May 23, 2003 Exclusives Packet
NOTE: We will send individual exclusives to program area mailing lists on a permanent basis since county agents favor receiving their exclusives in this matter. We also will send the complete packet to the exclusives mailing list as an agent back up and archive.
Please do not delete this message. It is the only complete copy your office will receive of exclusives for Agricultural and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences and
4-H/Youth Development.
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Management Tips To Control Weeds
In Grass Pastures and Hayfields
FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES
You Can Take Aim on Asthma
By Eliminating Episode “Triggers”
4-H/YOUTH DEVELOPMENT
Non-Ownership Project Enables Youth
To Participate in Many Dairy Shows
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Management Tips To Control Weeds
In Grass Pastures and Hayfields
Source: J.D. Green
Following good pasture management practices is one of the best ways to eliminate weeds and unwanted plants in grass pastures and hayfields. Weedy type plants reduce quality, and sometimes quantity, of desirable forages available to livestock. Some plants are even potentially poisonous to grazing animals`.
To reap the most forage quantity and quality from pastures, use management practices to encourage growth of a vigorous, dense stand of desirable forage grasses, yet limit germination and growth of unwanted plants. Remember, weed seed can germinate in thin pasture stands, and unwanted plants are more prone to become established in these areas.
Recognize that all weeds aren’t detrimental as livestock forage. Some weedy plants have nutritional value, especially those used in the early vegetative growth stages such as chicory and crabgrass.
Good pasture management starts with timely mowing and good grazing practices. Well-timed mowing before weedy plants can produce new seed helps prevent production and spread of weed seeds. Where perennial weeds dominate, frequent mowing can curtail weeds’ growth by depleting their root reserves. If you use rotational grazing, be sure to avoid over-grazing that reduces the competitive capabilities of desirable forage species.
Maintaining the optimum soil acidity/alkalinity and fertility levels is another weed prevention practice. Take routine soil tests to ensure the best levels for pasture growth and quality. Also, keep fence rows and adjacent fields free of troublesome weeds such as musk thistle and multiflora rose.
In some cases, herbicide use probably is the most desirable weed-control method. However, it’s important to remember that you can’t effectively control all weeds with a herbicide product. Sometimes herbicide use is cost-prohibitive. So, when considering herbicide use, determine the types of weeds to be controlled, their life cycles and the best time of year to apply the herbicide. Remember to note any grazing or forage harvest restrictions.
Avoid applying herbicides in mid-summer, because many common products for pastures can injure nearby, sensitive broadleaf crops like tobacco, vegetables and ornamentals, especially under unusually high air temperatures and humidity.
There are two generally preferred times of year to apply herbicides in grass pastures: in the fall to early winter months, or in the spring after plants begin actively growing.
As is true with any good management program, use a variety of practices to prevent and combat weed infestations in pastures. Remember, timely mowing is an effective cultural weed control practice. Whereas, apply herbicides only if and when the situation warrants their use.
Contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service for more information on managing weed problems in pastures.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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You Can Take Aim on Asthma
By Eliminating Episode “Triggers”
Sources: Mike Potter, Linda Adler, Linda Jouridine, Kim Henkin, American Lung Association of Kentucky and Environmental Protection Agency
Many of you probably have seen a child or adult having difficulty breathing resulting from an episode with asthma, a chronic disease that causes continual swelling of the airways.
In Kentucky, more than 70,000 children and 130,000 adults suffer from asthma, according to the American Lung Association of Kentucky. Nationwide, asthma affects more than 17 million people.
Unfortunately more children are being diagnosed with asthma. Among children, asthma is responsible for more emergency room visits, hospital admissions and school absences that any other chronic disease.
Asthma can be hard to diagnose, because its symptoms are similar to those for the common cold. Asthma symptoms are a persistent cough at night, or for more than one week, or during or after exercise; shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing. Check with your doctor if a child exhibits any of those symptoms, or when what appears to be a cold lasts more than two weeks.
While there’s no cure for asthma, we can help family members and friends prevent episodes by managing indoor environments to eliminate asthma episode triggers. These include secondhand smoke, pet dander, dust and dust mites, mold, and humidity,
Let’s look at some common indoor triggers and ways to reduce people’s exposure to them.
Secondhand smoke from a burning cigarette, pipe or cigar and their exhaled smoke can trigger an asthma episode. Because children’s lungs aren’t fully developed, they have a particularly high risk for asthma and respiratory damage from secondhand smoke. A lighted tobacco product produces poisonous chemicals; these toxins aren’t filtered when left to burn in the air as they are when a smoker inhales through a filter
To eliminate secondhand smoke “triggers,” choose not to smoke in your home and car, and don’t allow others to smoke in your indoor locations either. Make all your indoor environments “smoke-free.”
Other potential asthma triggers are pets’ skin flakes, urine and saliva. So consider keeping pets outdoors, or finding a new home for your animal friends, if necessary. Always keep pets out of the bedrooms of asthma sufferers and keep the doors closed. Also keep pets away from fabric-covered furniture and stuffed toys, as well as off carpet.
Dust mites are present in every home, but are too small to be visible. They feed on skin flakes and particles people and pets shed. A vital part of the dust mite solution is sanitation where shed skin and dust particles accumulate, notably where people and pets spend a lot of time.
To make your home unfriendly to dust-mites, regularly vacuum items that trap and hold dust such as mattresses, bedcovers, pillows, upholstered furniture, drapes, carpet and stuffed toys. Also, weekly wash bedclothes (sheets, blankets and so forth) in hot water. Wash stuffed toys often in hot water and thoroughly dry. Keep stuffed toys off beds to be sure a child with asthma doesn’t sleep with them. Use dust proof (allergen impermeable) zippered covers on mattresses and pillows.
Humid locations also attract dust mites. So keep indoor humidity below 60 percent.
The body parts or droppings of such pests as cockroaches and rodents also can trigger asthma episodes.
What can you do?
Don’t leave food or garbage out in the open; instead, store food in airtight containers. Also, immediately clean up all spilled liquids and food crumbs.
To eliminate pests, use poison baits, boric acid (for cockroaches) or traps before resorting to pesticide sprays. If you do use sprays, only use them in the infested areas; carefully read and follow label directions; and be sure the sprayed area is well ventilated with plenty of fresh air. Be sure people with asthma stay out of the sprayed area.
Molds and mildew, which grow on damp materials, can trigger asthma episodes. The kitchen and bathroom are common locations because these rooms have hidden areas where molds and mildew often live. Eliminating moisture and keeping the home clean are keys to controlling molds and mildew.
Use the exhaust fan, or open windows, to reduce moisture when bathing, showering, cooking or using the dishwasher. Repair leaky plumbing, a dripping air conditioner or other sources of water. Vent clothes dryers to the outside.
Wash mold and mildew off hard surfaces and dry them completely. It might be necessary to replace absorbent materials (ceiling tiles and carpets).
Frequently launder shower curtains. Air dry damp towels, wash clothes and bathmats, and launder them at least once a week. After showering, spray the walls and curtain with a product to prevent mold and mildew growth. Also, use a mildew remover in other bathroom areas and the kitchen.
Remember to work with your doctor to reduce triggers that have the greatest effects on the person with asthma. This management plan should include a list of asthma triggers, instructions for medications, advice on using a daily symptom diary and peak flow meter, information on how to stop an asthma episode or attack in progress, and instructions on when to call the doctor.
For more information, contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service, or call Health Education Extension Leadership at 859-323-4826.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Non-Ownership Project Enables Youth
To Participate in Many Dairy Shows
Source: George Heersche
Through the Non-Ownership Dairy Animal Project, 4-H members who don’t live on a dairy farm still can participate in shows.
The purpose of this project is to involve youth who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to show a registered dairy animal. Thus, youth who own a dairy animal or animals cannot participate in the non-ownership project.
The non-ownership project works this way.
A 4-H member signs an agreement with a dairy farmer who supplies a registered, non-ownership dairy project animal for a year. Youth can have one or two animals. The 4-H member, farmer and others complete a non-ownership agreement. (Unlike other dairy projects, the non-ownership animal isn’t required to be registered in the member’s name with the breed association.)
Youth can show dairy animals at county fairs, district dairy shows, state breed association shows, and breed shows at the Kentucky State Fair. The cattle and youth must comply with all show rules, except registering the animal in the competitor’s name. This is an annual project so new non-owner certificates must be filled out annually.
The 4-H member takes care of the dairy animal, learning about nutrition and how to groom and show it. The youth and farmer decide each other’s responsibilities. For instance, the farmer might want the 4-H member to teach the animal to lead. The 4-H member might expect the farmer to transport the project animal to the Kentucky State Fair, along with the dairy’s other animals.
Having a livestock animal is one of the benefits 4-H educational activities. Youth assume the responsibility of caring for, training and showing the animal, and gain satisfaction for a job well done. Members also learn animal husbandry skills. These experiences can help youth prepare to enter the workforce and perhaps direct career interests.
For more information on 4-H, contact your (CountyName) Cooperative Extension Service.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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