Rockingham County News & Publications

NEWS

October, 2009

Healthy Living: Tight Budget, Big Success
Facing health problems brought on by her weight, Deerfield’s Sandra Brown took off 58 pounds and did in on a food-stamp budget.

Parenting 411: Help! My child won't eat anything
What’s a parent to do? Here are a few tips and ideas you can try during this holiday season.

Ladybugs invade Southern New Hampshire
This week's sudden re-emergence of warm, almost summer-like weather in Southern New Hampshire has not only brought back thoughts of bright, sunny days, but also the multicolored Asian lady beetle.

Positive Parenting: What You Need to Tell Your Kids About Money NOW!
Today our children often grow into adulthood without any formal or informal training in money management. At the same time the WANTS of children and teens today are exhaustive, negatively impacting the budgets of most families. This inability to delay gratification and the unwillingness to learn to earn money for the things they want is not the best training for the future. Increasing rates of significant debt on the part of young adults today is the result. What can parents do?

Oil prices drop and take firewood sales with them
Last December's ice storm left lots of firewood behind, often free for the taking. Fuel oil prices are some $2 a gallon lower than they were last year. That adds up to bad news for local firewood dealers.

Fall colors mean plenty of green for New Hampshire
Nearly 85 percent of the Granite State's 5.7 million acres is forested. It's the second most heavily forested state in the country, second only to Maine. Without all those trees, no one would be coming to New Hampshire to view the spectacle that is fall foliage. Tourism officials predict 7.5 million visitors will traverse the Granite State this fall — and they will spend more than $1 billion.

New Hampshire trees are showing their true colors
The variation in foliage — the shades of red, purple, bronze, yellow and orange — is all about pigment and what type each tree carries.

September, 2009

Seabrook's second annual Fun, Food & Fitness Expo features fun, healthy lifestyles
Sponsored by the Lower Seacoast Youth and Family Coalition, the expo offered an evening of family fun with healthy activities, healthy snacks, and non-stop entertainment in the Community Center's gymnasium. Members of the LSYFC’s Expo planning committee included Chucky’s Fight, Families First Health & Support Center, Seabrook Recreation Department, Seabrook Middle School, SeaCare Health Services, Seacoast Youth Services, and UNH Cooperative Extension Rockingham County.

It's a little thin in New Hampshire pumpkin patches
Farmers throughout New England are suffering from a poor pumpkin crop this year because of damage from the early summer rain and cold weather. But even though the crop is down, farmers said they still have plenty of the fall fruits for carving jack-o'-lanterns and decorating front steps.

Fall brings foliage to Southern New Hampshire
A rainy summer has caused small patches of trees to start turning, according to Fred Borman, forestry expert for the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension. When the rest of the leaves start to change colors in mid-October, they are expected to be especially vibrant because of the rain. The recent weather — cold nights and warm days — also make for ideal foliage. Sugar is trapped in the leaves on cold nights, creating bright colors, and warm days make them appear their brightest.

Storing the bounty: Making them last - how to keep vegetables and fruits in fall and winter
Possibly you remember stories of grandma’s root cellar, which stored and provided crisp fruits and vegetables all winter long. Even though our modern houses and central heating have largely done away with yesterday’s deep, dark cellars, you can still store many fruits and vegetables for long periods at home without refrigeration.

Eight New Hampshire Programs Receive 4-H Afterschool Mini-Grants
National 4-H Council recently announced 2009 - 2010 mini-grants funded to county-based 4-H programs through a partnership with the JCPenney Afterschool Fund. The Fund is a charitable organization focused on providing children in need with access to quality afterschool programs that foster academic, physical and social development every day between 3 pm and 6 pm. Extension 4-H youth development educators receiving this year’s awards in New Hampshire are: Rick Alleva, Rockingham County.

Fall webworms are out in big numbers this fall
Fear not, forest lovers and repulsed homeowners, the creepy caterpillars may be aesthetically repugnant, but they're not really damaging the trees.

Community Supported Fisheries Get Underway in New Hampshire
The state's fishing industry is taking a page out of the local farming book. For years, consumers looking to buy fresh produce have gone directly to farms through programs called a CSA, or community supported agriculture. Now several organization are popping up on the seacoast giving residents a chance to buy directly from local fishermen through community supported fisheries.

August, 2009

Positive Parenting: Family Fun at Farms, Farmers’ Markets, and Farm Stands
It's that time of year when the blueberries, raspberries, peaches, corn, cucumbers, and other fruits and vegetables are ripe for picking, and many harvest-your-own farms in New Hampshire are welcoming individuals and families to enjoy this pleasant experience. In addition to pick-your-own farms, there are also local farmers' markets and farm stands that enable folks to sample the local produce. There are numerous benefits to families, parents, and children in seeking out these experiences of locally-grown foods.

New Hampshire likely to see bumper apple crop
The early summer rain and recent hot weather were the perfect combination for big, juicy fruits.

Farmers, researchers, gardeners gather to trade tips, answer questions
Experts on entomology, sustainable agriculture, plant health, and people who work in state organizations that deal with them wandered through rows of crops with a microphone in tow, answering farmers' questions, of which there were many. The tour also featured discussions on how to become organically certified, soil preparation for growing, and how to keep birds out of the garden.

CommunicateGreen: County farms await decision on federal disaster assistance
On August 6, Governor Lynch sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack requesting a "Secretarial Disaster Designation for farmers with production losses in hay and other crops in all 10 New Hampshire counties."

Storing the bounty: Canning Foods Safely at Home
The use of science-based, tested processes is critical to the safety of home-canned foods. Unsafe canning methods can result in food spoilage or foodborne illnesses such as botulism. Following these key recommendations and techniques for canning produces safe and tasty results.

7 things I didn't know about canning
Claudia Boozer-Blasco says there's been a wave of interest in home canning, which makes sense. We're trying to eat healthily and locally all year long and, well, we don't live in Hawaii. More people have home gardens as well, so that's bringing more home canners into the mix. And she says that, with a few basic rules and steps, it's totally safe.

Asian longhorned beetle called threat to New Hampshire forests
State officials warned that a beetle which has recently infested a Massachusetts city could devastate New Hampshire hardwood forests if it comes to the state, and they urged residents to keep their eyes open for the Asian longhorned beetle. The beetle also is known by the acronym ALB.

A growing interest in historic house
This summer, thanks to an UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener internship by Portsmouth resident Leslie Stevens, the gardens are flourishing once again. The garden beds comprise a typical housewife's garden of the late 17th century, which contained all the herbs and plants essential for a New England household.

Families learn side by side in the kitchen
The menu included immense pans of apple crisp, all prepared by little ones hoping to learn a thing or two about being in the kitchen and eating right.

Granite Staters Reflect One Year After a Devastating Tornado
Reflections from Mary Stampone, New Hampshire Climatologist and Professor of Geography at UNH; Leslie Van Berkum, co-owner of Van Berkum’s Wholesale Nursery; Joanne Randall, Vice-chair of the Board of Selectmen and Public Information Officer for the town of Epsom; Bill and Arlene Moffitt, residents of Epsom whose home was destroyed by the tornado; Fred Borman, UNHCE Extension Educator, Forestry and Wildlife, Rockingham County; and Dan Schroth, a stonewall maker in Pittsfield who created the business Tornadowood from the wood that fell on his land in last year’s tornado

July, 2009

Stratham Fair kicks off with 4-H events, rides and more
Fifteen-year-old Naomi Fifield of Franklin said she attends five fairs a year in New Hampshire to compete in the 4-H program. Her mother, Wendy, said organizations like 4-H are a positive way to give four out of her six children a hands-on education. Click here to view Seacoastonline.com's two Stratham Fair photo galleries

The Trust for Public Land Presents Annual Volunteer Conservation Award
The Trust for Public Land, a national nonprofit conservation organization, announced Phil Auger and Mark Billings as co-winners of the 2009 Annette and Kingsbury Browne Volunteer Conservationist of the Year award.

How to process and store fresh fruits and vegetables
More and more people are growing their own foods or buying local because they say it tastes better, saves money, is better-quality, and safe to eat. Now that numerous fruits and vegetables are beginning to ripen — and often all at once — how does one go about storing and preserving the bounty?

June, 2009

Organize Your Fridge Better, Throw Away Less Food
Claudia Boozer-Blasco is certified in food safety and shared some other tips to avoid wasting food and money.

Child-size patch of earth
Summer vacation for the kids — a time for trips to the beach, swimming in the pool, bicycling, and...gardening.


PUBLICATIONS

UNH Cooperative Extension publishes educational materials based on current research data. Information is reviewed for accuracy and currency. Whenever possible, UNH Cooperative Extension materials are available on the web. Printed copies of many publications are also available at your UNH Cooperative Extension – Rockingham County office.

Click on the following link to view available publications: http://extension.unh.edu/resources/