Friday, May 8, 2009

It All Starts Nexts Friday!


Farmers Market Opens May 15th

 Farmers Market opens for the season on Friday May 15, 2009, at 5:00 PM. We will be located in Main Street Square.  

At the early markets expect to find vendors offering honey, plants, eggs, fresh asparagus, rhubarb, green onions, lettuce, radishes, and your favorite baked goods.  Several new vendors again have signed on for the season and most of your favorite returning vendors plan to be there. 

For the fourth year Iowa Farm Bureau has provided plastic grocery sacks for our vendors to use free of charge.  This is a big help to us and a rather large expense for them.  We thank them for their support!

 More produce will become available as the season progresses and the weather gets warmer.  Tuesday markets will begin on Tuesday June 2, 2009, and will run through Tuesday September 29th.  We plan to have two Saturday Markets –June 20th, as part of the JUNKET IN JUNE for Specialty Shops and September 12th in connection with the Specialty Shops FALL OPEN HOUSE. 

 Our market accepts Senior Nutrition Program Checks and WIC/Farmers Market Checks, but only by vendors who have taken the training to participate and are identified by the program signs at their booth.  We also have two vendors who have the Food Stamp Machine and can accept Food Stamps and Credit Cards.  Only those two vendors are allowed to sell with credit or accept Food Stamps.

 This will be our 28th  season.  Join us for the fun and fresh food! 


photo courtesy of flicker.com 

Photo Challenge for 4-H'ers!



The 4-H Photo Challenge class will be offered for all youth in grades 4-12 in the Franklin County community.  The purpose of this class is to learn the basics of photography, colors, compositions and cropping.

 

Local 4-H volunteer and photography judge, Raelene Borcherding, will lead the workshops to teach participants the basics.  The first workshop is scheduled for May 21, 7:00 p.m. at Hampton State Bank.  At later sessions, participants will take photos at a local area with a disposable camera, and learn how to select one of their photos to be enlarged.  Participants will also learn about cropping and mounting their selected photo which will then be entered in a special class at the Franklin County Fair.  A fee of $20.00 will be collected from each participant, covering the cost of the camera, developing, one 8x10 print and black matte board to mount your entry on.  Please register by May 21 by calling the Franklin County Extension Office at 641-456-4811 or e-mail jackied@iastate.edu


Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114


photo courtesy of flickr.com 

Thursday, May 7, 2009

What's Up In The Garden


 by Jackie Dohlman, Franklin County Master Gardener

Tips on Hardening Transplants, Using Newspaper as Mulch in the Garden, and Controlling Iris Borer

What is meant by the term hardening?

Flower and vegetable plants purchased from greenhouses or garden centers should not be planted directly into the garden. The intense sun and strong winds may damage or kill the tender seedlings. Bedding plants should be "hardened" (acclimated to outdoor growing conditions) before transplanting them into the garden. Initially place the plants in a shady, protected site. Then gradually expose the plants to longer periods of direct sun.

Closely watch the plants during this period. If possible, check on them at least once or twice a day. Thoroughly water the seedlings when the soil surface becomes dry to the touch. Move the plants indoors if strong winds, a severe storm or an overnight frost threatens them. After several days of hardening, the flower and vegetable plants should be ready for planting.

Can newspapers be used as a mulch in the vegetable garden?

Yes, shredded newspapers or whole sheets may be used as a mulch in the vegetable garden. Newspapers use organic inks so gardeners need not worry about lead contamination. When using newspaper sheets, place a layer of two to four sheets between plant rows in the garden. Water the sheets so they stick to one another and to the soil surface, then place a layer of dry grass clippings, shredded leaves or straw over the newspaper.

How do I control the iris borer?

The iris borer is a serious pest of bearded irises. The mature stage of the iris borer is a grayish moth. Female moths lay eggs on iris foliage and other nearby plants in late summer/early fall. The eggs hatch the following spring. The small larvae (caterpillars) bore their way into the foliage and feed on leaf tissue. Over time, the larvae tunnel down through the leaves and into the rhizomes. The caterpillars continue to feed inside the rhizomes and eventually destroy much of them. When fully grown, the larvae move into the soil and pupate. Adults (moths) emerge in late summer.

Bacterial soft rot often invades rhizomes damaged by iris borers. Rhizomes infected with bacterial soft rot become soft and foul-smelling.

Iris borers can be controlled by sanitation and the timely application of insecticides. Remove and destroy dead iris foliage in fall or very early spring. This will eliminate many of the iris borer eggs. An insecticide should be applied when the new shoots are four to six inches in length. An application of an insecticide at this time should destroy small iris borer larvae before they have the opportunity to tunnel into the iris foliage. Products that contain acephate, permethrin or spinosad should be effective. As always, carefully read and follow label directions when using pesticides. 


Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

picture courtesy of flickr.com 

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Do You Wash Your Hands Often Enough?

Help Keep Swine Flu Away From the Swine


The possibility of a worldwide influenza pandemic may have implications for swine producers in Iowa, according to Dr. Jim McKean, Iowa State University swine veterinarian.

The new recombinant virus has genetic components previously seen in strains of human, avian and swine influenzas, McKean said, but this specific H1N1 influenza virus strain has never been identified in swine. “Calling it ‘swine flu’ is a nomenclature issue, rather than an origin issue,” McKean said. He said it was identified as a swine flu because of its similarity to other swine flu strains identified previously.

“Hogs are not necessary for this influenza to spread,” McKean said, and all cases investigated so far “have had no swine contact whatsoever.” It transfers from human to human, and has nothing to do with pigs.

McKean said it is not known how the virus strain might affect swine, and because of that, hog producers should take precautions to keep it from getting into the swine population. “Pork producers should be minimizing the exposure of pigs to humans. . . . Keep people with symptoms out of hog houses until symptoms are gone.”

Another H1N1 influenza strain was identified in the 1918 flu epidemic.  McKean said that flu strain, also identified as a swine flu, transferred from humans to pigs.  If that happens with the current strain, it’s not known what the impact will be on the swine population. “Pigs are not likely to have a large amount of immunity, because it’s a unique strain,” he said.

The ISU diagnostic laboratory does a lot of analysis of virus strains, looking for ways to handle influenza strains that do show up in swine, McKean said, and this particular variation has never been identified in any of those studies. But the potential for the spread to swine provides an opportunity for pork producers to look at the biosecurity measures they have in place, and to increase them if necessary.

picture provided by flickr.com 


Hampton Today made possible by sponsors like:
Michelle Hartman – Tupperware –641-373-8880
Denise Passehl – Watkins – 641-579-6227 Franklin County Farmers Market 641-456-4811 Patrick Palmer – The Computer Guy – 641-420-1234 Seven Stars Restaurant – 641-456-5378 Debra Brown – Melaleuca - 641-458-1114

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Extension Family Files


 by Beverly Peters, Franklin County Extension Education Director

 

Family Gatherings and The Elderly

Spring and summer months bring families together for graduations, weddings, and reunions.  For elders struggling with confusion and memory loss, too much stimulation from too many people over too long often creates anxiety and frustration.

 

Instead of taking offense by an elder’s anxious, combative, or “stand-offish” behavior, create an environment that encourages comfortable but possibly limited involvement of confused or memory impaired loved ones.  The following guidelines may help.

·         Arrange for an impaired family member to spend more one to one time rather than group time.  The time can be traded off between several family members so everyone gets to enjoy part of the group festivities.

·         Allow quiet time away from the crowd for your loved one to rest or collect thoughts.

·         Plan a group activity that is not competitive or in any way threatening to your family member such as a musical activity, a walk, or a short comic video.

·         Organize one to one activities such as cutting up fruits or vegetables for the meal, assisting with dishes, sweeping the patio, or just sitting and enjoying friendship and conversation.

·         Prepare both children and adults for the gathering.  Give reminders to children to be respectful, speak clearly and slowly, and limit extremely rambunctious activity in the presence of their impaired family member.

·         Vary activities often enough that boredom does not set in.  The person with memory impairment and confusion is likely to have a short attention span.

picture courtesy of Flickr.com 

Monday, May 4, 2009

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