 |
1. Barns
By North Dakota State University Extension
Barns are a compliment to any farmstead or country living acreage. They provide a valuable storage and animal comfort and control facility. Most animals do not need a highly insulated, heated, or cooled barn facility. Animals mostly need protection from the wind and snow in winter and shade from the hot blazing sun in the summer.
|
Photo from the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources |
Horse and Livestock owners are often dismayed to have built a fine barn for their animals, only to find them standing outside in a rain or snow storm.
When building a barn, be sure to consider prevailing winds, early or late sun orientation, drainage, ease of access for cleaning, feeding of animals, size of animals to utilize the facility, durability and longevity of the construction materials, what the barn will be used for (animals, equipment, or hay storage, etc.) as well as fit, costs, and how the barn will compliment the home and other out buildings.
Remember: "There is nothing as permanent as a temporary building", so be sure to plan ahead, look into the future and build the barn you need today as well as tomorrow.
Learn More . . .
|
2. Be Sure Homes Have Adequate Insulation
By Shirley Niemeyer, UNL Housing & Environment Specialist
Older homes may have no attic insulation or very little insulation. Those insulation levels may have been the recommended amounts and R-Values at the time, but recommendations have changed.
One way to determine if more insulation is needed in the home is to hire an energy auditor to evaluate the air sealing and insulation levels in the home. The auditor should have knowledge of construction materials, practices and may have tools such as an infrared camera and blower door.
If evaluating the home on your own, be sure to follow safe practices, using goggles, gloves, air filter masks and a sturdy ladder. Be careful about stepping near electrical wires. You may only be able to observe from the attic access or door using a flashlight and measuring tool.
If more attic insulation is needed, the first step is to address air leakage into the attic area from the living space. Air leakage is a large contributor to heat gains and losses. It is important to seal large air leaks that result in energy loss, especially those that are at the ceiling and upper floor.
Air leaks into attics often occur where there is air penetration to the attic such as where the attic floor surface is penetrated with plumbing, wiring, chimneys, vent stacks or recessed lighting. Recessed lighting and electrical wiring that needs to be upgraded or brought up to code should be done by a professional electrician before having the space insulated. Recessed light fixtures should be either rated for insulation coverage, protected from direct contact with insulation or switched to air tight models that are rated for insulation coverage or switched to surface-mounted light fixtures rather than recessed lights. A qualified electrician should examine the recessed light fixtures.
When determining how much insulation is needed, be sure to consider existing insulation levels and its condition – it may be wet or uneven or missing in some areas, the ease of access to install the insulation, adequacy of attic ventilation, climate conditions and comfort levels. Also consider possible future costs for energy such as fuels and electricity.
Every house is different and the amount also is determined by what will realistically fit into the attic areas.
To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than R-30 consider adding more. Vermiculite or perlite loose-fill insulation have an R-value of about 2.4 inches. Loose-fill or perlite loose-fill insulation have an R-value of about 2.4 inches. Loose-fill cellulose has an R-value of 3.2 to 3.8 per inch, fiberglass 2.2 to 2.7 percent and rock wool 3 to 3.3 per inch.
Most U.S. homes should have between R 30 and R 60 insulation in the attic.
For more information on R-values and insulating your home according to your zip code area, you can fine a computer program at Department of Energy Insulation Fact Sheet.
For information on saving energy and conducting a do-it-yourself audit, go to Home Energy Saver.
|
3. Fall Maintenance Important for Heating Equipment Safety
By Shirley Niemeyer, UNL Housing & Environment Specialist, U.S. Department of Energy
Before the heating season starts, it is important to have heating systems inspected and serviced.
Trained professionals can inspect the system for safety, operating efficiency, combustion and combustion gases, venting, electrical wiring and more depending on the type of heating system.
The system should be inspected to be sure it is appropriately sized and installed according to manufacturer’s directions, the characteristics of the home and its systems.
In addition, if the home has a central heating or cooling system that uses a duct system, the ducts carry the conditioned air from the home’s furnace or cooling unit to each room. The ducts should also be inspected.
Many heating and cooling air duct systems are not properly sealed or insulated and lose a lot of energy from leakage and poor insulation. Leaks at seams and joints mean the conditioned air is going someplace other than where it should be. Ducts that leak heated or cooled air into unconditioned spaces such as crawlspaces or attics and unused and unfinished basements can add hundreds of dollars a year to heating and cooling bills.
Ducts are made of sheet metal, fiberglass or other materials. Ducts made out of thin metal materials easily conduct heat. The home’s duct system, a branching network of tubes in the walls, floors and ceilings, carries the air from the home’s furnace and central air conditioner to each room.
Uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose 10 to 30 percent of the energy used to heat and cool the home through conduction, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
The heating equipment then has to make up for the heat loss by conditioning more air using even more energy. When the ducts lose heat through conduction, rooms served by long duct runs or further way from the heat source can experience “cold air or cold blow” during the winter because they may have lower heating-supply temperatures.
A qualified professional can help to insulate and repair ducts. Although minor duct repairs are easy to accomplish, ducts in difficult to reach areas should be sealed and insulated by qualified professionals using appropriate sealing materials. Some heating and cooling and weatherization professionals conduct duct testing to determine the extent of leaks in the duct system.
To tell if the system is leaking, look for separated duct sections, leaks at seams and obvious holes. Inspect the ducts from the heating unit or furnace through to each end of the duct run. Use duct mastic or foil-based tape with the Underwriters Laboratories logo to repair these duct leaks. Mastic is a paste that can be brushed onto the seams. These materials may be available at hardware and home stores, lumberyards or heating and cooling equipment and service businesses.
Regular duct tape can degrade, crack and lose its bond with age and with the stress of the heating and cooling cycles and is not recommended.
Avoid cloth-backed, rubber adhesive duct tape, which tends to fail quickly. Researchers recommend other products to seal ducts: mastic for duct seams, butyl tape, foil tape or other heat-approved tapes.
For information on saving energy in the home, visit the U.S. Department of Energy site at Energy Savers or visit the UNL Extension Publications Web site and search for "Energy."
|
4. Safely Moving Snow
By Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension Field Specialist/Ag Engineering
One of the blessings of being middle-aged is that I have teenage children who are willing to tackle family chores such as mowing and shoveling snow. However, this good fortune leads to me being less accustomed to moving snow and more likely to injure myself in the rare instances when I do. So, for your benefit (and mine), here are some pointers on safely dealing with snow removal.
In tight spaces and for meticulous results, the shovel is still the best tool for moving snow. The only disadvantage of this method is that it is hard work in a harsh environment. The most common serious health threat related to shoveling is heart failure due to overexertion. Men are more likely to suffer heart attacks than women. A less serious, but more common problem, is strained muscles and soreness.
When shoveling snow, safety experts recommend these commonsense guidelines regardless of your physical condition:
- Dress for the task. Wear clothing in layers to allow better evaporation of perspiration. Wear shoes, boots, or overshoes with rubber soles (not leather or hard compositions).
- Use a lightweight shovel made of plastic or aluminum that has a Teflon coating. If the aluminum shovel doesn't have a Teflon coating, rub the surface with paraffin (wax) or coat it with a silicon spray.
- Use a shovel of modest size. Don't try to heap snow on the shovel. Lightening the load will reduce the strain on your muscles, including your heart.
- When lifting the shovel, use your entire body. Let your back and legs share the work.
- Don't work to the point of exhaustion. Take frequent rests and go inside to warm up. Cold and overexertion are hard on your heart.
Having shoveled my share of manure in an earlier life, I find that aluminum shovels and concrete surfaces don't mix. The shovel will push hard and wear quickly. Look for an aluminum shovel that includes a steel lip to increase shovel life and shoveling ease.
If you need to remove stubborn layers of ice or packed snow, a narrow steel scraper blade works well to loosen the ice before you move it away with a shovel. Ice melting compounds (see the other article in this issue) will ease ice removal as well.
Powered snowblowers can greatly reduce the time and effort expended to move snow. While they are great labor savers, snowblowers are, by design,
aggressive and dangerous machines. They all operate on the theory of passing the snow through a high-speed impeller to throw it a considerable distance and out of the way. These impellers and the augers that sometimes draw snow into the impeller will cut and even remove fingers when moving. The most common and severe injuries associated with snowblowers are finger cuts and amputations.
Experts list these precautions for snowblower operation:
- Never allow children to operate a snowblower. Make sure all operators have had proper instruction and have read the operator's manual.
- Stop the engine before attempting to clean foreign objects or snow from the machine. Coming in contact with the turning blades inside the discharge chute is the most common cause of injuries associated with snowblowers.
- Wear proper clothing and footwear. In a university study of snowblower accidents, about one-fifth of injury victims lost their footing and stuck their hands into the discharge chute while trying to steady themselves.
- Maintain and use safety controls that stop the snowblower if the operator slips and falls or releases the controls for any reason.
- Clear the area of any debris before you begin snow removal. Some machines can throw rocks up to 75 feet.
- When clearing a gravel area, don't try to remove all the snow. Set the blades about an inch above the gravel.
- Shut off equipment before making repairs or mechanical adjustments. Clean off excess slush prior to storage.
- Remove the key as a safeguard against unauthorized use. If the system doesn't have a key ignition, remove the spark plug wire from the plug.
About half the accidents involving snow removal equipment happen to first-time users or those using the equipment for the first time each winter. Take time to review the safety precautions and you can reduce your risk of personal injury.
|
5. Why Test Water Quality?
By Sharon Skipton, UNL Extension Water Quality Educator
Concern about water quality often leads consumers to ask questions such as “What is in my water?” or “Is my drinking water safe?”
All water from natural sources contains dissolved substances. These substances are often called contaminants, especially when the amounts present are at possibly harmful or problematic levels. The substances in water can result from either natural processes or human activities. At low concentrations, many do not cause known harmful effects and may be beneficial. Research shows some substances may be harmful only when present at high enough concentrations.
The only way to know if the water you use for drinking and cooking contains potentially harmful substances at levels high enough to be of concern is to have the water tested. Analytical testing can determine what substances are present and their concentration levels.
Learn more . . .
|
6. How to Keep Your Hens Laying Through the Winter
By Sheila Scheideler, UNL Extension Poultry Specialist
Do you want to keep your hens in egg production through the winter months?? Then you have to trick them into thinking they still have long days and short nights rather than the reverse.
The laying hen's reproductive tract works off something we call a “photoperiod” or more simply said the ability of the hen to react to a light stimulation. That is why wild birds nest and lay eggs in the spring during increasing daylight. In order for a hen that is already laying eggs to keep laying eggs during a naturally decreasing day length, we must provide an artificial stimulation of increased day length to trick her into thinking it is still summer and spring.
Poultry need a minimum day length of 14 hours light in order to continue regular ovulation and egg production activity. Our day lengths in Nebraska typically become less than 14 hours by mid-September. So often we see our laying hens backing off their rate of egg production as we go through the fall months and approach winter.
The simple solution to this problem is to contain your hens in a coop after dusk and offer artificial lighting up to approximately 10:00 pm each evening. The artificial light provided does not have to be intense, a small wattage lamp should be adequate if you can see well enough to do chores.
The light needs to come on at dusk. If the hens are exposed to more than one hour of dark, they think it is really night-time and will not think they need to produce an egg for the next day. So through most of the fall and winter, if the sun is up by 8:00 AM and your birds are exposed to adequate natural day length, adding artificial light to 10:00 pm each day will give your hens a 14 hour photoperiod. That should be enough light stimulation to keep their reproductive activities going.
The hens are also going to need some protection from the cold and adequate food intake to keep laying eggs through the winter months. If the hen has to use all of her food sources to keep warm, she’ll not be inclined to spend valuable calories on egg production. So if your hens are free range and out in the cold, be sure to increase their feeding rate to provide energy for both body heat production and egg production.
|
7. Proper Handling of Game Meat will Lower Risk of Foodborne Illness
By Julie Albrecht, UNL Extension Food Specialist
Hunters should follow safety precautions to lower their risk of foodborne illness. Proper handling of game meat helps stop bacterial growth on raw meat.
Temperature plays an important role in keeping game meat safe and preventing foodborne illness. Bacteria grow most rapidly between 40 degrees and 140 degrees.
If the temperature is over 40 degrees, it is strongly recommended to take the carcass to a cooler the day of the kill.
Special care should be taken to keep the carcass cool during transport. Keep the meat out of direct sunlight and allow as much air circulation as possible. Do not use airtight gamebags or tarps that hold in heat and cause meat to spoil rapidly.
Make sure game meat is processed safely in sanitary conditions. If the raw meat is mishandled, bacteria may grow and produce toxins that can cause foodborne illness.
Freeze fresh meat at zero degrees to stop bacterial growth. Temperatures below 40 degrees will slow growth of bacteria but will not kill bacteria. Divide meat into meal-size quantities and wrap in moisture and vapor-proof wrap. Label packages with contents and date. Freeze only the amount of meat that will be solidly frozen within 24 hours.
Limit game meat to eight months of storage time. Safely thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator or microwave. Game meat often is high in bacterial content and thawing at room temperature will enhance bacterial growth. Meat thawed in the microwave should be cooked immediately. Use meat thawed in the refrigerator within one to two days.
Keep raw meat and cooked meat separate to avoid cross-contamination. Wash knife, cutting board and hands often with warm, soapy water. To destroy bacteria, cook game meat until it reaches safe internal temperatures of 160 to 212 degrees. Set the oven no lower than 325 degrees. Cook all ground meats to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Steaks and roasts cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees are medium rare, 160 degrees are medium and 170 degrees are well done. A whole game bird should reach 180 degrees.
|
8. Techniques for Successful Tree Planting
By Don Janssen, UNL Extension Educator
Healthy trees contribute to the beauty and the value of your home landscape. Select and maintain trees with these tips.
Select hardy species with typically few problems with insects or diseases, and plant them in a site that meets their requirements for drainage, soil pH, sunlight, moisture, etc. Avoid problem-prone trees -- those with serious insect and disease problems and weak wood or branching patterns that make them susceptible to storm damage. Hardiness refers to a tree’s ability to survive a normal winter in your area. Marginally hardy plants might live through a series of mild winters or survive in a sheltered area, but they are unlikely to perform as well as plants native to our region. Make sure the planting site gives the tree room to reach its mature size.
Plant properly. Dig a large planting hole and place the tree at the same level it was growing at in the nursery. Be sure to remove all non-biodegradable materials from the trunk or root ball before planting, and redirect or remove any roots growing around the root ball -- they may eventually girdle and kill the plant. Water to settle soil around the roots -- hard tamping can compact the soil and damage the roots.
Water newly planted trees during dry weather for the first growing season or two after planting. Limited root systems make them more vulnerable to drought, and drought stress can, in turn, make them more susceptible to insect attack and other problems.
Stake and guy wire newly planted trees as needed to prevent wind damage and promote quick establishment of a sturdy, supportive root system.
Protect landscape plants from damage by lawn mowers, string trimmers and other landscape equipment, as well as herbicides and other lawn and garden chemicals. Mulching around landscape ornamentals keeps the lawnmower at a safe distance. It also helps conserve soil moisture and reduce the frequency of watering during dry weather. Keep herbicides out of the root zone of landscape trees as much as possible. If you must use them, apply them in the fall when woody plants are growing less vigorously and so are less likely to take up and suffer damage from such chemicals.
Avoid using deicing salt around landscape plants. Place sensitive plants away from roadways where airborne salt spray or salt in the root zone can injure them, and avoid piling salt-laden snow or ice near plants.
Remove broken, dead or diseased branches promptly and properly. Leave no stubs or ragged bark that could give insects or diseases a place to get established.
Fertilize established plants every year to keep them growing vigorously, and water even long-established trees in extended dry periods.
Avoid changes in the growing site that may damage roots or alter drainage. Protect trees from injury to bark or roots during construction.
|
9. Disease-Resistant Apple Cultivars
By Michele Warmund, University of Missouri Extension
Disease infection is a major limitation to growing apples in Nebraska. The common diseases include apple scab and cedar apple rust. With increasing concerns about pesticides, several breeders have focused on the development of apple cultivars that are resistant to the major diseases. Apple growers who don't have the time, equipment or desire to apply fungicides may wish to plant disease-resistant varieties.
Before planting, it is helpful to know the prevalent diseases that infect apples grown in your area so that cultivars with resistance to these diseases can be selected for planting.
Learn More . . .
|
10. Water Your Windbreak Before the Soil Freezes
By Michael White, ISU Extension Field Specialist/Crops
Dry weather can put coniferous (evergreen) trees and shrubs in jeopardy during winter. Because conifers lose moisture through their needles, which are retained year-round, they tend to be more susceptible to dry conditions than deciduous trees, which lose their leaves. Our current dry spell makes it especially important to water conifers now before the soil freezes. Young conifers and conifers that have been transplanted within the last two years will be the most susceptible to winter desiccation.
There are several ways to avoid winter injury to conifers. Small trees and shrubs can be wrapped with burlap or other protective materials. Second, anti-desiccants can be sprayed on the foliage to help prevent winter drying. Most are a "waxy" substance that can break down quickly during winter’s thaws necessitating reapplication. Third, and probably best, is to water conifers in the fall before the soil freezes.
How much water may be needed per tree? Before answering this, we need to make some assumptions:
- An average soil can hold approximately 2" of plant available moisture per foot of soil.
- Most of the volume of tree roots can be found in the upper 2' of the soil and within a radius of one tree height from the trunk.
- There are 27,154 gallons of water in one acre inch.
With these assumptions in mind, lets also assume we want to replace one half (2") of the plant available water in the top two feet of soil. This is the amount of water needed based on tree height:
| Tree Height |
Tree Root Radius |
Tree Root Diameter |
Gallons of Water For a 2" Depth |
| 2.5 ft |
2.5 ft |
5 ft. |
25 gal. |
| 5 ft. |
5 ft. |
10 ft. |
98 gal. |
| 10 ft. |
10 ft. |
20 ft. |
392 gal. |
| 20 ft. |
20 ft. |
40 ft. |
1567 gal. |
| 30 ft. |
30 ft. |
60 ft. |
3525 gal. |
As you can see, watering trees less than 10' tall is very feasible. Larger trees with deeper roots should be able to scavenge deeper soil moisture and probably survive a drought period without much winter injury. If you do attempt to water a larger tree, consider putting only one half (1") of the gallons shown in the table above. You may not want to, or be able to, apply all the water at one time. Periodic watering several days apart can also be done.
|
11. Protecting Trees and Shrubs Against Winter Damage
By Bert Swanson and Richard Rideout, University of Minnesota Extension
Minnesota's harsh climate is often responsible for severe damage to landscape plants. Winter sun, wind, and cold temperatures can bleach and desiccate evergreen foliage, damage bark, and injure or kill branches, flower buds, and roots. Snow and ice can break branches and topple entire trees. Salt used for deicing streets, sidewalks, and parking lots is harmful to landscape plantings. Winter food shortages force rodents and deer to feed on bark, twigs, flower buds, and foliage, injuring and sometimes killing trees and shrubs. All is not bleak, however, as landscape plants can be protected to minimize some of this injury.
Learn More . . .
|
12. Prior Planning Yields Results- Growing Shrubs from Cuttings
By Don Janssen, UNL Extension Educator
You like your new home, but the landscaping is a little sparse. So is your landscaping budget. But a friend has offered you starts of several shrubs. This is great, but you have a few questions, which boil down to what, when and how do you start new shrubs from cuttings?
The first step is to select healthy, vigorously growing plants as the sources of your cuttings. Then, in the fall, after the leaves drop, select one-year-old stems, which are usually lighter colored and smaller in diameter than older stems.
Use a sharp knife to cut stems 1 to 2 feet long. Cut the stems into sections 6 to 8 inches long, discarding the top couple of inches. Make sure each section has several leaf buds, or nodes, and make cuts 2 inch above or below a node.
Stems have a definite up and down orientation and they won’t root and grow if you plant them upside-down. So establish some sort of system for keeping them sorted out -- cut the bottom of each piece straight across and the top at a slant, or place them upright in a tin can or figure out some other way to make it easy to tell which end should be up.
Dipping the bottom end of each cutting in rooting hormone will increase the chances of success.
Store the dormant cuttings over the winter in bundles bound with rubber bands or string in a box filled with slightly moist sand, sawdust or vermiculite. If you took cuttings from several kinds of shrubs, label each bundle. Store the box in a cold but not freezing area, such as a garage, unheated attic or root cellar. An alternative is to store them in plastic bags with the sand, sawdust or vermiculite mix and place them in a refrigerator.
In the spring, retrieve the cuttings before the leaves on growing shrubs begin to open, dip the bottom end of each cutting in rooting hormone and plant them in a protected area of the garden. Dig a trench about as deep as the cuttings are long, place a couple of inches of coarse sand in the bottom, and stand the cuttings up in the sand about 6 inches apart. Fill in the trench with a mixture of soil and compost, sand or perlite so that only the top bud of each cutting is visible. Firm the mixture around the cuttings and water well.
Water as needed to keep this nursery area moist but not soggy, and shade cuttings with cloth or a piece of lattice supported by stakes until they are growing well. When plants develop leaves and start to grow larger, begin feeding them monthly during the growing season with a complete soluble fertilizer.
By the next spring, they should be ready to be moved to their permanent spots in the landscape.
|
13. Perennial Garden Clean Up
By Connie Lowndes, UNL Extension Assistant
Fall is traditionally a time for cleaning up gardens. Normally, we recommend clear cutting dead stems to help control insect and disease problems.
However, Ward Upham with Kansas State University reminds us that you might want to leave pest free herbaceous perennials to provide structure, form, and color to the winter garden. For example, ornamental grasses can be attractive even during the winter months. But those near structures should be cut to the ground because they can be a fire hazard. Perennials with evergreen or semi-evergreen foliage can provide color. Of course, some perennials are naturally messy after dormancy and should be cut back in the fall.
Foliage may be left for other reasons. For example, foliage left on marginally hardy plants such as tender ferns help ensure overwintering of plant crowns. Also, seed heads on some perennial plants can provide seed for birds.
|
14. Planning Pays- Evaluating Your Landscape's Performance
By Don Janssen, UNL Extension Educator
While the 2010 growing season is a long ways off, it always pays to plan ahead. Analyzing performances of various plantings of this past season can help in planning for 2010. Consider both growing requirements of specific plants and growing conditions being provided.
For example, problems affecting most or all of a planting area, such as a vegetable garden or flowerbed, tend to be related to the general environment or growing conditions provided. This may include problems with the soil, amount of available light, watering, weed control, or perhaps the weather. Excess shade is a very common reason vegetable or perennial plantings fail. Do some pruning or consider perhaps moving the planting. Choose shade-tolerant perennials, groundcovers, and shrubs.
Soils are a critical part of the success or failure of the garden. Conditions related to soils include soil pH, fertility, and drainage. Many soils in our area tend to have an alkaline or high pH, which can cause problems for many plants. Soil fertility is controlled by factors such as pH, organic matter, planting history, and fertilizer application. If everything is doing poorly, perhaps the fertility is too low or soil drainage is poor.
If only one specific kind of plant had a problem this season, it could be a disease or insect problem. Specific insects or diseases tend to attack specific plants, rather than a number of different species. It could also be that one problem species is located in the wrong spot or just is not adapted to our climate.
Matching plants to site conditions available is critical. Take time this winter to research plant needs before deciding to grow them. Consider replacing existing plants that have chronic problems due to a site or climate mismatch.
Finally, weather conditions also enter the picture as a major factor in the success or failure of landscape plantings. Cold winters, prolonged wet spells, and drought are among the problems facing landscape plantings.
|
15. Views From The Land
By Jan Hygnstrom, UNL Extension Project Manager
|
| Join Jan each month as she shares her thoughts on acreage living. Since Jan lives on an acreage in southeast Nebraska, she speaks from personal experience. You will, no doubt, find you have a lot in common. As a University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension employee and a member of the Acreage Insights Education Team, you can be sure her educational messages are unbiased and supported by sound science. |
I received the following e-mail from my brother in Wisconsin:
"Just a quick note to check in with you all…
I think I have most of my fall projects done—the garden is put away (both at home and the community garden), leaves are raked, freezers are full of organic produce, the pond is stocked with trout and minnows, the ski trails are cleared and ready for more snow, and I put the boat away and my workshop is done…….let winter come any time!! "
His note made me think about all that I plan on doing in November, hopefully before cold weather and snow set in.
At the top of my list is to have my septic system pumped by a certified pumper. After we had been in our country home for a year, I had a certified pumper come and check the system for me. He told me that considering the size of my tank (1,000 gallons) and the number of people in our home (2), our water use (very conservative), and that we didn’t use a garbage disposal much to speak of, we could wait 5 years to have our tank pumped. Since he was there, he did pump the tank for me as well. We haven’t changed our lifestyle, so this will be year number 5. I want to have the tank pumped before cold weather sets in, which makes life a lot easier for the pumper, and to have everything set for holiday guests. There’s a link to a listing of state certified onsite professionals at http://water.unl.edu/sewage.
Look in the Resources box at the right. They are sorted by name as well as city.
Also on my list is to check my pantry to make sure there are enough canned and packaged food and beverages in case we are snowed in for any length of time. I still remember Lincoln’s October 27, 1997 snowstorm that left parts of the city without electricity for days to weeks, and roads drifted with snow. Maybe that’s why I like to be prepared. I try to keep about 2 to 3 weeks’ supply of food on hand - that way we use some and still have a stash for an emergency. Bottled juices and beverages that don’t require refrigeration are handy. Extension has information regarding emergency drinking water at http://water.unl.edu/emergencysupply
Other than that, my list consists of checking our foundation for cracks to prevent entry of cold air and unwanted mice. Both always seem to find a way in!
|
UPCOMING EVENTS
|
|
16. High Country Gardens Nurseryman Speaks to Nebraska Gardeners, November 7
Nebraska gardeners are more than a little careful about where they get their advice but they trust recommendations from High Country Gardens, a mail order nursery specializing in plants that meet Nebraska’s tough-as-nails requirements for hardy, water thrifty, ornamental and environmentally friendly plants.
Horticulturist David Salman is the featured speaker of the 2009 Joseph & Dorothy Young Memorial Lectures in Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) on Thursday, November 5 at 7 p.m. at the UNL City Campus Union auditorium. He will be speaking on “The Water Thrifty Garden: Enjoying colorful native and adapted perennials in your Nebraska landscape.” A professional nurseryman, greenhouse grower and gardener for his entire career, Salman also writes his High Country Gardens catalog and selects the plants offered by the catalog. As part of his professional focus, he also seeks out, breeds and evaluates garden worthy plants, specializing in native species from the U.S. and northern Mexico as well as cold hardy, xeric species from western Asia and South Africa.
Salman was part of a Nebraska Statewide Arboretum gardening series 11 years ago and is eager to return. He has lived in New Mexico for most of his life, where the challenges are similar to those in Nebraska. Because of that, Salman said, he has “come to love plants with an untamed spirit, plants strong enough to survive harsh climates, short growing seasons and unpredictable precipitation.”
The High Country Gardens catalog reveals Salman’s other affinities: plants that attract butterflies and hummingbirds; environmentally-friendly landscapes; water harvesting and other practices that make the most of every resource available; and strong colors that won’t fade in the heat and exposure of long, hard summers.
The Joseph & Dorothy Young Memorial Lectures in Horticulture honors the late Dr. Joseph Young, a horticulturist who served the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a teacher, researcher and administrator. The lecture series is hosted by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum and made possible by a generous gift from the Young family.
Date: November 5
Time: On-site registration from
6-6:45, Program 7 p.m.
Location:
UNL City Campus Union auditorium
Cost: $12 and $10 to NSA members; free to students with ID
For more information or to pre-register before October 29, call (402) 472-2971
The Nebraska Statewide Arboretum is both a non-profit horticultural organization and a program of the Nebraska Forest Service, part of University of Nebraska's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. NSA achieves its mission of "sustainable landscapes for healthy homes and communities" through initiatives in education, community landscapes and the environment. For more information about Salman’s visit, call (402) 472-2971 or go to arboretum.unl.edu.
|
17. Second Annual Wind Conference Comes to Kearney, November 9 & 10
The Nebraska Wind Working Group will host the second annual Wind Power Conference at the Kearney Holiday Inn and Convention Center November 9-10, 2009. The conference will feature nationally known wind experts and sessions on a wide range of wind related topics including: landowner rights, transmission, project siting, county planning and zoning, economic development benefits, small wind challenges, state and federal policy updates. Registration will be limited to the first 650 participants.
Early registration is through Oct 30, 2009: $60-person & $30-student.
After Oct. 30th, fees increase to $75-person & $45-student.
Registration includes: Monday and Tuesday meals and breaks, and the Monday evening reception.
For more information contact:
The Nebraska Farmers Union Foundation
(402) 476-8815
|
18. I2E Club Inventors, Investors & Entrepreneurs, November 10
Every 2nd Tuesday of the month the UNL Kimmel Education and Research Center hosts the I2E Club.
Own or Start a Business! Grow an Idea! Invest in Innovation! It’s a safe, contagious, innovative environment where you will connect with other like-minded individuals who share and support your dreams, efforts and similar interests!
Schedule:
5:30PM Networking Social
6:00PM Program
7:00PM Small Groups & "Ask & You Shall Receive"
Location: UNL Kimmel Education and Research Center 5985 G Road, Nebraska City, NE
Fee: $10 per evening or $45 for a year’s membership
Contact: Dr. Connie Reimers-Hild
Phone: (402) 873-3166
Email: creimers2@unl.edu
|
19. Advanced Wine School, November 13 & 14
The two-day workshop will intensively cover the art of fining tannins and inactivated yeast, lab demonstrations and a bus trip.
Presentations:
Elli Butz, Lallemand, Vintage Winery Consultants - Instruction on Wine Fining Agents and Techniques
Michael Jones, Scott Laboratories, California - Tannins and Inactivated Yeast
Date: November 13 & 14
Time:
8:30 AM-4:00 PM both days
Location:
University of Nebraska Kimmel Research & Extension Center
Cost: $450.00 per person, commercial vintners only. Price includes class materials, Friday lunch and dinner, bus trip, wine tasting and refreshments, and Saturday lunch
For more information please contact:
Tammy Timms
Five Rivers RC&D
PO Box 626
Tecumseh, NE 68450
(402) 335-3347
tammy.timms@ne.usda.gov
Registration and fee information
|
20. Lincoln Orchid Society Fall Show, November 14
Fall Orchid Show hosted by Lincoln Orchid Society at Westfield Gateway Shopping Center. . Displays of flowering orchids, artwork, photography, plus demonstrations and raffles every hour each day.
Admission: $3.00, 14 and under FREE
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Location: Westfield Gateway Shopping Center,
6100 "O" Street,
Lincoln, NE
Contact: Nataly Murph, (402) 418-2443,
orchidshow@live.com
|
21. Animal Science Overnight- High School Seniors Invited to Experience College Life First Hand, November 19-20
UNL Animal Science is hosting the 6th Annual Animal Science Overnight on November 19-20, inviting high school seniors to experience college life first hand! Thursday evening, you will take a tour of Memorial Stadium where you will get the opportunity to see first-hand where the heart of Husker football is located. We will also have fun eating pizza, bowling, and playing pool in the East Campus Union. You will spend the night in University housing, as the guest of a UNL Animal Science student host. Friday morning, you will get to experience your first college class with students currently enrolled in Fundamentals of Animal Biology and Industry (Animal Science 100). Also, you will attend a special hands-on lab session of this class. The day will finish with Animal Science Ambassadors answering any questions you may have. This is an amazing opportunity to learn about our program of study, facilities, faculty members, and current students.
Registration due by November 11
Program brochure
For more information contact:
Brandon Sorensen
|
22. From Recipe to Reality Seminar, January 10
The one-day "From Recipe to Reality" seminar is the first step in developing a food business. It is specifically designed to provide entrepreneurs with an understanding of the key issues they will need to consider when starting a food business. Participants include individuals interested in marketing a family recipe, individuals with a product idea or concept, producers considering adding value to an agricultural product, restaurateurs exploring the manufacturing of a house specialty, and store owners contemplating the development of a private label products.
Pre-registration is required and space is limited.
Additional program dates for 2010 in Lincoln, NE - April 10, June 4, August 20, October 23.
Contact Jill Gifford at (402) 472-2819 or jgifford1@unl.edu for an information packet. For more information and to register for the program, visit the UNL Food Processing's Food Entrepreneur web site.
|
|
|
