Ready... set... track Santa!

From feasting on a turkey dinner to singing carols around the fire, there are certainly plenty of traditions to enjoy during the holiday season. Much to the delight of the child in each of us, the ritual of gift-giving continues today, and I know I still find cheer at the bottom of my stocking every Christmas morning.

Another tradition that brings joy to youngsters everywhere is the one started in 1955 by NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, which every year counts down to Christmas Eve and tracks Santa’s whereabouts as he delivers presents across the globe. Google similarly started tracking Santa in 2004 and has been partnering with NORAD on this fun project since 2007. Keeping the tradition alive, today marks the kick-off of this year’s countdown at www.noradsanta.org. On the NORAD website, kids can play holiday-themed games (a new one is released each day) and get updates from the North Pole as Santa prepares for his big sleigh ride.

If you haven’t tracked Santa in years past, we hope this is the year you’ll start a new tradition of visiting www.noradsanta.org and following Santa’s journey all around the world. Starting at 2 a.m. EST on December 24, you’ll be able to track him in real-time on Google Maps from your computer or phone as well as on Google Earth with the plug-in by searching for [santa].

So this year, along with my family’s usual tradition of gathering around to hear my mum read “Twas the night before Christmas,” we’ll gather around the computer to see when Santa might be coming to our neighborhood. In honor of the occasion, I wrote a new opening verse:

'Twas the night before Christmas, and Santa was near
According to NORAD, he would soon be right here
So we hopped into bed and dreamt of new toys
And awoke in the morning to much Christmas joy

Happy holidays to all, and to tide you over till Christmas Eve, enjoy this video with highlights from Santa’s journey last year!



Posted by Bruno Bowden, Software Engineer

New Product for Weed Control in Bermudagrass

A New Product for Weed Control in Bermudagrass!

Eve H. Honeycutt

Livestock Agent, Lenoir & Greene Counties

There is great news this spring for bermudagrass pastures. Prowl H20 (pendimethalin) is now labeled for established bermudagrass pastures and hay fields for pre-emergent control of annual grasses.

This product has been in the works for many years. This application will provide excellent control of crabgrass and goosegrass and fair to good control of sandbur. If applied correctly, this treatment will provide season-long control of crabgrass and goosegrass, even with heavy populations. As you know, there are no registered or effective post-emergent

options for both of these grasses. But this treatment will prevent the need for

any post-emergent treatment for crabgrass and goosegrass.

There are two main points that need to be stressed to obtain season-long control. They are:

1. Prowl H20 needs to be applied at 3 lbs. active ingredient/acre and activated by water (rainfall or irrigation).

2. Prowl H20 needs to be applied by early March at the latest.

Crabgrass germinates when soil temperatures average about 55 degrees. This typically occurs by mid-March in sandy soil, particularly east off Raleigh. Also, the label states that it needs to be applied to dormant Bermuda.

A few other key points from the label:

· Apply only to established Bermuda (planted in the fall or spring and gone through first mowing/cutting) when in winter dormancy;

· Rate range: 1.1 to 4.2 qt /A per season;

· Dense grass infestations; Apply at least 3 lb ai/A(3.2 qt/A)

· Split application timings: ½ rate at onset of dormancy followed by ½ rate prior to spring greenup.

RESTRICTIONS:

Do not apply in standing water

Do not exceed 4.2 qt/A/year

60 day hay restriction

45 day forage harvest or grazing restriction

*Always read and follow label directions.

Disclaimer: The use of brand names and any mention or listing of commercial products or services in this publication does not imply endorsement by North Carolina State University nor discrimination against similar products or services not mentioned.

Stockpiling Cool Season Grasses

Stockpiling for the Winter

Guest Post:

Submitted By: Margaret A. Bell, Assistant Livestock Agent in Craven & Jones Counties

Adapted from an article by Dr. Matt Poore, NCSU Ruminant Specialist

For beef cattle producers, the winter can be the hardest time of the year. Producers have to get the tractor out everyday and have to purchase a lot of hay to get their cows through the winter successfully. Here is an alternative to that vicious cycle. Have you ever thought about stockpiling your fescue so you don’t have to feed hay constantly through the winter? The average savings was $0.89 per cow per day as opposed to feeding hay.

Tall fescue is a hearty grass and responds well to fertilization in the late summer. If a pasture of fescue is allowed to accumulate from late summer and fall until winter, cows can be fed efficiently without the mud associated with a long winter hay-feeding season. This is also a much more economical alternative to feeding hay all winter. If you want to “stockpile” fescue, you would apply 50 to 75 pounds of nitrogen per acre to a healthy fescue field in late August to early September. For our area, the ideal time is September 1 to 15. It is important to graze or clip the fescue to about 3 or 4 inches and let it rest several weeks before the fertilizer is applied. The nitrogen source that you apply is also very important. Ammonium nitrate gives the best response and liquid nitrogen gives the least response. Also, make sure that other soil nutrients such as potassium and phosphorus are at least at medium levels and pH is about 6.0 to get the best response.

Another important aspect of preparing to stockpile fescue is the timing of the rainfall. You want to make sure to get your fertilizer out before the rain. Use the rain to your advantage. By November you will know how much forage you will have for the winter to graze. During a normal year, you can expect to have about 2,500 to 4,000 pounds of grazable forage dry matter per acre. This amount of forage is equivalent to about five to eight 4’ x 4’ round bales of hay per acre.

When you are planning how you’re are going to stockpile your fescue, it is important to think about your herd and their needs. A 1,200-pound gestating cow can be maintained on about 20 pounds of stockpiled fescue dry matter per day. With about 15% waste, one acre would feed 100 to 160 cows per one day. Lactating cows will need 30 pounds per day with a 25% waste allowance, meaning one acre would give you 65 to 100 “cow days.” In other words, one acre of stockpiled fescue will give a dry cow enough to eat for well over 100 days and a lactating cow for 65 to 100 days. You can often manage your lactating cows with just adding a mineral supplement during the winter when you are implementing nutritional stockpiled fescue practices.

According to the research, the best technique to graze your cows is called “strip-grazing,” or “frontal-grazing.” This is when you allot your cows a strip of grass using a roll of polywire and temporary posts every one to three days. When they graze the target height of 2 inches, they are moved to a new strip. Start the cows near the water giving them fresh strips and slowly move them away from the water. There are many advantages to this including cows become tamer because you are in close contact with them every day. Also, manure is more evenly distributed than with a typical hay feeding system, so your soil fertility will increase. Thirdly, your cows are cleaner because there is less mud, meaning your calves will most likely be healthier.

You can also stockpile other grasses, including bermudagrass and rye/ryegrass.

Criteria for Culling Cattle- a new approach

A New Culling Criteria: Hair Coat Shedding

Guest Post:

By Eileen A. Coite, Wayne County

Compiled from: Differences in hair coat shedding and effects on calf weaning weight and BCS among Angus dams, K.A. Gray, et al.

It’s always exciting when we learn of new university research to pass on to you, the producer. After all, that is a big part of what Extension does. So, when I learned of beef cattle research being conducted in North Carolina and Mississippi that could impact management and decisions of cattle producers, I was excited to share the news. At our annual livestock agent training held each August, agents are given time to interact with one another and NCSU specialists, in an effort to gain the most up to date knowledge, practice skills, and share ideas. This year, amongst many presentations and workshops, we learned of collaborated research being conducted by the Department of Animal Science at NC State University and the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at Mississippi State University with regard to the impact hair coat shedding has on calf weaning weight and body condition score of Angus cattle.

Angus producers have long been interested in finding ways to help their cattle get through the hot summer with less stress and complications from the heat, particularly because of their black hair coat. Humidity in the southeast added to the hot summer temperatures creates risks of heat related challenges for all livestock, but particularly cattle with dark, thick coats. For these reasons, researchers at NCSU and MSU teamed up to learn how much variation in shedding exists among purebred Angus cows, and the effects of this shedding on weaning weight of their calves and the cow’s body condition score. Researchers of this project adapted a scoring system to evaluate a cow’s shedding progress, referred to as a hair shedding score.

So what did they find? Through evaluating over 500 Angus cows in four different locations of MS and NC, cattle were grouped in five categories of shedding, ranging from a full winter coat to a slick, short summer coat. All cows weaned a calf at approximately six months of age and weaning weights were recorded and submitted to the American Angus Association. Data was analyzed to show how early cattle began to shed, an indication to how well adapted they were to the heat of the southeast. The study found that there was a definite correlation between speed of shedding and weaning weights, showing cows with slower shedding to raise lighter calves at weaning. The study states that there are many possible reasons why this relationship is present. One possible reason there is a connection between weaning weight and hair coat shedding is that prolactin levels in cows were affected. Prolactin is a hormone present in cows that affects lactation, but also has effects on hair loss. The study brought about possible conclusions that higher prolactin levels could influence hair shedding as well as milk production, leading into heavier calves at weaning.

The study concluded that even though more research is needed to fully understand this correlation, a conclusion was made that producers could lessen heat stress in their herds and improve weaning weights by culling cows that are slow or poor at shedding. Scoring cattle for shedding in late May or early summer, and removing cows from the herd that receive scores that reveal little to no shedding should increase herd productivity by increasing weaning weights of calves produced.

Drenching for Sheep and Goats

Drenching, Do It and Do It Right!

guest post:

Emily Herring, Livestock Agent

Pender County

Drenching in sheep and goats can be the oral application of medications into the throat of the animal. This is the recommended way to administer dewormers to sheep and goats. There are other methods of administering dewormers such as injectables and pour-ons, but I will only focus on the oral method in this article. Intestinal parasites are the biggest threat to sheep and goats causing numerous health problems like weight loss, low birth weight, un-thriftiness, and even death. The best medications will not work properly if they are not given to the animal correctly. In Australia resistance to drenches is becoming a noted steadfast problem as well as other parts of the world, due to the incorrect methods of drenching. Parasite resistance is not a welcome problem among any farmer. For a refresher on oral drenching I have included some key steps a producer needs to remember to do before and after drenching a sheep or goat.

Before drenching an animal make sure the drench gun is calibrated and is not leaking. Check the nozzle for rough edges that may cause discomfort when medicating. Then think about how you are going to medicate the animals, as in how much you will administer to each of them. If the animals are various in sizes, group them into smaller groups according to their size. Then physically weigh the heaviest animal in the group and treat all animals in that group to that weight to make sure enough dewormer is given. Remember underestimating the weight of the animal promotes parasite resistance and has been one of the main contributing factors in parasite resistance, so don’t guess. Be sure to read and follow the specific labeled directions on the medication given.

When giving medications make sure the sheep/goats are properly restrained and can’t leap around when you are orally drenching. Hold the animals head horizontal by placing your hand under his chin. This encourages that the animal will swallow the whole amount given. Sheep and goats can suffer serious injury, or even death, if they are not restrained properly if the gun strikes the tissues at the back of the mouth. So be patient and don’t rush. Place the nozzle in the gap between molar and incisor teeth and then over the back of the tongue. Be sure the animal swallows the medication before letting the head go. If drenching is not done properly the animal will not receive the medication within the stomach and it can possibly go into the lungs, which can be fatal to the animal.

After giving the drench, be sure to record what and how much you gave to your animals and then place all unused drench back into original container. Be sure to clean your equipment by following the manufacture’s cleaning instructions. If you have any questions or need help with drenching contact your local County Livestock Agent.

Plant trees for change with Nobel Prize winner Wangari Maathai

(Cross-posted from the LatLong Blog)

Occasionally, we invite distinguished guests to contribute to our blogs and we’re very happy to have Wangari Maathai share her perspective here. In collaboration with Wangari Maathai’s Green Belt Movement and several other partners, the Google Earth Outreach team has created several narrated tours on the topic of climate change in preparation for the UNFCCC’s COP16 Climate Summit 2010 in Cancun, Mexico. Fly underwater to learn about the effects of ocean acidification on sea life with Oceana. Zoom around Mexican mangroves in 3D and learn about the importance of this biodiverse habitat... and what must be done to protect it for future generations. Visit google.com/landing/cop16/climatetours.html to experience these tours. -Ed.

Ask most people what trees mean to them and the first thing that comes to mind is the tree outside their bedroom window or the forest where they played as a child. Trees do occupy a powerful place in our emotions, but the most powerful argument to protect our world’s trees is not based on sentiment. There is a vital interdependency between communities and the trees they rely on for survival. Trees are our watersheds, protectors of the natural environment, and sources of food. Remove the trees from the equation and the community feels the impact.

I came to this realization in the 1970s in Kenya. I was talking to women in my community about their problems: hunger, access to water, poverty, wood fuel. I saw a link between their needs and the condition of the land and thought, “Why not plant trees to address these issues?” Trees hold the soil to the ground so that we can grow food in it, they protect watersheds and facilitate harvesting of rain water, fruits trees supplement food and trees give us domestic energy and wood with which to build our shelters. So while still working at the University of Nairobi, I established a tree nursery in my backyard, planted seven trees at a public park and founded the Green Belt Movement. The organization works to empower communities, to build their capacity to restore Africa's forests and put an end to the problems that deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation cause. As a result of this idea, more than 40 million trees have been planted to restore the environment and improve the lives of the people who are linked to the land.

When we were offered a unique opportunity to partner with the Google Earth Outreach team on a project using new Google Earth technology to visualize trees in 3D, we were thrilled. For accuracy and integrity we worked very closely with Google, advising them on the modeling of unique African trees like the broad-leaved Croton, the Nile tulip tree and the East African Cordia. These tree models illustrate the biodiversity in our tree planting sites, especially in the forests, and how we carefully select trees that are indigenous and sustainable to the natural surroundings.

Broad-leaved Croton, the Nile tulip tree and the East African Cordia (from left to right)

We then used data from real planting locations to “plant” the tree models in Google Earth and create 3D visualizations. Now, for the first time in Google Earth, people from all over the world will be able to virtually visit these planting sites, explore the 3D trees and connect with the work that we are doing.

Green Belt Movement planting site in 3D on Google Earth

Tree planting is a simple activity with tangible results, and anyone can participate. It helps people come together to address common problems and work collectively towards community improvement and sustainability. I hope that seeing our beautiful tree planting sites in 3D on Google Earth will be a source of inspiration for people to engage, plant trees and organize planting activities in their own communities. Taking charge of our lives and the environment around us can help ensure a lasting legacy and healthy future for our children.



Learn more about the Green Belt Movement and support our work at http://www.greenbeltmovement.org.

Posted by Wangari Maathai, environmentalist, activist and founder of the Green Belt Movement

Hottest Hollywood Makeovers of 2010

http://lifestyle.msn.com/your-look/celebrity-style/staticslideshowinstyle.aspx?cp-documentid=25226582&gt1=32002


From Jennifer Hudson's slimmed-down figure to Taylor Swift's sleek locks, these stars transformed their looks this year, & the results were fabulous.
The year's best-dressed celebrities
Bing: Top tips for kissable lips