Aug. 4, 2016
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Planting fall vegetables in Kentucky
Family & Consumer Sciences
Pep up lunch
4-H Youth Development
Stop bullying before it starts
Planting fall vegetables in Kentucky
Source: Rick Durham, UK horticulture specialist
It’s not too late to continue to enjoy your garden and to add new plantings. You can grow a variety of produce in Kentucky gardens in the coming weeks and have several fresh items available well into the fall.
Cooler nights later in the year can increase the sugar content of many crops and thus increase their quality. Cooler nights also slow growth, so your crops can take longer to mature than in the summer. Keep this slower pace in mind when you check seeds for days to maturity.
Early August is the right time to make your last planting of bush beans, carrots, sweet corn, kale, collards, bibb lettuce, turnips, and cole crops such as kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. For late August and into September you can try planting mustard greens, spinach greens, radishes, turnip greens and leaf lettuce.
Before planting, remove any existing debris, including crops and weeds from your garden bed, move them to the compost bin and then prepare the soil.
If the previous crop was well fertilized and grew vigorously you may not need to add much, if any additional fertilizer, otherwise apply about 2 to 3 pounds of a complete fertilizer such as 5-10-10 or 10-10-10 per 100 square feet of planting area.
Remember to keep fall gardens well watered as this tends to be a fairly dry time in Kentucky. A weekly irrigation sufficient to wet the soil to 6 or 8 inches should be adequate. This is more or less equivalent to a weekly 1-inch rain.
To learn more about fall gardening options, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Cooperative Extension Service and ask for publication ID-128, “Home Vegetable Gardening in Kentucky.” You may also view the publication online at http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/id/id128/id128.pdf
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Pep up lunch
Source: Janet Mullins, UK extension professor
A new school year is upon us. One of the most challenging daily tasks that goes with back to school is finding something interesting, healthy and tasty for your child to eat if they take their lunch instead of participating in a school lunch program. Here are some tips to simplify the process.
Planning is essential to the success of packing a healthy lunch. It allows you to prepare well-balanced meals and reduces the amount of rushing to find something to take in the morning. It can also help you make your grocery list so you don’t have the added expenses of purchasing items you already have or foods your child won’t eat. Encourage your child to be involved in the planning phase. Children are more likely to eat foods that they had an active part planning or preparing.
Think of ways you can mix up traditional lunch items. Most people like a peanut butter sandwich or a sandwich with deli meat, but eating that every single day can get old. Substitute pita bread or a tortilla for regular bread, using whole grains when possible. If your child eats peanut butter and jelly, swap out the jelly flavors. Cookie cutters are a great way to turn sandwiches, meats and cheeses into fun shapes.
Lunch is a great time for you to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into your child’s diet. Dress up sandwiches with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. Cut up fresh fruits and vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place them in individual containers. Include some type of dip. Some great options are hummus, yogurt dip, peanut butter, low-fat dressing or salsa. If your child is a picky eater, you may have some luck sneaking some nutrition into a muffin. Below is a Plate It Up, Kentucky Proud recipe for Pumpkin Apple Muffins.
Remember snacks should be simple, reasonable portions, healthy and desirable for your child. Good options include graham crackers, trail mix, low-fat granola bars, air-popped popcorn, 100-calorie packs or a fun-size candy bar.
For more information on healthy eating, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Extension Office.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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Pumpkin Apple Muffins
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 ¼ cups whole-wheat flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1¼ cups honey
2 large eggs
1½ cups fresh pureed pumpkin
½ cup canola oil
2 cups Granny Smith apples, finely chopped
Yield:
18 muffins
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flours, baking soda, salt and spices. In a small bowl, combine honey, eggs, pumpkin and oil; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in apples. Fill greased or paper lined muffin cups, two-thirds full. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until muffins test done. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan.
Note: Can substitute two cups granulated sugar for honey, decrease baking soda by ¼ teaspoon and increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Nutritional Analysis:
200 calories, 7 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 35 mg cholesterol, 160 mg sodium, 35 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 20 g sugar, 3 g protein
Stop bullying before it starts
Source: Jennifer Tackett, 4-H youth development specialist
A new school year presents a great time for new beginnings and exciting expectations for what lies ahead. Unfortunately, bullying can make a new school year not so great if you are the victim.
If you find yourself in this situation, you can do several things to peacefully resolve it. Here are some tips.
· Speak up. Tell the person that is bullying you that they are hurting your feelings. Many times, young people, especially those that may be your friends, may not even realize that they are being bullies or hurting your with their words or actions.
· Stay confident. Don’t let a bully know they are bothering you. It may only make the situation worse. Calmly walk away from them.
· Talk to a caring adult. In some situations, especially if the bullying is ongoing or getting worse, it’s better to address the issue with an adult. Teachers, parents, principals and guidance counselors are all good options. If you don’t feel comfortable talking to them in front of others, ask to talk to them in private.
· Be proactive. Find outlets in your school and community that could help you stop bullying. 4-H offers many programs that can teach you team building and leadership.
It’s never okay to bully someone or to be silent while someone else is bullied. Try to put yourself in the shoes of the person who is being bullied. Victims of bullying tend to feel lonely, depressed, embarrassed or have low self-esteem. Chances are you would never want to feel that way yourself. Always think how your actions or words could affect someone before you act, speak or post something online.
For more information on ending bullying, contact the (COUNTY NAME) Extension office.
Educational programs of the Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, religion, disability or national origin.
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