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County Extension

  • Sprouts: Good nutrition, high risk

    You probably haven’t given the topic of sprouts much thought, but when people do, they usually think good nutrition, health food or perhaps a health food restaurant.
    Nothing could be further from the truth. The foodborne illness risk associated with sprouts far outweighs its nutritional benefits.
    In last week’s column, I talked about the risk some people take when eating undercooked meats, eggs and seafood. Some of the same risks and concerns apply to raw sprouts.

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  • Protecting landscape plants from cold damage in winter

    By Tom Woods
    Agricultural Technician
    During the winter months, it is necessary to offer protection to certain North Carolina landscape plants. Winter protection does not mean to keep plants warm, as this is virtually impossible, but to provide protection from damaging wind, heavy snow and ice, the alternate freezing and thawing of the soil beneath the plants and heat from the sun on very cold days.

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  • When it comes to foodborne illnesses, who is at risk?

    Consuming raw or undercooked meats, poultry, seafood, shellfish or eggs may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions.
    Consumer advisories such as this are starting to appear on menus and walls at local restaurants. This is all part of the new food code adopted by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Health. These new rules went into effect last September and affect all food service operations in the state.

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  • Is eating pie for breakfast as healthful as eating fruit?

    OK, you know you’ve done it. Even the healthiest eater has fallen under the spell of pie. Possibly it was the day after Thanksgiving when the pumpkin pie jumped at you from inside the refrigerator. Or maybe you “passed” on dessert last night and now it’s breakfast.
    Then you think to yourself, could this be one of my fruit and vegetable servings for the day? You know and I know that really is stretching the idea.

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  • Brunswick’s 4-H Teen Council has busy January

    On Saturday, Jan. 12, Brunswick County 4-H Teen Council had a special visit from 4-H alumni Perry Grosch, a former teen council officer and a once extremely active 4-H youth in Brunswick County.
    A junior at the College of Wooster in Ohio studying archaeology, Grosch worked on an archaeological excavation of a Roman town in England during the past summer. He made a presentation on archaeology and answered questions about college life, 4-H and his experience in England.

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  • Pineapple is tasty any time of the year

    It’s hard to get fresh fruits this time of year. The selection at the grocery store is limited and the prices seem to be going up each week.
    For a special treat and a little variety, you may want to try a pineapple. If you can’t find fresh, it’s always available in the canned fruit section.
    Although available year round, the peak season for Hawaiian pineapple is late spring into summer and Caribbean pineapples have two seasons: December through February and August through September.

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  • The pest is back: Kudzu bugs overwinter here

    By Judy Koehly
    Master Gardener
    There is a new pest in town: the kudzu bug. Megacopta cribraria, commonly referred to as the kudzu bug, was first discovered on kudzu in the vicinity of Atlanta, Ga., during the fall of 2009. Unfortunately kudzu is not the only plant it has on its diet. It quickly moved across Georgia and South Carolina, causing extensive soybean damage.
    In 2011, it was found in North Carolina, Alabama and Virginia, and by 2012 is being found in at least two more states—Florida and Tennessee.

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  • Wear red Feb. 1 for heart health

    Sarah Barnwell
    Family and Consumer Sciences Agent
    Brunswick County Cooperative Extension
    Now is the time of year we begin to see pink, white and red for Valentine’s Day. We take our time picking out the cutest Valentine cards, planning special memories and even choosing festive red and pink outfits for the day.
    This year, I encourage everyone to be fashionable for a different reason…to raise awareness for the number-one killer of women: heart disease.

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  • Seasonal gardening: There are plenty of winter gardening chores

    By Judith Wojcik Ashley
    UGA Cooperative Extension

    Gardeners who chose not to grow cool season crops may be getting restless as temperatures drop and the growing season comes to an end. Well, a gardener’s work is never done. Here are a few garden chores that can be accomplished over the next few months:

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  • Can you really make your own 2-percent milk at home?

    I don’t make this stuff up. A friend recently posted this story on Facebook.
    Her husband went to the convenience store on the corner to get milk. Their family with two young boys usually drinks 2-percent milk. He discovered the store only had whole milk and 1-percent. This enterprising man (not wanting to drive to a full-service grocery store several miles away) purchased a gallon of each and informed his wife when he got home that if she’d mix them together they would get 2-percent.

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