News You Can Use

They say that home is where the heart is, but unfortunately, it's also where everyday products pose health dangers to you and your family. More than 33 million people are injured by common consumer products each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, which oversaw 563 recalls of 60.8 million individual consumer products in 2008. (Make sure your home is safe by checking Recalls.gov.)And those are just the documented hazards. What may be the hidden ones?

The slinky little dryer sheets that keep clothes fresh are chock full of chemicals, including scary‐sounding ingredients like ethanol and alpha‐Pinene. Industry representatives says the exposure levels are too low to impact people but we think better safe than sorry. If only for peace of mind, try a few drops of essential oil on a washcloth instead.

Household bleach contains a concentrated form of chlorine. When people use chlorine bleach and an acidbased or ammonia‐based cleaning product together, or even one after the other, they produce a cloramine gas that can be fatal. Short term effects of chlorine exposure include vomiting, difficulty breathing, coughing,and eye, ear, nose, and throat irritation. Experts say the single most important thing to remember about cleaning products is that you need good ventilation when using them.

Scientific tests have shown that fragranced home products, everything from spray disinfectants to scented candles, contain known carcinogens and other dangerous additives. Some fragrances can contain 100 or more different chemicals ‐‐ none of which are required by law to be listed on the label ‐‐ and can cause nose and throat irritation, headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness. Experts recommend making your home fragrant with scents straight from the source, such as mint leaves or cinnamon sticks.

In addition to containing known harmful ingredients like ammonia, lye, phosphate, and chlorine, the majority of home cleaning products (just about everything under your kitchen sink) contain a vast array of chemicals, including toxic ethylene‐based glycol ethers and noneffects of "second hand scents" in everything from air toxic terpenes that become dangerous when they interact with ozone in the air. Experts say the single most important thing to remember about cleaning products is that you need good ventilation when using them.

Dr. Anne Steinemann, a professor of engineering at the University of Washington, has long warned about the fresheners to laundry detergent, spray disinfectants to scented candles. In 2007, she performed a chemical analysis of 30 of the bestselling scented household products and found that they contained known carcinogens and other dangerous chemicals. (The study appeared in 2008 in the Environmental Impact Assessment Review.) The products she studied contained more than two dozen volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, which the EPA says can cause nose and throat

irritation, headaches, shortness of breath, nausea, and dizziness. Together, the products Steinemann tested contained more than 100 different chemicals, none of which were listed on the labels. "The labels look benign," Steinemann says. "But some of these chemicals are classified as toxic under federal laws and can be affecting you even without your knowledge." She recommends making your home fragrant with scentsstraight from the source, such as mint leaves or cinnamon sticks.

The slinky little dryer sheets that keep clothes fresh are chock full of chemicals, including ethanol and chloroform. The ingredient benzyl acetate has been linked to pancreatic cancer and benzyl alcohol is known to cause upper respiratory irritation. When it reacts with ozone, the ingredient limonene can form formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, or cancer‐causing agent. "We have gotten used to these wonderful lifestyles with 'better living through chemicals,'" says Kathy Loidolt, a consumerhealth advocate and author of the Shopper's Guide to Healthy Living. "But our bodies are being overloaded with toxins. We don't need to be scared of everything. We just need to get different habits."

"Watch warning labels," says Robin Kay Levine, the founder of Eco‐Me green cleaning products. No one expects consumers to be experts, however, or to know which funny‐sounding chemicals are known carcinogens. Levine advises, "Look for products that give away the ingredients. Stay away from anything with a color in it. Labels that say 'keep windows open' and 'use in a ventilated room' are a dead giveaway."

reprinted from Advancing With Us Newsletter written by Dr. Skip Feinstein  picture courtesy of Dr Joolz at flickr.com 

For more information about safer products to use in your home, contact Deb Brown at 641-458-1114 or visit www.debthinksgreen.com 

Groceries, Shooting Sports, Manure

Spend Smart. Eat Smart.

Are you spending more and more on food and ending up with less and less? Does the thought of meal planning make your head spin? Do leftovers become mold-covered “science projects” cluttering your refrigerator?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, check out the new Spend Smart Eat Smart interactive website from Iowa State University Extension. Besides offering dollar-saving tips, the site includes game-like activities so you can test your smart shopping skills and compare meals prepared at home vs. eating out. You also can watch easy recipe videos, sign up for e-mail updates and blog with ISU Extension nutrition specialists At the website you can use a calculator to get an estimate based on the USDA’s low cost food plan for what a family your size should be spending to feed your family healthy meals.

At the grocery store, fill the cart with all the basics first---vegetables and fruit, protein and milk. These departments are nearly always on the outside walls of the store, which is why some people suggest to 'shop the perimeter'. Arrange your shopping list with the layout of the specific store in mind. That way you can spend less time in the store and not have to backtrack. If you need something in the center aisles of the store think of it as just running in for a specific items and then heading back to the perimeter.

Don't even go down the empty calorie aisles in the center of the store. Just stay out of the potato chip, crackers, candy, soda, deli aisles.

Buy the store or generic brand or at least try it. Sometimes the only difference between the store brand and the name brand is the label. Sometimes there is more of a difference. The only way to know if a certain product will work at your house is to try it.

Look up, look down. Food companies pay for shelf space and the prime location is on the shelves which are at eye level. Look to the higher or lower shelves for the less expensive versions of produces.

Supermarket managers have many methods to get you to their store and entice you to buy. The best way to buy at the lowest price possible is to use a price book that you can make yourself using a simple notebook and tracking price, date and store for items you regularly buy. This simple system makes it easier to track the sources and prices of the foods purchased most often and do unit pricing with a calculator or your cell phone. Here are some other points to keep in mind at the grocery store:

· Specials don’t always cost less. Just like in a restaurant a special is just something that the management wants to call attention to. t may or may not cost less.

·On sale doesn’t always mean it is a good deal. The sale on this product may still be more than another brand of the same thing. When potato chips are on sale, they're still empty and expensive calories.

· Usually you don’t have to buy the quantity specified in deals that are X for $Y. If the specials are 3 for $5 for example, one item will usually ring up as $1.67. Quantity discounts aren’t always a savings.

·The vast majority of coupons are for sugary snacks and convenience products. Have you ever seen a coupon for apples or milk? They can save if you use them for items you would usually buy instead of an invitation to try a new convenience food.

· Limited quantity deals. Take a good look at these. If the store is limiting quantities, chances are it is a good deal.

Pay attention at check-out. Errors are often made at the check-out. Products are scanned twice; the sale price doesn’t get entered into the computer; the checker doesn’t recognize the produce you are buying and enters the wrong code. Or a sign got moved and you picked up something you thought was on sale, but really isn’t. Make sure all your groceries get into your bag, your cart and into the car. Speak-up about the handling of fragile items.

Spending less on food often means investing time and effort in planning, shopping and preparing food. Spend Smart Eat Smart will help you learn skills and adopt habits so you can feed your family nutritious meals for less money. Spend Smart Eat Smart is one way ISU Extension is helping families eat nutritiously and manage finances.

the picture is a lady in Hydra Greece coming home from the grocery store! 

Sign up Now for 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Training

AMES, Iowa – The registration deadline is fast approaching for the spring 2009 4-H Shooting Sports Leader Certification workshop March 27-29. The event helps adult volunteers be successful in leading youth shooting sports programs as well as in teaching youth to apply that knowledge to everyday life skills. Participants can find registration materials for training at the Safety Education in Shooting Sports (SESS) Web site, www.extension.iastate.edu/4H/SESS/shootingsports.html.

The registration fee is $120 on or before March 6; the fee increases to $140 after March 6. Volunteers must be registered and have completed the 4-H Child Protection and Safety Policy screening by March 13.

“Working with impressionable youth has become a very rewarding passion for me,” said Raymond Morris, a certified shooting instructor from Van Buren County. “As we teach safety, we also teach life skills in self-dedication, personal responsibilities and interaction with peers.”

As one of the fastest growing 4-H programs in many states, an estimated 300,000 youth participate in Shooting Sports nationally. These programs across the nation have proven effective in retaining older youth in 4-H and engaging both boys and girls in shooting sports

Participants will spend the entire weekend learning about 4-H and the youth involved as well as training with one of the six distinct shooting disciplines, including coordinator, archery, shotgun, rifle, muzzle-loading and wildlife skills, according to Bryan Whaley, Iowa 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator.

“This is an excellent opportunity to open avenues of communication to encourage these youth with positive instruction and reinforcement,” Morris noted.

Volunteers who participate will gain 18 hours of training, and become certified in the Iowa Shooting Sports program.

4-H Shooting Sports focuses on bringing together youth and trained adults and emphasizes shooting, wildlife, conservation and outdoor skills. To get involved with this program contact your ISU Extension county office or Bryan Whaley, Iowa 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator, (515) 332-2201.

Contacts:

Bryan Whaley, Iowa 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator, (515) 332-2201, bwhaley@iastate.edu

Caitlyn Miller, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-9915, millercm@iastate.edu

Laura Sternweis, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-0775, lsternw@iastate.edu

ISU Extension Offers RUSLE2 and P Index Workshops for Manure and Nutrient Plan Writers

AMES, Iowa --- Livestock producers and service providers can learn how to use the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation 2 (RUSLE2) and the Iowa Phosphorus Index in nutrient management and manure management plans by attending an upcoming workshop. Iowa State University Extension and the Iowa Manure Management Action Group (IMMAG), in collaboration with the Iowa USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, have scheduled an introductory level workshop for April 1 at the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona, Iowa.

The workshop starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. This hands-on workshop will provide the participant with software orientation and an introduction to the operating parameters for RUSLE2, selection of input values for RUSLE2, developing and saving management operations for RUSLE2.

Real field examples will be used in the workshop to determine risk calculations of the Iowa Phosphorus Index and how to incorporate these numbers into manure and nutrient management planning requirements. Soil sampling requirements for manure management plans will also be discussed.

The cost of the workshop is $150 if registered on or prior to March 25 and $165 after March 25. The workshop fee includes handout materials, refreshments and lunch. Because software will be provided, participants are required to bring a MS Windows compatible laptop equipped with a CD-ROM drive and Microsoft Excel Software. Participants must have their administrator password in order to install software on their own laptop. The workshop is limited to 30 participants.

On-line registration, program information and directions to the workshop are available at: www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/rusle2/home.html.

On April 2, an Advanced RUSLE2 workshop will be held at the Polk County Extension Office in Altoona. Registration for this workshop is only open to people who have previously attended the Introductory RUSLE2 and Iowa P Index workshop. Additional information can be found at: www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/rusle2advanced/home.html

Questions regarding these workshops should be directed to Kapil Arora at 515-382-6551or Angie Rieck-Hinz at 515-294-9590.

Do you have items you'd like to place on our calendar?

Got a story idea? We'd love to hear it!

Having trouble receiving this paper in your email?

Contact Deb Brown at 641-458-1114 or email her the information at deb@debworks.com

Gardening and Research

QUICK NOTE:

AGWSR Girls Basketball Team In The Finals At State!

Go Girls Go -- We're Cheering You On! 

What’s Up in the Garden, by Jackie Dohlman, Franklin County Master Gardener

Tips on Starting Seedlings Indoors and Pruning Fall-Bearing Yellow Raspberries

Some of the seedlings that I start indoors collapse and die shortly after germination. Why?

Damping-off is probably responsible for the collapse and death of your seedlings. Damping-off is caused by several different fungi. Environmental conditions usually associated with damping-off are poorly drained potting soil and over watering. Damping-off can be prevented by using clean containers, a sterile, well-drained potting mix and by following good cultural practices. Previously used containers should be washed in soapy water, and then disinfected by dipping in a solution containing one part chlorine bleach and nine parts water. Flower and vegetable seeds need an evenly moist potting mix for good germination. After germination, allow the potting soil to dry somewhat between waterings. 

When should I start flower and vegetable seeds indoors?

The crop time (number of weeks from sowing to planting outdoors) for several popular flowers and vegetables are as follows: 10 to 12 weeks - geranium;eight to 10 weeks - petunia and impatiens; six to eight weeks - marigold, pepper, and eggplant; five to seven weeks - tomato, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower; three to four weeks - cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon and squash. Always check the seed packet if unsure of the correct sowing date.

What is the proper way to prune fall-bearing yellow raspberries in spring?

Fall-bearing yellow raspberries naturally produce two crops. The first crop is produced in late summer or early fall at the tips of the current season’s growth. The following year, the lower portions of the same canes produce a summer crop. After the second crop, the canes die. Each spring, new shoots emerge from buds located at the base of the previous season’s growth and on the plant’s roots.

Fall-bearing yellow raspberries can be pruned two different ways in spring.

Option 1 is to remove all weak, diseased and damaged canes at ground level in March or early April. Leave the most vigorous canes, those approximately 1/4 inch in diameter when measured 30 inches above the ground. After thinning, remaining canes should be spaced about six inches apart. Also, prune out the tips of the canes that have died due to winter injury. Cut back to live tissue. If the canes sustained little winter dieback, remove the top 1/4 of the canes. Cane-tip removal or “heading-back” prevents the canes from becoming top heavy and bending over under the weight of the crop. This pruning method allows the plants to produce two crops per year.

Option 2 is to prune all canes back to ground level in March or early April. While the plants won’t produce a summer crop, the late summer/early fall should mature one to two weeks earlier. Also, total crop yield is typically larger using the one-crop system versus two-crop system.

Got gardening questions? Contact the Hotline at (515) 294-3108 (Monday - Friday; 10 a.m. -12 noon and 1 - 4:30 p.m.) or send an e-mail to hortline@iastate.edu. For more gardening information visit us at Yard and Garden Online at www.yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu

ISU RESEARCH FARM MEETING ON MARCH 11

Contacts: John Holmes, ISU Extension Field Agronomist -- (515) 532-3453

George Cummins, ISU Extension Field Agronomist -- (641) 228-1453

David Rueber, Research Farm Superintendent – (641) 762-3247

Kanawha, IA -- The annual meeting and educational program of the Iowa State University Research Farm will be March 11 at the Municipal Building in Britt. Registration is at 8:30 a.m., and the program will begin at 9:00 a.m. Meeting speakers include Drs. Palle Pedersen, Gyles Randall, Michael Duffy, and Elwynn Taylor. The program will adjourn at 2:00 p.m  Membership in the Association is not required to attend this meeting. Persons planning to attend are asked to contact the ISU Extension Office in Garner to pre-register.

Dr. Palle Pedersen has been researching yield response to narrow soybean row spacing for several years. He will present the results of his work with emphasis on yield responses attained in northern Iowa. Dr. Gyles Randall is a highly respected University of Minnesota Extension Fertility Specialist. He has done very interesting nitrogen research and will be presenting his findings. Dr. Michael Duffy will discuss managing high crop input costs. Dr. Elwynn Taylor will finish the program with his presentation, “Managing Weather Risk in 2009.”

Lunch will be provided by three local cooperative elevators: Gold-Eagle Cooperative, North Central Cooperative, and MaxYield Cooperative.

Certified crop advisor CEU credit has been approved. For additional information contact your local ISU Extension Office.

Twitter Update

do you twitter?  go to www.debworks.com to read how 

Eating, Dairy Parlors, Kaleidoscope Closing

Live Healthy Iowa Program looks at What’s to Eat: Taking a look at eating patterns and popular diets.

On March 17 the Franklin County Live Healthy Iowa committee will sponsor another in its series of programs. The program will focus on diets and be held at the Franklin Wellness Center at 5:30 pm.

Americans spend 60 billion dollars a year on diets, pills and programs in the hope that the weight loss approach they choose will finally do the trick. There are many plans out there that are in contention for the title of best of the best, and yet a clear winner has yet to emerge. Obesity rates continue to rise dramatically worldwide so the need for effective weight-loss plans is not going to go away. This program will take a look at some of the more popular plans and offer some tips that can help you in your battle at the scale. Jill Weber, ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Field Specialist, will look at Low Carb, Low Fat, extremely Low Calories, Zone, Mediterranean, the Ornish and Weight Watchers, and compare them to My Pyramid and the Dietary Guidelines. She will talk about Carbohydrates and the Glycemic Index and other popular terms used in the dieting industry  She will also talk about why some diets are just not good for your health.

The program is free but pre-registration is requested.

For more information contact any member of the Franklin County Live Healthy Iowa committee: Franklin Wellness Center, Franklin County Public Healthy, Franklin General Hospital, and Franklin County Extension.

DAIRY PARLOR AND MANURE HANDLING TOURS

Dairy parlor and manure handling tours are set for March 10, 11, and 13^th reports Bev Peters, Franklin County Extension Education Director. The tours are planned to give producers and agri-businesses who serve the dairy industry insight into how the TRANS-Iowa parlor can be built to meet the operations goals in cow handling and their building/remodeling budget. Collecting, transporting and storing manure has become a larger concern on dairy farms as the cow numbers increase and more stringent manure spreading rules evolve.

March 10^th tours will feature the TRANS Iowa Low Cost Milking Parlors on the Bill Kauffmann and Mike Deutmeyer farms. Kauffmann’s farm is located north of Dubuque. From Dubuque take Hwy 52 North to C9Y on to Sageville. Take a right (East) on Mud Lake Road 3/4 mile, left to 12588 Sleepy Hollow Rd. The tour starts at 10:00 am and features a Double 8 Parabone with swing units.

The Deutmeyer tour starts at 12:15pm. From Luxemburg go East on Hwy 52 ¾ mile, turn North and proceed to 21710 Clear Creek Road. Deutmeyer has a Double 10 Parabone parlor with swing units.

The March 11^th tours start at 10:30 am at the Brian and Heidi Lantzky farm located at 21575 245^th St. Hawkeye. From Alpha go south to 247^th St. Turn east and go one mile to V Ave, go south to 245^th St., turn East and proceed to Lantzky’s on the south side of the road. Lantzky’s have a Double 12 low line Parabone parlor expandable to a Double 14.

The second stop March 11^th is 1:15 pm at the Ed Brannon farm located at 28226 W Ave, Waucoma. From Waucoma go south on W Ave (also V86) one mile. The farm is on the East side of V86. Brannon has a Double 8 swing Parabone parlor and uses the old stall barn as his holding pen.

Tours March 13^th start at 10:00 am at the Whittle Farms Inc located at 12530 Bush Road, Volga. From Volgo go west on C2W to Bush Road, Turn North and go ½ mile to the dairy on the East side of  Bush Road (C24). Tom and his family have a freestall housed dairy and remodeled the manure system from mattresses and gravity flow to sand bedded and sand recovery lanes last fall.

The second stop March 13^th is 1.15 pm at the Larry and Mark Lamborn farm located at 224 Franklin Road, Luana. From Luana take X16 (Forest Mill Road) North 1 ¼ mile to Harding Drive. Go East on Harding Drive 1 mile. Turn North on Franklin Road and go 1 mile to the Lamborn farm on the West side. Lamborn’s have a gravity flow manure system with sawdust bedded freestalls.

Each of these tours is open to the public. Plastic boots will be provided for bio-security, but you are urged to wear street clothes. There is no pre-registration required.

Kaleidoscope - This Is It

March 4 to March 7 you can find great sales at The Kaleidoscope.  Keri is closing her physical location.  I know I will miss looking at books and being offered a great selection.  Why not stop in and see what's on sale -- and see what great ideas Keri has for the future of books in Hampton? 

Poetry, Lock In

A poem entitled, Blythe, written by Jessica Awe, Green Belt High School student, has been accepted for publication in The Mandala, Iowa's art and literary magazine for alternative high school students. The publishers, Iowa Association of Alternative Education (IAAE) and Northeast Iowa Alternative Teachers (NEAT) congratulated Jessica Awe for this prestigious honor.

Jessica is the daughter of Tim and Shirley Awe of Iowa Falls. Jessica joins
315 students from 43 alternative high schools and programs who have had works published over the past seven years.  The 2009 edition of The Mandala highlights the talent of 56 students from fifteen schools across the state.

Why not attend the Poetry Reading Thursday evening at The Coffee Attic in Iowa Falls! 

4-H Intermediate Lock-In @ YMCA

Franklin County 4-H members in 7^th -8^th grades are invited to a Lock-In at the beautiful YMCA in Mason City, Friday-Saturday, March 20-21. Members will learn the true meaning of the 4-H Pledge while having fun with other 7^th& 8^th grade 4-H’ers from Winnebago, Worth, Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Franklin counties. Activities will be based around the themes of head, heart, hands, and health. The Franklin County 4-H Foundation is providing the registration fee, so there is no charge to attend. The overnight stay includes swimming, gym use, pizza, and drink.

Members may bring a friend and register at the Franklin County Extension Office, 3 First Ave NW, Hampton, IA. Registrations due Friday, March 6, for more information call 641-456-4811 or e-mail jackied@iastate.edu

Words Matter Week and Other Things

WORDS MATTER WEEK! 

March 2 to March 6 is Words Matter Week.

It's sponsored by the National Association of Independent Writers and Editors.  Their site with all the info is located here.  

Are you a writer, or an aspiring writer?  Check out their facebook page today.  Words Matter Week will be sharing interviews with:

* Peter Bowerman: The Well-Fed Writer on Freelance Commercial Writing
* John Kremer: 1001 Ways to Market Your Books
* Linda Leigh Hargrove: The Road to Publication and the Importance of Words in Communication
* Ruth Thaler-Carter: How to Get Started in Editorial Freelancing
* Tim Mc

Mullen: Technology and the Freelance Worker
* Martha Brockenborough: Author of 'Things that Make us [Sic]

Helping Your Child Eat Right

A taste for healthy eating is one of the most valuable and enduring gifts parents can give a child. It’s never too late – or too early – to start. Here are some suggestions:

Always eat as a family. Turn off the TV during mealtime and, if possible, disconnect the phone. Encourage relaxation; don’t battle about food or anything else during mealtime.

Set a good example. Your child is more likely to give unfamiliar foods a try after watching you eat and enjoy a wide variety of foods.

Encourage your child to sample a new food, but don’t force foods on a youngster. Don’t make the new food the price of dessert.

Keep servings small so children have the satisfaction of cleaning up their plates and asking for “More, please.”

Encourage smart snacking. Keep the kitchen stocked with a selection of healthy hunger stoppers – fresh fruit, vegetable sticks with a nutritious dip, raisins, and cheese with whole grain crackers.

Give kids a healthy start each morning. Make sure they rise early enough for a nourishing breakfast.

The morning meal doesn’t have to be cereal. Don’t be afraid to try an unconventional breakfast – a peanut-butter-and-banana sandwich, cottage cheese with sliced fruit, and macaroni and cheese are all nutritious and appealing.

Involve kids in menu planning and meal preparation. Children often enjoy helping prepare foods and enjoy eating them, too.  picture from www.flickr.com 

Where Can I Find My Hampton Today?

It's a new world out there. The economy is in the tank. Businesses are closing everywhere. People are refusing to change. Wait... What?

Let's turn that thinking right around! Hampton Today Who Knew? is a local, shop here in Franklin County kind of paper. We are thrilled to have been in your lives for the past year. The local restaurants and watering holes have graciously allowed us to make the paper available to you.

Our printing facility, however, is no longer available to us. That requires some changes. While we look for a new printer (got ideas? Let us know!) - we will continue to make the paper available for free – online.

Visit www.readhampton.com

You will find the weekly calendar at the bottom of the page.  Your daily paper is there on the right. Our advertisers are listed on the left. You can subscribe and receive this in your email box EVERY DAY. How cool is that?

Let us know how you like it!