Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County P.O. Box 388, Westport, NY In This Issue

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1 Cornell Cooperative Extension of Essex County P.O. Box 388, Westport, NY In This Issue 4-H News & Calendar 1-6 Colostrum Management Dairy of Distinction Application 7 April Garden Tips Events & Happenings 8-11 Calendar 17 Isaac Visser of the Black Watch Shooting Stars 4-H club celebrates his ice fishing success

2 Essex County Cooperative Extension Center 3 Sisco Street P.O. Box 388 Westport, NY Tel: Fax: essex@cornell.edu Web: BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jay White, President Barbara Dwyer, Treasurer Florence St. Pierre Sears Mark Buckley, Vice President Paula Dennis Steven Ives Paul O Connor, Cornell Specialist Peter Ward Anne Bassler Linda Beers, Secretary David Blades, Supervisor Rep. James Cunningham STAFF Executive Director, Agriculture/Natural Resource Issue Leader Anita Deming Phone Ext. 409 ald6@cornell.edu Issue Leader Mary Other Breyette Agencies Phone at Ext. 3 Sisco 407 St.: mba32@cornell.edu Essex County Soil and Water Conservation District 4-H Resource Educator, Horticulture Linda Gillilland Phone Ext. 416 llg46@cornell.edu David Reckahn, Cynthia Brannock & Nutrition Program Educator Tiffany Pinheiro Eileen Longware Phone Ext. 412 el252@cornell.edu Office Manager Judy French Phone Ext. 401 jpf25@cornell.edu Regional Vegetable Specialist Amy Ivy Phone: adi2@cornell.edu Regional Fruit Specialist Anna Wallis Phone: aew232@cornell.edu NNY Dairy Specialist Kim Morrill Phone: kmm434@cornell.edu Regional Field Crops and Soils Specialist Kitty O Neil Phone: kao32@cornell.edu Finance Administrator Ann Moore Phone Ext. 402 abm12@cornell.edu Adirondack Harvest Coordinator, Technology Laurie Davis Phone Ext. 404 lsd22@cornell.edu AGRICULTURAL PROGRAM COMMITTEE Gary Goff Diane Dodd Florence St. Pierre, Bd. Rep. David Lincoln, Sec y Julie Ives Noah Ives Tom McNally Chance Potter QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAM COMMITTEE To Receive TOWN & COUNTRY Erik Leerkes John Bingham Lesley Trevor Dave Wyant, Chair Seth McLaughlin Marge Zmijewski Jim Cunningham, Bd Rep. Your $15 enrollment in Cornell Cooperative Extension supports the production and mailing of your monthly issue of Town & Country for one year. For information contact: Cornell Cooperative Extension Association of Essex County P.O. Box 388 Westport, NY Phone: (518) Fax: (518) essex@cornell.edu Other Agencies at 3 Sisco St.: Essex County Soil and Water Conservation District David Reckahn, Lois Sayward, Tiffany Pinheiro & Laura Benedict (518) Essex County Agricultural Society (Fair) (518) Building Strong and Vibrant New York Communities Cornell Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities. NYS College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, NYS college of Human Ecology, and NYS College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University, Cooperative Extension associations, county governing bodies, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating. Please contact the central office if you have any questions or special needs.

3 4-H UPDATES 4-H connects youth to hands-on learning opportunities that help them grow into competent, caring, contributing members of society. LEADERS CORNER Leaders Association Officers President: Kristy Cave (Brookside Trotters) Vice President: Lori Ducharme (Ducharme Family) Treasurer: Jennifer Leibeck (Country Kids) Secretary: Laura Benedict Leaders Association meetings are held every other month a total of 5 regular meetings per year and the 6th is the annual November Leaders Banquet & Short Business Meeting. As part of the requirements of being a club leader, all 4-H Club Leaders are required to attend these meetings in order to share and distribute 4-H program updates from the 4-H program Resource Educator, Linda Gillilland. Club Leaders are to pass this information on to their club members in a timely fashion. Club Leaders can designate this responsibility to another adult volunteer/ parent/ guardian of their club members to attend in his/her place. 4-H Leaders Association meetings take place at the CCE 4-H building from 7:00p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Horse Committee meets from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Remaining Meetings for the 2015 Year: Wednesday May 20, 2015 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. horse committee meets from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday July 15, 2015 from 7:00 to 8:00 Wednesday September 16, 2015 from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday November 20, 2015 short business meeting to elect officers followed by Leader & Volunteer Banquet Each club needs to select a Choose Health Officer. The training for this position will be part of our yearly Officer Training. Choose Health Officer will highlight the Health H in your club by encouraging active roll calls, challenging your members to set and reach health activity goals and sharing health tips. They may also help your recreation leader with activities. We have Choose Health Officers and Leaders Guides to help you understand more about the role of the Choose Health Officer in you club. Let s make your next program year the healthiest one ever! Reminder: Choose Health support material is available to all clubs. Please plan to have your club participate in this new exciting program. Support material is available to all clubs participating in this healthy project area. Contact Mary for more information. 1

4 April is Take A Hike Month A hike is any walk of an hour or more - but doesn t hiking sound like way more fun than just walking? Hiking can get us out in the woods, up in the mountains, and lots of other places that wheels just can t go! Hiking strengthens muscles differently than other activities, especially if you carry food or water or if you find yourself hiking up hills! To plan a hike, or an hour, a day or even longer, consider these questions: Where will you go? Look at your library for hiking trails near you! How far will you hike? Start slow an hour on even ground for instance and gradually build endurance! What will you wear? Shoes with support, layered, comfortable clothing, hat, insect repellant What will you take? Water (about 1 pint per hour), high-energy snacks, first-aid kit, camera Take only pictures and leave only footprints! 4-H Club News Does your 4-H club have news to share? 4-H Club Secretaries or News Reporters should submit their club s report and photos by the 8 th of the month for it to be included in the following month s Town & Country. Send to office or via llg46@cornell.edu 4-H NEWS AND UPDATES! Teen Council April 10 th, 11 th, and 12 th will see two teens representing Essex County at STARR. This is an annual teen leadership conference held at the Fairgrounds in Syracuse. Cody Roy from Painted Dreams and Cameron Drake from Brookside Trotters will attending for their first leadership conference. Babysitter Basic Training- During the February break, 4-H Youth Development Intern, Erika Oliver, led a three-day babysitter conference for 15 youth from Ticonderoga, Crown Point, Willsboro, Port Henry, and Moriah. The 4-H ers were delighted to meet teens from two Girls Scout Troops. Everyone made new friends! The prospective babysitters learned child care, nutrition, safety, and business skill development. The final day of class saw the teens learning CPR and First Aid basics taught by Mary Breyette. 2

5 W.O.W. Mila Ducharme attended this year s Wonders of Washington trip with Saratoga and Washington Counties 4-H ers. Our trip was a little out of the ordinary. In Washington, we had a very adventurous trip! On our way to the national 4H center we stopped at the national zoo and seeing how there was a snow storm coming they closed down very shortly after we got there, however we did get to see some pandas and they were really neat! Next, we arrived at the 4H center and got to meet our tour guide for the rest of the week; his name was Zach! After that, we had many activities planned and got our schedules for the week. However, our schedules were quickly changed by the snow. Because 2-4 inches of snow is a lot of snow to them down there. So our plans were canceled and we didn't go anywhere until night when all the roads were cleared. The next day we got up, saw some monuments, did some activities, and learned a lot about the city. We did get to talk to some capital people and ask questions about farming issues and tried to get answers. At the end of our trip, we went to Toby's dinner theatre and got to watch the Adams Family play! I had never been to a dinner theatre so it was really quite an experience! Overall it was a great trip! I would recommend it to anyone who has a love for history and wants to know more about Washington, D.C.! Pine Car Derby - What an overwhelming success! This was a new event for 4-H and it was fast and furious. There were over 65 registered to race. In addition, we had over a hundred 4-Her s, friends and family in attendance. After the Cloverbuds finished their race event, the Cloverbuds enjoyed dinner and a movie, Cars. The Leaders, Volunteers and families provided a delicious Grand Prix Buffet. A huge Thank you goes to Tami Bushey and Tiffany Pinheiro who organized the all the different race combinations and heats. Thank you to Laura Benedict and Erika Oliver for setting up all the tech equipment for the 4-H ers to watch the movie on the Big Screen and for organizing the kitchen & buffet. Look for more upcoming information about racing 4-H made cars at the Fair this summer! Country Kids- All of our club members participated in the derby. We had a blast. We all agreed it was a lot of work getting our cars ready. We started with a block of wood. We carved it into the shape we wanted, sanded it, and painted it. Be on the lookout for them at the fair! (Submitted by Ethan Leibecksecretary) 3

6 Vaqueros- Matthew Severance hosted a Legos Day at the 4-H building in March. He was joined by Seth & Conor from Au Sable Echoes. The boys brought boxes of Legos and Mixels. The 4-Hers used their imaginations and created the most extraordinary inventions. The racetrack was still set up and the boys created Lego vehicles to compete against the Pine Cars. Pretty Cool! Haley has been working on halter training her beef herd. She has only had her starter herd since the winter and the cold weather has actually made her cows more enthusiastic in her training program. The cattle are Simmental crosses. Matthew has been captivated by his lamb crop 2 bouncing bundles of joy! He is raising Shetlands and Katahdins for his 4-H project. Swade continues to work on her music and performed at Crown Point s Family Arts night. She also completed the Babysitter Basics held in February. Chance attended his first meeting as teen rep for the Quality of Life Committee. Cole enjoyed the Pine Car Derby and can t wait to race again. Black Watch Farm Shooting Stars Everyone participated in the Pine Car Derby and had a blast. The BWFSS are looking forward to hosting an SPA day in conjunction with Moriah BOCES. The girls are working on their horse projects and can t wait for warmer weather to get out and ride outside. Painted Dreams and Brookside Trotters report that they are still taking group lessons this winter. The two clubs enjoy the use of an indoor arena up at Donna Sorrell s lesson barn in Champlain. Everyone has benefitted from the extra practice and everyone s skill level has increased. Coyote Ridge Riders - This club has been busy. The club members have been building, designing, and racing Pine wood Derby cars. They have also been ice fishing. Club volunteer and mom, Jackie Carniglia put the club members through their paces for Horse Bowl practice. Get, Set, Grow - Calling all 4-H clubs to host a station or a table during this open-to-the-public event on April 25 from 10 am to 2 pm at the 4-H CCE building. Show a garden skill or craft or host an outside game such as backyard bass fishing or croquet. Come join the fun! Horse Project: The Horse Committee is galloping off to host a fun-filled day at the Westport Fairgrounds. On June 6 starting at 9:00 am, all 4-H horse lovers are invited to an educational Out of the Chute! All clubs are asked to provide at least one speaker, clinic, or activity for mounted riders and unmounted events. Please plan to attend the planning meeting on March 18 at 6 pm to confirm what your club will bring to the rodeo. We are still in the planning stages but this is a rough draft of potential events. We have a few independent members and clubs that want to learn more about horses and the horse clubs invite you to attend. As an example of the day, 4-H ers would sign up for 2 morning and 2 afternoon sessions, lunch will be provided. The cost of the day is $5, RSVP is a must. However if you are bringing a horse, remember that all horse and rider combinations must be evaluated before riding. Moreen Roy has agreed to be the H/R coordinator again this year. In addition, it is understood if you are bringing a horse Coggins & Rabies is required, plan accordingly. This event will be open to all 4H members who are currently involved in the horse program and 4H members who are not currently involved in horse but would love to learn more. Contact Linda for more information or 4

7 MARK YOUR CALENDARS April: 2: Sheep & Goat 101 Night (with Miss Linda) at Ward Lumber at 5:30, register with Kim at Ward Lumber ext 120 or online event is free and open to public 4: Snow Date for Essex County Public Presentation Day 9: ACAP Westport 4H Eagles Club at 3:00pm 10-12: STARR, a leadership conference for 4-H teens in Syracuse 15: Public Presentation Make Up Day at 5:00pm 18: 4-H Shooting Sports Demonstration Day at the Willsboro Fish & Game Club limited class size contact office 22 to May 3: Spring paper clover days at Tractor Supply, Ticonderoga. Club support needed. 25: 4-H and MGV Get Set Grow Day from 10am to 2:00pm at the 4-H CCE building & lawn. Free & Open to Public. See flyer in this issue May: 2: Snow date for 4H Shooting Sports Demo Day 9: Bee-ginning Beekeepers Symposium Apis Mellifera in your local Flora RSVP to Linda llg46@cornell.edu or call CCE Essex Co Symposium to be held at Ben Wever Farm 444 Mountain View Dr. Willsboro, NY (for more information farmhouse / benweverfarm@aol.com) 9: Wild Edibles Identification, Preparation and Preservation Class at 4H Camp Overlook on May 9 th, from 9:00am -4:00pm. Price is $35 and includes printed materials and wild lunch. Group limited to 25. The historic uses of wild plants as medicinals will also be part of the class. Registration will be available online (soon) and by calling Pat or the CCE office : Westport ACAP Eagles 4-H 3:00 pm 15-17: Clinton Horse Camp at Clinton Co Fairgrounds 17: Willsboro Fish & Game Youth Derby 20: Horse Committee meets at 6 pm at CCE 20: Leaders Association meets at 7 pm at CCE 23: Farm /Ag Equipment Westport Fairgrounds, contact Scott Christian for more information 28: SWCD & 4H Annual Environmental Field Day open to all 5 th & 6 th graders in Essex County June: 1: All 4-H Animal Projects must be declared in office by 4pm, no late entries will be accepted! 6: Out of the Chute! Celebrate the Horse and the Folks who love them 19 & 20: 2015 Sheep & Goat Camp open to all 4-H members will be held at Westport Fairgrounds 30 - July 2: Career Ex and Focus for Teens at Cornell University July: 10: Beach Day for Cloverbuds and 4-H Juniors 15 : Horse Committee at 6:00 pm and Leaders Association at 7:00 pm 16: 4-H Seniors Teen Beach Day August: 7: 4-H Work Bee Day, join us at this annual event to spruce up the 4H building & Fairgrounds 11: 4H Static Exhibits arrive to be judged 12-16: Essex County Fair Week, fill out your club s Progress Summary and turn into office September: 16: Horse Committee meets at 6 pm & Leaders Association meets at 7:00 pm at CCE 30: Progress Summaries due in office before closing October: 1: New 4-H year begins! 3: 4H SWCD Ag Safety Day at CCE Westport November: 20: Leaders Association election of officers at 6:00 pm 20: Leaders and Volunteers Annual Appreciation Banquet at 6:15 pm at CCE 5

8 Get Set Grow! April 25, 2015 from 10:00 am- 2:00 pm at Cornell Cooperative Extension 3 Sisco St, Westport, NY Rain or Shine After our long winter s rest it s time to spring out of your nest Try something new! Join Essex County Master Gardener Volunteers and 4-H for a Fun-for-all Community Celebration of all things Garden Soil and Water Conservation District Conservation Plants available How to plant a tree Site selection right plant, right place Talk to Master Gardeners Small Space Gardens Container Gardens Ages & Stages of Gardeners Food Preservation Backyard Birding Invasive Pests and Plants in the Adirondacks Good Bug? Bad Bug? New 2015 Vegetable Varieties Attracting Pollinators Backyard Bass Fishing Season Extension Composting Bluebirds Recycling Pruning Tips Backyard Fruits Wild Edibles with Pat Banker Mulch your way to weed free gardening Chickens in your Garden Native Wildflowers Perennials vs. Annuals Pet Friendly Gardens Seed Starting Set up Pesticides, Herbicides, Insecticides Butterfly Gardens Create a child friendly garden Much, Much More! Contact Linda at for more information 6

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10 Please contact the CCE Essex County Office ( ) if you have any special needs LOCAL Sheep and Goats 101 Thursday, April 2 5:30 pm Ward Lumber 697 Glen Rd Jay Free Farmer Strategies for Working to Together Thursday, Apr 9 from 1 to 3 pm CCE Meeting Room Plattsburgh Thursday, Apr 9 7 to 9 pm Extension Learning Farm Classroom Friday, Apr 10 1 to 3 pm Farm Credit Burrville $5 Special Permit Training for Pesticide Handlers Friday Apr 10 from 9 to noon St. Augustine s Parish Center, Peru $30 Linda Gillilland will present: How much room do I need? How big of shelter do I need? What do I need for feed? How much does it cost? Register online at or contact Kim at (518) , x120 Many farmers are teaming up to provide multiple products for customers. Informal agreements and memorandum of agreement work for a while, but over time joint purchases of equipment and sharing income can lead to wanting more formal strategies. Also farmers may want to work together to market their products or deliver them. We have prepared a meeting to talk about setting up corporations, partnerships, and cooperatives. Roberta Severson of Cornell s Dyson School of Economics will be presenting the program and 3 famers will be on a panel to explain their experiences working together and the pro and cons of their particular system. Please contact CCE Essex ( ext. 0) or Clinton County ( ) to register for this program The NY State DEC adopted regulations requiring supervision by certified applicators to be on site and in voice contact with their trained pesticide handlers in order for the handlers to apply federally restricted pesticides. We will again hold training programs so that DEC can issue special permits to these non-certified applicators that work under the supervision of a private certified applicator. This special permit will enable trained workers to apply restricted-use pesticides to tree fruit for the 2015 season without direct, on-site supervision. For more information contact Anna Wallis or aew232@cornell.edu 8

11 Kidding Day at Asgaard Farm & Dairy Saturday, April 11 10:00am to 3:00pm Asgaard Farm & Dairy 74 Asgaard Way Au Sable Forks Boquet River Association Annual Meeting Monday, April 13 6:30 pm Hand House, Elizabethtown Adirondack Park Local Government Conference Wed Apr 15 & Thu Apr 16 Crowne Plaza Resort & Golf Club Lake Placid $73.75 Facing the Storm: Preparing for Increased Extreme Weather in Upstate Thu Apr 23 9:30am SUNY-Plattsburgh Pullorum Testing Friday, July 24 1:00pm to 4:00pm CCE Building porch Westport There will be lots of adorable baby goats running around maybe even a birth or two! Come see the animals, tour the property and learn about cheese making. Food and refreshments will be served. A great outing for the whole family! For more information, call or info@asgaardfarm.com. Brendon Quirion from the Adirondack Park Invasive Plant Program will be the featured speaker on invasive weeds in the Boquet Watershed. They have a great program to teach volunteers how to identify new infestations. They are looking for first responders to help find new infestations so they can be eradicated. There will also be refreshments and an annual report from BRASS. Please contact Laura Newmark if you plan to attend so we have enough food. Wednesday afternoon will feature the Adirondack Forum and a concurrent training track for zoning and planning board members. Later in the afternoon the Adirondack Park Smart Growth Implementation Grant Awards will be announced. Thursday s sessions on topics such as broadband, tourism strategies and heating with biomass will be complemented by updates on community projects happening within the Park. For those seeking expertise in planning and zoning issues, training workshops presented by the Department of State and other professions will offer valuable instruction, advice and training credits for local officials. Contact the APA: (518) & mention Local Government Conference or LocalGovernment@apa.ny.gov or check the APA website This will be a web based program followed up, with SUNY-Plattsburgh faculty/staff, WPTZ staff (Tom Messner and John Hickey), and a Burlington-based National Weather Service meteorologist. The event is designed to showcase the research of the University at Albany's Atmospheric Sciences Department on prospects for upstate severe weather and provide a forum for the emergency response community to discuss what they need to do to prepare for anticipated meteorological events. Contact michele.charbonneau@rockinst.suny.edu or (518) for more information Save the date!! 4-H and open classes. Date subject to change Webinars: REAP Round-Ups Training Webinars and applicant assistance on the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) REAP Round-Up #3 Project Finance (Guaranteed Loans) Thursday, April 2, :00 PM Eastern Time Dial In: Toll-Free (US & Canada): (888)

12 If you missed the last set of WIC-VF trainings but still would like to get qualified to accept WIC-VF checks this year, there is a new choice of evening (7:00pm) trainings coming up: Thursday, April 23 Tuesday, May 19 Wednesday, June 24 Register at REGIONAL Farm-to-Glass Incubator: Small Grains Thursday, April 2, 9:00am to 12:30pm Guggenheim Pavilion, Carey Institute for Global Good, Rensselaerville, NY. $20 includes lunch NY FarmNet hosts SafeTalk Trainings Tuesday, April 7 8:30am to noon and again 12:30 to 4 pm Friday, April 10 8:30am to noon and again 12:30 to 4 pm Doubletree Syracuse Get Your Food Business off the Ground and Growing - A Workshop for Food Entrepreneurs Wednesday, April 8 9:00am to 5:00pm Cornell Cooperative Extension Saratoga County New York Nut Growers Association Saturday, April 18 8:30am to 3:00pm Sullivan County CCE 64 Ferndale Loomis Road, Liberty Topics for prospective grain growers: the Cost of Value-Added Grain Production; Brewer & Distiller Supported Agriculture. Topic for Brewers, Distillers & Maltsters: the Craft Beverage Bill, NYSLA Licensing and Food Safety Modernization Act for Craft Beverage Producers; and, Brewer & Distiller Supported Agriculture Speakers include: Stephen Hadcock, CCE; Samuel Filler, NYS Empire State Development; Thomas Donohue, NYS Liquor Authority; Nicole Day, AgriForaging, Inc.; Ken Wortz, KyMar Farm Distillery. Partial funding for this workshop was provided by the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. Please call Rebecca Platel at or rplatel@careyinstitute.org There are only 25 people per session, so sign up early. This 3 hour workshop alerts one to warning signs indicating risk of suicide. The workshop emphasizes the importance of recognizing the signs, communicating with the person at risk and getting help or resources for the person at risk. Contact Racheal Bothwell rap29@cornell.edu for more information $65 Topics Getting Permission: Regulations and Licensing Get Approval: Making sure your food product is safe Get Ready: Taking your passion for food and making money Get Set: Outgrowing your Kitchen the next steps in processing Get Going: Bringing your Product to Market Get Down to Business To register call: Cornell Cooperative Extension Hear talks on hazelnut cultivars; pawpaw and persimmons trees; forest management to encourage high value nut trees and timber; farm management; and direct marketing of vegetables, herbs, and nuts. Nut trees will be distributed with a demonstration on how to plant bare root stock. The afternoon session will be held at Forestburgh, NY (about a half hour s drive from Liberty). Learn about the forest owner s plans to create an ecologicallyhealthy, family-livelihood forest portfolio. See our web site ( for a list of presenters, information about local accommodations, driving directions, and registration information. 10

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14 Colostrum Management Practices and Improving Calf Health By: Kimberley Morrill, PhD Regional Dairy Specialist Colostrum management and subsequent IgG absorption in newborn calves is tied to mortality, morbidity, growth rates, future milk production and culling rates. During the first hours after birth, the intestines of the newborn calf are replacing fetal type cells with adult-type enterocyte cells. These fetal type cells are able to transport macronutrients - specifically IgG across the intestine to the blood during the first hours of life - thus allowing the calf to achieve passive immune transfer from colostrum. Quality colostrum fed within the first hours of life provides the calf with sufficient amounts of nutrients, antibodies and maternal cells to jump start the immune system and provide passive immunity for the first days of life. Passive immunity can be both local (Ig bathing the gut lumen) or humoral (Ig absorbed from the gut into the blood). Feeding inadequate amounts of colostrum or delaying the feeding of colostrum not only puts the calf at a greater risk of failure of passive transfer (FPT), but also has negative metabolic implications Key management practices to maximize absorption of colostrum components & improve calf health and productivity Timing of colostrum collection: Colostrum should be harvested ASAP after calving; delaying colostrum collection after parturition (even 6 hours) has a negative impact on colostral IgG concentration and may increase bacterial content. Evaluate colostrum quality? Test Colostrum to determine if it is high quality. Green level on a colostrometer (above 50 mg IgG/mL) 21 %Brix on a refractometer. Visually Inspect colostrum. Make sure the colostrum being fed is clean and not contaminated. Discard poor quality or contaminated colostrum Do not feed colostrum that is: Contaminated with manure or foreign particles. Bloody or watery. From a sick cow and cows that are Johne s, or Leukosis positive. Feeding colostrum that is contaminated or from a sick cow can lead to sick and dead calves. Timing & quantity of first colostrum feeding Calves should receive their first feeding of high quality colostrum within 4 hours of birth. The longer you wait, the less IgG the calf is able to absorb. The less IgG the calf absorbs, the more susceptible the calf is to pathogens (scours, respiratory challenges ) Calves should receive a minimum of 10% of their bodyweight in colostrum within the first 4 hours 12

15 of life. Limiting the volume of colostrum calves receive within the first hours of life not only puts the calf at a greater risk of FPT but also limits the amount of calories the calf receive and has available for metabolism and thermogenesis. If nutrient intake is below maintenance requirements, it creates a situation that encourages failure of the immune system. Colostrum storage Feed colostrum within 1 hour after collection. Freeze or refrigerate colostrum within 1 hour after collection to reduce the risk of bacterial contamination and growth. Freeze colostrum in 1 gallon Ziploc bags for quicker freezing and thawing. Feed refrigerated colostrum within 3 days. Cleanliness of everything! During the first hours of life, bacteria and pathogens can be passed directly to the bloodstream. To prevent the transport of pathogens to the bloodstream we need to take preventative measures, both in the calving pen and with colostrum handling. Make sure the calf is born in a clean pen. Move the calf into a clean pen or hutch immediately after birth. Properly clean the teats prior to milking the dam. This is the first time in 6 weeks the cow has been milked and a lot of bacteria could be on the teats. Make sure all milking equipment is sanitized prior to milking. Make sure all buckets & bottles are clean. Evaluate your colostrum management program Passive transfer of IgG can be determined from blood collected from the calf after 24 h of age. Failure of passive transfer: serum total protein is < 5.0 (as measured on a refractometer - can be done calf side) IgG concentration is < 10 mg/ml (lab test) after 24 h of age. Simple changes in management practices can reduce the occurrences of FPT in calves. Reducing the rate of FPT will lead to increased productivity and profitability on dairy farms across the U.S. Please direct questions and comments to: Kimberley Morrill, PhD Cornell Cooperative Extension Cell: (603) Office: (315) kmm434@cornell.edu 13

16 APRIL GARDEN TIPS By Amy Ivy, Executive Director/Extension Educator, CCE Clinton County Soil Tests For Gardeners The key to success in growing any kind of plant is in the soil. Healthy soil makes for healthy plants, plain and simple. Adding organic matter is always a good idea, but today I want to focus on another aspect of soil quality, its nutrient content. I m not talking so much about ph here, although that is one factor. This time I m focusing on actual nutrients and minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, and the current hot topic for anyone in our region, phosphorus. The only way to know how much of any of these elements is in your soil is to have it tested. That also goes for determining the ph, soluble salt levels, and percent organic matter. For an accurate reading you really need to send your soil to a lab. Those home soil-testing kits are just not reliable enough and the probes sold for testing soil ph are also inaccurate. We can test your soil ph in our office using a Cornell test but for a full nutrient analysis, you need to use a lab. Why Test? For most home gardens, a complete nutrient test only needs to be done every few years. It s interesting to see where your soil levels are and to find out which nutrients are lacking and which you have in excess, if any. I especially like this complete test because it tells you the percent organic matter content of your soil. Don t be surprised if this number is lower than you expected. Home garden soil is usually only 4-6% organic matter, even after years of improvements. This number varies widely though, so you ll need a test to find out where you are. How To Take a Sample? Your test results will only be as accurate as the sample you send in, so take the time to do this properly. Take a small bucket and use a trowel or shovel to dig down 4-6 into your soil and take about a half cup from several spots around your garden area at this depth. Do not include surface soil in your sample. Mix all these scoops together in your bucket and then take 1-2 cups of this mixture for the sample you ll submit. Let your sample air dry before mailing it to the lab. If you have several garden plots with different conditions or treatments, test each one separately. Be sure that each sample submitted is made up of several smaller samples taken from the garden plot. You can call or the CCE office for a copy of the proper form to include with your sample, and we have the sample boxes the lab likes you to use, or you can download the form from this site: For home gardens, use form H which tests for 10 different nutrients and costs $12 for the basic test or $17 if you want soluble salts tested as well. If you want the abbreviated test for your lawn, use form T for turf. This will only test the ph and phosphorus level and costs $7. Nitrogen is not included in any of these tests, even in the standard tests used by commercial growers because it s level fluctuates widely, making and accurate reading nearly impossible. Once you get your test results back, contact your local Extension office for help in interpreting what the results say. If you would include the office on the form when you send in your sample, your results will be ed there as well as to your home. This makes it easier for us to help you with your results. Start Small! New gardeners often make the same mistake; I know I sure did. You start the season full of enthusiasm and end up planting far more than you can manage. By the end of the season you re asking yourself, what is so much fun about gardening anyway? This happens to vegetable gardeners, flower gardeners, and new homeowners with a big empty yard to fill. 14

17 If you re just getting started please take my advice and start small. It s much better to end the season wishing you had planted more than vowing to never plant again! You can always plant more next year but if your enthusiasm is ruined by an out of control garden, you may never try again. Temptations Seed catalogs are so enticing. I ve written lots of articles about how useful they can be when planning but they can also lead you astray. Force yourself to make a list of what you d like to order then wait a day and take another look at it to see if you can bring yourself to shorten it up. If you re a perennial flower gardener, nursery catalogs can be even more alluring. But the prices are higher so the subtotal of your order ought to sober you up before you place it. To stretch your garden budget you can start with just a few plants then fill in with annual seeds as you add a couple more plants each year. Weeds Another aspect to starting small is the layout of your garden. Keep in mind that bare ground equals weeds. Soil that is exposed to sun is a weed magnet. Rather than plant your vegetables in single rows with an aisle between consider grouping them into wide beds consisting of several smaller rows. This will give you fewer aisles to mulch and weed and will concentrate your efforts. You still need to give each plant room to fully grow but with some planning you can arrange them so their leaves just touch when grown. In this way the leaves form a canopy casting shade over the soil below which discourages weeds from sprouting. Ask any grower, farmer or gardener what their worst pest is and they ll almost all agree on weeds. My first garden looked so nice the first couple of weeks after I planted it but the weeds quickly took hold and towered over my beloved little plants. It got so I averted my gaze away from my garden as I approached the garage. My garden made me feel guilty not glad. The smaller your garden plot, the fewer places there are for weeds to take over. If you can bear to scale down your dreams for the coming season and really be able to care for your garden, you ll find the whole experience to be a pleasure rather than a chore. April Ups and Downs April is notorious to North Country gardeners for its roller-coaster weather. It s not unusual for us to experience a short spell of glorious spring weather, only to be followed by a cold snap and even snow. It can be a frustrating time for gardeners eager to get the growing season started, only to see their early attempts fail. Try to be realistic and pay attention to which plants can take a bit of cold and which can t. Pansies, petunias, parsley, spinach and peas are some that can easily take a light frost. Marigolds, zinnias, begonias, basil, tomatoes, squash and beans are some that cannot. In general, seeds need warmer temperatures to germinate, but once sprouted they can tolerate cooler temperatures. Pansies, petunias, begonias and geraniums take many weeks to bloom so all of these should be set out as transplants into your garden or containers, rather than trying to start them from seed. You may or may not find it worth the effort to start lettuce and spinach indoors. Often you can t really see the difference between transplants and direct sown (planted by seed directly into the grown) after a few weeks of growth. I always encourage gardeners to keep notes on when they planted which variety each year. This is the very best way to learn which varieties, planting methods, spacing, and quantity work best for you. But when it comes to figuring out the best time to plant outside, your notes may do little more than provide some entertainment! We have had so many ups and downs these past years, the only pattern I can discern is that there isn t one! Each year it s a gamble as to how early you can set out your plants or seeds. 15

18 In general, I d say gardeners in the Champlain Valley are pretty safe planting cool season plants the first week of May, and waiting until after May 20 to June 1 to plant the warm season plants. It s fun to push the season a bit and set out or sow some of your crops a little earlier than that, but save some seeds for replanting just in case your first attempts fail. New Plants If you ordered plants through the mail it s tricky to decide when to plant them outdoors. You don t want to hold them indoors any longer than necessary but you also don t want to plant them outdoors too soon! I usually recommend that you tell the supplier to wait until May 1 to ship trees, perennial flowers and berry plants. Since they arrive dormant you can usually plant them in early May which gives them a few days in the ground to acclimate and develop some roots before pushing out tender leaves. But most years we get calls from people in April whose plants arrived early. Oh where is my crystal ball when I need it? If only I knew for sure what the weather was going to do. Anything can happen so you need to be prepared to protect your new plants. Always open the box on arrival and check the condition of the plants. If they are still completely dormant with no sign of leaves you can loosen any plastic wrapping to let them breathe a little and store them in your refrigerator for a week or so until a better planting time. Check them every few days for rot or sprouting. If they ve begun to leaf out or are already in pots, unpack them and treat them like houseplants but keep them in a cool location. You can set bare root trees and shrubs upright in buckets in your garage but don t leave them standing in water. You need to keep the roots damp so cover them with moist, shredded newspaper but don t submerge them in water for more than a few hours. INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE Heirloom Vegetable Production, Heritage Livestock Internship in Champlain Valley, NY 1-2 livestock interns will be involved with the care and maintenance of heritage sheep, layers, broilers and pigs as well as non-heritage cattle. Tasks include: creating new grazing paddocks on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis, rotating the animals and fencing; caring for, monitoring, feeding, and watering all animals; egg production, and making hay. Vegetable interns will be involved in all facets of mostlyheirloom vegetable production in greenhouse and field from seed to storage: soil sampling & testing; starting and transplanting seeds, cultivating, weeding, irrigating, etc. Interest in organic/sustainable practices a must for vegetable interns. Experience with farming tools and equipment preferred for both internships but not required. Group housing is available for all interns and hourly compensation is commensurate with experience. Hours may be long and vary depending on weather and seasonality. Please your resume and cover letter to tristan@rhfgroup.com... 16

19 Sunday 5 12 STARR 4-H APRIL 2015 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday :30 Sheep & Goat 101 Ward Lumber, Jay :00 Farmer Strategies Platts. 3:00 Westport 4-H Eagles Club 10 STARR 4-H 9 to noon Special Permit Training Pesticides - Peru 13 BRASS Annual Meeting 6:30 Hand House Etown Adk Park Local Gov. Lake Placid 5:00pm Public Presentation Make Up Day 16 Adk Park Local Gov. Lake Placid Spring Paper Clover Days start Tractor Supply Ticonderoga (ends May 3) 23 9:30 Extreme Weather Program SUNY Plattsburgh More details on meetings in 4-H section and Events & Happenings Saturday 4 Public Present. Snow Date 11 STARR 4-H Kidding Day at Asgaard Farm 10 to 3 Au Sable 18 4-H Shooting Sports Day Willsboro 25 4-H & MGV Get Set Grow Day 10 to 2 17

20 Published monthly by the Cooperative Extension Association of Essex County Cooperative Extension Center Westport, NY Judy French, Editor Laurie Davis, Layout The information given is for educational purposes only. Reference to commercial products or trade names is made with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Cooperative Extension Association is implied. All Cooperative Extension programs in Essex County are provided on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to race, color, sex or national origin and provide equal program and employment opportunities. OFF TO THE RACES! 4-H kids had a roaring good time at the Pine Car Derby 0