The Link

9/3/2009
FRANKLIN COUNTY ISU EXT OFC

FRANKLIN EXTENSION PACKET

EXTENSION FAMILY FILES by Beverly Peters, Franklin County Extension Education Director

Some Words are Better Left Unsaid

Have you ever made a remark about someone that you thought was in confidence, only to discover to your embarrassment that it had gotten back to that person? Are you, or do you know who has a reputation of being, a "loose cannon?" Often he says what many people have been thinking, but his refusal to consider "Is this the right time and place to say this?" - reveals colossal bad judgment.

Our words do have an impact on other people. Whenever we talk, we run the risk of saying too much about ourselves, possibly hurting someone else, or having information misunderstood.

Listening is our best defense. For those of us who have a tendency to talk carelessly, our best defense is to become a better listener. Because we live in a society where we're encouraged to talk freely and say what's on our mind, managing and monitoring our words does not come naturally.

Do you want to be quoted? In the give-and-take conversation with our friends and colleagues at work, we often say things we would not care to be quoted on. If your words could be misinterpreted when they are taken out of context, think twice before you say them. The old saying "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is absolutely incorrect? Words can come back to haunt you! And you can never take them back.

Don't say what you don't want to say. If it's clear that you know more than you're saying, the other person will try to get you to talk. Some people are adept at pumping us for confidential information and sometimes we're tempted to share it because it makes us seem as if we are in the know. An open-ended question like "Tell me what's happening with _______" is often a prompt to encourage people to begin talking.

Sometimes the stakes - for not learning how to edit our words - can be high, especially at the workplace. It is important for people we work with to know that we can be discrete, that we have good judgment, and are trustworthy.

-0-

Harriman-Nielsen Fall Festival: A Family Event

Family members will find an afternoon of entertainment at the old fashioned fall festival Sunday, October 4, (October 11, rain date) at the Harriman-Nielsen farm restoration site on the west edge of Hampton. From 2-5 pm activities will include wagon rides around the property, and contests for the biggest pumpkin, tallest corn stalk, pumpkin carving, and fall indoor or outdoor arrangements/decorations. Several 4-H clubs will have old fashioned carnival games with prizes for children.

The Harriman Nielsen home will be open for a walk-through tour and will feature the renovation of the bay window. A market featuring items from the farm's garden will be for sale and will include bean soup in a jar, pumpkins, watermelons, gourds, squash, Indian corn, and gourds. Friends of Harriman-Nielsen will hold a flea market and bake sale on the grounds as well.

There will be old fashioned farming demonstrations of corn picking, corn shelling and grinding, and cider pressing.

A homemade bean soup supper will be featured, prepared with beans from the garden. Brats, hotdogs, and beverages will also be available. Free watermelon slices will be served. The Harriman-Nielsen Board is asking for homemade fruit pies to be donated. These pies will be sliced up and available for purchase.

A small fee will be charged for the carnival activities, the supper, and garden produce. All proceeds from the event go toward the continued restoration of the farm site. Families should bring their own lawn chairs to sit and enjoy the afternoon at the farm.

For more information, contact any of the following board members: Berry Johnson, John Lyman, Lowell Lange, Debbie Kalousek, Doreen Petersen, Jim Jorgenson, Mary Marquard, Jackie Dohlman, or Sally Van Wert.

Prepared by: Jackie Dohlman 641-456-4811

-0-

What's Up in the Garden, by Jackie Dohlman, Franklin County Master Gardener

Tips on Powdery Mildew on Lilacs, Controlling Magnolia Scale, and Drying Cockscomb

The leaves on my lilac are covered with a white substance. Is this a serious problem?

The white substance is likely powdery mildew. Powdery mildew is a fungal disease. It appears as a white, dusty growth on plant foliage. Many plants can get powdery mildew. However, it is especially common on lilac, phlox, zinnia and turfgrass.

Powdery mildew is favored by high humidity, cool nights and warm days. Plants growing in partial to heavy shade are most susceptible to powdery mildew.

Powdery mildew does not cause serious harm to lilacs. The damage is mainly aesthetic. Spraying with a fungicide is usually not recommended. When planting lilacs, select a site that receives partial to full sun. To bloom well, lilacs need at least six hours of direct sun each day. Also, powdery mildew will not be a serious problem in sunny areas.

My magnolia is infested with magnolia scale. What are my control options?

Magnolia scale is the largest scale insect in Iowa. Sap feeding by the scales causes stress to heavily infested plants and can result in stunted growth, yellowish foliage, branch dieback or death of the plant. Magnolia scales produce large quantities of honeydew (sugary excretion) that accumulate on the tree's leaves and twigs. Sooty mold, a black fungus that grows on honeydew, turns the honeydew-covered leaves and twigs black.

To control magnolia scale, remove and destroy heavily-infested branches. Treat with a contact insecticide (horticultural oil, insecticidal soap, other ornamental synthetic insecticide) or a systemic insecticide (imidacloprid) in late August or early September. Dormant horticultural oil also can be used in late fall or early spring.

How do I preserve cockscomb?

Air-drying is the best way to preserve cockscomb. After harvesting cockscomb, strip the foliage from the stems. Tie the stems into small bunches with rubber bands. Hang the loose bunches upside down in a warm, dark, dry, well-ventilated place, such as an attic or shed. (Harvested flowers are usually hung to dry so that the stems dry straight.) Dry the plant materials thoroughly. Two to four weeks is usually sufficient.

Got gardening questions? Contact the Hortline at (515) 294-3108 (Monday - Friday; 10 a.m. -12 noon and 1 - 4:30 p.m.) or send an e-mail to hortline@iastate.edu. For more gardening information visit us at Yard and Garden Online at www.yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu

This article appeared in the "Ask the Experts". Contacts are: Richard Jauron, Horticulture, (515) 294-1871, rjauron@iastate.edu Del Marks, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-9807, delmarks@iastate.edu The news release was transmitted to the Iowa State University Extension news Web site.

-0-

Money Talk: A Financial Guide for Women on Web and by Mail

AMES, Iowa -- Women often have unique financial needs, according to Pat Swanson, Iowa State University Extension family resource management specialist. "Eighty-five percent of women will be on their own financially at some time. Some never marry, some marry later in life, some divorce and some outlive their husbands. And of the elderly poor in America, more than 70 percent are women," Swanson says.

To help women address those needs Iowa State University Extension offers the Money Talk: A Financial Guide for Women program on the Internet or by mail. The next opportunity to participate is in a series of programs scheduled Oct. 5 through Nov. 6. Swanson and Cynthia Needles Fletcher, also an ISU Extension state specialist, will conduct the Web-based or by-mail course on Money Talk.

"You will learn smart money management skills and work through action steps to become a more informed manager of your money," Swanson says. The goal of the course is to educate and empower women to take control of their financial lives.

The modules will cover financial basics, insurance, investing, retirement planning and planning for life events. ISU Extension education programs do not promote any product or company. The course includes the 190-page Money Talk: A Financial Guide for Women workbook.

For either the Web-based or by-mail course you can go online (www.extension.iastate.edu/store) to register using a credit card or send a check for $75 payable to Iowa State University, along with your name, address and e-mail address, to the ISU Extension Distribution Center (515-294-5247) at 119 Printing and Publications Building, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011. Registration deadline is Oct. 1. A registration brochure with more information is available at www.extension.iastate.edu/finances/personal/Money+Talk.htm.

Contacts: Pat Swanson, Human Development and Family Studies, (515) 294-2731, pswanson@iastate.edu; Del Marks, Extension Communications and External Relations, (515) 294-9807, delmarks@iastate.edu

-0-

Hall Finds New Ways to Do ISU Extension Work in Region 3

MASON CITY, Iowa - Gary Hall is finding new ways to do Iowa State University Extension work in north central Iowa. He's the director for ISU Extension's new Region 3, covering Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Franklin, Mitchell and Worth counties.

His goal is to keep ISU Extension viable and relevant as the organization faces the challenge of fewer resources - doing more with less. But he welcomes the opportunity, saying, "It can be done. We're still here and we're still working."

It's that can-do spirit that earned Hall the regional director position. The former Cerro Gordo County extension education director, Hall began the regional job Aug. 1.

Since then he's been meeting with the nine-member elected extension councils in each of the five counties. He'll be working closely with the councils over the next year as they figure out how to work together as a region. He likely will bring the council presidents together as well to discuss how the councils might work together across county lines.

"You have to be in the position for a while to see what's best for your region. You have to pay attention to what's happening in your region and to the players involved," Hall said. "My job is to be accessible and get ideas for programs."

ISU Extension supports healthy people, healthy environments and healthy economies. Hall noted some current ISU Extension programs in the region. Extension Master Gardener programs begin in the counties Sept. 8, and the Women, Land and Legacy program begins Sept. 10. The North Iowa Strip Till Twilight Tour is Sept. 17 at North Iowa Area Community College. A Budget Basics online class begins in September, and a Small Steps to Health and Wealth course begins in October.

And of course, Hall added, "4-H is alive and well and continuing with the county youth coordinators." He sees opportunities for all five counties to share 4-H leader training and develop some regional 4-H programs.

Hall will have his office in the Cerro Gordo County Extension Office, 2023 S. Federal Ave, Mason City, Iowa. He can be reached at his office phone, (641) 423-0844, by cell phone at (641) 425-3116 and by e-mail at garyhall@iastate.edu.

Prior to joining ISU Extension in April 2008, Hall held county director positions with Colorado State University Extension and University of Nebraska Extension. He also has experience as a vocational agriculture instructor in Nebraska. He received a bachelor's degree and master's degree in agricultural education from University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Hall and his wife, Cindy, have three adult children. He's a member of Rotary, the National Association of Community Development and Economic Professionals, National Association of Extension 4-H Agents and a past president of the National Association of County Agricultural Agents.

Contacts: Gary Hall, Region 3 Extension Education Director, (641) 423-0844, garyhall@iastate.edu; Judy Isaacson, Extension Communications and External Relations, (563) 927-4201, jisaacso@iastate.edu

-0-

2009 4-H/FFA State Livestock and Meats Judging Contests

AMES, Iowa - With the addition of a junior 4-H division, 106 4-H'ers -- a new record -- came to Ames Aug. 29 for the 2009 4-H/FFA State Livestock and Meats Judging Contests.

The Madison County 4-H livestock judging team placed first among 18 senior teams and will head to the national contest in Louisville, Ky. The four-member team scored 1,567 points out of the possible 1,800. The Scott County team took second place, scoring 1,542 points, and third place went to Buchanan County with 1,541 points.

Scott County topped the nine teams that competed in the new junior 4-H division, scoring 1,277 out of a possible 1,500 points.

Finishing second was the team from Dallas County with 1,259 points. Clayton County finished third with 1,249 points.

In the 4-H Meats division, one team and five individuals competed along with the state FFA teams. The first place team, and Iowa's representative to the National 4-H Meats Contest in Kansas, was from Worth County.

The objectives of the Iowa 4-H Judging Contests are for the 4-H'ers to learn modern livestock and meat evaluation methods, practice decision-making and communication skills and develop the ability to select livestock appropriate for a defined production purpose, explained Mike Anderson, agriculture program coordinator with Iowa State University Extension 4-H Youth Development.

The Franklin County Senior Livestock Judging Team placed 7th overall. Team members included Tyler Dirksen, Hampton, Clayton Miller, Latimer, and Kellen Suntken, Belmond. The Junior Livestock Judging Team placed 6th overall. The team placed first in Beef judging and team member Kendrick Suntken, Belmond, placed 10th individual. Other members included Drew Abbas, Alexander; Carter Barkema, Alexander; and Zach Vanness, Latimer. Former Franklin County 4-H member Isaiah Spath, Hampton, helped coach the team.

Each senior contestant presented sets of oral reasons and juniors answered sets of questions for the livestock contest and written reasons for the meats contest describing their thoughts on why the animals were placed in a specific order, Anderson said.

The Iowa 4-H Foundation Animal Science Endowment sponsors awards for the contests.

-30-

Extension programs are available to all without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability.

(Contact: Beverly Peters, 641-456-4811)