August 2014


Upcoming Events
    

August 15 

Calhoun Family Forest Active Harvest Tour 

1:00 - 4:00 PM

Gilsum NH


 August 20
 

5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

 Keene Public Works

        

September 9

Preserving Your Harvest

Keene Public Library

6:00 - 8:00 PM 

 

September 12  

Best Practices for Managing Land Near Water

Chesterfield NH
3:00 - 6:00 PM

   

September 13 

25th Annual NH Tree  

Farm Field Day

Hopkinton NH    

 

September 13

4-H Day at the Big E

The 4-H office has available to 4-H families, free tickets for this day only (9/13). Call if your interested.

  
September 16-Oct. 31

October 17  

Maynard Forest American Chestnut Reintroduction Tour

 Gilsum NH

1:00 - 4:00 PM  

 

4-H Dates

 

 November 15

4-H Leader Training
Walpole School

more info. to come 


More Dates of Interest

 

Support 4-H and join us  
for 4-H Night Out at the Fisher Cats! 
Saturday, August 23, 2014
7:05 PM, with post-game fireworks


NH Fisher Cats face off against the Portland Sea Dogs, Double-A Red Sox team

In 2014 UNH Cooperative Extension reaches a major milestone - its 100- year anniversary! Participate in the celebration by making an investment in Extension, or the 4-H Foundation of New Hampshire. Your investment will help ensure that our work for New Hampshire continues far into the next century. Private donations are a critical part of Extension's funding mix. Go to extension.unh.edu and click DONATE to Make a Gift, See impacts, and Hear from other donors.


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Natural Resources                                 

Emerald Ash Borer or Ash Yellows?

Identifying Problems With Your Ash Tree

  It has been a busy summer in Cheshire county when it comes to helping landowners identify declining ash tree health.  Fortunately, the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) has not been found in the county however, there has been a lot of ash declining or even dying from Ash Yellows.   

 

Learn how to identify both EAB and Ash Yellow:

Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) 

 Ash Yellows 

 

If you have a tree you suspect may be infested with EAB, be sure to report it here.    

 

How to Identify and Manage Ash Yellows in Forest Stands and Home Landscapes

   Ash yellows is a recently discovered disease that causes slow growth and decline of ash (Fraxinus) species. Ash yellows went undetected until the 1980's because its symptoms were not differentiated from those of decline caused by adverse environmental factors such as drought, shallow soils, flooding, or parasitism by opportunistic fungi. Current knowledge supports the theory that ash decline can result from various causes, and ash yellows can be, but is not always, a causal factor. Ash yellows is caused by wall-less microbes called mycoplasmalike organisms (MLOs) which invade the tree systemically (phloem sieve tubes) and are presumed to be transmitted by leafhoppers or related insects. White ash (F. americana) and green ash (F. pennsylvanica) are the most frequently affected species.
(Read the Full Article from USDA Forest Service)
Youth and Family                                   
Monadnock Table "Future Farmer"  
      Mason became in- terested in   agriculture
after visiting his aunt and uncle's dairy farm in Chesterfield when he was five years old. Soon after, he began attending 4-H meetings as a "Cloverbud" (the name of the 4-H Club's youngest participants, ranging in age from five to eight) with the Switch 'n Horns 4-H Club; at the age of eight he transitioned to being a regular member of the Switch 'n Horns 4-H Club. "I started out by showing dairy cattle for my aunt and uncle," says Field. He showed dairy cattle for Mike and Nancy Plante for two years, then made the transition to beef cattle, which he currently shows at several agricultural shows throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts. (Read Full Article)

NH 4-H Trebuchet Challenge 2014
NH 4-H Trebuchet Challenge 2014

  NH 4-H Trebuchet Challenge 2014 was held at Wellington State Park in Bristol.  All 4-Hers, families and friends were invited to attend as a participant or spectator. 4-H Science engages New Hampshire youth and adults in exploring and understanding the science behind our natural and built world. Contact us for information on how your 4-H club, after-school program, or school can be involved in STEM! 

Agriculture                                               

Late Blight Alert

late blight

   Late blight is a devastating fungal disease that affect tomatoes and potatoes; under the right conditions, infected plants can die off completely in a matter of days. While the fungus that causes the disease does not survive our winters, it does occasionally migrate up from the south during the growing season, and it appears that this is one of those years. First identified in Maine in early July, late blight has also appeared in Massachusetts, and it has now showed up in several spots in southern NH.

 

   If you're not familiar with the symptoms of late blight check out Extension's page to learn more. In the meantime, consider using protectant fungicides (note: there are options for organic gardeners out there) that will help prevent your plants from getting infected. If your plants are already infected, these fungicides won't do you much good. In that case, the best thing to do is remove the plants from the garden, tie them up in a garbage bag, and dispose of them. If you can, let them sit covered with a tarp in the driveway to bake in the sun for a few hours; this will kill the plant tissue, and the fungus along with it.

 

 

Building Your Grazing Plan Course  

Begins September 16

   A seven-week course designed for farmers who graze ruminant animals and want to maximize their pasture production begins September 16.  Build Your Grazing Plan, designed by UNH Cooperative Extension Field Specialist Daimon Meeh, will run from September 16 to October 31. The course is conducted primarily online but will also include three traditional classroom sessions. (Read More)
Food & Nutrition                                    

Stay Hydrated! Recipes for Fruit-Infused Water Bring Good Flavor Without the Calories 

   Water with a twist of lemon or lime is a standard restaurant offering, and I have long enjoyed flavor-infused seltzer-water, but several years ago a student intern introduced me to something a little different: cucumber-infused water. It became the "Mystery Drink" at many summer workshops that year, surprising many and delighting...some. Cucumber water was fun, but it was never one of my biggest hits. Since that time, fruit-infused water has been gaining in popularity. Here are some recipes suggested by the West Virginia University Extension Service.   Try using frozen fruit when fresh is unavailable.


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The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension is an equal opportunity educator and employer. University of New Hampshire, U.S. Department of Agriculture and N.H. counties cooperating.