On June 6, 2010, a microburst caused severe damage in the Harrisville/Nelson area of Cheshire County.  Nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners suffering severe damage may be eligible for assistance under the Emergency Forest Restoration Program(EFRP) if the damage was caused by a natural disaster to natural resources on NIPF land, and, if untreated would:

• impair or endanger the natural resources on the land, and
•  materially affect the use of the land.  

If the EFRP is approved for Cheshire County and funds become available, a producer may receive up to 75% of the eligible cost of restoration measures.  Examples of restoration measures include removing debris from NIPF, site preparation on NIPF, seeding established on NIPF, and restoring conservation structures and other similar installations.

EFRP is administered by the Cheshire-Sullivan Farm Service Agency, 11 Industrial Park Dr., Walpole NH.  Producers who suffered damage from this strong microburst may contact the FSA Office (756-2970 ext.2) or Steve Roberge, Cheshire County Extension Forester, (352-4550) to sign up or request more information.  Sign up will take place from March 25, 2011 to April 25, 2011.  

For further information on how to apply and eligibility requirements for EFRP, NIPF landowners may visit the website http://disaster.fsa.usda.gov/ and www.fsa.usda.gov/conservation. You may also obtain additional information at http://go.usa.gov/CLI.

Volunteers

Where would we be without volunteers,

Who quickly respond when a need appears?

This is the way you have chosen to serve,

and all our appreciation you deserve!

There are very many things to do,

and YOUR time can only be given by YOU!

So without complaint and without demands,

you offer the labor of your hands.

With this attitude of willingness to share,

you will find welcome anywhere.

As you freely share your hours and days,

may you also be blessed in many ways!

To All Our 4-H Volunteers,

THANK YOU!

The Origins of Today's Crops

Modern agriculture has developed very modern crops. Scientists have selected and hybridized, even cloned and tinkered with genes of plants and come up with the crops that feed the world. But while science has perhaps improved the performance of crops, it's good to remember that they are not recent inventions. Today's very modern crops have origins that go back thousands of years. (full article) 

Home Composting

Now that spring is right around the corner, you may notice that a certain amount of yard and garden debris is starting to accumulate: dead leaves raked up last year, or maybe the first clippings from the lawn. And then there's the waste from the kitchen: banana peels, vegetable scraps, coffee grounds. Some may be surprised to learn that we don't need to waste a lot of time and effort disposing of these materials; in fact we can use them to produce a valuable resource for our homes: compost. Home composting is a low-cost, easy to manage method of dealing with these materials, and it leaves you with a great amendment to improve the soil around your home. (full article) 

Family & Consumer Resources

Spring is Time for Fiddleheads

Enthusiastic gardeners can get an early start harvesting spring greens that come up right in their backyard. These greens are nutritious-high in vitamin A, vitamin C and iron. They're also low in calories, fat and cholesterol. Plus, wild greens are widely available and require no work at all-except harvesting! As with any green, the younger the plant, the more tender it is. For the safest crop, be sure to pick greens well away from major roads or other chemically treated areas, and wash the greens well before you use them.  Check out http://umaine.edu/publications/4060e/ for information about dandelions, lamb's-quarters, orache, purslane and fiddleheads (including recipes).  More information about fiddleheads (and a video on how to identify) can be found at http://umaine.edu/publications/4198e/.

Instructional Videos

Learn more about Families, Food and Fitness on eXtension's YouTube channel!  More...

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Food & Nutrition  

When Turning Off the TV Isn't Enough: National Digitial Detox Week: April 18-24, 2011

• Declare a Digital Detox Week 
• What can you...diet quidelines 
• More physical activity
• Decrease screen time