January 2015 RUTHERFORD COUNTY EXTENSION NEWS

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1 January 2015 ARE YOUR WEEDS OUT OF CONTROL? We can help! Lawn & Landscape Weed Control March 5, pm Weeds are probably the most common pest of home lawns and landscapes. They compete with desirable plants for space, water and nutrients and detract from the overall appearance of the landscape. This session will introduce you to various options available for reducing populations of these unwanted invaders. There s no charge to attend, but we do ask that you give us a call at and let us know you re coming or mmote1@utk.edu. If you forget to call and still want to attend, be like a weed and just show up anyway! Start the new year out right! Financial Wellness Fair Learn which habits are making your bank account sick and which new ones can lead to better financial health in 2015! This FREE event will be held Saturday, February Lane Agri-Park Community Center Building Meet with our vendors, attend educational sessions, there will be lots of topics to help you learn new money attitudes, how to eat well while spending less and much more. QUILT TOP IN A DAY WORKSHOP 2 DAYS! February 21 & 28th $35 per person Starts at 8:00am You & a partner will each make the 24 square Log Cabin in seven colors of your choice! This pattern gives you many options to layout for different looks. One partner makes their quilt the first weekend, the second person makes their quilt the next time! Registration is required! Class size is limited to the first 24 people who sign up. No prior quilting experience required. Call for more information or for registration information. All events will be held at Rutherford County Extension/Lane Agri-Park 315 John R. Rice Blvd. Murfreesboro TN unless otherwise noted. PH: Visit our website for more information TO REGISTER FOR EVENTS AND CLASSES CALL unless otherwise noted

2 January 2015, Page 2 Hands-on DIY Calibration Clinic for Spreaders and Sprayers Take the guess work out of how much product to use! Feel free to bring your own spreader to calibrate! Saturday, March 14, 2015, 8:30 11:30 a.m. Livestock Barn (located between Lane Agri-Park office bldg. and Community Center bldg.) Take the guesswork out of using sprayers and spreaders! Know how much product you re applying to the lawn! Using the correct amount of any fertilizer or pesticide product is critical for achieving the desired results and not damaging desirable plants and insects or their surroundings. No charge for the clinic, but please call the office at or mmote1@utk.edu by March 12 to register so a sufficient quantity of handouts can be prepared. Extension offices will be closed Monday, Jan 19th in observance of MLKing Day Attention Row Crop Producers! Learning more about Agricultural Risk Coverage (ARC) and Price Loss Coverage (PLC) is extremely important for row crop producers who must make a one-time decision about base and yield updates by February 27, 2015 as well as ARC or PLC election by March 31, To help producers obtain information needed to help them make decisions, UT Extension will host a Farm Bill meeting for area producers on Monday, January 26, 2015 at the Woodbury Lion's Club building located at 614 Lehman Street, at the corner of Lehman and Adams Street in Woodbury. Topics specific to row crop production in TN will include: Price Loss Coverage Supplemental Coverage Option (SCO) FSA Online Decision Aids Base Acre Reallocation Yield Updates and Agricultural Risk Coverage. UT Extension Ag Econ specialists and USDA-FSA representatives will present the information. This session will begin at 10:00 a.m. and lunch will be provided. The meeting is free and open to all, but you must register in advance as space is limited. Please contact the Rutherford County Extension office at or Mitchell Mote at mmotel@utk.edu by Thursday, January 22 to register and insure adequate food is prepared for lunch.

3 January 2015, Page 3 Backyard Fruit Production Classes offered! February 3rd and February 10th 6:00 PM Classes are FREE but please register Many people set out various fruit plants in their home gardens and landscapes in hopes of enjoying the fruits of their fruit growing labor. Some of them are disappointed when all they harvest are shriveled peaches infected with brown rot or blueberries infested with fruit flies. Well Shoot! If you ve had more bad luck than good with backyard fruit, our two night, basic back yard fruit production class may give you the knowledge you need to harvest an apple without too many worms in it. This FREE class is set for Tuesday night Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. each evening in the Livestock Building at Lane Agri-Park. Lane Agri-Park is located at 315 John R. Rice Blvd in Murfreesboro. The Livestock Building is the second of three buildings located on the property. The class will cover the basics of growing common backyard fruits to include blueberries, blackberries, grapes, strawberries, peaches and apples. For planning purposes, please register for the class by calling the Extension office at or ing Mitchell Mote at mmote1@utk.edu by Wednesday, Jan. 28. You can phone the Extension office from 7:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mon-Fri. Please provide your phone number and address when you register. The Livestock Building is heated, but as is common in many buildings with large open spaces, some people feel cool, so be prepared.

4 January 2015, Page 4 Some of our winning 4-H students! Who s Afraid of Public Speaking? Not our 37 4-H members, who recently participated in the Rutherford County 4-H County level Public Speaking Contest. The top two in each of grades 4-8 are eligible to compete in the Sub-regional contest and the winners in grades 9-12 in the Central Region contest, both in February. Placing as the top two in each grade are: 4 th grade Jabeen Zehra and Jackson Maguire 5 th grade Tate Warren and Keydon Bassham 6 th grade Haylee Ferguson and Julie Bush 7 th grade Jason Benson; 8 th grade Shelby Summar and LauraBeth Morgan Placing first in the senior division: 9 th grade Jessika Benson 10 th grade Mia Melendez 11 th grade Ava Anderson 12 th grade Samantha Newman We want to congratulate all these young people for having the courage to give a speech in front of their peers and adults. Saturday March 14 Breakfast 8-10am Marketplace 8-12 Community Center Join us for a great breakfast & chance to shop local vendors for super bargains. Please Support 4-H in Rutherford County!! Michael Shirley leading 2014 Animal Science students ATTENTION: Students 7th 9th grade who are considering Animal Science or Pre-Vet pathways in high school. March 30 April 2 9am 3:30 pm Cost $75.00 Hands on activities field trips and more. For more information contact mshirle1@utk.edu

5 January 2015, Page 5 Extension Agent Michael Shirley competes for Excellence in Agriculture award. Congratulations to 4-H Extension Agent, Michael Shirley and his wife, Amy who were runners up in the Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture competition held in San Diego California. They received a CASE IH tractor and STIHL chainsaw as part of their prize. Michael & Amy Shirley receiving award It s great to see a deserving couple put what they learn and teach at Extension into practical use! Master Gardeners of Rutherford County win TN Search for Excellence The Demonstration Gardens at Lane Agri-Park have been chosen as the winning project for the SEARCH FOR EXCELLENCE award presented by Tennessee Master Gardeners Advocacy Board/ University of Tennessee. The demonstration gardens have been constructed and maintained by Master Gardeners of Rutherford County under the watchful eye of Extension Agent Janie Becker and other Extension staff. Each year, since 2010, a new feature has been added to demonstrate what a typical homeowner can do on their own property. This area is used as a hand-on teaching experience as well as a place of beauty to be enjoyed by visitors to our facilities. Current projects on display include: butterfly garden, herb garden, vegetable gardens, Irrigation methods, rain barrels. composting, vineyard, orchard, rain gardens, and mushroom garden. Recent additions of a garden shed, pergola, and pathways will allow for expanded accessibility and out door teaching opportunities. Programs in agriculture and natural resources, 4-H youth development, family and consumer sciences, and resource development. University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, U. S. Department of Agriculture and county governments cooperating. UT Extension provides equal opportunities in programs and employment Rutherford County Extension News is published monthly and distributed by . Questions and /or comments may be directed to Linda Lindquist, Administrative Assistant: llindqu1@utk.edu

6 JANUARY 2015, Page 4 Cultural Arts & Games Day Sponsored by Rutherford County fce Clubs February 12 10am noon Community Center The best remedy for cabin fever is to learn something new and meet new friends. Do both at the fce arts & games day! Learn a new skill or just relax playing games. Come alone or bring a friend! Beginning Crochet with Sarah Zapotocky No charge but bring your own supplies (list will be provided). Class size limited Pre-register! * Games, Games, Games with Pam Sites & Friends. Chicken Foot, Board Games of various sorts. No class size limit Calligraphy intro on the art of beautiful writing which can be used for cards and special occasions. $10.00 includes kit. Pay at door / Pre-register! Pre-register by Monday, Feb Welcome new staff members! Carla Youree Bush joins our staff as our new Family Consumer Science agent. (FCS). She transferred to Rutherford from Cannon County Extension. cybush@utk.edu Nadean Poteete is our new friendly face in the Administrative Assistant group of the front office. Alyssa Summar is the newest Program Assistant - helping our Extension agents serve the community with outstanding programs and events. Rutherford County Beekeepers Association Announces the 2015 Basic Beginners Beekeeping Course March 19-21, 2015 $30 for RC Beekeepers Members / $40 for non-members Registration due by March 2 Make checks payable to RCBA c/o Keith Elrod Newtown Rd. Unionville, TN For more information contact rutherford.beeclub@gmail.com Class will be held at Lane Agri-Park