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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.

          


Peggy Anderson
Extension Agent/Burke-Divide
September 30, 2009


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

 



For more Burke County news, visit www.cndnews.com
 

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Last Updated on 11/16/2009