Family & Consumer Science, Food SAFETY & Health

Ann Duncan: Area Extension Agent - Family & Consumer Science

CSU Extension Family and Consumer Science in the Tri-River Area provides research based knowledge in home economics, nutrition, food safety, preservation and much more.

As the warm weather arrives, we can start to use the availability of fresh produce to our advantage. By increasing our intake of produce we can decrease our risk of chronic diseases and increase our overall health. Below, you will find some helpful tips for the summer season!

Seasonal Topic: Increasing Fruits and Vegetables

Fruit and vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals as well as many toxin-fighting antioxidants. Eat a variety of colored vegetables and fruit in your everyday snacks and meals.

Tips to help you reach 2-1/2 cups of vegetables per day

Cut up vegetables for the entire week after grocery shopping!!

• Add your cut vegetables to a soup, stir fry, or salad for a quick meal.
• Pack your pre-cut vegetables with a low fat dip for an easy, healthy snack.

Don't be afraid of the freezer

• Frozen vegetables are picked and packed at the height of freshness and have the same nutritional value as fresh vegetables.
• Frozen veggies are a great way to get a variety of colors and flavors anytime of the year.

Add a variety of vegetables to your favorite dinner recipe

• Making soup? Add in some kale, squash, or tomatoes for a boost of flavor.
• Add spinach and mushrooms to your preferred marinara recipe.

Tips to get the recommended 2 cups of fruit per day

• Fruits are an easy 'grab-and-go' snack food.
• Bananas, apples, pears, and oranges are great portable snack options.
• Keep a bowl filled with fruit on the counter; it will remind you to grab fruit as you are leaving.

Fruits are a great dessert

• Fresh berries are a sweet treat at the end of a meal.
• Top low fat frozen yogurt with granola and fruit for a healthy alternative to full fat ice cream.

Fruits are an easy add-in at breakfast time

• Top oatmeal or your favorite cereal with fresh fruit.

UPCOMING FCS PROGRAMS & WORKSHOPS:

UPCOMING "ServSafe" CLASSES:

• October 8th, 2019 in Grand Junction
• November 13th, 2019 in Montrose

What is ServSafe®? ... ServSafe® is a nationally recognized course developed by the National Restaurant Association as a comprehensive treatment of the subject of food safety.

Who should attend? ... Food Service Managers who are not currently certified by an accredited Food Safety Course. The Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations state that a manager needs to be on hand who has passed a certified food safety program.

Class space is limited. Registration is on a first come first serve basis, and closes 30 days in advance of class date in order to allow the recommended amount of time to study the comprehensive information necessary, prior to taking the exam at class.

$140 Registration includes: ServSafe® Coursebook with scan-tron exam answer sheet included, 7.5 hours of ServSafe® training on class date, followed by a 1.5 hour proctored exam. Catered lunch will be provided. Pre-registration is required 30 days in advance of class date. Register by calling the Extension office at (970) 249-3935.

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Food Safety Training for "COLORADO COTTAGE FOODS PRODUCERS" - Bringing Your Food Product to Market!

This class will have an overview of the Colorado Cottage Foods Act, teach basic food safety, ingredient labeling requirements, and special considerations for food preparation at high altitude. Class is 9:30am-1pm and must meet a minimum enrollment of 10 people. $25/per person and pre-registration is required by calling the Extension office at (970) 249-3935.

UPCOMING COTTAGE FOODS CLASSES:

• September 24th, 2019 Class in Grand Junction
• Mid-October (TBD) 2019 Class in Delta

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"FOOD SAFETY WORKS" CLASSES

"Food Safety Works" is a course we offer for food service workers, that covers the basic requirements for safe food handling. We offer this class on an as-needed basis. To schedule a private group training for your business contact the Tri-River Area Extension office at 970-249-3935.

Keep an eye out for our future Canning Classes, Nutrition/Wellness Classes, Food Safety Classes and Fun Cooking Classes!

Call the Montrose Extension office at 970-249-3935 to enroll in a class, or get on the waiting list for a class you're interested in but don't see scheduled yet. Check-out our website for class schedules and lots of other great food & health tips at: https://tra.extension.colostate.edu/family-and-consumer-science/fcs-links/

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To learn about how we are increasing high quality produce availability and consumption through the Community Alliance for Hunger Relief program, click below:

Agriculture & Business Management

Jenny Beiermann: Western Regional Extension Specialist- Agriculture & Business Management Economist

Seasonal Topic: Agriculture and Business Management Resources - Custom Rates Survey and Crop Enterprise Budgets

Colorado State University Extension has a dedicated team of agriculture and business management (ABM) economists, who are dedicated to provide outreach information including, principles and concept of production economics, financing methods and analysis, investment analysis, legal regulations on business activities, concepts of marketing and price determination, and issues related to estate planning. The ABM team has a number of resources that we have developed available online pertaining to our outreach mission, available on our website: www.wr.colostate.edu/ABM/. Please see below some available resources that may be of use to you!

Crop Enterprise Budgets

The crop enterprise budgets represent the average costs and expenses and revenues for growing and harvesting the major feed, forage, and cash grain crops grown in Colorado. Great care is taken to ensure completeness in each of our budgets, which are divided up by geographical regions of the state. Each individual agricultural producer is unique in his/her production practices. Therefore, the budgets were developed as a guideline for producers, agricultural lenders, and others to use in the development of their own individual budgets

Custom Rates Survey

Colorado State University Extension annually conducts a survey of custom rates charged for various crop and livestock operations and lease arrangements in Colorado. Data were collected from agricultural producers, landowners and managers, lenders, agricultural consultants, machine operators, and Extension agents. The rates reported herein are not recommended rates. They simply reflect the range of rates as reported by those individuals surveyed. Some reported rates may seem unusually low or high which is due to very few respondents and/or the operation is not widely performed. The information in this report should be used only as a guide.

Here is a link to the 2018 Custom Rates Survey that is now available on the ABM website. http://www.wr.colostate.edu/ABM/custrates.shtml

Fact Sheets

Fact sheets are written documents providing detailed information about different agricultural practices and issues. The information obtained for these sheets is fact and science based. We have a number of fact sheets available on topics such as leasing, risk management, market planning, drought, dairy management, tax management, financial statements and budgeting, labor and personnel issues, policy and natural resource issues, succession and estate planning, and many more.

Decision Tools

Decision tools are usually excel spreadsheets, designed to help the user make decisions based on the scenario they input (usually costs and returns) specific to their farm or ranch operation. Decision tools make it easier for the user to identify their costs and returns and help them make decisions, though it should be noted that they should only be used as a guide. We have a number of decision tools pertaining to drought, land purchasing, loan amortization, raising and buying cattle and much more.

This is just a small snapshot of all the resources available on the agriculture and business management website; for more resources and information, please visit our website. If any questions arise, please feel free to email any of the economists listed on the website. We are always happy to help!

Here is a link to the 2018 Custom Rates Survey that is now available on the ABM website. http://www.wr.colostate.edu/ABM/custrates.shtml

EntomologY

Meredith Shrader: Area Extension Agent, Entomology

Melissa Franklin: Entomology Research Associate

Seasonal Topic: Grasshopper Control in Gardens & Small Acreages

Please don’t hurt the bees! Call Western Colorado Beekeepers Association who can safely remove them. Please call 970-812-0080. To visit their website please click on the following link: http://www.westerncoloradobeekeepersassociation.org

Watch for our future Pesticide Management Workshops

CSU Extension periodically offers pesticide re-certification and training for both private and commercial pesticide applicators. These programs offer continuing education credits. Watch for future events! We post new event announcements on our CSU TRA Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/TriRiverAreaCSUExtension/ AND on our CSU TRA Western Colorado Insects web page here: https://wci.extension.colostate.edu.

Horticulture & Master Gardener

Susan Carter: Area Extension Horticulture and Natural Resources Agent

Christine Prins: Area Extension Horticulture Program Associate/Master Gardener Coordinator

Seasonal Topic: Watering Do’s and Don’ts

With summer around the corner, many of us are busy in our garden and yards. More people are moving into the Western slope with no idea how difficult it can be to garden here. Some areas have high salts, some have short growing seasons and the soil can be sand to clay.

In summer, we see many people struggling with their lawn. One thing that causes the most issues is watering every day. People think because we are a dry climate that things need watered frequently. The truth is if the clay soil is irrigated properly, it actually holds water. In fact, many areas have high water tables just a few feet down.

First, whenever possible, water at night. This decreases evaporation and rinses off dew. Dew contains sugars, which feed fungal growth. Do not set your irrigation clock and forget it. You should be adjusting your clock monthly.

Your peak frequency of water needs is in July, when temperatures are hot and days are long. Watering a lawn three times a week is typically sufficient in July. Trees and shrubs need less frequent irrigation than lawns.

Use a screwdriver, soil moisture meter or a soil probe to see if the soil is moist down several inches below ground level. Lawns need water at a depth of 6-8” and trees 12-18”. If you have heavy clay soil, cycle and soak to get the moisture to soak in. This is accomplished by running the zone for a short time, then moving to other zones, then coming back again to get the moisture to absorb.

If you have to water daily to keep things alive, something is wrong. Either your irrigation heads need adjusted or fixed, the soil needs amended, the wrong plant is in the wrong place, or the water is not getting deep enough.

Watering daily starves plants of oxygen and compacts the soils as well as leaching out nutrients. We have many fact sheets like this one: https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/yard-garden/watering-established-lawns-7-199/ or you can bring in a sufficient sample for analyzing. For lawns, we need a 6-8” square, 2“deep sample from the edge area of good and bad grass. Our master gardeners can help residential clients and I can help green industry professionals. ~ Written by: Susan Carter, Horticulture and Natural Resource Agent