Juab County Extension - Juab County Extension News

Farm Transition Planning Workshop

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

Utah State University Extension is co-sponsoring a four-day workshop titled “Estate and Farm Transition Planning” Feb. 17, 18 and March 14 and 15 at the Hampton Inn and Suites, Salt Lake City Airport, 307 N. Admiral Byrd Road.

Workshops are intended for owners, operators and successors of farming and ranching operations who are planning to transition their operation to successors. Attendees will develop a business succession plan over the four-day workshop. Instructors are faculty of USU Extension, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, the Beginning Farmer Center at Iowa State University, as well as local attorneys and mediators.

Workshop topics include retirement planning, communication building, exploring motivations, resolving family conflicts, identifying priorities, goal setting, estate planning and multiple generation strategic business planning.

Additional information and registration forms are available at http://apecextension.usu.edu/htm/farmtransitionworkshop

Please contact Kynda Curtis, Department of Applied Economics, kynda.curtis@usu.edu for further information.

Feb. Gardening Tips, Watering houseplants

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

February Gardening Tip

This time of year if you ask a gardener for a definition of a truly lonely person, you’ll hear something like, “Someone who doesn’t receive seed catalogs in the mail,” says Steve Petersen, Master Gardener. One certain sign of the coming of the New Year is the arrival of the garden catalogs. The photographs and descriptions stimulate even the sourest imaginations to think spring.

Avid gardeners don’t usually consider gardening information to be “junk mail,” although much of it is distributed through bulk mail. Catalogs provide the gardening fix for those who have no greenhouse. Descriptions of plants and seeds of all kinds fill the colorful pages.

Competition is fierce among advertisers, but becoming a mail-order junkie really is not necessary. Local nurseries are well supplied with garden materials. They offer the advantage of local information about plants that do/don’t grow well here.

A wise person looks at all of their choices before making a final decision. With so many different varieties available, how do you choose? A good place to start is with the All American Selections winners. This logo assures that their product has been tested and judged by a network of independent experts who have determined this variety’s garden performance to be superior across a wide range of conditions.

Watering Houseplants

Most of us don’t want to assume responsibility for the neglected houseplants that timidly decorate our indoor living spaces. After all, who hasn’t received a houseplant as a gift from that distant acquaintance who didn’t realize that you had killed the previous three plants before this one? Now you are stuck with another living thing under your care and supervision. The dust accumulating on the leaves haunts you every time you pass by, reminding you of how inconsiderate and irresponsible you really are. To make yourself feel better, you water the plant a little bit extra. There, now you are a caring and generous person again…right?

Regardless of where the houseplant came from, or the motivation behind your plant care, here is some advice from Jay Dee Gunnell, USU Horticulturalist, to make those houseplants more of a pleasure and not so much of a pain. Over-watering is probably the number one killer of houseplants. There is no general watering schedule that can be recommended for all houseplants. Light, temperature, humidity and size of container all play a role in how fast the potting media dries out. Gauge the soil moisture by color and feel. If the media is light-colored, cracked and pulled away from the pot, the soil is too dry and roots may be damaged. If the media is dark and slimy, it is obviously too wet and root-rotting organisms may become problematic. Fungus gnats also may become problematic if houseplants are over-watered. The best technique to use in monitoring when to water is by probing a few inches deep into the potting media using your index finger. When watering, soak the entire profile of the pot, or until water comes out the drainage hole of the container. After an hour or so, remove and discard the collected water. Generally, flowering plants will need more water than foliage plants. Those plants more exposed to sunlight or closer to heater vents may also dry out more quickly.

Tap and/or well water are usually satisfactory for watering houseplants. The levels of chlorine and fluorine added to culinary water will typically not harm plants. Water that is run through a water softener, however, is not recommended for continuous watering of houseplants.

Strengthening Marriages & VITA insert

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

I Still Do Challenge

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

“I Still Do” Challenge

Utah State University Extension and the Commission on Marriage are committed to continue providing marriage education and relationship strengthening services as part of the Utah Healthy Marriage Initiative. The mission of this initiative is to help Utahans gain greater access to marriage education services where they can acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to form and sustain a healthy marriage relationship.

Governor Gary Herbert has declared February 7-14, 2011 as ‘Utah Marriage Week’. In celebration of this event, USU Extension in Juab County is promoting ‘Healthy Marriage/Relationships’ with the following local activities:

Second annual “I Still Do” Challenge. Beginning February 1^st, come to the Extension Office for your free Marriage Handbook and pick up your “I Still Do” Activity Card: “This marriage activity is designed to help couples have fun spending time together and nurture their relationship. Once you have completed 10 activities or more (including a 1 page ‘So What’ paper), and filled out the survey, you will receive a participation incentive ($25/couple).” Participants must be 18 years and over. Quantities are limited.

‘Healthy Dating and Relationship’ Contest at Juab High School through February. Student Body Officers will provide ‘Dating and Relationship’ education with supplemental curriculum to the student body each day, via ‘Tip of the Day’ and ‘Do’s and Don’ts’, through announcements and other activities. Students may participate in the ‘Healthy Relationship’ contest and submit a one-page essay or 3-5 minute video describing a relationship ‘positive behavior’ they demonstrate during the contest and why it is important. SBOs will select 20 essays and videos from those submitted, and award $20 cash incentives. Participation in Healthy Relationship activities during the month of February will increase an individual’s chance to receive this award.

Healthy marriages and healthy families create healthy communities—something we all want. TheUtah Marriage Handbook is designed to share helpful information and provide important keys, tips and activities to achieve a successful marriage/relationship. Try out some of the tips in the weeks, months and years ahead.

The following is one example of an activity from the Utah Marriage Handbook:

Managing Money: All marriages include the management of issues and tasks. One issue that all couples deal with is how to handle money. An important place to start is talking to each other about your values for spending.

What’s important to you? Why do you spend your money the way you do? If ten people were given a $100 bill, they would most likely spend it in entirely different ways. Why? Because people are different and value different things. The deep-rooted beliefs you have about what is desirable and good are known as “values.” Values grow from personal experiences. You have made—and will continue to make—choices based on your values. Values are not necessarily right or wrong; they express what is most important to you.

Families set goals based on their values. A major reason why many couples argue about money often involves differing values and goals between partners.

Read over the list below. Put a 1 beside the things that are most important to you. Put a 2 by the things you consider somewhat important and a 3 by things that are not important to you. After you’ve completed the list, ask your partner to do the same. Compare your answers and compromise to reach common ground so that both partners feel satisfied with your new goals and attitudes towards shared money.

· religion

· education

· vacation

· saving money

· our own business

· jewelry

· family

· health

· cultural events

· sports

· job success

· food

· insurance

· lots of money

· friends

· new car

· pay off debts

· clothes

· entertainment

· boat

· other

Check out more great resources at extension.usu.edu, healthymarriageinfo.org, smartmarriages.com, and strongermarriage.org.

Making positive and sustainable impacts on current and future marriages is more likely to occur when the community is actively engaged. Please join USU Extension, the Utah Marriage Initiative, and Governor Gary Herbert as we work together in strengthening marriages and promoting healthy relationships in Juab County.

The Juab Family Life Council Needs You!

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

The Juab Family Life Council (JFLC) is looking for residents from the county to serve as board representatives. JFLC is an important group of volunteers that play a key role in cooperation with Utah State University Extension in determining educational programs to be offered to local residents. JFLC members plan, implement, and evaluate these programs for the benefit of the county as a whole.

Each council representative is asked to attend two meetings each year (September and February), and bring program suggestions to the table for discussion. JFLC representatives are also asked to distribute Extension program flyers and post them around their communities (Jan.-April and Sept.-Nov.).

If you are interested and would like more information about the JFLC council, please call 623-3450, or better yet come to the JFLC meeting today, (Feb. 1^st) at 1:30 pm in the USU Extension Office in the Juab County Courthouse, 160 North Main, Nephi.

Training Tidbits - January Edition

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

VITA Tax Preparation

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 MST

FREE TAX PREPARATION IN NEPHI

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 MST

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) is offering free tax preparation services for low-to-moderate-income individuals at the Juab County Extension Office, 160 N. Main in Nephi. Appointments are available on Tuesdays in February and March from 1:30-5 p.m. This service is provided free of charge through trained volunteers and Utah State University Extension.

To find out if you qualify, and to make an appointment, call the USU Extension Office at 623-3450. Remember to bring all necessary tax forms and information requested. When coming to your tax preparation appointment, please make other arrangements for your children.

PESTICIDE TRAINING

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 MST

On Thursday, January 26, in cooperation with the Farm Bureau, Utah State University Extension will be sponsoring a pesticide workshop for anyone interested. The meeting will be held at the Juab County Cultural Hall from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Farm Bureau Safety specialist A. J. Ferguson, will be the presenter. The meeting will cover the following three areas: label is the law, pesticide record keeping systems, and pesticide safety. All producers that currently have a Utah Pesticide license will receive CEU credits for attending. We would encourage all of you to attend and learn more about pesticide management.

Various Ag Workshops

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 MST

Various Ag Workshops

Pesticide Training

On Thursday, January 26, in cooperation with the Farm Bureau, we will be sponsoring a pesticide workshop for anyone interested. The meeting will be held at the Juab County Cultural Hall from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm.

Sheep and Goat Education Day

Saturday, February 4th, will be the date for the Utah Sheep and Goat Education Day, sponsored by the Utah Wool Growers and Utah State University Extension. It will be held in St. George. The workshop will be from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm and will cost $25. Topics that will be covered include animal health, applied nutrition, goat marketing, and fiber marketing.

Farm Estate Planning

On Thursday, February 16, in cooperation with Snow College, we will be sponsoring a Farm Estate Planning workshop for anyone interested. The workshop will be held at the Juab County Community Center Cultural Hall starting at 7:00 pm. Jay Olsen, Snow College Farm/Ranch Management Instructor, will be the presenter. Jay will cover items relating to basic estate planning, working with family members in estate planning, and ideas for farm inheritance. Jay is very knowledgeable in Ag business management. We encourage all producers, spouses, and older family youth to attend.

QuickBooks Training

A beginning QuickBooks Training Class will be held in Nephi. Learn QuickBooks Pro 2010/11 hands-on using your accounts and numbers. The course is only $96 (may be reduced to $48 through Custom Fit Training program). Five classes will be held on Thursdays, 6 pm beginning February 23. Seating is limited and registration deadline is February 17. Call 435-283-7376 or visit www.SnowCollegeBusiness.com to register.

Utah Weed Conference

On February 28 & 29, the Utah Weed Association will be holding their annual conference at the Riverwoods Conference Center in Logan.

It will cover a wide range of topics including noxious weed control, crop weed control, invasive weed management efforts, and what’s new in the industry.

All producers that currently have a Utah Pesticide License will receive CEU credits for attending. The conference will start at 9:00 am on the 28th and go to 4:30 pm on the 29th. The registration fee is $65. To register for the conference go to www.utahweed.org.

Utah Beef Cattle Field Day

“Getting the Most from Pastures.” The 32^nd Annual Utah Beef Cattle Field Day will be Held February 14^th, 2012 at the BYU Harmon Conference Center, 770 East University Parkway, Provo, from 8:00 am to 3:45 pm. Topics to be covered include: getting the most out of your pastures, setting up management intensive grazing (MiG) cells on pastures, American Grazing Lands Services, and Cattle Industry Trade Show. Registration is $20.00.

Water Users’ Workshop

St. George will be host site for the 2012 Utah Water Users’ Workshop on March 12-14. The conference will cover a wide range of topics including water quality standards, water rights, legislative update, canal safety, groundwater trends, and Utah water outlook. For more information go to http://extension.usu.edu/uwuw.