 3g, includes 1g Added Sugars, Protein 23g, Vitamin D 0%, Calcium 2%, Iron 6%, Potassium 8%.

Recipe Source: MyPlate Kitchen, Connecticut Food Policy Council Farm Fresh Summertime Recipe