Marshall County Extension e-News
May 2023
424 Blount Ave. Ste. G21
Guntersville, AL 35976
Phone: (256) 582-2009
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It's hard to believe that 1/3 of 2023 is already in the books. Seeds are sprouting all over the county from corn fields to vegetable gardens- it's the true start to a new growing season with endless possibilities. I know every single individual planting something this spring has high hopes for a good crop, and are hoping Mother Nature cooperates.
April was a big month here at the Extension office! The Spring Master Gardener class continued, we hosted a successful Bucket Gardening Workshop, Career Countdown was implemented in many area schools, we finished up 4-H Pig Squeal Home visits, had participation at the 2023 Sand Mountain Beef & Forage field day, completed a successful 4-H Chick Chain handout day and conducted the largest 4-H County Round Up since before COVID just to name a few.
Christian Burks, a Marshall County 4-H'er received top honors statewide for his Farm-City Multimedia Contest entry (check his video out in our 4-H section below.) Marshall County 4-H members had the largest delegation of shooters at the State 4-H Archery Championship, bringing home many medals and even a few State Champions!
This month we are bringing you a High Tunnel Workshop, 4-H Pig Squeal Show & Auction, Farm Days at Asbury Elementary & Douglas Elementary, and the 4-H State Shotgun Championship (25+ from Marshall County attending). Please take a few moments to check out & consider attending and participating in the learning opportunities for both youth and adults, that your Marshall County Extension Office is offering this month.
There are several educational opportunities embedded right here into this newsletter- click on anything you may be interested in for more information.
Thank you for your continued support and participation in activities from your County Extension Office!
-Kristen Roberson
County Extension Coordinator
Visit our Webpage at: www.aces.edu/counties/marshall
or on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/marshallalextension |
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Learn guidelines for collecting representative forage samples for hay, haylage, silage, fresh forage, and nitrates.
With any type of forage sample, the goal is to collect a representative sample. The following provides some guidelines.
Collecting a Hay Sample (≤ 20 percent moisture)
- Test each lot of forage separately. A lot is defined as hay that was harvested at the same time out of the same field and under the same conditions.
- Collect 15 to 20 core samples from each lot. Use a hay coring probe to reduce sampling error. If you don’t have a hay probe, contact your county Extension coordinator or regional Extension agent on the Animal Science and Forage team to locate a probe in your area. 1
- Insert the hay probe at a 90 degree angle.
- For a round bale, insert the probe into the curved side of the bale.
- For a square bale, insert the probe into the center of the end of the bale.
- Remove the hay probe, and empty the contents into a clean container.
- After sampling a complete lot (15 to 20 core samples), mix the sample thoroughly and place the sample in a 1-quart plastic bag.
- Label each sample with an ID (e.g., Back forty, Front lot, Old cotton field).
- Fill out a Hay and Forage Testing Analysis Form on the Soil Testing Lab website or obtain a form from your county Extension office. Attach the form to the sample and mail it to the Auburn University Soil Testing Laboratory.
READ MORE HERE
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Baleage, known as baled silage or haylage, is a method used for conserving and storing high-moisture forage.
Making hay can be troublesome because of weather conditions, which can delay harvesting at the correct forage maturity and results in dry matter (DM) losses of up to 30 percent or more and loss of forage quality. All of these factors reduce animal performance and increase refusal rate at the hay ring resulting in high amounts of waste.
Baleage can reduce some of the time challenges to making hay by reducing the time needed to bale harvested forage (1 to 3 days versus 3 to 5 days with hay). Baleage is a type of silage, meaning it is a fermented forage product that is created when moist forage is stored in the absence of oxygen (anaerobic conditions). Naturally occurring bacteria on the plant surface consume some of the readily available carbohydrates and produce organic acids. These acids decrease the pH of the forage, preventing the growth of molds and toxic bacteria and preserve the product for later use and feed out.
READ MORE HERE
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Season 3, Episode 4: Preplant Weed Control: On this episode of the Alabama Crops Report, hosts Scott Graham and Katelyn Kesheimer talk with David Russell, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System weed science specialist. As farmers across the state are starting to plant their crops, weed control is an important aspect to remember. Russell talks with the group about getting fields clean for planting and thinking about soil residual herbicides. .
Listen here
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Season 3, Episode 3: Row Crop Markets: On this episode of the Alabama Crops Report, hosts Scott Graham and Adam Rabinowitz are on the podcast for the first time in Season 3. They sit down to talk with a podcast regular, Wendiam Sawadgo, an Alabama Cooperative Extension System economist. The group talks about what current row crop markets are looking like and what the future may hold for Alabama row crop producers.
LISTEN HERE
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Learn steps a horse owner can take during the preweaning phase of a foal’s life to ensure optimum health and future productivity.
To protect the initial investment in a foal and to optimize its health and productivity after birth, horse owners should practice good horse management, including gentling, halter breaking, creep feeding, and overall health care.
READ MORE HERE
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Regional Agent Eddie McGriff & Hinterland Drones discuss making protective sprays with drones on this episode of On the Farm.
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Regional Agent Eddie McGriff & Alabama Extension Weed Scientist Dr. David Russell discuss corn and soybean weed control.
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Marshall County 4-H member, Christian Burks, won Alabama Statewide 1st Place honors for his Farm-City Multimedia Contest Entry at the annual Farm-City Awards Luncheon in Birmingham.
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Christian Burks winning Farm-City Multimedia Contest Entry
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MARSHALL COUNTY 4-H ROUND UP
Top Left: Renee Adams of Shepherds Place (4-H Leader of the Year)
Top Right: Mason Smith of Arab Junior High (4-H President of the Year)
Bottom Left: Gracie Stegall of Marshall Community Club (4-H'er of the Year)
Bottom Right: Thank you to Marshall County Farmers Federation for Prizes
Not Pictured: Caleb Sanchez of Albertville Elementary (4-H Vice President of the Year), Addie Watwood (4-H Secretary of the Year), Boaz Middle School (4-H Club of the Year)
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Home Grounds, Gardens & Pests & Commercial Horticulture |
Dr. Brian Brown (256) 558-8129
Marcus Garner (256) 541-0291
Eric Schavey (256) 504-0351 |
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Learn—month by month—the necessary gardening activities for lawns and shrubs, annuals and perennials, fruit and nut trees, and bulbs, roots, and tubers. Included is a timeline for activities such as soil testing, planting, pruning, fertilizing, pruning, mulching, indoor plantings—from cauliflower to okra, from camellias to dahlias to heirloom roses...
Click here for your May Guide |
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Along with some squash vine borers flying around laying eggs (vine borers are one of the major borer species in cucurbits along with two others, see this blog for details, https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/farming/how-to-identify-squash-vine-borers-pickleworms-melonworms/), I have noticed a sharp increase in the SOUTHERN ARMYWORM moth numbers. BEET ARMYWORMS are usually not too far behind on crops around this time, especially on small specialty crops or transplants. Attached are some pictures on how to identify the armyworm caterpillars and egg masses you will see on the undersurface of leaves. Over the years, the southern armyworm pressures have fluctuated – see the archived blog with long-term moth numbers across AL, click https://www.aces.edu/blog/topics/crop-production/alabama-pest-report/. Armyworm feeding on leaves will look like leaves eaten out in certain ‘hot-spots’ in field that seem to increase and spread in a few days (spreads like a wildfire in high tunnels!! IPM videos for small producers and gardeners can be access via the Farming Basics App or online at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkNoAmOtt___MKj6IBxvWzOdWP0btBq4D.
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Wednesdays at 1:00 pm CT
www.aces.edu/go/asywebinars to Register
Join the Alabama Extension home grounds team for the Get Outside with Alabama Smart Yards webinar series. This online series provides 30-minute segments on common gardening and landscaping topics.
May 3rd-Diagnosing Landscape Diseases
May 10th-TBA
May 17th-World of Carnivorous Plants
May 24th-Propogation Techniques for the Home Gardener
Read More Here |
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May 10th (12:00-1:00 pm): " Managing for Pine Hardwood Mixtures"
Register Here
May 24th (12:00-1:00 pm): " A short and practical review of the science behind toxicants for wild pig control"
Register Here
READ MORE HERE
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Spring Checklist for Landowners
May
June
- Test your pond for alkalinity and hardness.
- Forest inventories are needed to make good land management decisions. This workbook can help you set goals and better communicate with land management professionals.
- Summer is the time to order trees for next year’s planting.
- Plan for wildlife food plot locations and plantings.
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Financial Management & Workforce Development |
Dr. Theresa Jones (256) 509-5908 |
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Are you running out of money from one check to another? Do you have leaks in your spending? Find out by using this worksheet to discover where you may be unnecessarily spending. Discover extra money to save, pay off debt, or put toward a savings goal.
Dan wants to manage his money better. To his disappointment, money seems to keep disappearing. Let’s examine what could be happening to Dan’s money. Each day that Dan is at work, he goes to the vending machine to purchase these items.
1 bottle of water – $2.00
1 bag of chips – $1.50
1 candy bar – $1.25
Total spent per day – $4.75
Normally, one would say that these items cost just a few dollars. If we calculate how much these items cost Dan over time, we will see the reality of where his missing money is going. Seeing the numbers on paper will show that Dan may be spending too much money on unnecessary items.
Total snack cost per day:
($4.75 X 1 day) = $4.75 per day
Total snack cost for 5 days:
($4.75 X 5 days) = $23.75 per week
Total snack cost for 4 weeks:
($23.75 X 4 weeks) = $95.00 per month
Total snack cost for 1 year:
($95.00 X 12 months) = $1,140.00 per year
This indicates that if Dan’s job pays $10.00 an hour, he has to work 114 hours just to pay for his snacks. Think about what Dan could do with the extra cash if he changed his habit of buying snacks daily.
Now, do you think you have any missing money? Think about what you do every day. Do you have a habit of going to the vending machine at your place of employment? Do you buy a pack of cigarettes every day? These are a few of many examples for discovering missing money. To see the leaks in your spending, use this worksheet to make a list of things you spend money on regularly. Calculate how much you spend over time. Which items can you purchase less or eliminate. Keep your money from vanishing without a trace. Like Dan, you can do something about leaks in your spending and reclaim your missing money.
LEARN MORE HERE
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SNAP-Ed & Urban Expanded Food & Nutrition Program |
Della Bramley (256) 737-9386 |
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Here’s a take on a popular southern dish. Live Well Alabama’s Alabama Catfish Gumbo features Alabama-grown vegetables and catfish. This recipe feels like home and will keep the family warm during the cold winter.
Tips: Catfish doesn’t have to be fried to be delicious! Enjoy it simmered in this tasty soup to get the protein, vitamins, and minerals without the added fat from frying. Use a cooking thermometer to ensure that fish is fully cooked to 145 degrees F.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 1/2 cup green bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup celery, diced
- 2 cans low sodium chicken broth, 14.5 ounces each
- 3 teaspoons seafood seasoning
- 2 cans diced low sodium tomatoes, 14.5 ounces each
- 1 can tomato paste, 3 ounces
- 1 12-ounce bag frozen okra
- 4 catfish fillets
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
Directions
- In large pot, heat oil and cook onion, bell pepper, and celery until tender.
- Add chicken broth, seafood seasoning, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and okra. Bring to a boil.
- Add catfish and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until fish is cooked through.
- Serve over rice.
For more Live Well Alabama recipes, visit LiveWellAlabama.com.
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