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Burke County News Columns
For more Burke County news, visit
www.cndnews.com
Peggy
R. Anderson
Extension Agent
November 18, 2009
Let’s Talk Turkey
Who
can resist the taste of turkey – succulent- whether eaten hot with
mashed potatoes, gravy and dressing or eaten cold, with mayonnaise and a
thick slice of your favorite cheese nestled in a fresh bun or between
two hearty pieces of hearth-baked bread.
Who
could resist? Someone who’s gotten a foodborne illness from eating
turkey that’s been improperly prepared, chilled or stored, that’s who.
You
can make sure that the turkey you serve during the holidays produces
only compliments. Just remember the four simple steps to food safety:
clean, separate, cook and chill. Then follow
these tips:
Clean:
·
Wash your hands with warm, soapy water before preparing food and
after your hands have come in contact with raw turkey.
·
Use clean utensils and work surfaces.
·
Clean dishes and work surfaces after thawing or preparing raw
poultry.
·
Remove plastic wrapping and parts inside the cavity.
Separate: Don’t
cross-contaminate
·
Don’t thaw poultry – or
any frozen food – at room temperature. You can thaw a frozen turkey
in the refrigerator for up to four days. Place your thawing turkey
on a tray in the refrigerator to prevent its juices from dripping on
other foods. Or thaw it in water that’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit or
colder (change the water at least every 30 minutes).
·
Check the “use-by” date
on the package if you’ve purchased a fresh turkey.
·
Use separate utensils
and equipment for raw and cooked foods.
Cook:
·
It’s safest to cook
your dressing in a separate container and not inside the bird. In
place of dressing in the bird, you can stuff the cavity with onions,
apples or a combination of both. If you choose to stuff your turkey
the traditional way, prepare your dressing and stuff your bird
loosely right before you cook it. As a rule of thumb, you’ll need
about ¾ cup of dressing per pound of turkey.
·
Cook breast up at an
oven temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter.
·
Place foil over the
breast to prevent the skin from drying and to provide a golden
color. Season to your liking.
·
When the skin begins to
turn golden brown, the turkey is about two-thirds done.
Roasting
guidelines:
·
Measure the temperature
by inserting the meat thermometer into the thickest part of the
thigh muscle. Make sure the thermometer is not touching the bone.
Check the temperature about 30 minutes before “done” time, according
to the roasting guidelines, and again before serving. The
temperature on the thigh muscle should reach 165 F and the juices
should run clear, not pink. The stuffing temperature should reach
165 F.
·
Some examples of
roasting times are: 12 – 14 pounds, unstuffed – 3 to 3 ¾ hours,
stuffed – 3 ½ to 4 hours; 18 – 20 pounds, unstuffed – 4 ¼ to 4 ½
hours, stuffed – 4 ¼ to 4 ¾ hours.
·
Let turkey stand for
about 15 minutes for easier carving. Serve hot and finish serving
within 2 hours.
Chill:
·
Remove stuffing and
debone turkey before chilling. Store in shallow containers.
·
Refrigerate immediately
after meal and within 2 hours of cooking.
·
Serve leftover turkey
within four days. Serve leftover stuffing and gravy within two days,
reheating to at least 165 F.
·
For best quality,
freeze plain cooked turkey at 0 F or below for up to four months.
Additional Questions?
For
more information about nutrition and food safety, contact the Burke or
Divide County office at the NDSU Extension Service or visit the
Extension Web site at
www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/htm.
Another site I found very helpful with video on how to carve turkey,
make gravy, etc is the Lancaster County, Nebraska Extension Web site at
http://lancaster.unl.edu/food/thanksgiving.shtml.
Schedule:
Wednesday, November 18
– Burke County
Thursday, November 19 – Divide County
Friday, November 20 – Burke County
Monday, November 23 – Burke County
Tuesday, November 24 – Divide County
County Agent News
Dan Folske
November 16, 2009
Care and
Handling of Vaccines
All animal biological products are produced under license from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture They must all be pure,
effective, and safe (won’t produce the disease) before
permission is given to sell the product in interstate
commerce. All government control is lost after the
product leaves the manufacturing plant. It is important
for you to know how these products are handled after
leaving the plant and until they are injected into the
animal.
1. All biologicals should be shipped in a cool and well-insulated
container. They should be stored in a refrigerator.
2. Lyophilized dry products should not be mixed until ready to be used.
These products come in two containers, one containing a
small dry power or cake, the other, a liquid. Do not mix
more than what will be used in one hour maximum. Never
keep mixed portions, even until the next day, as all of
these products lose their immunizing properties after a
few hours of being mixed.
3. Always observe the expiration date printed on the bottle. If the
product has expired, do not use it.
4. Never allow biologicals to sit in the sun before or after being
mixed. Sunlight will destroy as well as heat the
product. Maintain your biological products in a cooler
chest with frozen water-filled cans. This will keep them
cool as well as keep them out of the direct sunlight.
5. Do not save parts of vials. If using a multiple dose container,
never enter the container with a needle that isn’t
sterile.
6. Never use syringes and needles that have been sterilized in chemical
disinfectants. Sterilize all syringes and needles used
for vaccines by boiling in distilled water for 20
minutes. Chemical disinfectants will destroy modified
live and live biologicals. Do not waste the effort of
livestock handling and the cost of vaccine by trying to
clean equipment in alcohol or some other chemical
disinfectant.
7. Always burn or otherwise destroy vaccine bottles. Do not leave them
lying around as a hazard to man and animal.
8. Be as clean as possible with the inoculation procedure. This doesn’t
mean efficiency need be sacrificed. Keep an adequate
supply of clean, sterilized needles available and
change when one becomes contaminated. It is a good idea
to change needles about every five to 10 cows if
anaplasmosis is a problem in your area.
9. Always give biologicals according to the manufacturer’s directions.
Intramuscular means in the muscle and should be given
with a 11/2-inch long needle. Subcutaneous means under
the skin and 3/8- to 1/2-inch needles should be used. A
16 gauge needle will not bend as easily and last longer
for both routes. If the manufacturer recommends the use
of large quantities such as antiserum, use 3/8- to
1/2-inch needles and do not put more than 10-15 cc in
each site. Do not increase or decrease the
manufacturer’s recommended dose. The dose is based on
the number of immunizing units per cc and this
concentration may very from one manufacturer to the
next. Always read the instructions. If the intranasal
route is used as is recommended for some products,
remember to change cannulas often. Do not hurry the
process. To do a good job of immunizing, a certain
amount of vaccine must come in contact with the lining
of the nose. Do not reduce the dose.
10. You should not expect the vaccination to offer protection until
after 10 days after giving the vaccine. The exception
to this is the intranasal route. This route will give a
relatively short duration of protection within a few
hours to a few days after administration.
In conclusion, use extreme care in purchasing and caring for your
immunizing products. Do not use chemical disinfectants.
Keep them cool, out of the sun, and don’t save parts of
unused or mixed bottles. Do not mix products unless
specifically recommended by the manufacturer. Do not use
outdated material and follow the manufacturer’s
recommendation on dosage and route of administration.
Consult your local practicing veterinary on what
products are recommended in your area and on
effectiveness of the various vaccines. Above all, do not
be in a hurry or be sloppy with your procedures. The
idea of using immunizing agents is an aid in the
prevention of diseases. Don’t waste your time, money,
and effort trying to set a new world record for speed of
administration at the risk of a severe disease outbreak.
Dan Folske
NDSU Extension Service/Cropping Systems
Burke
County
PO Box 280
Bowbells,
ND 58721
Phone: 701-377-2927
email: dan.folske@ndsu.edu
Dan Folske
Extension Agent/Burke County
September 21, 2009
Dandelion Control
You may not be seeing the pretty yellow flowers or white puff balls but those pesky dandelions are still there happily waiting to turn your green lawn into a yellow field next spring. Forget the “Weed and Feed” next spring. Now is the time to control dandelions!! Trimec is a three way combination of herbicides works well. Other products labeled for dandelion control in lawns will often contain similar mixes of 2,4-D, dicamba, and propionic acid. Any of these mixes labeled for dandelion control in lawns or turf grass will be more effective now than in the spring. Make sure you read the label and be aware that products containing dicamba may be more effective on the dandelions but have a greater possibility of damaging desirable trees and other plants if used
improperly.
Fall Weed Control in Fields
Now is a great time to control winter annuals like shepherd’s purse, fairy candelabra, marestail, and field pennycress. Biennials such as musk thistle and common burdock are easily controlled now. Fall control of perennials like Canada thistle, dandelion and leafy spurge also works better than spring control. Glyphosate plus 2,4-D is a good fall mix for most cropland weeds. Milestone at 5 to 7 oz. per acre is great on Canada thistle and absinthe wormwood in pastures and noncrop areas. Escort at 1.5 oz per acre is a good treatment for common tansy and Plateau plus a methylated seed oil is a good fall leafy spurge treatment.
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Peggy Anderson
Extension
Agent/Burke-Divide
September 30, 2009
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Tips to Respect
and Protect Teens Using the Internet
Although
raising teenagers has always been a
challenging part of parenting, it is now
more different than it’s ever
been. One of the biggest challenges
parents of teens face today is all the
technology that is available. Social
networking sites, e-mails and text
messages enable teens to have
relationships with almost anyone. This
new technology can make it difficult for
parents to know what their teens are
doing and who they spend time with.
Just as
you show interest in teens’ everyday
activities, it is also important to keep
tabs on what they’re doing online. Talk
with teens to learn who they are
chatting with, but avoid sounding
accusatory. Parents should think of the
Internet as another public place where
teens are going. Just as you would
monitor what teens do when they leave
home, you should also monitor teens’
online activities.
The
following list of tips can help you keep
teens safe on the Internet:
·
Monitor
usage
When possible, keep computers in public
areas of the home rather than in
bedrooms, and set limits on when and how
often teens use the Internet. When
computers are used in teens’ bedrooms,
have them keep the door open and
position the monitor so it is visible
from the hallway. Install parental
monitoring software to limit what sites
are accessible and periodically visit
the list of recently visited sites to
ensure that only appropriate sites have
been accessed.
·
Monitor
content
Know what social networking sites teens
are using and join those sites to keep
an eye on their profiles. In the past,
parents only needed to ask about who
their teens were friends with at school,
but now it is just as important to
monitor who they are friends with
online.
·
Discuss
safety
Warn teens about the dangers of chatting
with strangers and establishing online
relationships with people they don’t
know. Many tweens and teens use social
networking sites to talk with friends
they know from school, but others become
friends with strangers.
·
Set
privacy settings
Help teens set their online privacy
settings at appropriate levels to limit
who is able to view their profiles. If
privacy settings are too loose, their
profiles are available to virtually
anyone on the Internet.
·
Set
information guidelines
Make teens aware of potential
far-reaching consequences of their
postings. Some teens share personal
thoughts and feelings just as they would
in a private journal or diary. Sharing
too much personal information can make
them vulnerable to others. In addition,
college admissions staff or potential
employers may view their postings, which
could potentially hurt their future
prospects.
·
Be
aware
Despite parents’ efforts to monitor
teens’ behavior and activities, teens
are able to find ways around them. For
example, teens may delete their Internet
histories, hide their phone when sending
a text message or create profiles using
a different name or age so parents
cannot find it.
Resources: Internet Education
Foundation. Online safety guide.
http://kids.getnetwise.org/safetyguide/
Subrahmanyam, K., & Greenfield, P. 2008.
Online communication and adolescent
relationships. Future of Children,
18.1: 119-140.
Suler, J. 2005.
Adolescents in cyberspace. The
Psychology of Cyberspace.
http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/psycyber.html
Schedule:
Wednesday, September
30 - Mandan, ND
Thursday, October 1
- Divide County
Friday, October 2 -
Burke County
Monday, October 5 -
Burke/Divide County - National 4-H Week
Tuesday, October 6 -
Divide County
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For more Burke County news, visit
www.cndnews.com
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