Burke County, ND News

Dan Folske
Extension Agent/Burke County
June 16, 2008

Don’t Use Roads As Drift Barriers

If you don’t want big patches of Canada Thistle in the road ditches next to your cropland please use caution when spraying roundup or grass herbicides in the fields next to the ditches or section lines. Each year I see large areas of road ditches and section lines where all the grass has been killed. When this happens it gives the Canada thistle and other weeds a great chance to get started. This provides a great seed bank for reinfestation of your fields.

Noxious Weed Control

The leafy spurge is blooming and many other noxious weeds are growing rapidly. State law requires all landowners to control noxious weeds. Control refers to any method of preventing the spread and seed production of these plants. The three most common noxious weeds in Burke County are Leafy Spurge, Absinthe Wormwood, and Canada Thistle. The preferred method of control is dependant on many variables. Use of herbicides is the most common for large infestations and is also often used for small weed patches if appropriate. Mowing, hand pulling and digging are often used for very small patches and single plants or when the weeds are located in areas where the use of herbicides is not appropriate. Biological control is becoming more common for leafy spurge control and can be very effective, however it is not always effective, it needs to be monitored and should not be the only method of control used. When biological control (flea beetles) is being used it is often necessary to continue the use of alternative methods to establish a control perimeter and to provide control where the beetle are ineffective due to topography, soil types, ants (they often feed on the beetle larvae), or other factors.

The cool summer of 2004 decimated leafy spurge flea beetle populations and many sites where they were beginning to provide good control suffered from reduced control causing leafy spurge infestations to explode. Some of these sites may have completely lost their beetle populations and will need to be re-established. Others may have a population rebound that will make them excellent collectable sites this summer. The Burke County Weed Board is asking landowners and operators to monitor their sites. If you do not find beetles you will need to get more to establish them again. If you have a collectable population let us know so we can have a collection day. You cannot collect enough beetles to hurt your site and the more collecting and redistributing that we can do the more it helps everyone. We believe the site southwest of Coteau will be excellent and we are planning a collection day when the beetles emerge. If you find a collectable site or want to get on our call list for future collections please call the Burke County Extension Office at 377-2927.

Common Tansy Added to Noxious Weed List

The Burke County Weed Board has added Common Tansy (tanecetum vulgare) to the county noxious weed list. This means that landowners are required to control this weed. Under the North Dakota Weed Law control means stopping the production of seed and preventing propagation through mechanical, cultural or chemical control methods.

This plant is an introduced species which was once common in gardens and flower beds. It was used for medicinal purposes and also has some insecticidal properties. It gradually spread into shelterbelts and around the edges of wetlands and other noncrop areas at an ever increasing rate. Over the last fifteen years it has spread faster and faster as it became more adapted to our area. It has also been brought into the area in CRP grass seed. With changes in crop production systems it is now moving into cropland where it can be extremely difficult to control in no-till and direct seeding systems. It is found in all areas of the county but is most severe along a line from Bowbells to Portal and extending north and south of that line for about three miles. The Burke County Weed Board has mapped many of the sites (Click for Map) where this weed is found and that information is available to landowners and producers.

Common Tansy is a non-woody perennial which slowly spreads by roots and by seed. It typically grows up to 4 feet tall, with established plants having a bush like appearance from multiple stems. Right now it can be easily seen as last years stems remain standing well above any grasses around it. During the growing season it has a bright green fern like leaf and gets clusters of yellow flowers in July and August. Photos of this weed can be found on the Burke County website at www.burkecountynd.com.

Mechanical methods of control include mowing, cultivating, and hand digging. Cultural methods would include burning and possibly intensive grazing. It can be poisonous to livestock but is generally unpalatable. It does not tolerate the extreme hoof action of intensive grazing rotations which does not allow seedling to get established and may prevent seed production from established plants.

Chemical in non-cropland can be easily accomplished with high rates of dicamba (Clarity or Banvel), Tordon, Milestone, and Escort or Ally (metsulforon). The Burke County Weed Board will be offering costshare on Tordon and Escort for common tansy control.

For more information or to discuss a management plan and costshare contact the Burke County Extension office at 377-2927

Peggy Anderson
Extension Agent/Burke-Divide
June 30, 2008

Could Your Family Be Spending Your Food Money More Wisely?

Ask yourself these questions to see if you and your family are spending your food money wisely:
* Do you eat in restaurants a lot?
* Do you prepare larger servings than your family needs?
* Do you buy lots of snack foods, such as chips, dip, cookies, candy and pop?
* Do you waste food because it spoils before you can use it?
* Do you throw away leftovers?

In today's economy, most people are trying to save money whenever possible.
Consumer prices have risen for nearly all of the necessities of life, including food. Your family can save money by practicing smart habits and being aware of practices that may be costing your family money.

Rather than eating at a restaurant, you can make meals at home for less money. Although preparing a meal at home may take a little more effort on your part, it can be done at approximately one third of the cost, says the NPD Group, a global consumer and retail market research firm. Begin by shopping for meats on sale, and stock up and store them in the freezer.

Avoiding fast food is another way to save money. Even when you are in a crunch for time, you can eliminate stopping for fast food every time one of your kids has an activity, such as soccer practice or violin lessons. Peanut butter and jelly on whole-wheat bread does not require refrigeration and can be made in a hurry. Add a small bag of baby carrots to get a serving of veggies.

Find a block of time when you can make a few recipes at once and then freeze them for a later date. When you're short on time, allow the dish to thaw in the refrigerator for the day. Heat the meal in the microwave or oven and your meal is ready to go without a lot of preparation time.

Snack foods can add a significant cost to the total grocery bill. Look for snacks that contain some nutritional value rather than those providing empty calories. For a treat, enjoy fruits; crunchy, whole-grain popcorn; or peanut butter on crackers, fruits or veggies. If you are craving some potato chips or cookies, look for the brands on sale and limit the number of times you reach in the bag.

Vegetables and fruits serve as delicious snacks while they also double up on providing essential nutrients for your body. Fruits in season are much less expensive than those offered throughout the year. Apples and bananas are fruits that are relatively inexpensive and great for grabbing on the go.

Pay attention to what you throw away. If you always seem to throw certain items, you may not be buying the right amount or the right product. Reducing the amount of plate waste can be a big money saver. Turn leftovers into "planned-overs." For example, leftover roast chicken can become chef's soup or chicken tacos.

Keep your cabinets and refrigerator organized to avoid buying food you already have. Plan to use the fresh fruits and vegetables before frozen or canned goods so they do not spoil before you use them. The nutrition content of fresh produce starts to decrease as soon as the fruit or vegetable is ripe.

Make an effort to practice some of these habits and you and your family can save money on your grocery bill.

Schedule:
Wednesday, July 2 - Burke County
Thursday, July 3 - Burke County
Friday, July 4 - Office Closed
Monday, July 7 - Burke County
Tuesday, July 8 - Divide County

Pat Tinjum
Burke County JDA Director
April 14, 2008

Third Annual Burke County Birding Festival June 20-21, 2008

Burke County is the center for birders from all over North America to gather for the Third Annual Burke County Birding Festival June 20-21, 2008. The festival will take place at Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) located 16 miles south of Bowbells on ND Hwy 8.

Birders come to Lostwood NWR for the chance to view birds that make their home in the prairie grasslands. There were 91 bird species seen by participants last year including Sprague’s pipit, Baird’s sparrow, piping plover, LeConte’s sparrow and grasshopper sparrow. This free event is a wonderful opportunity for birders and nature enthusiasts to enjoy the outdoors, learn about birds, and gain an understanding of the natural history of the area.

The festival is a day-and-a-half event featuring guided birding tours, fun family events, educational presentations, and the opportunity to experience the native prairie in a wonderful atmosphere. Friday is a full day, and Saturday’s events will begin at 6 a.m. and end at noon. Both days you will have the chance to climb the lookout tower that has been refurbished to accommodate the public and enables a 360 degree view of the refuge from 50 feet in the air! Educational and informational displays will be set up that will interest adults and kids.

Refreshments will be available both days, and on Friday a wonderful complimentary lunch will be served at noon near the refuge headquarters building.

Both days of the festival begin at 6 a.m. with guided birding tours that depart from near the headquarters building. The tours will last approximately three hours. Tour guides knowledgeable on the birds found here will take small groups into Lostwood NWR for the opportunity to view some birds and hear their beautiful songs.

Following the tours Friday morning, there will have presentations and seminars throughout the day including “Birding 101 – How to use bird identification guides” with practical tips and tricks to using various guides.

Later Friday morning “Piping Plover Recovery – How is it done?” will present what is being done annually to aid these birds in fledging a higher number of chicks. Discover if it is working, and what more could be done.

After lunch on Friday, youth can earn the “Junior Birder” patch as they learn about birds and what they need. You will even build your own blue bird box to bring home.

Also featured in the afternoon is the popular guided “Prairie Wildflowers and Grasses Walk”.

On Saturday, June 21, set your alarm to rise before the birds and join us out at Lostwood NWR for the guided birding tours from 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Once again guides will take small groups into the Refuge.

Following tours on Saturday morning join the presentation on “Bird Spotting”. This seminar is based on Roger Tory Peterson’s common sense approach to teaching in a few hours things he had learned through years of experience.

Youth on Saturday morning can attend “Youth Wildlife Adventures” starting at 10:00 am. Come take a walk on the wild side as we explore animal furs and do some exploring on the prairie. Make your own set of plaster wildlife tracks and a bird nest to bring home. Come prepared for your safari with a hat and sun screen.

Following an informative summary of the local Avian Influenza Surveillance project as well as a presentation on Seabird Productivity Research in SW Alaska, the festival will close.

The festival is sponsored by the Burke County Job Development Authority (JDA), Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge, Lostwood Birding & Nature Association, and many community partners. There is no charge for any of the events at the refuge, but to plan for guides and food, pre-register by June 13. Registration forms can be downloaded from the birding festival page on the Burke County website at www.burkecountynd.com or you can call the JDA office at 701-377-5627 and a registration packet will be sent to you.

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