Extension News: May 2006 Archives

As New Hampshire begins drying out from recent record floods and taking stock of damaged homes, businesses, roads, and agricultural plantings, public officials have issued a number of flood-related warnings and information bulletins.

Over a week after the flooding, many people whose homes were damaged have not yet been allowed to return and survey the damage. In the Goffstown area, about 50 families were evacuated and still haven't returned to assess and start cleaning up. State and federal health and emergency officials are working hard to provide information.

To learn more:

• Testing and protecting drinking water in a flood aftermath (bulletin contains other important safety information)
• Risks from household hazardous materials in flood-damaged buildings
• Dealing with mold
• Cleanups that might involve asbestos
• Post-flood fraud and scams alert
• Bike/walk-to-work day postponed

Click here for a complete list of flood related links.

Record rainfalls throughout southern and central New Hampshire over the weekend led Gov. John Lynch to declare a state of emergency and activate the National Guard. Forecasters predict as much as 15 inches of rain will have fallen in some parts of the state by Monday night.

Hundreds of highways have washed out or flooded, many residents have left homes flooded or threatened by rising rivers, streams, and vulnerable dams. Hundreds of schools and businesses have closed. Homeowners and business owners by the thousands continue to pump water from flooding basements.

Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Jim Van Dongen says his department strongly suggests that residents curtail all non-essential highway travel. “With more than 800 roads out in eight counties, it just makes sense,” he says.

Department of Environmental Services officials warn residents to stay out of flood waters, which may contain toxins and harmful bacteria, to wear protective gear if you must travel through flood waters, to disinfect items that come in contact with flood water (Use 1/4 cup bleach to one gallon of water as a disinfectant.), and to test the water in shallow wells that have flooded before using it for drinking or bathing.

We’ve assembled this list of online information resources and will continue adding to it as we get more information.

UNH Cooperative Extension has an array of information to help New Hampshire residents recover from multiple problems caused by this weekend’s floods.

Storm damage can leave behind debris-strewn areas, contaminated water, spoiled food, displaced wildlife and conditions, if not treated properly, may lead to health problems.

With rain totals reaching as high as 11 inches in some areas, and more on the way, residents must assume that all water sources are contaminated until proven safe. Food contaminated by flood waters should be handled carefully and a determination made on what to keep or discard.

Topics include staying safe, recovering from a power outage, restoring storm-damaged buildings, helping children cope with disaster, salvaging water-damaged belongings, financial recovery and more.

To those in the flood areas, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) urges residents to do the following immediately:

• If your home, apartment or business has suffered damage, call the insurance company or agent who handles your insurance right away to file a claim.
• Before entering a building, check for structural damage.
• Do not use matches, cigarette lighters or any other open flames once you’ve entered a damaged building, since gas may be trapped inside. Use a flashlight.
• Keep electricity off until an electrician has inspected your system for safety.
• Flood waters pick up sewage and chemicals from road, farms and businesses. If your home has been flooded, start cleaning up as soon as possible. Throw out foods and medicines that may have come in contact with flood waters.
• Boil water for drinking and food preparation vigorously for five minutes before using.

If you have additional questions, please contact your local Extension office. Please click on all our links for further advice.

Current Conditions in New Hampshire:

• Road conditions and travel alerts
• WMUR-TV Weather
  
• National Weather Service – Interactive Weather Information Service for NH
• NOAA - WaterWatch – current NH water resources conditions

General:

• American Red Cross (ARC)
  • Disaster Services
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – Floods
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  • FEMA En Espanol
  • Guide to Disaster Assistance

Recovery:

• Food & Drinking Water Safety:
  • Food and Water in an Emergency (FEMA)
  • Food Security and Emergency Preparedness - Food Safety
    Inspection Service, USDA
  • Keeping Food Safe During an Emergency - fact sheet
  • N.H. Drinking Water Testing
    • Private well water testing
    • For other drinking water questions, call Bernie Lucey at (603) 271-2952
• Cleaning Household Utensils and Metals & Salvaging Papers
• Helping Children Cope With a Disaster
• Recovering From and Coping With Flood Damaged Property (FEMA)
  • After a Flood: The First Steps (PDF)
  • Returning Home
• Removing Odors from Refrigerators & Freezers
• Restoring Emotional Balance After a Disaster
• Saving Family Treasures Guidelines

Safety:

• Flood Safety (National Weather Service)
• Turn Around Don’t Drown (National Weather Service)

Many communities across our state are considering programs to monitor and/or control mosquito populations in response to last year’s outbreak of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, a viral disease spread by mosquitoes.

If your community is among those considering a mosquito-monitoring or mosquito-control program, or if you simply want detailed information about this complicated illness, check out this new 13-page information bulletin, Eastern Equine Encephalitis Could Return to New Hampshire this Summer,  by UNH Cooperative Extension entomologist Alan Eaton.

I’m wanted in four states…got my new driver’s license and a sweet new pickup. V8 baby – 500 horsepower…and the best part is, it’s all free, yeah, for me at least.

Recognize these words from a popular commercial? It’s one of a series of ads promoting a new service addressing identity theft at a major bank. The viewer is immediately captivated by the words, coming from an older lady as she cleans her pool, but spoken in the rough-sounding voice of a thug. The thug finishes with a ghoulish laugh, as the words “Ruth F., Identity Theft Victim” flash on the screen.

Identity theft. Should you be worried about it? You may have seen a brochure from your bank, or an article in a current magazine warning you about privacy risks in an increasingly technological society. But did you read them?

Maybe you did after seeing the series of commercials mentioned earlier. The ads effectively convey the message that no one is safe from identity theft. Victims include people of any age, socioeconomic status and race.

The fastest-growing white collar crime

Identity theft is the fastest growing white collar crime in the United States. A survey commissioned by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) revealed that an estimated 27 million Americans have been victims of identity theft in the last five years. Ten million occurred in the last year alone.

Identity theft is a serious crime that has caused victims to spend months or years—and lots of money—to clear their name, correct erroneous information and clean up their credit record.

Although identity theft victims are usually not liable for the debts the thief has incurred, they often lose job opportunities, are refused loans or housing. Some have even been arrested for crimes they did not commit.

This is why the FTC has chosen the theme Identity Theft: When Fact Becomes Fiction as their focus for this year’s National Consumer Protection Week, February 6-12.

According to the FTC, identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information, such as your name, Social Security number ( SSN), credit card number or other identifying information, without your permission to commit fraud or other crimes.

How does this happen?

It doesn’t seem possible, but it’s easier than you might think. If an identity thief can obtain your personal information, he or she can use it to call your credit card issuer and change the mailing address on the card, open a new credit card account or bank account in your name, drain your bank account, take out a loan, even buy a car or a house.

According to the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, thieves obtain your SSN, driver's license, credit card numbers and other pieces of identification, in a variety of ways, which include:

• "Dumpster diving" in trash bins for unshredded credit card and loan applications and documents containing SSNs.
• Stealing mail from unlocked mailboxes to obtain newly issued credit cards, bank and credit card statements, pre-approved credit offers, investment reports, insurance statements, benefits documents, or tax information. Even locked mailboxes may not stop a determined thief.
• Accessing your credit report fraudulently, for example, by posing as an employer, loan officer, or landlord.
• Obtaining names and SSNs from personnel or customer files in the workplace.
• "Shoulder surfing" at ATM machines and phone booths in order to capture PIN numbers.
• Finding identifying information on Internet sources, via public records sites and fee-based information broker sites.

Protecting yourself

These actions will help prevent thieves from using your identity:

• Minimize the amount of information a thief has access to. Don’t carry more credit cards than you need to, don’t carry Social Security cards, birth certificate or passport.
• Don’t carry other items with your SSN on them unless you need them that day.
• Reduce the amount of personal information that is “out there.” Remove your name from marketing lists of major credit card bureaus, opt-out of the sale or sharing of your information when offered to you, sign up for the FTC Do Not Call Registry.
• Never give out your SSN, credit card number or other personal information over the phone, mail or internet unless you initiated the contact and you have a trusted business relationship.
• Order a copy of your credit report once a year from each of the three national credit bureaus.
• Ask about information security procedures and safeguards at your workplace.
• Place passwords on your bank, credit card and phone accounts, but don’t use options such as birthdate, pet name, maiden name, or last four digits of social security number.

Are the businesses you work for or shop at exposing you to a risk of identity theft?

This handy online checklist will help you evaluate whether your employer, the enterprises you do business with, and the businesses you patronize take all the important steps to reduce the risk of identity theft among their employees and customers.

If you do become a victim

If you fall victim to identity theft, take immediate action. Right away, contact the fraud units for the three credit reporting agencies: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. As of April 2003, if you notify one bureau, it will notify the other two. Ask the agency to flag your file with a fraud alert.

The FTC suggests you take the following initial steps:

• Place a fraud alert on your credit report and review your credit report.
• Close any accounts that have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
• File a report with your local police or the police in the community where the identity theft took place.
• File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission.

Click here for identity theft resources

by Karen Blass, UNH Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Resources Educator, Rockingham County.

From Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day, we Americans spike our long winter darkness with holidays, bowl games and other special events marked by feasting, food exchanges and a general celebration of abundance.

Yet, according to a report released November 19 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, last year 36.3 million Americans either went hungry or reported uncertainty about getting enough to eat at some point during the year. This figure includes 13 million children.

By national standards, New Hampshire , with the fourth-highest median household income in the nation, has a relatively low rate of hunger. Yet our state’s affluence masks the harsh truth that tens of thousands of Granite State residents can’t stretch their incomes to meet the basic food requirements for healthy living.

Hunger and food insecurity in New Hampshire

Although we don’t have hard data on hunger and food insecurity in New Hampshire , we can gauge its incidence through related indicators like these:

• A U.S. Census Bureau report issued last August estimated that 96,000 New Hampshire people lived below the federal poverty guidelines ($18, 850 for a family of four) at some point during 2003, up from 79, 200 in 2002 and 63,300 in 2000. Most of these people rely on a combination of government food assistance programs and emergency food providers to get enough to eat.
  
  
• The 2003 USDA Household Food security survey revealed that 45 percent of households reporting hunger or food insecurity have incomes above 130 percent of official poverty levels, meaning they probably don’t quality for federal food assistance programs.
  
  “We have real concerns for the thousands of people who earn just enough that they don’t qualify for food stamps and other government assistance programs,” says Val Long, Nutrition Coordinator for UNH Cooperative Extension’s Food Stamp Nutrition Education Program.
  
  “Steep increases in the costs of housing, fuel, transportation and healthcare, as well as food, haven’t been matched by increases in wages. A lot of working families have begun depending on emergency food pantries to feed their families. The emergency food system was intended to be just that: help for temporary emergencies. But people have begun relying on it chronically. That shouldn’t happen in the United States . It’s not an acceptable way to ensure that people are getting a nutritionally adequate diet that keeps them active and healthy.”
  
  
• In 2000, 36,266 New Hampshire residents received food stamps. By 2004, that number had risen to 48,449.
  
  
• Survey results released in December by the National Low Income Housing Coalition indicate that to afford the average two-bedroom apartment (including utilities) in New Hampshire , a worker must earn $16.75 per hour, more than three times the federal minimum wage.
  
  
• By the end of 2004, the New Hampshire Food Bank will have distributed about four million pounds of food to nonprofit and emergency food providers throughout New Hampshire —a million more pounds than last year, according to executive director Melanie Gosselin. “In one year, we expanded membership from 240 agencies to 342,” she says.

New Hampshire ’s emergency food providers

The federal government’s nutrition safety net, which includes the Food Stamp Program, the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program (WIC) and the School Meals Program, has traditionally built nutritious food and nutrition education into their programs.

In recent years, the net has frayed. Many low- and moderate-income people with incomes too high to qualify for food stamps and other government assistance programs can’t keep up with the escalating costs of housing, home heating fuel, and transportation. Responding to an increase in need, the state’s charitable emergency food system has grown dramatically in recent years.

Founded in 1984 as a program of Catholic Charities, the New Hampshire Food Bank serves as a centralized warehouse and distribution center for a network of nonprofit daycare centers, senior feeding sites, emergency food pantries, soup kitchens and homeless shelters.

The New Hampshire Food Bank maintains an affiliation with a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and perishable food “rescue operations” called America ’s Second Harvest . The nationwide organization takes advantage of its collective buying and bargaining power, and today serves local agencies that feed needy people in every county in the U.S.

The New Hampshire Food Bank receives food from grocery stores, wholesalers, farmers and individuals, as well as cash donations from individuals, organizations and a variety of fundraising activities. The Food Bank requires its members to acquire nonprofit status, have refrigeration if they plan to store perishable foods, and undergo periodic inspections that ensure safe food handling practices. Agencies preparing food onsite must have state-certified commercial kitchens.

Some emergency food facilities offer classes that promote nutrition and cooking skills to the agencies and their clients. For example, a nationwide program called Operation Frontline, pairs nutritionists with chefs from local restaurants to teach cooking skills and nutrition to clients of emergency food pantries. UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections staff in Hillsborough and Rockingham counties have collaborated with Operation Frontline to teach classes which deliver nutrition education to Food Stamp clients.

In addition, some food pantries provide other services that range from cash assistance to meet emergency needs for housing, fuel, clothing, and medicine, to job training and health screenings and clinics.

Observations from the field

Persis Gow, the bookkeeper for St. Paul ’s Church Food Pantry in Concord , has noticed an increase in demand on the pantry in recent years and months. “In January 2004, we served people from 25 surrounding towns. In November, we had people from 30 towns,” she says. “In 2001 we added 363 new families—people we’d never seen before. Already this year we’ve had 400 new families, with December figures not in yet. In 2001 we served 3688 children under 18; in 2004, to date, we’ve had 4228.

Gow says people who visit the pantry include elders, single parents, and people with disabilities. “But lately, I’ve noted an increase in the number of traditional, stable, working families—mother, father and children, all with the same last name,” she says. “That’s new.”

Dot Hunt has served as treasurer of St. John’s St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Concord for the past 22 years. “There are at least 27 food pantries here in Merrimack County , and we’re all busy. Our numbers are up, with 400 new families this year. As many as 1200 individuals pass through each month,” she says. “We’re seeing more elderly, more working families and—what’s new for us—more single young people. Sometimes three or four single people will be living together and one will come in to get food for them all.”

Hunt says the pantry also provides emergency help with rent, medicine, fuel and clothing. “Usually I get about 12-14 requests a month for help with fuel and rent. But one month not too long ago, I had 60 calls. We’re seeing a lot of people facing eviction.”

2005 hunger study

In 2005, the N.H. Food Bank will participate in the Hunger in America Survey that America ’s Second Harvest conducts every four years. “This will be the first time New Hampshire has joined the survey,” says Erin Chamberlain, the N.H. Food Bank’s program services director. The two-part study will collect demographic data from face-to-face interviews with clients of emergency food pantries and soup kitchens, as well as from a survey of provider agencies themselves. “It will give us hard data about who is hungry in New Hampshire and how they deal with it,” says Chamberlain. “The study will also help us learn about what our member agencies are doing for the people in need and what more we could do for [the agencies].”

If you or someone you know needs food

If you face a family food emergency, or know someone who does, find the most available source of food. Call the Nutrition Connections staff person in your county or call your town hall and ask how and where to apply for local welfare. If you have children in school, go to the school nurse for help finding out whether your children qualify for free or reduced lunches. The New Hampshire Assistance Handbook offers sections on eligibility and how to sign up for food stamps WIC, and other government assistance programs.

If you want to help

Besides educating yourself about the extent of hunger and food insecurity in your own community, you can also participate in a local food drive, contribute cash to the Food Bank, or volunteer your time at a food pantry or soup kitchen.

Donating directly to the N.H. Food Bank instead of purchasing food products yourself increases the buying power of your donations. “A $10 donation to the N.H. Food Bank will buy 40 meals for hungry people,” says Gosselin. “Our buying power allows us to sell food to local pantries at only 18 cents a pound.”

Since most local pantries or soup kitchens run on volunteer labor, citizens can also consider donating time. Call to find out if an emergency food provider near you (link to list of emergency food providers) needs help.

Resources 

Nutrition Connections
This list connects you with UNH Cooperative Extension county staff who provide nutrition education to low-income individuals and families in New Hampshire. Staff can help connect you with emergency food resources.

New Hampshire Food Bank
New Hampshire ’s only food bank; warehouses and distributes food to a statewide network of 342 member agencies.

America ’s Second Harvest - America’s Food Bank Network
A nationwide network of more than 200 food banks and “food rescue” operations.

Serve New England
An “alternative to food shopping” that offers families of any income level deep discounts on major brand name foods in exchange for at least two hours of volunteer service each month. New Hampshire has 35 pick-up locations. You can buy a package of frozen meats, fresh fruits and vegetables at about half the grocery store price. No limit on how much food you can buy. Call 1-800-603-4855 for nearest location.

New Hampshire Assistance Handbook

Published in 2003, but updated for 2004, the handbook contains a listing of critical resources for people in need, including food assistance, shelters for the homeless and for battered women, nutrition education, legal assistance, fuel assistance, social services, and much more.

Kids Café
A service of the Salvation Army. Serves dinner to needy Manchester children, followed by an hour of crafts or games, four nights a week

The Paradox of Hunger and Obesity in America
Obese, but hungry and malnourished? This paper, issued jointly by Brandeis University ’s Center on Hunger and Poverty and the Food Research & Action Center , helps explain the apparent paradox of how dual threats of hunger and obesity can co-exist in individuals and families.

By Peg Boyles, UNH Cooperative Extension writer/editor, and Helen Costello, Food Security Coordinator

See also: "It can happen to anybody."

Have you already started feeling the stress of the approaching holiday season? As the weather turns colder and Halloween comes and goes, many of us will feel the mounting pressure of gifts not purchased and incomplete planning. Although often touted as a season to relax and share special time with family and friends, the holidays have increasingly become an added burden to the ongoing stresses and time demands common in our society today. As a result, more Americans are saying “time out” to the craziness, and looking for ways to better celebrate the true meaning of the season.

In a survey by The Center for a New American Dream, four out of five Americans would like to have a more simplified holiday and fewer than three in ten think it is necessary to spend a lot of money to have a fulfilling and enjoyable holiday.

Nearly two-thirds of us feel that giving and receiving gifts is awarded too much importance during the holidays. The money spent on holidays, including decorations, entertaining, gifts, travel, etc., typically doesn’t come from savings, but from a credit card. Surveys have found that a majority of Americans plan to pay for holiday purchases with a credit card. And when those inevitable bills come in January, it takes consumers an average of four months to pay them off.

Why not choose an alternative this holiday season?
The Center for a New American Dream is committed to helping individuals, families and communities counter the commercialization of our culture and identify ways to conserve natural resources. Instead of “keeping up with the Joneses,” they encourage a shift that reflects our innermost values and human needs. This shift can result in more time for family and friends, and also has a positive impact on individual and family finances.

Within the section on Living Consciously, the Center for a New American Dream  provides some suggestions for making this shift over the holiday season. Entitled Simplify the Holidays, this area of the website provides numerous tips on saving money, decreasing stress, maximizing fun, and increasing time for family and friends during the holiday season. There is information on alternative gifts, creating a community Alternative Gift Fair, and a 20-page downloadable brochure entitled Simplify the Holidays.

This brochure is a great place to start if you are serious about making changes. It includes making a plan for your holiday spending, suggestions on how to talk to your family and friends about the changes you want to make, suggestions for simpler entertaining, and alternative gift ideas, such as the gift of your talents or your time, gifts to charities, homemade gifts and more.

On the Web site, there is also a touching story about a wife who finds the perfect “gift” for her husband, which it transforms their family holiday experience. She says, “It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas—oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it—overspending... the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma—the gifts given in desperation because you couldn't think of anything else.” Does this sound familiar?

You can make changes
Over the last several years, our family of six has intentionally scaled back holiday spending and activities. With two daughters in college and the overall increases in the cost of raising children today, we decided to explore alternatives to those post-holiday bills.

It’s been a wonderful change. For example, all of our children create “coupons” for one another and for us. They have offered to do someone else’s chores for a week, baby-sit younger siblings, make supper one night a month, play their sibling’s favorite game, take a younger sibling out to a movie or other adventure, or mow the lawn for Dad. It has been a huge success, as we all try and figure out what would be the best “gift” for one another.

One of my daughters knitted scarves last year for the whole family, and the youngest child knitted bean bags. We have also used some gift money to plan a special family weekend trip. With older children away at college most of the year, this has provided some unforgettable family time for all of us.

We still buy gifts for our children, but not as many and not as expensive. We have discovered that our children are more interested in additional time with us than more gifts. These changes have created opportunities to talk about our family’s values, and how the experience of the holidays can continue throughout the year. It is not about deprivation; it’s about more time, fewer bills, less stress, and paying attention to the ways we can show those around us how much they truly mean to us. It shouldn’t cost money to do that.

By Karen M. Blass, UNH Cooperative Extension Family & Consumer Resources educator

After breakfast, she
Sends me outside to harvest
Poems from the land.

This poem introduces Jack Kraichnan’s just-published book of short poems, Winter to Winter: a year of seasonal change in the Monadnock foothills (Snow Brook Press, 2005).

Trained as a naturalist, Kraichnan takes his daily exercise outdoors and on foot. In late 2002, he committed himself to producing a certain number of poems during each walk, using the three-line, 5-7-5-syllable meter of traditional Japanese haiku as his form. Winter to Winter incorporates the best of the haiku Kraichnan wrote during and after walking the same five-mile loop through Dublin from mid-December, 2002, to mid-December, 2003.

Kraichnan says he didn’t intend to write a book, but simply to use haiku as an interior discipline to complement the physical discipline of walking. “I wrote the poems as a sort of journal,” he says. “They contain both what I observed and what I associated with those observations. Diane [Kraichnan’s wife] read them, liked them, and organized them to create the book.”

Kraichnan encountered all types of weather during his year of daily walks. “In our increasingly developed and engineered world, weather is one of the last forces of Nature left wild,” he writes. “Being outside in it for a year was a gift.”

Writing within the rigorous demands of the haiku format “forced me to distil my thoughts,” writes Kraichnan. “I was rigorously honest in recording what my senses perceived, and resisted altering reality even slightly to accommodate an easy turn of phrase.”

On their surface, haiku report some observation or experience of nature. The best of them invoke deep emotional and spiritual resonances that readers experience directly, without the mediation of figurative or explicitly symbolic expressions. My favorite from Kraichnan’s Winter to Winter collection:

Beneath snow and ice
In dark of pond’s still water
Turtles are waiting.

I love this idea of combining physical activity with a writing discipline as Kraichnan has done. Over nearly four decades, including 18 years as a serious competitive triathlete, I’ve walked, hiked, run, biked, snowshoed, and swum thousands of miles, almost all of it across the familiar woods and roadways near my home, in the little pond just outside my kitchen window, or in half-acre vegetable garden I’ve planted, tended and harvested for 37 seasons.

Like Kraichnan, I’ve learned that our “seasons are not as clearly defined as I had thought,” with each season offering as many micro-seasons as I have encounters with the world outside my walls.

I’ve also learned that the same piece of terrain never looks sounds, feels, or smells the same from one encounter to the next. The feeling of the ground under foot or wheel changes perceptibly as the seasons advance. The scents on the air change, as frozen ground softens to mud, lilacs bloom, a neighbor mows his lawn, a dead woodchuck rots by the roadside in the August heat, fall leaves accumulate, a hard frost stiffens the ground. On my walk today, I heard the groans of frozen trunks and limbs in the winter woods and the rattle of beech leaves still hanging on their branches; tomorrow I’ll hear the whisper of uncut hay in the field, the voices of crows in my compost pile, and the squeals of children playing tag in my neighbor’s yard.

Like Kraichnan’s, my outdoor excursions have provoked me to write many poems, most of them marking rites of passage for me and for loved ones.

When my daughter turned 18 and left home for college, I presented her with a poem titled Rock and a small rock I picked up in our backyard vegetable garden to go with the poem. I spent three months writing Rock, laboring over each word and image, in part because I wanted my child to remember where she came from, but mostly because I needed work through my own grief and summon the considerable strength I needed to let go.

It snowed the day I received Jack’s book in the mail. Returning home from a long walk, I went to the edge of my small pond. A rim of ice had formed around the edges. A sparrow flew down as if to land, then flew away, leaving me with this poem:

First snow dusts thin ice
Of backyard pond, too thin
For that small sparrow.

Kraichnan writes in his preface, “I offer this book to those who may be trapped inside too often.”
Getting outside to exercise and explore can open us to new awareness of body, mind, and spirit.

Making poems about those excursions involves another level of “getting outside.” Committing to the discipline of putting words on paper helps the poet escape the received notions and old frames of reference that also keep us trapped inside.

Yesterday turned cold, windy, and sunless. I took a lunchtime run up Route 4, and came home with this poem:

Dry beech leaf rattling
Across dead, frozen asphalt
Takes wing on the wind.

By Peg Boyles, UNH Cooperative Extension Writer/Editor

On May 21, Kristen Wentz received her commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps in a ceremony at the Memorial Union Building on the University of New Hampshire campus. Wentz, a recent graduate of the St. Anselm College nursing program, completed her Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) training requirements at UNH.

An ROTC tradition allows cadets to pick the officer who performs their swearing-in, and Wentz chose her father, Colonel Paul Wentz, Brigade Commander for the 1st Infantry Division, Division Support Command.

In an unusual twist on tradition, Col. Wentz conducted the swearing-in from his military headquarters in Tikrit, Iraq via satellite videoconference.

“It’s not that unusual for parents to commission their children,” said Lieutenant Colonel Harry D. Prantl, a Professor of Military Science who heads the UNH Army ROTC program. “In Kristen’s case, we simply used modern technology to make possible what would have happened [face-to-face] except for the circumstances.

First in the nation video-commissioning

“I’ve done a little research, and I think this is the first commissioning ceremony ever performed by videoconference from a war zone,” said Prantl.

David Foote, UNH Cooperative Extension’s director of information technology and distance education, who chairs the Granite State Distance Learning Network (see accompanying article), worked with Prantl and others over several months to sponsor and coordinate the details of the long-distance ceremony.

On the New Hampshire side, about 35 people attended the 25-minute video-commissioning—Kristen Wentz’s mother, her brother, an Army Private 1 st Class on duty in Alabama, fellow cadets, other family and friends, faculty and staff of the UNH Army ROTC program, a handful of technical people and a reporter for the New York Times.

“I found it very moving,” said Foote. “Tears flowed on both sides. Kristen’s father gave a speech. His own commanding officer [Brigadier General Stephen Mundt], attended and said a few words. They closed the ceremony by singing the Army Song.”

“At the distant end, they gathered a group of staff officers in the headquarters” Prantl said. “Col. Wentz’s commanding officer even rearranged his schedule to attend. Although the Army has videoconferencing equipment in headquarters throughout the world, they mostly use it for command-and-control communications,” said Prantl. “Planning an event like this in [a war] theater is difficult because the units move around so frequently. In fact, that’s what happened. After our first dry run with the equipment, the unit moved, so we had to start all over again.”

Foote said that technical experts Mark Leonard and David Lucas in Durham worked through a number of technical challenges with their Army Signal Corps counterparts in Iraq. “We worried we might lose the signal, but the connection remained stable and the equipment performed flawlessly,” Foote said.

Prantl said the UNH Army ROTC program commissioned 28 Second Lieutenants this year, including Kristen Wentz, the largest number since 1988. The new officers earned their undergraduate degrees from various colleges and universities around the state; through partnership agreements between their own colleges and UNH, all completed their ROTC training on the UNH campus.

Prantl said Lt. Wentz will spend the summer studying for her nursing boards and report for active duty in September.

In 1999, UNH Cooperative Extension, NH Public Television, North Country Education Foundation, Bow and Somersworth High Schools, and Verizon collaborated in conducting a pilot program that provided educational programs to teachers and students via a two-way interactive video network. The pilot tested new technology that allowed previously incompatible videoconferencing equipment to connect.

The successful pilot led to an expansion of the project into a public-private partnership called the Granite State Distance Learning Network (GSDLN). GSDLN envisions a statewide network that will offer affordable distance learning opportunities and high-speed Internet access to public and community nonprofit organizations throughout the Granite State.

According to David Foote, founding GSDLN member and current chair of its coordinating committee, the network currently has about 35 sites up and operating at schools, colleges, state agencies, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations, with more due to come online soon.

“Last year, the network delivered more than 1000 interactive conferences—300 of them Cooperative Extension events,” Foote said. “We’ve used it for two-way interactive teaching between high schools, for conferences and workshops, many types of teacher training, and trainings for public health and emergency services training—on SARS, meningitis and hepatitis.”

To learn more about the Granite State Distance Learning Network(GSDLN):

• GSDLN Homepage
• About the GSDLN
• GSDLN Coordinating Committee
• Member sites

To discuss scheduling a videoconference at a GSDLN site for your community or nonprofit organization, contact David Foote

People often ask me about ponds they think are “dying,” or better yet—have “gone bad.” Of course, what they’re really referring to is a pond becoming increasingly nutrient-laden or eutrophic. These ponds become more and more shallow, and more and more vegetation grows both in and around the pond.

However, these ponds aren’t dying or “going bad.” The ponds’ owners may not like the way their ponds look, but there is nothing wrong with them. They’re simply aging. And that, unfortunately, is something we all go through!

Given enough time, all ponds will eventually fill in with vegetation and turn into marshes. The time needed depends on the pond and its location. Some ponds last 50 years or more, while others fill in within a few years of being built. However, for every pond, the aging process is inevitable.

So, how does a pond owner slow down the aging process? Most pond owners would like their pond to stay looking like a pond indefinitely. After all, who wants to build a pond just to have their investment turn into mud and cattails?

The most important thing a pond owner can do to prevent excessive growth of weeds and vegetation in a pond is to control (stop) the inflow of nutrients to the pond. Like land plants, growing aquatic vegetation needs nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, along with various micronutrients. It is a simple fact of nature that where there are nutrients, soil and water, plants will grow.

Common nutrient sources for ponds include lawn fertilizer, manure from livestock and/or wild birds and animals, fallen leaves, leaking septic systems, and bare soil. Be sure to consider what's taking place upstream and uphill from your pond, as well as on your own land.

Unfortunately, people often find they have no control over the nutrient source. For example, this can happen when there’s an upstream nutrient source, or when the pond itself is the nutrient source.

Many ponds built by the USDA Soil Conservation Service (SCS) in the 1960s and 1970s are now much shallower because of the 30-plus years’ accumulation of leaves and sediment. These ponds are now huge, wet compost piles. The only real remedy for a pond like this is to have it dredged. For a maintenance dredge, a permit is needed from the Wetlands Bureau of the NH Department of Environmental Services (271-1969). Your county Conservation District can help you with the permit application, as well as provide you with a list of excavators in your area.

Luckily, most ponds don’t have that much muck on the bottom and aren’t completely overloaded with nutrients. For these ponds, I remind people that where there are nutrients, there is vegetation. This means you need to think about which aquatic plants you like the most, or for some people, which plants they hate the least.

Aquatic vegetation can be roughly divided into two groups. There are the macrophytes, a higher order plant that look like, well … plants! The other group is the algae, the green slimy stuff that slips through your fingers. Algae can spread quickly, and can form floating mats of dead or dying material, commonly referred to as pond scums. I have to admit, a pond covered with slimy mats of brown, dying algae truly does appear to be “going bad.”

Macrophytes commonly found in New Hampshire ponds include cattails, pickerel weed, water lilies, duckweed and rushes, along with submerged plants like coontail and bladderwort. All these plants compete with algae for nutrients. There are also several plants with attractive flowers and/or wildlife value that can be planted at the edge of your pond. Both Blue Flag iris and Cardinal Flower make beautiful, colorful additions. Shrubs are particularly good at taking up excess nutrients. Native shrubs that also help provide food for wildlife include buttonbush, nannyberry, wild grape and winterberry holly.

Good sources for these plants include your county Conservation District (many have spring plant sales) and the NH State Forest Nursery , which sells many native plants, and even has a special wetlands package.

By J-J Newman, UNH Cooperative Extension Aquaculture Specialist

This spring about a thousand New Hampshire landowners will slice the newly-defrosted ground to create thousands of welcoming holes for tree and shrub seedlings bought from the State Forest Nursery.

Howie Lewis, nursery forester, calls his nearly 40-acre nursery one of New Hampshire’s best- kept secrets. Lewis says the nursery produces a unique product. “We provide something nobody else does – tree and shrub seedlings native to New Hampshire, with seeds picked from specimens grown right here in the state. When you buy from the state forest nursery, you know the plant is suited to grow here.”

In operation in Boscawen since 1910, the nursery grows more than 50 species of trees and shrubs for reforestation, Christmas trees, and wildlife, and sells them at affordable prices. Seedlings, sold on a “first come-first served basis” include conifers, such as white, red and Scotch pine, Norway, blue, red, and white spruce, concolor, balsam, fraser and douglas fir, and hemlock.

The nursery offers many other species, including arrow-wood, crabapple, fragrant sumac, grapes, highbush cranberry, dogwood, rose, nannyberry, beach plum, elderberry, winterberry holly, bayberry, hazelnut, red oak, cedar, sugar maple and white ash. Special “packages,” each containing an assortment of 25 shrubs and/or trees, include a Christmas tree sampler and special wildlife-and-songbird, wetlands, native species, and winter survival packages.

Besides being one of his best sellers, balsam fir is Lewis’ personal favorite. “I’ve worked with this species the most. I follow seedlings from the parents in the seed orchard through to watching them grow in the seedbed.” Balsam fir is a customer favorite because it has that classic evergreen smell. Seedlings sell out, so nursery staff suggest you order early.

Ordering starts in January and ends March 30. “When you are in the nursery business, spring starts a different time each year,” says Lewis, “So we ship to a county pickup point in late April or early May, whenever the seedlings can be lifted from the ground.” Customers receive a card in the mail announcing the pick up dates. “We work throughout the year getting ready for the spring shipment and hope we have many new customers this year.”

Lewis is enthusiastic about his trees and shrubs and hopes “New Hampshire’s best kept secret” is known by all.

By Karen Bennett, UNH Cooperative Extension Forest Resources Specialist

More information:

• To receive a catalog, contact the N.H. State Nursery, N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, P.O. Box 1856, Concord, NH 03302-1856, or call 603-271-3456.
• View the State Nursery catalog and order online.
• Planting and Care of Tree Seedlings
• Establishing the Christmas Tree Plantation

The volunteers of Great Bay Coast Watch (GBCW) call them “bad guys,” scientists call them harmful algal blooms (HABs), and the press and public generally use the term “red tide.” But whatever the name, the worst bloom of toxic algae in decades arrived in the spring of 2005.

Since June of 1999, GBCW volunteers have been sampling coastal waters to capture, examine, and identify the renegade single-celled algae that create these toxic blooms, whose presence may necessitate shutting down shellfish harvesting operations to protect public health.

This spring, data collected by GBCW volunteers gave a heads-up about an emerging bloom to New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (NHDES) Shellfish Program personnel. Ideally, volunteers find the toxic algae cells before shellfish ingest enough to become toxic; however, this spring’s HAB arose so quickly and at such high concentrations, volunteer sightings coincided with elevated toxin levels in shellfish tested at the state NHDES laboratory.

Good things in small packages
Phytoplankton, the common term for single-celled marine algae, provide the ultimate example of a “good thing in a small package.” Cells are so small that they are invisible to the naked eye, yet so exquisitely beautiful artists have copied them in stained glass. Individual species take several forms, among them: opalescent ovals punctuated with thousands of tiny holes, pill-box-like chains with protruding spines, and plated-and-grooved “spaceships” with flickering flagella. (See figures 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6).

Millions of phytoplankton can exist in a single drop of sea water, inhabiting a tiny world all but invisible. Through the process of photosynthesis, microscopic “meadows” of single-celled plants sustain the entire food web of the oceans. The lives of all animals that live in the sea depend on phytoplankton for energy and minerals. Phytoplankton photosynthesis is a key element of the global carbon cycle, which regulates the temperature of our planet and produces life-sustaining oxygen. Perhaps no other group of organisms plays such a major role in maintaining life on Earth.

Toxic “blooms
A “bloom” happens when conditions allow algae to multiply very fast and accumulate in dense, sometimes visible patches. Blooms of toxic algae (HABs) are what GBCW volunteers look for.

Like handsome strangers wearing black hats, the presence of toxic cells spells trouble. Scientists don’t know why these “bad guys” out of an estimated 20,000 different phytoplankton species produce toxins. When toxic cells are abundant in the water, filter feeders like shellfish will consume them and concentrate the toxins, which can then be passed along the food chain. Humans who eat the now- contaminated shellfish can get sick or even die.

Of the six types of potentially toxic cells that GBCW volunteers look for, Alexandrium species are always toxic and are the culprits that caused this spring’s event.

People who eat shellfish harboring elevated levels of Alexandrium-produced toxins can suffer Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP). PSP symptoms range from tingling of the lips to, in rare cases, respiratory system arrest and death. Coastal states spend millions of dollars annually to identify HAB-contaminated shellfish before the shellfish can be sold and endanger public health.

Volunteers as early warning system
Using volunteers to act as an early warning system for HABs began in California in 1991. Theorists opined that since it was possible to train citizens as enemy plane spotters in WWII, it was also possible to train people to use simple methods (e.g., plankton net and field microscope) to identify incoming toxic cells before the filter-feeding clams and mussels became contaminated.

In 1999, supported by a grant from the New Hampshire Coastal Program and with training provide d by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, New Hampshire became the third U.S. coastal state to use volunteers as citizen scientists to collect data on harmful algal blooms.

Many people briefly harbor a desire to be a scientist and “go where no man has gone before” or travel the seas as Jacques Cousteau did on the Calypso. Few pursue it because they think scientists are smarter, braver, or somehow different. The GBCW phytoplankton program allows all its volunteers to be scientists. The work is exacting and sometimes tedious, but rewards volunteers with small discoveries and, on rare occasions, a breakthrough. Comrades work side by side looking for the” bad guys.” Weeks and months go by without an observation—then there is a tidal wave of sightings and everyone becomes recharged.

Training volunteer phytoplankton monitors
Training volunteers to collect water quality information, fill out data sheets, and use microscopes to identify the six toxic or potentially toxic cells out of the thousands possible presents challenges. For some, just looking through the eyepiece of a microscope and seeing more than their eyelashes is the first step.

GBCW trains all its new volunteers first in the classroom at UNH’s Kingman Farm, then in a cooperative training, then with their Maine counterparts in April at the Darling Marine Center in Walpole, Maine, and finally in the field.

Although the process may seem intimidating at first, most volunteers quickly learn identification methods and develop an eye for spotting anything unusual in their samples. One of us (Cooper) has developed photo-ID sheets to help in the process.

Each volunteer then becomes part of a team assigned a sampling site along the New Hampshire coast. Each team collects data weekly and sends it to the GBCW office at Kingman Farm. Potentially toxic cells observed are immediately reported to the coordinator, who relays the information to the N.H. Shellfish Program personnel ultimately responsible for the management of shellfish beds.

GBCW communicates with other scientists and with the public
During this year’s substantial HAB event, GBCW established daily communication and shared observations with scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, the University of Massachusetts in Dartmouth, Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Water Resources Administration monitoring team, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Office of Seafood Safety.

GBCW also seeks to educate the public about marine issues. The world of phytoplankton is a wonderful means of introducing students and adults to ocean food webs, the impacts of coastal pollution, and the use of satellite imagery to determine ocean productivity. Home-schooled students hav e become monitors; other students have used their phytoplankton data for science fair projects. Phytoplankton monitoring has been offered as a school enrichment activity. GBCW volunteers have for three years presented programs about phytoplankton to all the fifth grade students at the Portsmouth Middle School and to other school groups through Cooperative Extension’s Marine Docent Program.

You can learn more about the dangers of HABs from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute.

By Candace Dolan, Phytoplankton Monitoring Program Coordinator, and Steve Cooper, GreatBayCoast Watch volunteer.

Phytoplankton photos by Steve Cooper; at 400x magnification. Other photos by Candace Dolan.

The Great Bay Coast Watch(GBCW)
The Great Bay Coast Watch (GBCW) was founded in 1990 as part of the University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension/Sea Grant citizen outreach and education program. More than 100 adult and teenage volunteers work to protect the long-term health of New Hampshire ’s coastal environment through volunteer water monitoring. Additional program funding and phytoplankton project support is provided through grants from the New Hampshire Coastal Program (NHCP) and New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP).

NHDES Shellfish Program
Since 2001, GBCW has been helping NHDES manage a paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) sampling site at Star Island, Isles of Shoals. Since blooms of toxic Alexandrium species tend to move in from offshore waters, the Star Island site is ideal as it is six miles from the NH coast. Because there are few easily accessible mussels at the island, volunteers collect mussels from the plentiful mussel beds in Hampton Harbor and place them in mesh bags that are transported out and left to hang from the Star Island docks. Left to filter-feed for at least a week, the mussels collect whatever toxins may be present. Volunteers then collect and transport the mussels to the NHDES laboratory in Concord for testing.

Phytoplankton Photo ID
Identification of phytoplankton species is difficult, especially using portable field microscopes. The images aren’t as sharp as those of lab equipment, and field scopes are subject to harsh field conditions.

Two years ago, the only field aids available to GBCW volunteers were marginal black-and-white photos and small line drawings, both vastly different from the images one sees in the field. Today, volunteers have full-color, lifelike photo-ID sheets that make their job much easier.

These sheets, developed by long-time GBCW volunteer Steve Cooper, evolved slowly. According to Cooper, “In 2003, I was involved in a UNH project that required volunteers to analyze once-per-week ocean samples by determining plankton species and quantities in a fixed amount of seawater. I began taking photographs in the lab to help identify many off-shore species I had never seen before. It soon dawned on me that this concept could be useful for our coastal samplers.”

Cooper combined photos taken in the lab with others he took in the field using coastal samples. He used these photos, along with a few from other sources, to design a pictorial document to be used in the field.

The fun part? “It soon became a real quest to get good photos of all the species that the volunteers see,” Cooper says. “Sort of a Peterson’s Guide to Phytoplankton. Even better is the thrill of seeing beautiful phytoplankton structures under the microscope. Such diversity—the intricacies and beauty embodied in nature never cease to amaze me.”

With the powerful essay by Carolyn Baldwin posted below, UNH Cooperative Extension launches NH Outside, a weekly column written primarily by UNH natural resources volunteers.

NH Outside aims to connect readers to New Hampshire’s wild and cultivated outdoor environments by motivating folks to get outside more often, to learn more about the topics we write about, and to become closer observers of the natural world.

UNH Extension supports more than 1,300 trained natural resources volunteers: Master Gardeners, Community Tree Stewards, Wildlife Coverts Cooperators, Lay Lakes Monitors, and Marine Docents. These folks come to our programs motivated by enthusiasm for sharing what they know and love about New Hampshire’s natural environment. In exchange for their training and support, they agree to volunteer time in a wide variety of local and statewide educational projects.

We've recruited, and will keep recruiting, a few natural resources volunteers who like to write, offering them support for improving their writing skills and an opportunity to see their words in print. Our own agricultural resources, forestry & wildlife, and water resources staff will contribute occasionally to NH Outside, as well as review technical content of the volunteers’ columns as needed.

We’ll offer the weekly columns to newspapers and newsletters statewide, so look for them in your local newspaper. We’ll also publish them in the new NH Outside section of our Web site, so you can read them here every week.

In 2004, UNH Cooperative Extension specialists Suzann Knight and Valerie Long founded the New Hampshire Earned Income Tax Credit Alliance to bring together the many agencies and coalitions working throughout the state to help families improve their financial stability.

“We developed the Alliance to strengthen EITC-promotion efforts throughout the state,” says Long. “Its aims include encouraging development of volunteer tax preparation sites in areas that don’t yet serve EITC-eligible clientele, establishing collaborations between Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and other free tax preparation sites, promoting best practices, developing a statewide media campaign to inform EITC-eligible residents about where they can go for free tax preparation, and generally support community EITC efforts. The Alliance is unique—extraordinary, really—in that it involves all the key players in the state working to benefit our families in need.”

“But Alliance members soon realized we needed some means of sharing information among ourselves, promoting best practices, and distributing information about the EITC to the general public,” Long says. “We developed the Web site to meet those needs.”

Dreaming of a better garden? Love to mingle with fellow gardeners? Do we have a day for you!

The New Hampshire Master Gardener Association and UNH Cooperative Extension invite you to the 4th annual Welcome Spring! Garden Symposium, Saturday, March 25, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Grappone Center in Concord.

Radio/ TV personality and gardening humorist C.L. Fornari will deliver the keynote address, offering ideas on garden design and how to use concepts from other gardens in your own landscape.

A dozen workshops presented by UNH Cooperative Extension horticulture staff and outside experts include: For Meat and Medicine: A Look at Herbs and Their Uses; Orchids are Easy; Daffodils 101; Water Gardens; Great Lawns for Less Money; and Shade Gardening “Beyond Hosta.”

The cost is $38 for NHMGA members, $48 for non-members and general public includes refreshments, buffet lunch, displays, books and a chance to bid on items in the silent auction.

Participants must register by March 18. To register, download this brochure. To receive a brochure in the mail, contact Karen Firmin at (603) 279-0763.

Are you interested in helping protect New Hampshire's wildlife? Are you an enthusiastic person, involved in your community? Do you manage your own land to help wildlife? Are you concerned about the loss of wildlife habitat in New Hampshire?

The New Hampshire Coverts Project is looking for applicants to attend the eleventh annual Coverts training, to be held in Hancock, September 7-10, 2005. Anyone with an interest in wildlife and land stewardship who is willing to commit 40 hours of volunteer time is invited to apply. The training is free.

The program has successfully trained more than 220 Coverts Cooperators who live in more than 100 communities throughout the state. Landowners, conservation commissioners, business people, land trust volunteers, doctors, teachers, and writers have all participated in the program over the years. These volunteers are making a difference for New Hampshire's wildlife and their habitats by managing habitat, promoting a land stewardship ethic, initiating community conservation planning, and helping to protect land.

UNH Cooperative Extension coordinates the program in partnership with N.H. Fish and Game, The Ruffed Grouse Society, and N.H. Division of Forests and Lands. For an application, phone Malin Ely Clyde at 862-2166 or email. The deadline for submitting applications is June 1, 2005.

To learn more about the Coverts Project and the training workshop, visit NH Coverts Project website.

If you’ve dreamed about turning Aunt Bertha’s recipe for wild blueberry pancake syrup into a business enterprise, or retooling your dairy operation to make artisan cheeses, the New England Extension Food Safety Consortium has a new Web site for you.

Online Support for New England Food Entrepreneurs serves as a one-stop Web gateway that walks you through the entire process of starting (or growing) a specialty food business, from developing and testing your recipe, to learning about federal and state regulations, raising capital, and finding help for business planning, marketing, transportation, packaging, labeling, equipment, and much, much more.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s food and nutrition specialist Catherine Violette and UMass Extension food safety educator Rita Brennan Olson head up the project team, which includes Cooperative Extension food science, food safety and nutrition staff from all six New England states.

“I get lots of calls from folks who want to start or expand a specialty food business, so food entrepreneurs are a group that’s long been an interest of mine,” said Violette. “The new site will replace our print publication N.H. Handbook and Resource Guide for Specialty Food Producers, enabling us to organize and keep up-to-date in one place all the information specialty food producers need.”

The well-designed site features simple intuitive navigation and an excellent site map.

Violette has organized an impressive range of information and resources specific to New Hampshire.

A Resources section connects site visitors with a wealth of information from selected food entrepreneur sites across the nation.

An innovative feedback feature allows visitors to rate various aspects of the site and make specific suggestions for improvements or additions.

Site may benefit local agricultural producers

“It’s great!” says Gail McWilliam-Jellie, director of agricultural development for the N.H. Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food. “There’s a lot of general information useful to anyone interested in starting a food business; but there’s also a lot of state-specific information.”

“We get a lot of calls from people who want to start a food business,” she says. “Since product developers have to do a lot of their own homework, it’s been frustrating not to have a source of updated information to refer people to. I like the fact that the site offers business and marketing resources. A lot of people who have a great idea for a food product don’t have a clue about how to bring that idea into the marketplace.”

McWilliam-Jellie says the site may benefit New Hampshire ’s agricultural producers. “Developing a food product that makes use of their own raw materials is one way growers can retain control over their product and pocket more of the profits that would otherwise go to middlemen.”

Are leaves dropping from your maple tree? Are you seeing spots on the basswood leaves? Does the sycamore in your yard look scraggly?

Blame the cool, wet weather during May—perfect conditions for a population explosion among a group of closely related fungi that cause diseases collectively known as anthracnose. Most common on maple, sycamore, ash, oak and dogwood, anthracnose may also affect include linden (basswood), birch and hickory.

Symptoms of anthracnose
Anthracnose fungi often cause leaf drop of maple, oak, sycamore and occasionally linden and birch. Leaf drop is common if prolonged cool wet weather occurs while the new leaves are expanding—exactly the conditions southern New Hampshire experienced earlier this spring.

Other symptoms of anthracnose include dark, discolored areas along the veins or margins of the leaves, brown or black areas between the veins and leaf spots. Twig cankers and twig death are common on sycamore and dogwood trees. Leaf drop and twig death often gives sycamore a scraggly appearance with tufts of leaves at the end of otherwise bare branches. Many trees that drop leaves in June will put out a second flush of scattered, large leaves.

Other leaf spot diseases prevalent
In addition to anthracnose, a wide range of other fungal leaf spot diseases have appeared on lilacs, rhododendrons, azaleas, crabapples, and many other trees and shrubs this year. Because many of the same diseases were present last year (thanks to similar weather last spring), dead twigs and fallen leaves provided the source of infections for this year. Add in the wet weather this year and viola! you basically have what Extension forester Marshall Patmos calls a “giant Petri dish” of foliar diseases.

What to do
Although it may be alarming to see all the dead leaves on the ground beneath your maple, or the spotted leaves on your crabapple, anthracnose and leaf spots are generally considered a cosmetic or aesthetic problem that rarely requires chemical control.

In fact, chemicals applied now for anthracnose and most leaf spots will do little to control the diseases. The symptoms now visible were caused by infections that occurred when the leaves were expanding, and these established infections can’t be “cured.” Rarely are fungicides warranted as protection from infection in the early spring.

In fact, spraying large trees is not only impractical but also often unnecessary, since many healthy leaves remain on the tree. Fungicides are warranted only in severe cases where defoliation has occurred for three or more years. (One exception: anthracnose in flowering dogwood, which often requires fungicides for effective control.)

Management of anthracnose and leaf spots generally includes pruning infected twigs and cultural practices that improve tree vigor and prevent stress. These include fertilization after the leaves have fallen in the autumn or one month before the last frost in the spring will help maintain tree vigor. Raking and removing leaves in the autumn helps control many of the leaf spots but has minimal effect on anthracnose.

It’s important to remember that trees are resilient and leaf spots and anthracnose are just another part of the natural challenges Mother Nature exposes them to.

by Cheryl Smith, UNH Cooperative Extension Professor & Plant Health Specialist

If you see leaves dropping from your maple trees and spots on the oak leaves, or if the sycamore in the yard looks scraggly, blame it on a repeat of the fungal attacks that hit New Hampshire trees last spring.

The excessively wet, cool weather during May set up the perfect conditions for a population explosion among a group of closely related fungi that cause diseases collectively known as anthracnose. Most common on maple, sycamore, ash, oak and dogwood, anthracnose may also affect linden (basswood), birch and hickory.

Symptoms of anthracnose
Leaf drop is common if prolonged cool wet weather occurs while the new leaves are expanding—exactly the conditions southern New Hampshire experienced during mid- to late May.

Other symptoms of anthracnose include dark, discolored areas along the veins or margins of the leaves, brown or black areas between the veins and leaf spots. Twig cankers and twig death are also common on sycamore and dogwood trees. Leaf drop and twig death often gives sycamore a scraggly appearance with tufts of leaves at the end of otherwise bare branches. Many trees that drop leaves in June will put out a second flush of scattered, large leaves.

Other leaf spot diseases prevalent
In addition to anthracnose, a wide range of other fungal leaf spot diseases have appeared on lilacs, crabapples and many other trees and shrubs this year. Because many of the same diseases were present last year (thanks to similar weather last spring), dead twigs and fallen leaves provided the source of infections for this year. Add in the wet weather this year and viola! you basically have the perfect conditions for a wide range of foliar diseases.

What to do
Although it may be alarming to see all the leaves on the ground beneath your maple, or the spotted leaves on your crabapple, anthracnose and leaf spots are generally considered a cosmetic or aesthetic problem that rarely requires chemical control.

In fact, chemicals applied now for anthracnose and most leaf spots will do little to control the diseases. The symptoms now visible were caused by infections that occurred when the leaves were expanding, and these established infections can’t be “cured.” Rarely are fungicides warranted as protection from infection in the early spring.

In fact, spraying large trees is not only impractical and expensive, but also often unnecessary, since many healthy leaves remain on the tree. Fungicides are warranted only in severe cases where defoliation has occurred for three or more years. (One exception: anthracnose in flowering dogwood, which often requires fungicides for effective control.)

Management of anthracnose and leaf spots generally includes pruning infected twigs and cultural practices that improve tree vigor and prevent stress. These include fertilization after the leaves have fallen in the autumn or one month before the last frost in the spring will help maintain tree vigor. Provide supplemental water if rainfall is lacking for more than two or three weeks. Raking and removing leaves in the autumn helps control many of the leaf spots, but has minimal effect on anthracnose.

It’s important to remember that trees are resilient and leaf spots and anthracnose are just another part of the natural challenges Mother Nature exposes them to.

by Cheryl Smith, UNH Cooperative Extension Professor & Plant Health Specialist

Splitting and stacking firewood in the 80-degree heat of a steamy July afternoon, I got to thinking about the old-time saying, “Wood warms you twice.” As someone who’s burned wood, and only wood, to heat my home for 36 years, I came up with a long list of ways wood warms me and my family—and we don’t even fell the trees or clean our own chimney:

• Sawing the load of 16-foot logs into 16-inch rounds.
• Splitting rounds into two, four, or sometimes six or eight pieces so they dry faster.
• Stacking the split wood in the woodshed
• Hauling armloads of wood from the shed into the house during heating season.
• Loading the stoves and basking in their radiant warmth. Ahh!
• Preheating the water we use for bathing and dishwashing.
• Warming our bellies with winter soups, stews and sauces simmered on the stovetop.
• Cleaning out the ash pans and hauling buckets of ashes into the cellar for storage in steel garbage cans.
• Spreading the accumulated ashes on our lawns and gardens in the spring.

By any standard, our household firewood operation qualifies as primitive and labor-intensive. We have a new Husqvarna 350 chainsaw and tools to maintain it, two 8-lb. splitting mauls (just in case the motivation strikes two parties simultaneously), four wedges, a lightweight axe for splitting kindling and a cheap plastic wheelbarrow for moving split wood across the driveway to the woodshed. We accomplish the rest of the work with what my dad always called the “Armstrong model.”

Firewood economics

Living in a state that’s 84 percent forested, I’ve always assumed it makes economic sense to burn wood for heat, even in those years when I bought my wood cut, split, dried, and delivered. With the price of propane and home heating oil expected to jump $300-$500 for the average New Hampshire household this winter, a lot of Granite Staters may have thought about turning or returning to native wood to heat their homes.

But poor conditions for logging in the spring and strong pulpwood market competing for the same material have also driven up the price of firewood this year. Here in central New Hampshire, prices range from $180 to $200 a cord for split, seasoned firewood—up from about $140-$160 last year.

Since we bought our load of green logs for roughly $60 a cord, even after amortizing the cost of the chainsaw and adding what we’ll pay for the fuel and parts, we’ll still come out way ahead. I’ve seen charts that indicate woodburning households could pay between $170 and $225 a cord and still beat the price of heating oil at its current average of $1.49 per gallon.

Wood supports a way of life

Wood does more than keep me warm, though. It supports my values and my way of life. Wood heat dries the laundry we hang on wooden racks around the stove in winter, simultaneously humidifying the dry indoor air. It provides my family with a concrete form of homeland security, keeping us warm and able to heat water from the gravity-feed well when the power goes off. Wood ashes neutralize the acid soil in my big vegetable garden and add important minerals my veggies need for optimum health.

In a nation where obesity has reached epidemic levels and threatens to overtake smoking as the #1 public health concern, working up my winter wood supply certainly helps me keep my weight in check. The experts say a person my weight burns between 325 and 500 calories an hour doing various wood-working activities. This weekend, I spent more than 12 hours lifting, splitting, hauling and stacking wood—the exercise equivalent of walking or running about 55 miles. Not bad!

Burning wood supports the N.H. economy

Joe Broyles, energy program manager at the N.H. Office of Energy and Planning estimates that two-thirds of the nearly $2 billion New Hampshire consumers spend on energy products leaves the state. But the money I spend to buy my firewood stays right here in New Hampshire. The firewood business represents a significant and essential component of New Hampshire’s forest industries, which collectively provide jobs for 10,000 to 15,000 New Hampshire residents and pump $1.7 billion directly into our state’s economy.

Burning wood takes savvy: learn how

Even if you don’t cut down your own trees or learn to use a chainsaw and splitting maul, home woodburning does require savvy. You need to learn to evaluate the quality and energy value of the wood you buy. You need to learn how to season and store your wood, install and maintain your heating equipment for safe operation, burn wood safely, maintain your chimney and handle your ashes.

A couple of tips about selecting and buying firewood: “It’s worth building a long term relationship with your wood supplier,” says Sarah Smith, UNH Extension forest industry specialist. “That’s the best way to ensure your producer is selling you a good cord and a good mixture.”

UNH Extension forester Nory Parr adds, “Everybody talks about wanting only oak and ash—the premier hardwoods—but people should remember that all wood burns. Burn only junk wood from trees that don’t have a higher value as sawlogs or veneer logs and you’ll be leaving the forest in better shape.”

Consult these sources to increase your savvy about heating your home with wood

• Buying Firewood: Know What You’re Getting - Here we offer brief guide to buying firewood.
• Wood Heating Savvy - This fact sheet covers the basics of wood heating safety.
• Safe Timber Harvesting  - Read this if you plan to cut your own trees.
• N.H. Association of Arborists - This site contains a list of certified N.H. Arborists, professionals who remove unwanted or hazard yard trees and may have fuelwood for sale.
• Guide to N.H. Timber Harvesting Laws

by Peg Boyles, UNH Cooperative Extension Writer/Editor

As soon as the first few inches of snow falls, some New Hampshire landowners begin thinking about putting out food for the deer.

Don’t! You’ll do more harm than good, both to the deer and to their habitat. Research and experience has shown that the negative effects of winter feeding outweigh any benefit deer might get from being fed.

Two factors primarily determine deer survival during winter: the availability of high-quality food in the fall, and softwood (e.g., hemlock, spruce, fir) cover during winter.

Deer must store body fat for the winter. The amount of body fat a deer has when it enters the winter directly determines if it will survive until spring. Deer accumulate body fat by increasing the amount of food they eat in September and October, when high-quality foods, such as acorns and beech nuts, are abundant. By November, most deer have accumulated all the fat they will need to survive the winter.

During September and October feeding, fat accumulation in adult deer results in a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in body weight. Fawns, on the other hand, accumulate only about half as much fat, because they use most of the food they eat for growing muscles and bones.

Beginning in November, deer in the Northeast voluntarily begin eating less. They continue to reduce the amount of food they eat each day until around late February, when they are eating about 50 percent less food per day than they did in September. Throughout the winter, deer compensate for their reduced food intake by relying on their stored fat for energy. An adult deer may get as much as 40 percent of its daily nutrition during winter from fat reserves.

However, to maintain this level of stored fat use, deer must conserve their energy by reducing their activity (e.g., by traveling less) and by spending most of their time in softwood cover, where it’s warmer and the snow isn’t as deep. These energy-conserving behaviors are especially important for fawns because of their lower fat reserves.

Although deer can eat to reduce the amount of fat they burn, natural foods only slow the rate of fat loss; they don’t stop it. This is where some people begin saying, “That’s why people need to put out grain for the deer!”

But research has discovered that even deer feeding on nothing but grain lose weight during the winter. Even captive deer that have access to as much high-quality food as they want still reduce the amount of food they eat beginning in November, and they continue to lose body fat through February.

That’s because deer have evolved a survival strategy that involves eating as much food as they can in autumn, to put on as much fat as possible before winter. Once winter comes, instinct tells deer to eat less, move around less, and seek the protection of winter cover.

Research has also shown that large, dominant adult deer fill their bellies first at feeding sites, which means that smaller and weaker individuals, including the vulnerable fawns, will have wasted valuable energy traveling to the feeding site, where they may get little feed. Over time, feeding sites attract more and more deer competing for the same food supplies, which can lead to over-browsing and degradation of the natural habitat around a feeding site, as well as wreaking havoc on homeowners’ ornamental plantings.

Wildlife biologists also worry that deer feeding might help spread Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), which affects deer and elk and is always fatal. To date, CWD has been found in 14 states, including New York, although it hasn’t been found in New Hampshire.

Although biologists don’t know exactly how this disease spreads, they believe its transmission requires close contact between animals. When humans put out food for deer, they create a situation where an unnaturally high number of deer become concentrated in a small area.

In fact, some states have banned winter feeding of deer to help stop the spread of CWD. Feeding deer because you just like to watch them is a selfish reason for placing our deer resource at so much risk.
 
So, what can you do if you want to help deer during the winter? You can work on your property and with your neighbors to create and maintain quality deer habitat. This includes working in stands of oak and beech to increase the amount of nuts available in autumn, working in softwood stands to maintain and create dense winter cover, and working in hardwood stands to increase the amount of woody browse available to deer. Together, landowners, hunters, and wildlife enthusiasts can ensure there will be enough habitat to sustain many generations of deer in New Hampshire.

by Matt Tarr, UNH Cooperative Extension Forester

Links to more deer and deer hunting information:

• Feeding Deer Harms Their Health
  
  
• Deer hunting in New Hampshire
  
  
• Chronic wasting disease: frequently asked questions
  
  
• Managing your woodland for white-tailed deer
  
  

Many folks harvest firewood from their own woodlots, using the activity to thin out lower quality trees, thereby improving the forest. People who don’t own forestland purchase wood from firewood dealers, loggers and, for small quantities, convenience stores or roadside stands. Wood is purchased log-length (8’-16’); tree length (over 16’); cut-to-length; cut and split, and green or dry. Obviously, the more the wood is processed, the higher its price.

Many firewood dealers purchase wood from loggers. Often the firewood dealer is a logger who harvests wood from his/her own wood lot. Others purchase stumpage or cutting rights from landowners, who have many reasons for wanting to harvest timber, including forest improvement, agriculture, development or a view.

Harvesting may occur in conjunction with a timber sale, where higher-value logs are sold to a sawmill to be processed into lumber or to a veneer facility for even higher value.

Regardless, timber harvesting is an activity regulated by law. The N.H. Division of Forests and Lands, the N.H. Department of Revenue Administration and the N.H. Department of Environmental Services all have laws that pertain to timber harvesting. If you have questions about these laws, call the UNH Cooperative Extension forester in your county.

At times, pulp mills or paper mills that use low-quality wood may provide a more lucrative and convenient market for loggers, reducing the supply to the firewood markets and increasing the price for firewood consumers. Bad weather and muddy logging conditions can also upset the wood markets. Poor conditions for logging and competitive pulpwood pricing this year have resulted in a scarce and expensive firewood supply.

Street trees and other trees that grow in more urban settings often decline due to the harsh growing conditions. Some communities take down these trees and process them into firewood, which they make available to community members. Professional arborists, who remove hazard trees and unwanted yard trees in the course of their work, also often process and sell the trees they cut as firewood.

Used pallets provide another source of firewood. Because pallet manufacturers are the largest consumer of hardwood lumber in the United States, recycling pallets and pallet parts has become big business. Unfortunately, not all pallets get recycled. Yet, cut-up pallets make great hardwood kindling. If you do use pallets or other scrap wood in your home heating appliance, make sure the wood has not been pressure-treated or contaminated by paint or unknown spilled liquids.

By Sarah Smith, UNH Extension Professor/Specialist, Forest Industry

Topsoil. Some biologists call it the most precious stuff on earth. It takes nature 500 years to make an inch of it.

In the past 30 years topsoil has become a hot commodity in New Hampshire, removed by land developers and sold to meet the swelling demand from homeowners and businesses looking to establish or improve lawns and gardens.

Land scarcity in many areas, combined with new building techniques, allows construction on steep, rocky sites once considered unbuildable. This makes importing topsoil the only option for home or business owners who want a lawn or garden on those sites.

The soil you buy might have come from recently-cultivated farmland, from a recently clear-cut tract of forest land, or from a long-abandoned field. It might contain herbicide residues that could inhibit germination of some of the plants you want to grow. It might be full of roots and rocks or undesirable weed seeds.

A vendor might even have adulterated the original topsoil with a lot of additional sand, adding commercial wood ashes to darken the final product. On the other hand, some topsoil vendors manufacture a superior growing medium, amending native topsoil with just enough wood ashes to bring its pH into the optimum range for lawns and gardens, then adding compost to boost the soil's water- and nutrient-holding capacity.

Like most states, New Hampshire has no regulations defining quality standards for topsoil or governing its sale. To protect yourself, experts suggest learning as much as possible about the soil you plan to buy before you buy it. Consider it worth your time. After all, you can't take this product back to the store!

This list of guidelines from experts will help boost your confidence that the topsoil you buy will grow good vegetables, fruits, flowers, or a nice lawn:

• Know your supplier and ask about the source of the topsoil he or she sells. If a vendor has advertised an "amended" product, ask for the 'recipe'-in writing.
• If you plan to buy your soil from a garden or landscape supply center, ask the vendor for the product's test data. If the vendor hasn't had the product tested, ask for a small sample and have it tested yourself. Call the UNH Cooperative Extension Info Line (1-877-398-4769, Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.) for information about soil testing.
  
  At the very least, soil experts say, the soil analysis should include pH (a measure of the relative acidity of the soil) and soil texture class (a classification based on the relative percentages of sand, silt and clay particles in the soil).
  
  While you can raise or lower a soil's pH and add nutrients, you can't realistically change a soil's texture. Look for a texture classification of loam or sandy loam. Soils with a high percentage of sand won't hold water or nutrients well, while high-clay soils won't drain well and can become extremely difficult to work.
• If you haven't seen the topsoil, ask if the vendor has screened the loam to remove rocks and roots. For the right price, you might find yourself willing to rake them out yourself if the price is right, but it's definitely something you'll want to know about up front.
• Don't buy a product that has a chemical smell or other off-odor. Vendors might have adulterated the topsoil with petroleum-contaminated soils or other potentially toxic waste products.
• Occasionally, topsoil stripped from former farmland may contain herbicide residues that could hinder crop germination. If you have concerns about residues, take a soil sample home, plant a few seeds in it and see if they germinate well. Herbicide residues can affect some crops but not others, so plant a variety of different seeds, especially if you plan to plant a vegetable garden in this soil. The process of test-germinating seeds will also help a prospective buyer determine if the soil is infested with difficult-to-control perennial weeds, such as quackgrass or thistles.

Whatever its source, the topsoil you buy may lack organic matter, important for holding moisture, improving soil structure and retaining plant nutrients. Add plenty of organic matter in the form of compost and animal manure. Make sure to compost manure before adding it to soil that will grow food crops, or plant a cover crop and turn it under before planting vegetables.

Finally, make sure to incorporate both the organic matter and the purchased topsoil into the existing soil, rather than simply spreading the new soil on top. Plant roots grow best in a single zone of topsoil.

By Peg Boyles, UNH Cooperative Extension Master Gardener

Worm composting (or vermicomposting) is a natural and efficient way to recycle your organic kitchen scraps. And it sure beats plowing through knee-high snowdrifts to the compost pile in the middle of winter! Worm bins really require very little in the way of maintenance and care. You can keep them anywhere the temperature will not go down to freezing such as a basement, insulated garage or under the kitchen sink. The best temperature range is 55-77 Fahrenheit.

This is a great project to do with kids; it's easy to make compost using worms as long as you have the right container, bedding material and the right worms. And the finished product, consisting mostly of worm castings, can be used with perlite to make a houseplant potting mix, added to planting holes when transplanting seedlings, or simply incorporated into flower or vegetable beds.

You can either make your worm bin yourself or order it from a number of different sources (listed later). Common materials for a do-it-yourself project are opaque plastic storage boxes and wooden boxes built from exterior-grade plywood. A basic design would be 1 foot high, 2 feet deep and 3 feet wide with aeration holes in the bottom. Depending on the size of your container, you'll need to drill 8 to 12 holes (1/4-1/2 inch in size) in the bottom. A simple cover can be made from a sheet of black plastic. A cover will help conserve moisture and provide darkness for the worms. A box this size will accommodate about 6 pounds of kitchen scraps a week (the average amount from a family of 4-6). You will need to keep the bin elevated at least an inch off the ground for air circulation. Place a tray underneath to capture excess liquid which can be used as liquid plant fertilizer.

The bottom of your bin will need to be lined with a 2 to 3 inch layer of bedding material. Cellulose-based materials like shredded newspaper, corrugated cardboard or coarse sawdust are best. Tear newspaper or corrugated cardboard into 1 to 2 inch-wide strips. Before putting bedding material into the bin, dampen it with lukewarm water until it has the same moisture content as a wrung-out sponge. Adding a little garden soil or leaf mold to the bedding will provide microorganisms for the composting process and grit for the worms' gizzards. Check your bedding at least once a week to make sure it stays damp. Add water if necessary by misting with a spray bottle.

After spreading the bedding over the bottom of the bin, you're ready to add worms! What worms do you buy? Of the 17 species available in North America, you want redworms or red wrigglers. You can buy them at a bait shop or through mail order. You want redworms because they can process large amounts of kitchen scraps, don't mind confined spaces, reproduce well in culture and tolerate a wide range of temperatures. For the bin described above, you'll need about 2 pounds (about $25-$35). You'll get between 600 and 1,200 worms per pound. They will be red and from 2 to 4 inches long. Put your worms on top of the bedding and watch them quickly burrow to escape light.

Now comes the fun part, feeding your worms. Put leftover kitchen scraps into the bin: vegetables, fruit rinds and peelings are great. Bread, coffee grounds, cereal, crushed eggshells, pasta or rice and houseplant clippings are also okay. Food should be cut into small pieces and buried in the bedding every few days. By covering food waste with a few inches of bedding, you avoid odors and pests (like fruit flies). Rotating the burial places in the bin will provide your worms with a balanced diet of kitchen scraps and bedding. As with outdoor compost, you want to stay away from meat, bones, oils and dairy products.

After 6 or 8 weeks of feeding the worms, most of the bedding should be gone and a dark, crumbly soil-looking material should be in its place. Now it's time to harvest. Do this by pushing the nearly finished compost to one side of the bin. Put fresh moistened bedding with some fresh garbage in the vacant side. Over the next few weeks the worms will migrate to the new bedding, and you can harvest. Take the finished compost out, and put fresh bedding in, starting the cycle all over again.

On occasion, unpleasant odors may waft from your bin when it is overloaded with food waste. If this occurs, gently stir up the entire contents to allow more air in. Stop adding food waste until the worms and micro-organisms have broken down what is in the bin. If that doesn't solve the problem, check the drainage holes to make sure they are not blocked. Drill more holes if you need to. If the moisture level seems right, the bedding may be too acidic due to a lot of citrus peels and other acidic foods. Adjust by adding a little lime and cutting down on acidic wastes.

Discourage fruit flies by always burying food scraps and not overloading the bin. If flies persist, move the bin to a location where the flies will not be bothersome.

If you're interested in more information on worm composting read Mary Apelhof's book, Worms Eat My Garbage (1997) or check out the Worm Digest.

The following are sources for composting supplies and worms:

• Flowerfield Enterprises-10332 Shaver Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49002.
  (269)327-0108
  
  
• Gardeners Supply Co.-128 Intervale Rd., Burlington, VT 05401
  (800)833-1412, minimum 2lb order-available mid-March to November
  
  
• Vermico, Peter Bogdanov - 4425 Galice Road, Merlin, OR 97532
  (541)476-9626
  
  
• Willingham Worm Farm-Route 1, Box 241, Butler, GA 31006.
  (478)862-5545, e-mail: wworm@gnat.net
  
  
• Worm World - 26 Ihnat Lane, Avella, PA 15312-2106. (724)356-2397

The war in Iraq and the global war on terrorism changed the face of our military and those who serve our country. These families need support. To help this coming summer, UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Camps will offer free week of summer camp to children of deployed parents.

UNH Cooperative Extension and the NH National Guard collaborated with the National Military Family Association and Sears, Roebuck and Co. to provide a summer camp experience for children of military families this summer.

This summer camp experience will provide a unique offering for those involved in the military and those involved with UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development to create a community just for children of military families.

Are you, or do you know someone who is a member of any branch of the military service? Is there a child in the family who would like to go to camp this summer, free?

As a way to do something special for children from military families, Operation Purple Camp takes place at the University of New Hampshire’s 4-H Bear Hill Camp from August 14 to August 19. UNH 4-H Bear Hill Camp is located in Bear Brook State Park in Allenstown.

The National Military Family Association (NMFA), through the financial support of Sears, developed the camps, 22 this year, as a way to get children from across the military services together to learn from one another and share their experiences in dealing with deployment-related stress.

They will learn about different cultures, share talents, gain new skills and most importantly, enjoy much-deserved carefree fun and treasured lifetime memories. The New Hampshire outdoors provides a natural learning environment that helps young people put the chaos of their every day life on the back burner for a week while having fun “being a kid.” The UNH 4-H Youth Development program is dedicating a week of camp this coming summer to serve military youth from New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts and other states.

Funding for the Operation Purple at UNH 4-H Bear Hill Camp is from Sears, Roebuck and Co.  Sears’ partnership with NMFA is part of the Sears American Dream Campaign, the company’s multi-year, $100 million commitment to strengthen families, homes and communities.

Operation Purple Camp at UNH 4-H Bear Hill is available to children of military personnel, targeting kids 8-16 years of age. All are encouraged to apply.

The goal of Operation Purple at UNH 4-H Camp Bear Hill is to have all branches of service represented, with emphasis on those service branches from New Hampshire and the New England region. First priority will be to those youth who have a deployed or recently deployed parent (or other family member residing in the same house as camper). Deployment must occur from June 2004 to September 2006.

The registration process runs from April 15 to May 15. Families can call 603-862-2184 to get an application for Operation Purple at UNH 4-H Bear Hill Camp or visit the website and click on the Register for Operation Purple. Click on the Operation Camp Purple logo to learn more about the program nationally.

Background Information

About NMFA

NMFA is a predominantly volunteer-operated 501(c) (3) not-for-profit organization with a dedicated group of volunteer representatives, based around the world.  These representatives are the “eyes and ears” of the association. Through their daily lives they embody the military lifestyle, including active duty, reserve, Guard and retirees.  They also interact, educate and inform military families of their benefits.  In so doing, they contribute to the association’s mission: to improve the quality of life for all military families through education, information and advocacy. For more information about the NMFA visit the association Web site.

About the Sears American Dream Campaign

Sears’ partnership with NMFA is part of the Sears American Dream Campaign, the company’s multi-year, $100 million commitment to strengthen families, homes and communities.  From helping low- and moderate-income homeowners nationwide outfit and maintain their homes to assisting victims of natural disasters to providing thousands of children with new apparel, the Sears American Dream Campaign is making a meaningful difference in communities across the nation. For more information about the Sears American Dream Campaign, visit the campaign Web site.

by Chris Conlon, UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Camps Manager

Parents of the 14,000 babies born each year in New Hampshire have many choices about how and where their babies will enter the world, and who will attend the birth.

These decisions affect the whole family. The birth attendant and setting can make all the difference in a birth experience that is satisfying to mom, dad, siblings, and the family’s newest member. The goal is to find the combination of birth method, birth setting and attendant that help laboring mothers and their partners feel most comfortable.

Who will attend your birth?

New Hampshire families have several options:

• A medical doctor—either a family doctor or obstetrician Obstetricians (OBs) are trained to handle high-risk pregnancies, and can perform surgery and other high-tech interventions when necessary. A few obstetricians perform elective, or on-demand caesareans for women who choose to have a surgical delivery for reasons other than medical necessity. Elective cesarean is a controversial choice and is something that parents should research carefully before making a decision.

• A Certified Nurse Midwife (CNM) A special category of Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners, CNMs have taken advanced training in childbirth. Certified through the N.H. State Board of Nursing, CNMs usually work in group practices with obstetricians and attend births that take place in hospitals. CNMs support natural childbirth and tend to spend more time with women in labor than doctors do.

• A New Hampshire Certified Midwife (NHCM) An NHCM has specialized training in low-risk pregnancies, childbirth, and lactation and newborn care. NHCMs are certified by the state, and their training requirements and scope of practice are regulated by state statute. NHCMs accept only women with low-risk pregnancies. The same NHCM you see for prenatal care typically also attends your labor and birth.

• Unassisted childbirth Some women choose to give birth without a trained attendant, although they may ask close friends and family to help them during labor and delivery. Although pregnancy and childbirth are natural processes that rarely become medical conditions, those who choose to give birth without professional help take on a great responsibility. Like elective cesarean, unassisted birth is a controversial choice you should research carefully before making a decision.

Your choice of birth attendant will affect where you have your baby .

Family doctors, OBs, and CNMs work almost exclusively in hospitals, whereas NHCMs attend births in homes and free-standing birth centers licensed by the state but not affiliated with a hospital.

Research has shown that all settings can be equally safe, provided mothers have received adequate prenatal care, parents are well prepared, and birth attendants are well trained.

• You might choose a hospital if you are among the small number of women with a high-risk pregnancy, if you feel more comfortable knowing that emergency interventions are available on site, or if you know think you may want pain medication during labor.

• Homebirth is an option for women who feel more comfortable at home, knowing they won’t have to interrupt labor to drive to another place, follow a hospital’s routine, or interrupt their bonding with their newborn by leaving to go home. Homebirth works best when mothers feel confident in their ability and safe in their surroundings. Homebirth also requires different preparation from hospital birth.

• Birth centers are an option for only a few New Hampshire families, as two centers have closed recently. If you aren’t likely to need the high-tech interventions offered in hospitals, you might still prefer the security that comes from knowing the center is completely set up for birth and any emergencies that might arise. If you can afford a birth center birth, and you live within an hour of one, this could be an option for you.

How can you decide?

Talk to other families, especially those who share your values. Talk to families who have had their babies in hospitals, birth centers, and homes, with different types of attendants. Ask midwives for references if you don’t already know women who have given birth outside of a hospital. Ask what preparation each family made for the birth and what they wish they’d known ahead of time. You are looking for a good fit for you and your family.

Tour the hospital or free-standing birth center. Ask a lot of questions. You are looking both for good answers and a good attitude about parents who are involved in their own birth experience. In a hospital, the maternity nurses—not your OB or CNM—may provide most of your care.

Consider finances. Most insurance carriers cover hospital births attended by medical doctors or CNMs, though you should check your terms of coverage before you become pregnant. Although N.H. Medicaid and some smaller carriers cover births attended by NHCMs at home or in a birth center, the major health insurance carriers in New Hampshire don’t.

A bill (SB 175) introduced during this legislative session would have required all insurance companies to cover midwife-attended out-of-hospital births, a service N.H. Medicaid and some smaller insurance companies already cover.

Although the bill passed the full Senate, and the House Commerce Committee voted 14-7 to recommend passage, the House sent it back to committee for further study and revision. Supporters expect to reintroduce a revised version of the bill in January, 2006.

Homebirths cost around $2000, birth-center births a little more. Hospital births may cost four or five times as much, but if you are not on Medicaid or covered by one of the small health insurance companies offering out-of-hospital coverage, you probably will have to pay for an out-of-hospital birth out of pocket.

You can change your mind. Birth attendants need enough time to assess your well-being and preparation for birth before your baby is due. You’ll want to have your birth attendant and setting arranged by early in your third trimester if possible. But you need time to assess your own decisions about where to have your baby and who will attend your birth.

Keep learning and talking to other parents and birth providers. You may you may discover available alternatives you didn’t know about, and change your mind about how and where you want to have your baby, and who will attend the birth.

Links:

• MaternityWise
• Listening to Mothers Report
• New Hampshire Midwives Association
• Baby-friendly Hospitals Initiative
• Baby-friendly Hospitals in New Hampshire:
  • Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, Lebanon
  • St. Joseph ’s Hospital, Nashua

by Kathy Becker Blease, former UNH Cooperative Extension Family Education and Policy Specialist, and Peg Boyles, Extension writer/editor

UNH Cooperative Extension floriculture specialist Paul Fisher, agricultural program coordinator Dorothy Perkins, and county educators Goeffrey Njue and Tom Buob, all received national recognition awards last month.

Lighting Up Profits, a book Fisher co-wrote and edited with Michigan State Extension specialist Erik Runkle, received a 2005 Blue Ribbon Award for an Education Aid from the American Society of Agricultural Engineers. The book, targeted at commercial growers, technical representatives, and university students, covers topics such as the basic biology of how light affects growth, the latest lighting research, and technical and financial information to help guide investment decisions in lighting equipment.

Perkins was honored as one of three national finalists in the 4-H and Youth Recognition category at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents (NACAA) Annual Conference in Buffalo July 17-22 for her work on the children’s gardening curriculum Growing a Green Generation. Perkins took the original curriculum developed by horticulture students, revised it, added to it, and tested it on both teachers and children at the UNH Child Study and Development Center (CSDC). The final curriculum represents collaboration among the UNH plant biology department, the CSDC, and UNH Cooperative Extension.

Njue, the Strafford County agricultural resources educator won communication awards for a fact sheet on using the Renaissance Red Poinsettia cut flower, and for a feature article on a Poinsettia variety trial, published in The Plantsman.

Buob, Grafton County ag educator, received a NACAA Distinguished Service Award for 26 years of exemplary Extension programming.

Congratulations!

Focus on Fashion
Early in the morning of August 10th, more than 40 New Hampshire 4-H teens and their adult chaperones boarded a bus bound for New York City — center of the nation’s fashion industry—where they will spend four days exploring career opportunities in the fashion business.

Teens in general have a keen interest in fashion, and many 4-H teens have worked on clothing and textiles 4-H projects for many years. Older teens have also begun thinking about their futures. To help teen 4-H’ers connect their skills and interests with their futures, the 4-H Foundation of New Hampshire has sponsored a Focus on Fashion trip to the Big Apple every four years since 1993

“The purpose of the trip is to introduce kids to careers in the clothing and textiles industries by introducing them to the tremendous diversity and vastness of it,” says Lynn Garland, the 4-H Youth Development educator who organized this year’s trip. “They get to see the differences in techniques, equipment, processes, and range of fabrics between home construction and highly specialized kinds of commercial construction. The get to see aspects of the industry they may never have imagined.”

“Our itinerary this year includes behind-the-scenes visits to the garment district, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Fashion Institute of Technology, Fairchild Publications—the publisher of Women’s Wear Daily, the George Simonton’s LPS Apparel Fashion Company, and a shop in the trendy retail SOHO district owned by a woman who left the field of investment banking to follow her dream of designing hats,” says Garland. “We’ll also visit Ellis Island and take in a show at Radio City Music Hall.”

From 4-H sewing projects to Broadway and beyond
If 4-H had offered the Focus on Fashion in the mid-1980s, former Milford 4-H’er Sue McLaughlin would almost certainly have signed up to go.

Her passion for sewing and other crafts, and the artistic, spatial, and people skills McLaughlin acquired during a decade in her mother’s 4-H club, eventually propelled her to Broadway and beyond. After seven years in the wardrobe department at Lincoln Center, McLaughlin joined the acclaimed New Amsterdam Theater production of The Lion King, where she had responsibility for “dressing” the characters of Scar and Zuzu. She later toured with the show for 15 months to cities all over the U.S., maintaining the show’s hundreds of exotic puppets.

“I made it myself”
Because 4-H encourages and enables kids to stay involved in projects long-term, McLaughlin stuck with sewing. She became good at it, and even began designing her own patterns. She took up knitting, woodworking, and other crafts, and excelled at them all.

“I loved being able to say, ‘I made it myself,’” she says.

After high school, McLaughlin worked a couple of years to save money for college, then enrolled in Hofstra University, in Hempstead, New York—close to New York City and its theaters, so she could follow her dream of becoming an actress.

After graduation, she headed for Broadway, but quickly discovered acting wasn’t for her. “I found auditioning before strangers intimidating and overwhelming,” she says.

“By chance, I got a job as a personal assistant, or ‘dresser,’ for an actress working at Lincoln Center in the production of My Favorite Year,” says McLaughlin. A dresser is someone who helps the actors in and out of their costumes during performances, takes care of costumes, keeps them clean, ironed and in good repair—eight or more performances a week can put a lot of strain the costumes,” especially in shows with a lot of dancing,” McLaughlin says. “There are safety issues involved as well.”

“That first job enabled me to join the Theatrical Wardrobe Union,” she says. “The wardrobe supervisor kept asking me back, and I worked a series of shows at the Center.”

“4-H gave me skills I could market”
“Once I got backstage, I knew it was where I belonged and what I wanted to do,” McLaughlin says. I realized 4-H had given me real solid skills I could market: my sewing skills gave me the tools I needed to look after the costumes; my knowledge of how to work with people helped me understand working with people under the kinds of pressure (theater) people work under.”

McLaughlin stayed in the wardrobe department at Lincoln Center seven years, working in such productions as Carousel, The Heiress, Hello Again, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Juan Darien. She moved from dresser into other jobs, including assistant wardrobe supervisor, and wardrobe supervisor in small shows.

When she heard of an opening for a dresser for The Lion King, she sent over her resume and got the job. As one of 16 dressers for the show’s 45 actors, she spent much of the next few years in “the bunker,” a huge room under the stage where the actors dress for the show. In photos, the place looks chaotic, with costumes and parts of costumes draped on benches, stuffed into plastic laundry baskets under the benches, hanging from walls, and poking from cubicles. Part of the dressers’ job involves calming the chaos, placing every part of every costume in a precise location for easy access.

Later, when McLaughlin went on tour 15 months with The Lion King as one of three people in charge of maintaining the show’s hundreds of puppets, she used her 4-H spatial and artistic skills to pick up new skills. “I learned to paint with tiny brushes,” she says. “I learned to repair carbon fiber materials using toxic epoxies that required a respirator. I’d worked so much with power tools in 4-H, I had no fear of learning to use new ones; coworkers taught me to sand and to weld. Some of The Lion King puppets actually contain several actors and are constructed around welded metal frames that need maintenance.

“A chance to use my desire and my talent to help people”
Despite “having to work mostly nights and weekends, which made it hard to socialize with anyone outside the theater,” McLaughlin says, “I loved my job. I loved my co-workers. It’s been fantastic. But I fell out of love with New York City. The pace is so driven. I’ve always felt like a fish out of water there.”

Through a colleague, she learned about a graduate program at Pratt Institute in creative arts therapy that would allow her to take summer intensive courses in Lincoln, New Hampshire, and work and serve internships during the rest of the year.

McLaughlin seized on the program as an opportunity “to use my desire and my talent to help people through art,” she says.

To complete the portfolio required for application to Pratt, McLaughlin once again pulled out skills gained in 4-H: “I designed a dress and submitted some wheel-thrown earthenware pottery,” she says. She also had to fall back on her 4-H work ethic. Before Pratt would even admit her into the creative arts therapy program, McLaughlin had to take an additional two years of courses in oil painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, and psychology.

“A window through which to see that everyone has something valuable to offer”
Now working part-time at The Lion King (she’s on tour with the production this month), and halfway through the demanding graduate program, McLaughlin finds herself anticipating a new career. She did an internship with young children last year; this fall, she’ll intern at a day treatment center for drug addicts in the South Bronx.

“Being able to do art with people, helping them find new ways to express themselves, is very exciting,” she says. “And yes, I do see myself coming back to New England.”

Looking both backward and forward, McLaughlin says she gets continuing inspiration from something she heard during a round-robin discussion at a national 4-H conference years ago: “I don’t even remember what I said myself that day, but one of my peers observed that ‘4-H gives us a window through which to see that everyone has something valuable to offer.’ I’ve carried that with me ever since.”

Along with the excitement of a new school year, some students and parents have concerns about bullying in the schools. Studies show most bullying happens at school or on the way to and from school.

The issue of bullying has received a great deal of media attention since the 1999 school shooting at Columbine. Bullying has long been considered part of growing up, but has emerged as an important issue that youth, parents, schools and communities have begun joining together to address. Research shows that bullying is common among children. It is often vicious and cruel and should be looked at as an early form of aggressive, violent behavior. By the age of twenty-four, 60 percent of bullies have criminal records as well as more arrests for drunken driving, domestic violence and child abuse.

Bullying research

Bullies try to control other children by using words or physical means. Bullying usually involves an imbalance of power or strength. Dr. Melissa Holt of the UNH Family Research Laboratory/Crimes Against Children Research Center, reports these interesting findings:

• Current estimates suggest that nearly 30 percent of American students are involved in bullying as a bully, victim or both bully and victim.
• Students more likely to be victimized by their peers include males, students who don’t "fit in," and those who are obese, in remedial education or have developmental disabilities.
• Victimization has been linked to depression, loneliness, low self esteem and school avoidance.
• Students who bully are more likely to have behavioral, emotional or learning problems, be male, be from homes that display indifference to their child or condone fighting back
• Most studies have documented that teachers report lower prevalence rates of bullying than students do. Special attention paid to the school environment, school staff behaviors and student skill development can result in a safer school.

According to the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, bullies may be impulsive, easily frustrated, rebellious, and view violence in a positive way.

Bullying tends to start in the early school-age years. It escalates during elementary school and peaks during middle school. By late middle school or high school some bullies are involved in criminal behavior or may become involved with gangs. At this age bullies can become violent and/or antisocial. They are more likely to get into fights, vandalize, steal, drink alcohol, smoke, start skipping school or even drop out. They may start carrying a weapon. The Maternal and Child Health Bureau has educational materials on bullying.

Bullying involves both boys and girls

Both boys and girls engage in bullying. Verbal bullying, such as making threats, name calling, using sarcasm, and teasing tends to be the most common form of bullying in both genders. However, boys can be more physical; pushing, kicking and hitting. Girls can be more indirect, such as spreading rumors or leaving a child out of activities. Bullying can also occur via e-mail or instant messaging.

Both boys and girls become victims of bullies. While the most common form of bullying for both genders is verbal, boys report more often having been physically bullied. Girls are more likely to say they are the subject of rumor-spreading and sexual comments. Both boys and girls use social exclusion as a way to bully others. Bullies may also threaten not to be someone's friend if the friend refuses to do what they say. Boys are likely to be bullied by other boys. Both boys and girls bully girls.

Signs of bullying

Many warning signs may indicate your child is being bullied:

• Avoiding going to school
• Having grades drop
• Wanting to be dropped off or picked up at school more than usual
• Coming home with torn clothing, bruises or other signs of physical harm
• Complaining of having been "robbed" of money or other possessions
• Showing signs of fear, anxiety or depression
• Having trouble sleeping, frequent bad dreams
• Complaining frequently of headaches, stomach aches or other physical ailments
• Having few, if any, friends with whom he or she spends time

Working to stop bullying

We can all work together to stem the incidence of bullying.

• Kids can ask for help and tell others when they are, or when they observe others, being bullied. If they feel safe, they can tell the bully directly to stop the behavior.
• Parents can learn more about dealing with bullying. They can talk with their children, teachers and counselors if they suspect their child is being bullied or is bullying others.
• Schools can develop an effective bullying prevention program and work to create an environment that encourages courteous and respectful treatment of one another. Bullying situations require close communication between school and parents.
• Communities can encourage partnerships among schools, youth groups, non-profit organizations, the spiritual community and law enforcement agencies to help youth and adults develop tolerance, mutual respect, and skills to deal with bullying situations. Bullying is a form of victimization, not conflict. Therefore, rather than mediating a bullying situation, it is important to send the clear message that bullying is inappropriate behavior that must stop immediately, and that no one deserves to be bullied.
• States can enact laws such as New Hampshire's RSA193-F:3 Pupil Safety and Violence Prevention. This law requires each school board to adopt a pupil safety and violence prevention policy which addresses pupil harassment. A 2004 amendment requires school districts to notify the parents or legal guardians of the district’s policies on bullying, and requires schools to report bullying incidents both by telephone and by a written report sent by mail to the parent or legal guardian of the pupils involved.

Charlotte W. Cross, UNH Cooperative Extension Professor/Specialist, 4H Youth Development.

Are you frustrated with the way your town is growing, losing its fields and forestland?

According to the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, New Hampshire is losing 12,000 to 15,000 acres of open land each year to development. Some towns are slowing that trend by voting land conservation bonds at their town meetings, buying up open space through public taxpayer dollars.

Last spring, voters in 29 communities across the state considered proposals for bond issues to finance land conservation projects. According to the Center for Land Conservation Assistance, 13 envisioned borrowing at least $1 million to preserve undeveloped parcels of land.

A UNH survey conducted in 12 of those 29 communities examined why voters supported or opposed local open space preservation initiatives. The towns surveyed included Auburn, Brentwood, East Kingston, Exeter, Hollis, Newington, Barrington, Durham, Errol, Greenland, Hopkinton and Rye, whose preservation bond proposals ranged from $500,000 in Newington to $5 million each in Hollis, Hopkinton and Rye.

Out of the nearly 500 respondents, the number one reason people voted for the conservation bonds was because of town growth and the need for preserving more open space. Other reasons included preserving the rural character of the town, saving forest land and keeping property taxes down. Those who voted against the bond cited its high cost and the fact that taxes were already too high.

When asked to name the biggest issue or problem facing their town, 41 percent overwhelming cited growth/sprawl/lack of open space highest. Taxes came in second, with 30 and 25 percent of respondents citing schools/quality of education.

UNH Cooperative Extension teamed with the Center for Integrative Regional Problem Solving (CIRPS) to help New Hampshire’s rapidly growing communities. With information from community decision-makers and active citizens across the state, the team compiled a list of the top 10 issues facing rapidly growing communities in New Hampshire:

• Determining economic impacts of land use choices, including cost/access to services, taxation and financing education.
• Preserving New England character, including a sense of community.
• Exploring growth management strategies and model ordinances for natural resource protection: what works, what does not.
• Conserving the best open space through non-regulatory options.
• Sustaining the economic base without losing the quality of life.
• Creating affordable housing with developer incentives.
• Creating adequate transportation services and systems.
• Ensuring surface and groundwater protection.
• Encouraging collaboration within communities and within the region.
• Providing leadership training to community decision-makers.

The CIRPS/Extension team is developing an online clearinghouse to provide resources to New Hampshire residents and community leaders with an eventual goal of making it a regional clearinghouse, including southern Maine and northern Massachusetts.

The site will include links to organizations that provide materials and support to communities, links to New Hampshire communities that have developed innovative ways of dealing with rapid growth, and a wide range of academic and scientific research papers on the topics.

UNH Cooperative Extension offers many programs that help citizens and local officials try to deal with the costs of increasing sprawl and growth. These include the Community Profile, a process which brings citizens together to envision and plan the future of their community, and the Community Conservation Assistance Program, which pulls together groups of citizens to work on special land and water conservation projects.

UNH Cooperative Extension also provides support and technical help in many areas, including programs that provide education about land conservation, developing trail systems, determining the cost and protection of open space, water quality monitoring and protection, managing community forests and using geographic information systems (GIS).

For more information about what UNH Cooperative Extension is doing to support New Hampshire’s communities, visit Extension’s website at http://ceinfo.unh.edu or one of these specific program links:

• Extension’s Communities Program
• Community Conservation Assistance Program
• Community Forests

By Michele Gagne, Program Coordinator, Strengthening NH Communities Initiative UNH Cooperative Extension

If you struggle to get by from paycheck to paycheck, you should know about the Earned Income Credit (EIC), a special tax benefit for people who work full-time or part-time.

Millions of low wage taxpayers qualify. Even if you are not a U.S. Citizen, you may still qualify for Earned Income Credit.

Information en espanol Crédito por Ingreso del Trabajo(EITC)

What is Earned Income Credit?
The EIC is a special tax benefit for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. If you fall into this category, the EIC can help reduce your taxes and increase your income.

If you qualify for EIC and file a federal tax return, you can get back some or all of the federal tax withheld from your pay during the year. You may also get some cash back from the IRS. Even if you didn't earn enough to pay an income tax, you may qualify for EIC.

Who can get EIC?
If you worked full-time or part-time at some point in 2003, you can qualify for the EIC depending on your family income which must fall below the following income guidelines:

• any child who lived in your household for more than half of 2003,
• is your son, daughter, adopted child, grandchild, great-grandchild, stepchild, or eligible foster child, and who also
• meets one of the following criteria:
• Was younger than age 19 at the end of the tax year, or
• Was a full-time student under age 24, or
• Was permanently and totally disabled at any age during the year

• Workers raising a qualifying child in 2003 must file either Form 1040 or 1040A and must fill out and attach Schedule EIC. Workers with children can't get the EIC if they file Form 1040EZ or do not attach Schedule EIC. Married workers must file a joint return to get the EIC. (See below if you want free help filing your federal tax return.)
  
  
• Workers who didn't raise a qualifying child in their home in 2003 can file any tax form - including the 1040EZ. These workers write "EIC" (or dollar amount of their credit) on the Earned Income Credit line on the tax form. The do not file Schedule EIC.
  
  
• You must provide a correct name and Social Security number for every person listed on the tax return and Schedule EIC. If this information is incorrect or missing, the IRS will delay the refund.
  
  
• Workers don't have to calculate their own EIC; if they choose, the IRS will do it for them.

• IRS Earned Income Tax Credit Questions & Answers
• IRS Tax Topics about Earned Income Tax Credit
• IRS Frequently Asked Questions About "Qualifying Child" rules

Homeowners lucky enough to have large trees adorning their property during the summer months consider themselves less fortunate at this time of year. There are all those leaves to be raked, bagged, and either composted or carted to the local landfill. With most of New Hampshire's towns facing landfill problems, it makes sense for homeowners to consider dealing with yard waste on their own.

Autumn leaves can be used by homeowners in two ways: by building a home compost pile or by shredding and mulching with them. In addition to leaves, practically any plant material can be composted for garden use. Leaves, grass clippings, old sod, manure, fine wood chips, straw, old hay, plant residues from the vegetable garden, and even garbage from the kitchen can be used. Newspapers can be composted, too, provided they are finely shredded and mixed with other compost materials.

Although theoretically your compost pile will generate enough heat to kill disease organisms, it is best not to use diseased plants form the garden for composting. Some disease organisms can survive for 7 to 12 years and may cause problems in the future when the compost is used. Weeds heavily laden with seeds should also be avoided for composting.

Most garbage can be used in the compost pile, but grease, fat, bones, fish and meat scraps should not be used because these materials attract animals. In addition fats are slow to break down, thus greatly increasing the amount of time before the compost pile is ready for use. Waste material from pets, such as cats and dogs, should be avoided, too.

Finished compost or "black gold", as I like to call it, can be used to improve the soil structure in vegetable, flower and landscape plantings. It improves the soil by binding soil particles together; increases the soil's water-holding capacity; and makes nitrogen and other nutrients more readily available to plants for growth.

To provide optimum conditions for soil organisms to break down organic matter, the composting material should be kept moist, have oxygen and be supplied with materials high in nitrogen. The nitrogen furnishes the nutrients required by soil organisms (bacteria and fungi) for rapid growth.

A compost pile can be built on open ground or in a bin made of rough boards or stakes and small-mesh wire fencing. Snow fencing works just fine. The sides of the bin should not be tight, because oxygen is essential for the material to decompose.

Composting materials should be layered, and for maximum efficiency, the pile should be 4 to 5 feet wide. To start a pile, spread part of your plant refuse out in a layer 6 to 8 inches deep. The pile should be large enough for at least four to five layers to be made from the material available. To speed up the process, high nitrogen fertilizer of some readily available formula (10-10-10, for example) can be spread on each layer at the rate of about ½ pound or 1 cupful to each 30-35 square feet. If an organic source of nitrogen is desired, commercially available fertilizers such as dried blood (13% nitrogen), cottonseed meal (6% nitrogen), alfalfa hay (2.5% nitrogen), or poultry manure (1% nitrogen) can be used. If alkaline compost is desired, ground limestone or wood ashes can be spread on the pile at the same rate, although this is usually not necessary. Sprinkling a few shovelfuls of garden soil over each layer will ensure the presence of decay organisms. With garden soil to provide beneficial microorganisms there is no need to purchase microbial compost starters. It is advantageous to build your pile with a flat top that slants towards the center to catch rainfall. Repeat the layers until you run out of material or until the compost is about five feet high.

Check your compost every so often to make sure it's moist. Next spring, the pile should be turned to bring the outside material to the inside of the pile. As you turn it, water the pile if it seems dry. On the other hand, a compost pile should not be too wet. Excessive moisture excludes air, so that beneficial aerobic microorganisms die. Anerobic microorganisms take over, and your compost pile begins to smell bad. At the first whiff of ammonia or other unpleasant odors, turn the pile. A productive, well-made compost pile does not smell bad.

Because it's colder outside, a fall-built compost pile decomposes more slowly than a spring-built one. It should, however, be ready for use next summer or fall. If you turn the pile once a month during warm weather the compost will be ready sooner. Do not turn the pile during cool weather as this allows too much heat to escape, slowing down the decomposition process.

Compost is ready to use when the individual constituents have lost their identity and become a dark crumbly mass. Unless you've added a lot of fertilizer it will be low in fertilizer value. But as a soil improvement it's hard to beat!

For more information call the UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center's Info-Line toll free at 1-877-398-4769 for "Practical Solutions to Everyday Questions." Trained volunteers are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

Margaret Hagen,UNH Cooperative Extension Educator, Agricultural Resources, Hillsborough County

The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has money to help New Hampshire farmers and woodland owners with 70 different conservation practices, through the national Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP).

UNH Cooperative Extension and NRCS are working together to see that the conservation goals of the funding are met.

For farmers, EQIP funds nutrient management plans, animal waste storage facility, cover crops, composting facilities, contour farming and feed management practices; WHIP pays for field restoration, brush cutting, release of fruiting trees and shrubs, and other practices that improve wildlife habitat.

For woodland owners, EQIP and WHIP fund forest stewardship plans, access roads, site preparation, tree planting, forest stand improvement, and stabilization of roads, trails and landings.

NRCS State Conservationist Tessa Chadwick says the financial and technical assistance programs can “help farmers and forest landowners address resource concerns on agricultural working lands, promote environmental quality, address challenges in water quality and quantity, protect prime farmland and grazing land, and protect valuable wetland ecosystems and wildlife habitat on private lands.”

The deadline for signing up for the cost-sharing programs is February 17, 2006, though we encourage landowners to apply immediately. If you are interested, contact your local NRCS or UNH Cooperative Extension office today.

By Karen Bennett, UNH Cooperative Extension Forest Resources Specialist

Additional Resources:

• Learn more about federal cost-share programs for landowners

For Christmas my grandsons (with some help from their Dad) made me a bird feeder. The design is simple: an open frame about a foot square with a screen on the bottom, suspended from the four corners by cords that attach to a loop about two feet above the frame.
           
We hung the feeder on a small branch of a young beech tree, high enough so we could just reach to fill it, high enough (we hoped) to be out of reach of the deer, and far enough from the trunk to discourage the cat from exploiting the situation. The south-facing windows both upstairs and down provide a front row seat for observers. We poured a couple of quarts of sunflower seeds onto the screen and awaited the verdict of the intended beneficiaries.

In no time a flock of finches arrived. They mobbed the feeder, and those who couldn’t get the first bite waited impatiently, an unruly crowd pushing and shoving, a flying dance among the branches. The tree, in midwinter, sprouted feathered leaves, flying off all at once for no apparent reason, only as far as the adjacent maple. Soon they were back, twittering and competing for a place at the banquet.

Chickadees and tufted titmice hang around, taking a turn when the finches depart for a spell. Occasionally a nuthatch visits, although he seems to prefer the fancier and less crowded feeder outside the kitchen window.
           
Watching the finches is endlessly fascinating. On my window is a small feeder, only large enough for two or at most three birds at a time. Sometimes one will decide he is king of the castle and aggressively defend his throne, even sacrificing opportunities to feed as he fends off interlopers. But eventually he also flies off, and another, and yet another take his place. The little feeder requires frequent replenishment.
           
Winter is a special time on our hill. When the leaves drop in October, the view changes markedly. Sunrise, masked in summer by the foliage, can be dramatic, and it comes late enough that 7:00 a.m. risers like me can enjoy it. The lakes, blue before they freeze over, later appear as white, open spaces.
           
We who love winter are thought a bit odd by those who complain endlessly of the cold, snow and ice. But the changing seasons are a source of constant wonder. No other season compares with the brightness of a moonlit night on fresh snow. Shadows of the bare trees create a chiaroscuro on the open field. The structure of the landscape is visible from the road—stone walls, icy streams, boulders. The fields of 19th century farmers reveal themselves, although overgrown now, often with mature trees.
           
A true sign of spring, in mid-February, is activity in the sugar bush. A warm sunny day brings the sap up in the maple trees, and sugar makers get ready for the year’s first harvest. Deer trails course through the forest, reminding us of the constant life that inhabits what may seem a dead landscape.
           
The goldfinches, mobbing my feeders, begin to discard their drab winter plumage for their yellow garments, in preparation for spring rituals. The chickadee whistles his spring song, sometimes even on a warm day in January. The piliated woodpecker loudly declares his territory with a persistent drumbeat and occasional screech. Neighbors report flocks of robins, and even a bluebird is heard by the beginning of March.
           
Last year’s cold, snowy March brought January (and the mobs of finches) back in earnest. But it brought the sun, brighter and warmer, shining through the south facing windows, giving the furnace and wood stove a rest four several hours during the day.

I know the snow will melt, the skis will return to the basement, and the streams will awaken, roaring through the sugar bush. Making an expedition to check the sap lines becomes an adventure with a sometimes soggy interlude. Spring birds will return in earnest, and the finches will find food in the forest, while newcomers, the red-breasted grosbeak and the oriole, will honor my offerings, joining the ever-present chickadees and nuthatches and the charming tufted-titmouse.

By Carolyn Baldwin, UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Coverts Cooperator

Fishing poles in hand, my brother and I startled as the chunky, dark bird flew from beneath the black spruce forest. “Mark, it’s a spruce grouse!” I said, awestruck by the beauty of the rare cousin of the ruffed grouse, a popular game bird. “That’s the first one I’ve ever seen.”

When we entered the woods on a brook trout fishing expedition in the summer of 2001, that part of the forest hadn’t yet been conserved as the Connecticut Lakes Wildlife Management Area, nor had anyone conceived the notion of an action plan to protect the state’s wildlife. Looking back on that fishing trip, I realize how far we’ve come since then toward protecting many of the wildlife and habitats that are important to me and to the ecological and economic well-being of our state.

Two years ago I was asked to co-coordinate a New Hampshire Fish and Game Department  team that would create the New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan. On the way to developing that plan, our team created a list of wildlife species and habitats in need of conservation attention—some of which I’m sure many of you have enjoyed over the years: eastern brook trout, wood turtle, purple finch, American woodcock, mink frog, and bobcat, to name a few.

While the federal government mandated and funded this mammoth project nationwide, the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department made our Wildlife Action Plan truly New Hampshire-specific. Biologists scoured the records to make sure we knew as much as possible about where our critters live so we would start with the best available information.

Then Fish and Game contracted with experts from many conservation organizations and agencies to help write specific profiles on our wildlife species and key habitats. More than natural history, these profiles contained an assessment of the risks to the species and habitats, and listed actions that could help ensure the long-term viability of each one. They presented assessments of the current condition of New Hampshire’s wildlife habitat as a baseline against which we will measure our progress over time.

Our team pulled together all the species and habitat profiles and looked for continually reoccurring risk factors. Biologists then wrote descriptions of these most prominent risk factors followed by conservation strategies that would help New Hampshire reduce those risks, thereby improving conditions for wildlife.

While the writing was hard enough, getting the job done will be much harder. The Fish and Game Department recognizes that, and put forth an implementation plan
that includes descriptions of the next steps to take, emphasizing the importance of the work of individuals, communities, regional planners, conservation groups, state and federal agencies, and many others.

The bottom line? Fish and Game can’t do it alone. They are counting on many partners to come together with the common cause of keeping New Hampshire beautiful and ecologically sound. Wildlife is truly a public resource and each of us has a stake in ensuring its long-term protection.

I hope someday to take my three sons on that same fishing trip to the Connecticut Lakes Wildlife Management Area, where perhaps they will have the same awe-inspiring experience of seeing a rare spruce grouse, and perhaps even catching an eastern brook trout or two.

For more information

• N.H. Wildlife Action Plan: A Blueprint to Save Threatened Species
• New Hampshire Wildlife Action Plan
• List of wildlife species and habitats at risk
• Condition of New Hampshire’s wildlife habitat
• Most prominent risk factors
• Conservation strategies
• Implementation plan

By Darrel Covell, UNH Cooperative Extension Wildlife Specialist

A team of 93 community volunteers organized by Carroll County Extension Master Gardeners picked, washed, boxed 12,500 pounds of surplus vegetables from Sherman Farm in East Conway and distributed them to food pantries and senior meal programs throughout the county last summer.

Their generosity served more than 23,000 vegetable meals valued at more than $15,000 to residents of Carroll County who might not otherwise have had access to fresh vegetables.

Organized last year as an Extension Master Gardener initiative, the Veggie Volunteer Program (VVP) links volunteers with Sherman Farm, a diversified dairy, livestock and vegetable farm whose community-spirited owners had long wanted to find a way to get their crop surpluses to people in need.

In addition to the fresh food it distributes, the VVP offers important educational benefits. “Volunteers from the community get to see a working farm in operation,” said Carroll County Extension agricultural and environmental stewardship educator Tina Savage. “Many people are unfamiliar with how and where vegetables grow. Visiting the farm helps them develop an understanding of the value of working farms, local food and open space.”

This year the VVP expanded to include an after-school program, called the Sprouts. “Children in the program learned about human nutrition, plant nutrition, food safety, and the food guide pyramid,” said Savage. “The Sprouts finished up with a trip to the farm to help with the harvest and tour the whole operation.”

Future plans for the VVP include writing and publishing a how-to manual that will help other counties and other states develop similar programs.

Donating food in New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Food Bank, which expects to distribute nearly 4 million pounds of food in 2004 to emergency food pantries and soup kitchens throughout the Granite State, can provide information about where to donate food in your community. Call 669-9725.

Hunt for the Hungry
The Food Bank also manages a program that accepts donations of whole or processed game animals. Call 669-9725 for information.

Every fall the older, interior needles on evergreens yellow and fall. This occurs on pines, spruces, arborvitae and junipers, and it's perfectly normal. Each year these plants grow a new set of needles in the spring, and drop their oldest set in the fall.

Needle drop usually occurs in mid-fall. This year the needles on many hemlocks and white pine began yellowing early, in September. Environmental stress caused this early, heavier than normal needle. Stressed plants lose more needles, but as long as the terminal, or current year's growth, is fresh and green, the life of the plant isn't in danger.

Why is it so early and so severe this year? Trees and shrubs generally respond slowly to changes in their environment. They recover slowly, too. Last year's drought (more than eight weeks with no appreciable precipitation in some locations) was very hard on plant material.

Because hemlocks and white pine are shallow-rooted trees, their small, absorptive roots are particularly susceptible to drying and injury during drought periods. Roots injured and or killed by drought stress can take up to two years to regenerate.

This year's weather exacerbated last year's drought stress. In the spring, when soil temperatures reach 45 degrees Fahrenheit, the root systems of most tress and shrubs become active and begin to grow. This period of growth lasts until the plant begins to put out its new leaves. Because of our late winter, this period of spring growth was shorter than normal.

In addition, the long, cool wet spring enabled many plants to put out lots and lots of new leaves. When hot weather finally came, with no warning, many plants had a difficult time sustaining their large leaf canopies. This resulted in more stress.

If you look around, you will see the lingering effects of stress on many trees. Drought followed by a severe winter, a late spring, excess moisture and a short, but intense heat wave has left its mark on many plants.

Evergreens are losing their needles earlier. The leaves on many landscape plants have brown leaf edges. Because of moisture stress during late summer and our short-lived heat waves, some leaves have patches of dead, light-brown leaf tissue running through them.

The outer leaves on many oaks turned brown in August. This was cause by a fungus called Botryosphaeria quercum, which typically shows up on oaks after a period of drought.

What does this mean for the future health of your trees and shrubs? In the grand scheme of things, not a whole lot. Plants for the most part are very resilient. In times of extreme stress, they will die back a bit from the top to protect the remainder of the plant. As conditions become more favorable, they slowly recover.

What can you do to help your plants recover? If we do get a long, dry fall (almost unimaginable, isn't it?) keep them watered until the ground freezes. Wait until next spring, or even the spring after that, to fertilize. Fertilizing stressed plants generally does more harm than good. And hope for a normal growing season next year. That's really what would do our plant the most good.

By Cheryl Smith (Plant Health Specialist) and Margaret Hagen (Extension Educator) University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension

Everywhere I go this October I see trees and shrubs on sale. In some cases prices have been slashed up to 75 percent. Fall is a great time to buy plants. Just make sure you buy them from a reputable store where they've been regularly cared for during the growing season.

The biggest favor you can do for your new plants when you get them home is to plant them correctly. Be sure to dig a hole that is wider than deep and plant your bargains with the top of the root ball as close to ground level as possible. Planting holes should be two to three times wider than deep.

Inspect the root system of your containerized or balled and burlapped plant carefully as it goes into the ground. Recent research conducted at the University of Minnesota indicates that many trees develop problems that shorten their lifespan because they are planted too deeply. Of particular concern are roots that might girdle the main trunk or stem as they develop.

Why is this important? Only half of each plant, the shoot system, grows above-ground. The other half, the root system, grows underground where it is often out of mind as well as out of sight.

Roots perform many vital functions and have a profound effect on overall plant health. Most people think of tree roots as an anchor, growing straight down. In reality, most tree roots are located in the top 16 to 24 inches of soil and occupy an area 2 to 4 times the diameter of the tree crown. Loosening that soil at planting time aids in future root growth.

In addition to anchoring plants, roots transport water and minerals from the soil to the rest of the tree. Water and minerals are used to manufacture carbohydrates which are then stored as reserves in the root system to produce spring foliage.

When plants are grown incorrectly in the nursery or spend too long in a container they often develop root systems that can threaten future plant health. These roots are known as stem girdling roots or SGRs. This happens because roots are often forced into an encircling growth pattern when trees are grown in containers or held as balled and burlapped stock. If trees are then planted too deeply, the encircling roots can eventually enlarge, compressing (girdling) the stem and damaging bark and wood tissue.

Above-ground symptoms often take 15 or 20 years to show up and most often include stunting of the foliage, decreased annual twig growth and a smaller trunk diameter. Trees with stem girdling roots often lean to one side and may have leaves that are scorched (brown) along the edges.

Most deciduous tree trunks normally flare or expand near the ground. Trees suffering from girdling roots often lack trunk flares, going straight into the ground like telephone poles.

If on inspection you discover that your new tree has encircling roots, simply prune them off. Then plant your tree so that the flare where roots meet stem is at or only slightly below the soil surface. If your inspection shows more than 1 to 2 inches of soil over the root flare, plant the tree higher than normal in the landscape. When the root collar flare and stem are at or above the soil surface developing stem girdling roots will be easily detectable and treatable long before they cause stress to the tree.

When planting, don't amend the backfill with peat moss, compost or other organics. Research has shown that drainage problems and reduced growth can occur from amended soils. Do be sure to provide the equivalent of an inch of rainfall weekly for the first two years after planting. Most of all, be sure to enjoy. There's nothing quite like the feeling that comes from planting something that will live for a hundred years or more.

For more information on planting trees call UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center 's Info-Line toll free at 1-877-398-4769 and ask for a copy of the fact sheet, "Steps to Follow When Planting Trees and Shrubs". Trained volunteers are also available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

By Margaret Hagen, UNH Cooperative Extension Educator, Hillsborough County

Who's my legislator?
Find the people who represent your town in the NH State legislature.

State Legislature
Learn the history and current status of bills, committee membership, legislators' voting records and more.

Who represents me in Congress?
Contact information and links to the individual Web sites of New Hampshire Senators and Representatives in the US Congress

Bills before Congress
Legislative Information on the Internet contains a lot of information about activities of the US Congress. Visit their Frequently Asked Questions page for help finding the information you need.

Information about New Hampshire cities and towns
Use the pull-down menu and click on your town to find demographic and economic data, municipal services, labor force, housing, recreational facilities, growth patterns and much more.

Locate your voting districts
New Hampshire has five sets of districts: Congressional Districts, Executive Council , State Senate , State Representative Districts, and County Commissioner .

How do I register to vote in New Hampshire?
Good fact sheet from the Secretary of State's Election Division

Where do I vote in New Hampshire?
Locations and hours for all municipal polling places in New Hampshire

Want to run for office?
Qualifications for candidates interested in running for local, county, state and federal offices

Homepage New Hampshire
The gateway to more information about NH state government

The 20 percent challenge
What’s the potential for energy savings in New Hampshire's homes? I believe most homes can reduce their overall energy consumption by an average of at least 20 percent. By my calculations, that could deliver a collective economic benefit of more than $200 million in annual savings for New Hampshire residents.

Such huge savings may sound like pie-in-the-sky, but credible studies by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy show that we can make our homes much more energy efficient.

Here’s a brief outline of ways that owners of existing homes can reduce their fuel bills. (See below if you rent your home or have plans to build a new one.)

If you have $100 or less to spend
Tackle the little stuff that adds up. There are plenty of free ways to save energy, from turning down your water heater temperature to cleaning your refrigerator's condensing coils. No-cost and low-cost tips can be found at Cornell University Cooperative Extension and at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Web sites.

Keep in mind that some energy-saving ideas can have unintended and unwelcome consequences. For example, redirecting clothes dryer vents inside may make your house warmer, but the extra moisture could cause hidden condensation in your walls and attic. Even worse: the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if the dryer uses natural gas or propane.

The following low-cost ideas will typically pay you back in energy savings in less than a year - a one-year payback equals a 100 percent return on your investment!

• Changing the five most frequently used light bulbs with Energy Star-rated compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can cut a typical household's electricity bill by $60 per year. With instant rebates at New Hampshire retailers or through the NHSaves catalog, the total bill for five CFLs now comes to less than $20. (This link for PSNH customer is also applicable for Unitil, GraniteState Electric, and NH Electric Cooperative residential customers in NH). In many homes, CFLs can replace a dozen or more light bulbs in light fixtures and table lamps.

• A family of four can save more than $100 per year in fuel and water bills by installing “low-flow” devices. Some low-flow devices do a better job than others at providing a vigorous flow while using less water. Look for “laminar spray” faucet aerators rated at 0.5 or 1.0 gallons per minute (gpm), and showerheads around 1.5 or 1.75 gpm. There are also 1.5 gpm kitchen aerators available. Specialty retailers such as the NHSaves catalog or Niagara Conservation Products typically offer the better-engineered low-flow devices.

• Insulate all accessible hot water pipes. This recommendation is doubly true for houses with hot water or steam heating systems. Self-sealing plastic foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and easy to install. Look for the thickest insulation you can get - a one-inch-thick foam wall is preferable, but hard to find.

• Sealing air leaks in a house is one of the most cost-effective energy improvements, but the challenge is knowing what to do. Caulking and small canisters of spray foam are inexpensive, and the Energy Star Web site has an excellent 22-page DIY Guide to Air Sealing (Warning, large 1.8 MB file).

If you have $500 to spend
At this level, invest in even more air sealing. A blower door - a powerful fan in a snug frame that fits in an outside door and measures air leakage in cubic feet per minute to determine precisely how leaky a house is—is the single most important energy diagnostic tool. It’s possible to get a professional blower door test for $300 or less.

Beyond its diagnostic functions, the blower door shows where to focus air sealing efforts. Blocking where cold air is entering and warm air is escaping is a key component to making homes energy efficient. Often air leaks are in out-of-the-way locations, such as the top of basement foundations, around kitchen cabinets, near kitchen and bath plumbing, around bath fans, through recessed can light fixtures, around chimneys, near wiring penetrations, at attic-wall junctions, and around hatches.

Another helpful air sealing guide is the Iowa Energy Center's Home Tightening and Insulation (large file - 1.6 MB).

Programmable thermostats, available for less than $100, will automatically turn down the temperature setting during sleeping and working hours. They can be relatively easy to install and most systems are low-voltage. However, if you have baseboard electric heat, hire a licensed electrician to handle the 220-volt wiring. Most programmable thermostats allow different settings for weekdays versus weekends, and some allow different settings for every day of the week.

Spending $2,000 or more
A $2,000 package of home energy efficiency investments may generate $400 in annual energy savings, an annual return of 20 percent.

At this level it makes sense to hire an energy professional to conduct an assessment and provide advice. These assessments range in cost from about $200 to $600, depending on the size of the home and the amount of services requested.

Before hiring an energy professional, ask about their field experience, the training and certifications they have (such as Home Energy Rater), and the specialized tools they use: blower-door, possibly an infrared camera, combustion testing equipment, energy modeling computer programs, etc. Ask for references from homeowner clients and follow up on them.

A professional home energy assessment should always include a blower door test (see above).“Seal tight and ventilate right,” is the adage of home energy professionals. It answers the common question, “Will my indoor air quality suffer if my house becomes too airtight?” While theoretically possible, most New Hampshire homes have the opposite problem - they are much too leaky. Even very tight homes can be fitted with cost-effective fresh air ventilation systems. In many cases, the solution is as simple as installing high quality bathroom fans vented directly to the outside. Controlled ventilation wastes much less energy than uncontrolled air leakage.

Consider adding insulation to your attic, generally the most cost-effective area to add insulation to a home. Even if your attic is insulated, don’t assume you have enough. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends R-49 (R-value ) worth of insulation in New Hampshire attics.

The two most popular insulating materials are fiberglass batts and blown cellulose insulation made from recycled newsprint. Studies have shown that cellulose insulation does a better job of keeping cold air from migrating through the insulation than fiberglass batts, but fiberglass is easier for do-it-yourself installations.

All homes should have an effective, properly installed vapor barrier above the ceiling to block the movement of moisture-laden air into the attic. Ask an energy professional whether this could be an issue for your home.

There are plenty of additional energy improvements you might consider for your home, including, in rough order of cost-effectiveness:

•  Duct sealing and insulation for forced hot air heating systems
•  Kneewall air sealing and insulation in Cape-style homes
•  Energy Star Replacement refrigerator (if >12 years old)
•  Wall insulation
•  Solar hot water system
•  Basement insulation
•  Replacement windows and doors (often not very cost-effective)
•  Photovoltaic solar electricity system

Pay attention to your heating system
Natural gas, oil, propane, and even wood-fired heaters need to be cleaned and adjusted regularly to operate safely at the greatest efficiency. Choose a reputable heating contractor who will conduct combustion tests and maintain your heater regularly.

However, a completely new heater may not warrant the expense. Evaluate your heating system's overall efficiency by multiplying its total combustion efficiency (conversion of fuel energy into heat energy) times its distribution efficiency (delivery of heat energy). The Iowa Energy Center (large file) and Energy Star (large file - 2.0 MB) both have good guides to home heating and cooling.

Renters and future homebuilders
Renters may convince the building owner to invest in energy performance. Let them know about the Appraisal Journal study showing that a home's resale value increases $20 for every $1 annual reduction in energy costs. Future homeowners of new-construction homes have plenty of opportunities to build a high performance home, including Energy Star Homes and LEED for Homes programs.

Although understanding the complex energy systems in our homes and taking steps to improve their efficiency can feel daunting, the rewards for doing so go beyond saving money. Home efficiency improvements lessen the demand for imported fossil fuels, conserve resources, reduce air pollution, keep dollars in the local economy, and increase home comfort. What a bargain!

By Andy Duncan
Duncan, a UNH Cooperative Extension Community Tree Steward, member of the Merrimack County Extension Advisory Council, and former environmental science professor, currently works for a building energy performance company.

• Energy Star
  Provides information about the federal government's Energy Star program. Includes an extensive section on saving energy through home improvement.
  
  
• Home Energy Checklist: Reduce Your Energy Costs
  Practical, seasoned advice on reducing the fuel costs, with helpful myths-versus-facts sections.
  
  
• Home Resource Efficiency - Rocky Mountain Institute
  Practical and holistic advice to reduce energy and other resource use by the preeminent gurus of resource efficiency.
  
  
• NHSaves
  NHSaves is the joint program by New Hampshire's electric utilities to manage energy efficiency programs funded through the System Benefits Charge found on every electric bill. Numerous efficiency programs, from Energy Star Homes to the commercial lighting replacement program are available.
  
  
• A Consumer Guide to Buying Energy Efficient Products for the Home - Consumer Federation of America
  Provides helpful information on purchasing energy efficient heating systems, appliances, and other household items.
  
  
• Home Energy Saver - Lawrence Berkely Lab
  This project by the federal Lawrence Berkely national laboratory includes an online energy audit tool plus extensive resources on turning energy improvement recommendations into reality.
  
  
• Energy Cost Calculator
  An Excel spreadsheet that provides a simple comparison of the relative costs of different heating fuels.
  
  
• America's Low “Energy IQ:” A Risk to our Energy Future
  Subtitled “Why America Needs a Refresher Course on Energy,” based on polling conducted by Roper.

Last year, Keeley G., a 26 year-old Nashua woman sought help with her tax returns from a volunteer at the Nashua Economic Opportunity Center, one of 69 sites across New Hampshire offering free tax preparation.

“When he told me I'd be getting more than $2100 back as an Earned Income Tax Credit, I couldn't believe it,” she said. “I put the money together with some savings to buy a more reliable car. The one I had was an old boat that kept breaking down and wasn't safe. Last winter, I often had to ask for rides.”

In short, the $2,127 EITC check that enabled Keeley to buy a reliable car allows her to function more self-reliantly and maintain a busy schedule that involves getting to work, to school, to her daughter’s day care, to medical appointments, and to visit family in another state.

Two years ago, fleeing an abusive living situation in North Carolina, Keeley returned to her native New Hampshire with her five-month-old daughter in a U-Haul rented with a family member’s credit card.

“I arrived in Nashua homeless, without money, a job, or a car,” she says.

A woman on the move
But today, Keeley is a young woman on the move who not only has a reliable car, but a home, a job, bank accounts, and firm career plans.

She was accepted into Nashua Pastoral Care Center’s transitional living program, and now lives with her daughter in a one bedroom apartment she rents through the Center.

“The transitional housing program requires me to be in school, so I enrolled at New Hampshire Community Technical College here in Nashua to study marketing. I hope eventually to get a job as a marketing rep for a pharmaceutical company,” says Keeley. “I also work part-time as an appointment secretary at a Dartmouth Hitchcock pediatric clinic.”

Keeley lives on a strict budget and maintains savings and checking accounts with a credit union. “I'm also enrolled in a financial literacy program, and I've begun saving to buy my own home through an Individual Development Account,” she says.

“I left home when I was very young, with all these ideas about what I wanted to do, but no idea about where or how to start,” says Keeley. “I didn't know how to ask for help and didn't think I needed any. Becoming a parent changed all that. I've learned to reach out, and I've had a lot of help.”

A recent nationwide study by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) confirms and provides fresh insights into what many teachers and others who work with teenagers already know: American teens don't get enough sleep. 

As a consequence, more than a quarter of high school students report falling asleep at school at least once a week; more than half report driving when they feel sleepy; and nearly a third of teens say they need two or more caffeinated beverages per day to stay awake.

What’s more, nine of 10 parents believe their teens are getting enough sleep, revealing a huge awareness gap between teens and parents.

Adolescence brings changes in brain chemistry

Teenagers’ late-to-bed, sleep-until-noon habits may seem related to stereotypical adolescent defiance. However, brain scientists tell us that teen brain chemistry differs from the chemistry of both adults and younger children. Teens start to secrete melatonin, a hormone that helps to trigger drowsiness at the end of the day, up to two hours later than younger children. This normal hormonal shift causes teens to feel more alert later at night and to wake up later in the morning.

Combine this delay in chemical signals with teens’ obligations to school, homework, paid work, as well as the attractions of TV, video games, the Internet, and interaction with peers, and the result is a serious sleep deficit for many teens. 

The NSF's 2006 Sleep in America poll conducted last fall randomly surveyed 1,600 households across the U.S. The poll, fashioned by experts on adolescent sleep, asked questions of one family member between the ages of 11 and 17 and one parent or guardian in the same household in order to compare their responses. 

Sleep study's key findings

• More than a quarter of high school students report that they fell asleep in school at least once a week in the past two weeks; 14 percent say they arrived late or missed school because they overslept.
• Just one in five adolescents gets an optimal nine hours of sleep on school nights; nearly one-half (45 percent) sleep less than eight hours on school nights.
• The average 6th-grader sleeps about of 8.4 hours on school nights, while a typical high school senior sleeps just 6.9 hours.
• Over the course of a week, high school seniors miss nearly 12 hours of needed sleep.
• More than half of adolescents report feeling too tired or sleepy during the day.
• More than half of adolescents say they know they get less sleep than they need to feel their best.
• Eighty percent of adolescents who get an optimal amount of sleep say they’re achieving As and Bs in school, while adolescents who get insufficient amounts of sleep are more likely than their peers to get lower grades.
• Among those adolescents who say they’re unhappy or tense most often, 73 percent feel they don’t get enough sleep at night and 59 percent stay they feel sleepy during the day.
• Nine out of 10 parents believe their teens get enough sleep most nights of the week.

Unhealthy behaviors

• Driving drowsy: More than half (51 percent) who drive say they’ve driven while drowsy during the past year.
• Frequently consuming caffeinated beverages and foods: 31 percent of those surveyed drink two or more caffeinated beverages a day.
• Napping: 38 percent of surveyed high school students took at least two naps per week in the two weeks preceding their poll interview.
• Giving up on exercise: 28 percent of adolescents say they felt too tired or sleepy to exercise.
• Sleeping late on weekends: Most adolescents are sleeping between 1.2 and 1.9 hours longer on non-school nights.

UNH Cooperative Extension has Family & Consumer Resources educators in each county http://extension.unh.edu/Counties/Counties.htm who offer a variety of parenting programs. If you have questions about parenting teenagers (or younger children), or if you’re interested in the local schedule of Extension parenting programs, contact the county office and ask for the parent educator.

 by Thom Linehan, Family & Consumer Resources Educator, MerrimackCounty


For more information about teens and sleep

• Adolescent Sleep Needs and Patterns
  Full report on teenage sleep habits from the National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 nationwide survey.
   
  
• Signs and symptoms of sleep deprivation in teens
  
  
• Living with your teen: Adolescents and Sleep
  
  

• Later high school start times
  Starting high school later in the day may be an effective way to apply knowledge of adolescent sleep needs. This report describes the experience in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which adjusted their high school start times to accommodate adolescent biology.
  
  
• Lack of sleep
  Learn more about how lack of sleep may affect adolescents

Do you struggle to get by from paycheck to paycheck? Then you should know about the Earned Income Credit (EITC), a special tax benefit for people who work full-time or part-time. Millions of low-wage taxpayers qualify. Even if you aren't a U.S. citizen, you may still qualify for the EITC.

More than 76,678 New Hampshire residents collectively received $137.7 million in EITC in 2009.
What is Earned Income Credit?
The EITC is a special tax benefit for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. If you fall into this category, the EITC can help reduce your taxes and increase your income.

If you qualify for EITC and file a federal tax return, you can get back some or all of the federal tax withheld from your pay during the year. You may also get some cash back from the IRS. Even if you didnt earn enough to pay an income tax, you may qualify for EITC.

Who can get EITC?
If you worked full-time or part-time at some point in 2010, you can qualify for the EITC depending on your family income which must fall below the following income guidelines:
:

Source: Internal Revenue Service





How much is it worth?

The chart below shows the maximum EITC a family can
earn. Your family income determines the actual amount of EITC you receive.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

Who is a “qualifying child”?

The IRS considers a qualifying child:

• any child who lived in your household for more than half of 2005,


• is your son, daughter, adopted child, grandchild, great-grandchild,
  stepchild, or eligible foster child, and who also


• meets one of the following criteria:
  
  
  
  1. Was younger than age 19 at the end of the tax year, or  
  
  
  2. Was a full-time student  under age 24, or
  
  
  3. Was permanently and totally disabled at any age during the year
  
  
  
  

How do you get the EITC?

Workers raising a qualifying child in 2005 must file either Form 1040
or 1040A and must fill out and attach Schedule EITC. Workers with children
can’t get the EITC if they file Form 1040EZ or do not attach
Schedule EITC. Married workers must file a joint return to get the
EITC.

• Workers who didn’t raise a qualifying child in their home in
  2005 can file any tax form - including the 1040EZ. These workers write “EITC” (or
  dollar amount of their credit) on the Earned Income Credit line on
  the tax form. The do not file Schedule EITC.

• You must provide a correct name and Social Security number for every
  person listed on the tax return and Schedule EITC. If this information
  is incorrect or missing, the IRS will delay the refund.

• Workers don’t have to calculate their own EITC; if they choose,
  the IRS will do it for them.

Workers raising children can get part of their EITC in their
paychecks

Workers raising children can get part of their EITC in their paychecks
throughout the year. The rest will come back as a check from the IRS
after the worker files a tax return. This is called the Advance EITC
payment option.

Learn more about it from the IRS
Advance Earned Income Credit Questions and Answers Web page.

Free help filing your tax forms

Many families that apply for EITC pay someone to complete their tax forms.
This can cost $55 to $200 or much more. Getting a “quick tax
refund” may cost you more than you will get back!

• Low-income workers can get free help with tax preparation through
  local offices throughout New Hampshire.


• The IRS certifies volunteers to provide free tax help through the Tax-Aide
  Program of an organization called
  the AARP.


• To find the Tax-Aide Program location nearest you, go to this
  Website,
  or call 1-888-227-7669.


• You can also call the New Hampshire Help Line at 1-800-852-3388 for
  a referral to a free tax preparation site nearest you.
  
   
  
  

Does the EITC affect eligibility for other public benefits?
No. The money you receive as EITC doesn't count as income in determining your eligibility for benefits like Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, food stamps, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, supplemental social security (SSI), or public or subsidized housing.

Can immigrant workers get the EITC?

Many legal immigrants can qualify for the EITC, as long as they meet
the eligibility requirements. For more information, call 1-800-TAX-1040.

For more information:

• NH Earned Income Tax Credit (information for New Hampshire residents)


• IRS Earned Income Tax Credit Questions & Answers


• IRS Tax Topics about Earned Income Tax Credit


• IRS Frequently Asked Questions about “Qualifying Child” rules


• Information en espanol: Crédito por Ingreso del Trabajo(EITC)

Preserving food at home has long been a New Hampshire tradition. Growing and preserving your own food lets you enjoy delicious, locally grown fruits and vegetables throughout the year.

Even if you don’t have time or land to grow your own food, New Hampshire’s 300 fruit and vegetable growers offer a wide variety of high quality produce at roadside stands, farmers’ markets, and pick-your-own operations.

The advantages of preserving food at home include supporting local agriculture, taking advantage of the abundance of high quality produce, preserving food within hours of picking, and having control over the ingredients. The tradeoff for these advantages is the time and effort to preserve food at home and the cost of equipment.

Main food preservation methods

There are three main methods of preserving food: canning (which includes pickling), freezing, and drying. Which method you choose will depend on the characteristics of the food you want to preserve and whether there is a tested and safe method of preserving it.

For example, you might have a bumper crop of basil this year and want to make and can small jars of pesto as gifts for your family. Even though canned pesto is available commercially, there is no recommended method for canning it at home. Alternatively, you can safely freeze pesto for long term storage.

Even though summer months are usually busy ones and your time may be limited, you can still preserve food at home. Freezing, for example, takes little time and doesn’t require any special processing equipment.

Comparing canning, freezing and drying

Let’s compare the amount of time and equipment needed for each of the three methods of preserving food:

• Canning (includes fruits, vegetables, jellied products, pickled products)
• Equipment needed: water bath or pressure canner, jars and lids
• Preparation time: long
• Processing time: medium
• Freezing
• Equipment needed: freezer and packaging materials
• Preparation time: short to medium
• Processing time: short
• Drying
• Equipment needed: dehydrator
• Preparation time: short to medium
• Processing time: long

Select the method that best fits your schedule and how you’ll use the food. Be flexible. You may start the summer growing season thinking this will be the year you make strawberry jam, but your work schedule turns crazy just when the local berries are ripe. But if you don’t have time to make jam, you can freeze your strawberries, which takes much less time. You may even enjoy berries more than jam (you’ll also find the berries more versatile for meal-planning) next February when it seems as though winter will last forever.

Four steps to success

Whether you consider yourself an expert or novice food preserver, you can save time, effort, and money by following these four important steps as you plan ahead this summer.

1. Plan carefully before you begin to preserve food at home. Time invested before you begin your project will save you time later.
   
2. Use only up-to-date tested recipes and methods (see resources below). This is an important step. Preserving food safely at home is an evolving science. Recipes and methods are constantly updated based on current research.
   
3. Gather all your ingredients and equipment. Make sure you have everything you need on hand so you can work quickly and efficiently. Inspect equipment and replace as needed.
   
4. Follow recipes and directions precisely. Tested recipes are based on precise amounts of ingredients and procedures. For some preservation methods, altering either can affect the quality and safety of the final product.

Resources for tested recipes and methods

• UNH Cooperative Extension Family, Home, and Garden Info Line – 1-877-398-4769, Monday through Friday, 9 am to 2 pm.
  
  Trained volunteers provide resources, fact sheets and answer your food preservation questions.
  
  
• National Center for Home Food Preservation
  This is a comprehensive website featuring research-based information, publications, recipes, methods, and links for most food preservation methods.
  
• Pennsylvania State University – Let’s Preserve Fact Sheets
  The Let’s Preserve Fact Sheet Series includes tested recipes and methods for canning 15 fruits and vegetables.

Preserving food at home is a rewarding way to capture the taste of New Hampshire grown fruits and vegetables to enjoy all year long!

Catherine Violette, Ph.D., R.D., L.D.
UNH Cooperative Extension Professor and Specialist, Food and Nutrition

Each year in the United States, Americans spend more than one-half billion dollars feeding birds. In fact, one in three North American households makes available an average of 60 pounds of supplemental seed annually. Birds are fascinating to watch and dedicated bird feeders buy hundreds of pounds of feed each winter. Most have a bird book and binoculars to identify and study the birds. And most willingly take the time to replenish feed and water supplies several times a week. Fortunately, ornithologists speculate that if handouts were to stop tomorrow, there would be neither species extinctions nor major population declines. However, some recently enlarged ranges would probably decline.

If you've tried to attract and feed birds in the past, but the venture was never really a success, it may be because you were lacking a few basic pieces of information. Just a few tips on where to place your feeders, what to put in them, and what feeder types are attractive to which species can make the difference between success and failure.

Birds will visit feeders that are placed close to branches of trees and shrubs (especially evergreens) more readily than they will visit feeders in the open. Feeders in the open tend to be more exposed to the elements and to predators. If squirrels are a problem, use baffles and try to place your feeders just beyond jumping distance. Shrub borders near a garden or hedge-rows along the edge of your lawn are ideal sites for feeders. "Edges" between different types of vegetation will attract a wider variety of birds. Perhaps most importantly for you, feeders should be situated near a window for convenient bird watching. If you have no natural cover near a window, you can prop up an old Christmas tree or erect a brush pile to create some. Next spring you might consider planting a few shrubs attractive to birds adjacent to your feeder site.

What should go in your feeders? The simplest answer is that supermarket wild bird seed mix is what should not go in your feeders. Supermarket mixes tend to contain large proportions of red millet and milo. Few birds will eat those seeds, but manufacturers put them in because they're cheap. Instead, a simple mix of 50% sunflower seeds (unhulled oil type), 35% white proso millet and 15% cracked corn will appeal to a broad cross-section of seed-eating birds. You can buy in bulk from seed or animal feed dealers. Whether you buy seed mixed or separately will depend on whether you want to vary the proportions to attract the birds you want to see.

Having attractive bird feeds on hand is important, but placement of those feeds is equally important. Just as birds vary in size, shape, color, song and preferred foods, so do they differ in feeding behavior. Some birds feed almost exclusively in trees, others nearly always on the ground, and some will feed wherever they can find acceptable food. Using a variety of feeders makes sense; many can be made at home out of materials you already have.

Most common birds will visit platform feeders. They are simple to build, or you can buy hopper-style feeders that can be suspended by a wire or placed on a pole. You may want to add at least one hanging feeder filled with sunflower seeds, a rich diet especially attractive to chickadees, nuthatches, grosbeaks and cardinals. Thistle (Niger) seed is a favorite of finches, pine siskens and redpolls and can be offered in a special thistle feeder. Ground feeders like juncos, morning doves, sparrows and cardinals will feed on seed kicked off of platform feeders by other birds or on feed placed on the ground for them. For a complete feeding program, some fats (suet or peanut butter) should be added. Suet attached to tree trunks in wire baskets is especially attractive to woodpeckers.

Water is an effective magnet for birds; it is used year-round for both drinking and bathing. It's hard to provide unfrozen water in frigid weather, but it can be done by frequent refilling or by rigging up a heating device. In general, birds prefer water on or near the ground where it should be found naturally.

Feeding can help pull many birds through the extremes of winter. Birds will increase their visits to feeders in bad weather, especially after heavy snows and ice storms which make natural foods inaccessible. Small species, like chickadees, particularly benefit from feeding. So if you start to feed, try to continue feeding on a steady basis. Birds that habitually visit feeders may be slow to adapt to other food sources if feeding is interrupted or discontinued.

Finally, be sure to keep your feeding site clean so that disease doesn't become a problem. Periodically you will need to wash feeders and watering devices with a 10% Chlorox solution, and also rake the ground free of old seed (to prevent the growth of fungi).

Ideally, it's best to continue a winter feeding program into May when new spring growth and insects become available. But if bears are a problem, stop feeding immediately. Repeat bear visits are almost a certainty if food continues to be available. That can be both very risky and very expensive!

Call the UNH Cooperative Extension's Family, Home & Garden Education Center's Info-Line toll free at 1-877-398-4769 for "Practical Solutions to Everyday Questions." Trained volunteers are available to answer your questions Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 2:00pm.

Last year, New Hampshire residents qualified for $16.5 million in Earned Income Credit that went unclaimed.

What is Earned Income Credit?

The EIC is a special tax benefit for working people who earn low or moderate incomes. If you fall into this category, the EIC can help reduce your taxes and increase your income.

If you qualify for EIC and file a federal tax return, you can get back some or all of the federal tax withheld from your pay during the year. You may also get some cash back from the IRS. Even if you didn’t earn enough to pay an income tax, you may qualify for EIC.

Who can get EIC?

If you worked full-time or part-time at some point in 2004, you can qualify for the EIC depending on your family income which must fall below the following income guidelines:

Source: Internal Revenue Service

How much is it worth?

The chart below shows the maximum EIC a family can earn. Your family income determines the actual amount of EIC you receive.

Source: Internal Revenue Service

Who is a “qualifying child”?

The IRS considers a qualifying child:

• any child who lived in your household for more than half of 2004,
• is your son, daughter, adopted child, grandchild, great-grandchild, stepchild, or eligible foster child, and who also
• meets one of the following criteria:
  • Was younger than age 19 at the end of the tax year, or
  • Was a full-time student under age 24, or
  • Was permanently and totally disabled at any age during the year

How do you get the EIC?

• Workers raising a qualifying child in 2004 must file either Form 1040 or 1040A and must fill out and attach Schedule EIC. Workers with children can’t get the EIC if they file Form 1040EZ or do not attach Schedule EIC. Married workers must file a joint return to get the EIC.

(See below if you want free help filing your federal tax return.)

• Workers who didn’t raise a qualifying child in their home in 2004 can file any tax form - including the 1040EZ. These workers write “EIC” (or dollar amount of their credit) on the Earned Income Credit line on the tax form. The do not file Schedule EIC.
  
  
• You must provide a correct name and Social Security number for every person listed on the tax return and Schedule EIC. If this information is incorrect or missing, the IRS will delay the refund.
  
  
• Workers don’t have to calculate their own EIC; if they choose, the IRS will do it for them.

Workers raising children can get part of their EIC in their paychecks

Workers raising children can get part of their EIC in their paychecks throughout the year. The rest will come back as a check from the IRS after the worker files a tax return. This is called the Advance EIC payment option.

Learn more about it from the IRS Advance Earned Income Credit Questions and Answers page

FREE help filing your tax forms

Many families that apply for EIC pay someone to complete their tax forms. This can cost $55 to $200 or much more. Getting a “quick tax refund” may cost you more than you will get back!

Low-income workers can get free help with tax preparation through local offices throughout New Hampshire .

The IRS certifies volunteers to provide free tax help through the Tax-Aide Program of an organization called the AARP.

To find the Tax-Aide Program location nearest you, go to this Website, or call 1-888-227-7669.

You can also call the New Hampshire Help Line at 1-800-852-3388 for a referral to a free tax preparation site nearest you.

Does the EIC affect eligibility for other public benefits?

No. The money you receive as EIC doesn’t count as income in determining your eligibility for benefits like Temporary Aid to Needy Families (TANF), Medicaid, food stamps, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, supplemental social security (SSI), or public or subsidized housing.

Can immigrant workers get the EIC?

Many legal immigrants can qualify for the EIC, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements. For more information, call 1-800-TAX-1040.

For more information

• IRS Earned Income Tax Credit Questions & Answers
• IRS Tax Topics about Earned Income Tax Credit
• IRS Frequently Asked Questions About “Qualifying Child” rules
• Information en espanol: Crédito por Ingreso del Trabajo(EITC)

Dear Cooperative Extension,

First I tried planting them pointy side down, roughly two inches deep, watered them faithfully, waited a week--but nothing came up. So I bought another dozen, and this time I planted them the rounded side down, gave them the same care, an even threw in a few handfuls of 10-10-10 fertilizer. It’s been two weeks now and still none of my eggs has germinated. I‘ve wanted to raise chickens ever since I was a small child growing up in the city. Please tell me what I’m doing wrong.”

The reply came in the next day's mail: Sorry, we are unable to determine the nature of your problem until you’ve had your soil tested. Please find enclosed the required form, which includes sampling and mailing instructions.

Generations of county extension educators across the nation have shared this “true story.” While it’s good for a chuckle, it also illustrates just how serious (some would say fanatical) we in Cooperative Extension feel about soil testing.

Whether you tend a postage-stamp backyard garden or lawn, or a large acreage of food or forage crops, having your soil analyzed by the UNH Analytical Services Lab is a bargain you can’t afford to pass up. For the price of a couple of hamburger meals you’ll receive a detailed soil analysis from a state-of-the-art testing facility, along with crop-specific recommendations of what to do. Following through with these recommendations will save you money, help you grow a better crop, and improve your soil environment.

We suggest fall as the ideal time to have your soil tested. Because the lab is less busy in fall than in spring, you’ll probably get your results faster. If your test indicates a need to raise your soil pH, remember it can take three to twelve months for a lime application to produce the desired change. A fall lime application gives you a head start on the process. Although you can also apply compost in fall, wait until spring to apply fertilizers to avoid the possibility of nutrient leaching and runoff.

To get all the information you need to submit a soil sample for testing, visit the Analytical Services Lab. Each of the following downloadable forms contains information on how to take a representative sample and get it to the lab:

• Home gardeners: Vegetables, Lawns, Small Fruits and General Landscaping Form
  
• Commercial Fruit, Vegetable, Turf, and Landscaper Form
  
• Corn, Forage, Pasture, Biosolids Spreading
  
• Greenhouse and Nursery Form
  
• Understanding Your Soil Test Results
  This fact sheet will help you interpret the report you receive from the lab.

By Steve Turaj and George Hamilton, UNH Cooperative Extension Agricultural Resources Educators

Whether you tend a postage-stamp backyard garden or a large acreage, having your soil tested is a bargain you can’t afford to pass up.

For the price of a couple of fast-food meals you’ll receive a detailed soil analysis from a state-of-the-art testing facility, along with crop-specific recommendations for amending or fertilizing your soil. Following through with these recommendations will save you money, help you grow a better crop, and improve your soil environment.

The lab gets busiest in spring, so get your sample in as soon as your soil thaws enough to sink a spade into it.

To find all the information you’ll need to collect and submit a soil sample for testing, visit the Soil Testing Web page or visit your county Extension office in person.

Two mosquito-transmitted viral diseases that infect horses have arrived in New Hampshire: Eastern Equine Encephalomyelitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV).

Horses infected with EEE may run fevers, show signs of depression, lose their appetites, become weak, go blind, lose coordination, and have convulsions. In some cases, horses may show no signs at all before dying.

Horses infected with WNV show similar symptoms—through they often have no fever—or have no symptoms at all. As of this writing, there have been no confirmed New Hampshire cases of West Nile in horses in 2005.

Vaccinations are available for horses for both of these diseases and we strongly encourage horse owners to consult their veterinarians to develop an appropriate vaccination program.

Human health concerns
Recent reports of two horses stricken with EEE in southern New Hampshire, and two suspected human cases, along with the first report of a dead bird infected with WNV, have also raised concerns about threats to human health.

The federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports that healthy adult humans who become infected by either virus will likely experience mild, flu-like symptoms, such as fever or headaches. Very young children, the elderly or people with weakened immune symptoms can become very ill from either disease.

Very few mosquito species are capable of transmitting either EEE or WNV. Those that can pick up the virus by biting infected birds. The infected mosquitoes may then transmit the virus by biting horses or humans. As of this writing, there have been no confirmed human cases of either EEE or WNV in New Hampshire this year. The New Hampshire season for risk of these viruses runs from June through October.

Protection from mosquito bites
Protection from mosquito bites is the best preventative for humans. You can decrease the chances of both you and your animals being exposed to WNV and EEE by decreasing exposure to adult mosquitoes:

• Use mosquito repellant that contains DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus when working or playing outdoors, especially around dawn and dusk.
  
  
• Prevent large populations of mosquitoes by removing any potential sources of water in which they can breed.
  
  
• Dispose of any water–holding containers, including discarded tires. Drill holes in the bottom of containers that are left outside and might collect water.
  
  
• Clean clogged roof gutters on an annual basis.
  
  
• Turn over wading pools or wheelbarrows when not in use, and do not allow water to stagnate in birdbaths. Aerate ornamental pools or stock them with fish.
  
  
• Clean and chlorinate swimming pools that are not in use and be aware that mosquitoes can breed in any puddle that lasts more than four days.
  
  
• Thoroughly clean livestock–watering troughs on a monthly basis.

If you have questions about either WNV or EEE in horses, contact your veterinarian.

For more information about the risk of WNV and EEE to humans:

• Fact Sheet on Eastern Equine Encephalitis
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention Eastern Equine Encephalitis Information’
• Fact Sheet on West Nile Virus
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention West Nile Virus information
• Citizens can also call the WNV/EEE information line at: 866/273-NILE (6453) for answers to questions about WNV or EEE.

By Lisa Townson, UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Specialist

State officials announced recently that mosquitoes carrying Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE, also called Triple-E) have been found in Danville. EEE is a mosquito-spread disease that mostly affects birds. The disease appears sporadically in New Hampshire, with outbreaks lasting one to three years. Occasionally this disease is transmitted via mosquito bite to horses or to people, although only a few of New Hampshire’s 47 mosquito species can actually transmit EEE to mammals.

Last year, New Hampshire led the nation in human EEE infections, with seven reported cases resulting in two deaths. The death rate is high in people (and horses) infected with EEE, even though the risk of becoming infected is very low. Furthermore, while we have a vaccine to protect horses, we don’t yet have a vaccine that protects humans. Fortunately, there are precautions people can take to avoid being bitten.

Although most EEE cases occur in the southeastern part of the state, especially Rockingham County, mosquitoes that transmit EEE do show up in other parts of the state, so all Granite Staters should take precautions to protect themselves. Individuals can dramatically reduce their risk of getting EEE in several ways:

• Use insect repellant containing DEET or picaridin when you are outdoors during mosquito season, and/or wear clothing that doesn’t expose skin.
• Try not to spend time outdoors within an hour or so of dusk.
• Don’t walk through thick, brushy woods without protection.
• Adjust window screens and doors to keep mosquitoes out of your home.
• If you own a horse or donkey, have your animals vaccinated.

           
Mosquito traps aren’t likely to help, and spraying mosquito larvae requires training, licensing, special equipment, and special permits. Adult mosquitoes fly so far that treatment by individual landowners doesn’t make much sense.

For more information about EEE and ways to manage its risks, see our EEE fact sheet (contains information about West Nile Virus, another mosquito-borne illness that sometimes strikes humans).

Swimming to Christmas Tree Island is a rite of passage at Bear Hill 4-H Camp, complete with certificate. It’s been a tradition there at least since I was a camper in the late 1970’s and probably since the camp started in 1936. Since 2001, I’ve worked at Bear Hill as a volunteer swimming instructor.

When the campers come back from the swim they carry themselves with renewed pride and self-confidence. Changes in self image can be phenomenal. I’ve seen campers with behavioral problems learn that they can set a goal and reach it with hard work and determination. Reaching Christmas Tree Island is physical proof.

It isn’t easy to jump into nine feet or more of water. You can’t see the bottom and the water has spots of pond weed. We swim among nature’s creatures: fish, snakes, turtles and frogs. A Polish counselor who had just finished the swim confided that it is scary because it involves “jumping into the unknown.” It takes a lot of courage to face your fears of the unknown and to believe you can make it across the pond and back on your own power.

We do everything possible to help our campers succeed, and we take every precaution to ensure their safety. We swim at a leisurely pace. Life guards and swimming instructors watch the swimmers closely for any sign of distress.

During swim classes throughout the week, swimmers have trained their muscles and cardiovascular systems, while improving their stroke technique by swimming laps of different strokes: crawl, elementary backstroke, sidestroke and back crawl.

During the week we watch and evaluate swimmers to make sure they can accomplish the final ritual swim to the island. The campers often don’t realize what they have learned and how much they have improved their fitness until they take on this slightly scary challenge.

Everyone feels good after a leisurely swim in the pond. We usually go on hot, clear, sunny days. To help the children enjoy the experience and overcome their fears, we point out the trees, the sky, the sunlight glinting off the water. We show them the bubbles from fish and other wildlife.

Gasping breaths are out of place in this place of peace and beauty. So I wondered why one young woman, a competent swimmer, was having such a difficult time with the swim to Christmas Island .

With wide, fearful eyes, she worked hard to draw her next breath. I offered her the red rescue tube I was trailing and she took it. Relieved I wasn’t going to have to rescue a panicked swimmer—a physically hard and dangerous situation—I asked if she was okay. She said she’d lost her breath. I towed her on the tube to the island so she could rest. That she wasn’t able to make it to the island surprised me. During class she had swum much further distances at a much faster pace.

After reaching Christmas Tree Island, the camper I’d towed told me she had a reduced lung capacity that day because an unusual amount of pollution had affected her asthma.

She knew this, she said, because she was involved in INHALE (Integrated Human Health and Air Quality Research), a study the University of New Hampshire was doing at the camp with children affected by asthma and allergies. Every morning at breakfast, a graduate student researcher measured campers’ lung capacity to study the consequences of bad air quality.

This particular day was one of the ten “bad air” days that New Hampshire has on average during the summer. On these “bad air” days, public health officials warn that even the average person should avoid outdoor physical activity, while young children and the elderly should remain indoors with air conditioning. I saw first-hand the effect it had on one of my swimming students.

According to Dr. John Spengler of the Harvard School of Public Health, air pollution causes 60,000 deaths nationwide each year. But the deaths are only the tip of the iceberg.

Air pollution causes increased visits to the hospital emergency rooms, more inpatient admissions, more use of medication, and losses in workplace productivity.

When we think of air pollution, we tend to think of smog clouds hanging over Los Angeles , not a forested camp in New Hampshire . Learning that New England is known as the “tailpipe of the nation” shocked me.

Dr. Jeff Salloway, a UNH professor of health management and policy, heads the INHALE project. Salloway says asthma rates in the United States have increased 1000 percent in the past 30 years. More than 11 percent of New Hampshire children have been diagnosed with asthma at some point in their lives.

Even though we may think we live in a pristine environment here in New Hampshire, two weather systems funnel pollution from the Midwest and the entire Atlantic seaboard over New England before it moves out to sea. Salloway says that toxins carried in the polluted air—ozone, sulfur dioxide, and oxides of nitrogen, and others—cause asthma and other

But the news isn’t all bad. By gathering this data from projects like INHALE, researchers and weather reporters can help us change the situation.

Dr. Greg Carmichael of the University of Iowa said in an interview with PBS’s Online News Hour that the weather person may soon begin reporting, “here’s the snap shot of what the air quality will be tomorrow. But here’s what the air quality would be if 50 percent of the people decided not to drive.”

We can have some control over our environment. In some New Hampshire communities, people can take free rides on public transit systems during “bad air” days. The rides are paid for by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency called Ride Free Breathe Free.

We can choose to carpool. We can choose to drive smaller, more fuel-efficient cars. We can contribute less to overall air pollution by walking or bicycling to work or school on “good air” days.

Preventing illness, saving lives, and maintaining our quality of life means recognizing the problems, knowing what to do, and making choices to change our behaviors. We can’t get lulled into believing we have no air pollution because we live in a rural area. Appearances can be deceiving.

Editor’s note: Look for the INHALE Web site which should go live in a few weeks.

For more information

UNH graduate student Tom Lambert, who studies the effects of air quality on human health, offers these links for air quality forecasts and real time air quality data:

• New England air Quality Forecast
• Local Forecasts and Coditions
• National Weather Service Air Quality Forecast Guidance
• University of New Hampehire’s AIRMAP air quality forecast

By Bonnie Barlow, UNH Cooperative Extension Community Tree Steward and 4-H Volunteer

If you love both gardening and sharing your gardening experience with others, consider becoming a Master Gardener volunteer. Extension Master Gardeners are trained volunteers who share their enthusiasm for gardening with the general public. After completing a 10-week program that covers basic botany, soils, pest management, home lawns, growing vegetables, small and tree fruits, annual and perennial flowers, and more, participants give a minimum of 45 hours of volunteer service.

To date, we’ve trained more than 600 Master Gardener volunteers who have provided thousands of hours of volunteer service to their communities through a variety of activities coordinated through local county Extension offices and our Family, Home & Garden Education Center in Manchester.

Applicants can choose one of three Master Gardener trainings:

• The County-based Master Gardener program. Participants in this program take part in a variety of county-based community horticultural projects. Please note that Hillsborough County Applicants must intern for the Info Line before participating in County based projects.
  
• UNHCE's Manchester-based Family, Home & GardenEducation Center program. Master Gardeners participating in this program will staff the toll free Info Line to respond to a variety of questions related to growing things (families as well as gardens).

• A special North Country class. This year, we’re offering a special evening class in Lancaster for North Country residents. This class will feature local instructors.

Volunteer training will be held in the fall of 2005. The county based class will meet in Concord on Thursdays, from September 29 to December 1. The Family, Home and Garden Education Center class will meet in Manchester on Tuesdays, from September 13 to November 29. Both sets of classes run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Lancaster class runs from mid September to the end of October.

The cost of the Concord and Manchester trainings is $175.00; the Lancaster class costs $100. Scholarships are available based on need.

To download an application, visit the Master Gardener Web site. If you have questions about any of the three Master Gardener programs, call Pam Doherty at 629-9494, ext.120.

Divorce is hard on everyone, but especially children. Getting tangled up in the legal system can be confusing and can lead to wars between parents, where there are “winners” and “losers” of the divorce. What’s really best, however, is when both parents feel they have won, because this promotes better outcomes for children.

The laws that regulate a state’s divorce procedures can contribute to whether or not parents come out feeling like winners or losers. In the best of cases, the state legislature can provide guidelines on how to make divorce less adversarial. The state of New Hampshire recently has done just that. The State’s Task Force on Family Law has revamped the laws that regulate divorce procedures in the state of New Hampshire. The Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act, which will take effect October 1, changes substantially how the state of New Hampshire approaches divorce.

In the best interests of the child
Weighing what is “in the best interests of the child” has served as the foundation of all child custody decisions since the early 1970’s. Most states outline how to determine what is in the best interests of children, and now New Hampshire will as well, using criteria that include:

• The relationship of the child with each parent
• The ability of each parent to provide the child with love, affection and guidance
• The ability of each parent to ensure that the child’s basic needs are met
• The child’s developmental needs and the ability of each parent to meet them
• The ability of each parent to support a relationship between the child and the other parent and to foster frequent and continuing contact with that parent
• The ability of the parents to communicate with each other
• Evidence of family violence or maltreatment

Language
Enter a New Hampshire courtroom in the near future, and you may be surprised by the language being used. Like many other states, New Hampshire has abandoned value-laden terms, such as sole physical custodian, in favor of more neutral terms, such as residential responsibility, when talking about with whom the child lives. Below are the new terms and the old terms they replace:

• Parental rights and responsibilities: This term replaces the old concept of “custody,” setting forth what rights parents enjoy as parents and what responsibilities the state expects them to meet. It specifies the role each parent will have in making decisions about the children and providing financial support for them.
• Decision-making responsibility: This term replaces “legal custody” and refers to who is legally empowered make substantive decisions about the children’s lives.
• Residential responsibility: This term replaces the old phrase “physical custody.” This new term addresses parents’ responsibilities to provide a home for their children.
• Parenting schedule: This term, adopted by other states as well, replaces the word “visitation.” States and court systems usually adopt this new language, because they want to make sure that “fit parents” never become visitors in their children’s lives. This new language suggests that parents are both permitted and expected to remain parents.

Joint decision-making responsibilities
The new law retains the old presumption that, except in cases of family violence or other forms of maltreatment, parents will adopt joint decision-making responsibilities for their children. To read more about shared parenting visit the Web sites of the Children’s Rights Council or the Shared Parenting Information Group. Both of these resources provide fairly gender-neutral information about joint parenting.

Educational seminars for parents
The new law also retains the old mandate that parents who are divorcing and facing child custody or child support issues must attend an educational child impact seminar before their case can be heard in court. This program, called Children First, broadly addresses how divorce and parental separation affects children. For more information about this program and for a scheduling of its offerings around the state, visit the Web site of Behavioral Health Network.

Mediation
Under the new law, if parents can’t come to an agreement about the terms of their divorce, the court can order the divorcing couple to seek assistance from a mediator. The law doesn’t mandate all disputing couples to use mediation, but specifies that each case be handled on a case-by-case basis. Of course, any couple can voluntarily use mediation if they are having trouble coming to a resolution of their divorce agreement.

For more information about mediation, see this recent issue of Bar Journal of the New Hampshire Bar Association or visit the family section of Mediate.com.

Parenting plans
In many states across the nation, parents are being encouraged to develop a detailed plan for the remainder of their children’s childhoods. The recently adopted New Hampshire divorce law encourages, but does not mandate such plans.

Parenting plans outline how parents will co-parent together and who will be responsible for what. Such a plan is much more specific than a traditional divorce decree and typically includes:

• Decision-making responsibility and residential responsibility for each parent
• A plan for communication, that includes how parents will gain access to and share information about their children
• The child’s legal residence (for school mailings, tax notices, medical provider communications, etc.)
• Parenting schedules, meaning when children will see each of their parents
• Responsibility for what transportation and when
• Procedures to be followed if one of the parents relocates out of the immediate area
• Details of how the plan will be modified in the future
• Guidelines for how disputes will be handled and resolved

In a nutshell, parenting plans are intended to head off future problems. The New Hampshire Bar Association offers a link to good information (from the Massachusetts Bar Association) on how to develop a parenting plan.

For more information

• The final report of the New Hampshire Task Force on Family Law
• Parental Rights and Responsibilities Act
• Helping Children Cope with their Parents’ Divorce

By Emily M. Douglas, Ph.D., UNH Cooperative Extension, assistant extension professor and family education & policy specialist

August 27 footrace supports local agriculture

Whether you run, walk, or shuffle, come boost (or boast about) your physical fitness while you support local agriculture in the 1 st annual Stride for New Hampshire Pride 5K footrace August 27. The race begins at 9 a.m. at the State House Plaza in Concord.

You might win a bushel of New Hampshire-grown sweet corn or a bag of vine-ripened tomatoes.

The fast, flat, USATF-certified course winds through downtown Concord and ends with a party on the State House lawn featuring locally-produced goodies.

Organized and directed by UNH Cooperative Extension educator Sadie Puglisi, the event aims to raise awareness about the economic, social and health benefits of local agriculture. All profits go to the New Hampshire Farmers’ Market Association.

For more information check out the Stride for NH Pride webpage.

“New Hampshire has been the fastest growing state in New England for the last four decades,” says Frank Mitchell, land and water conservation specialist with UNH Cooperative Extension. “One major consequence of this growth is that the state is losing approximately 20,000 acres of open space to development every year.”

“New Hampshire residents value undeveloped natural areas, agricultural lands and forest lands as the backdrop shaping what we call ‘community character’,” Mitchell says. “These open lands also protect clean water, wetlands, wildlife habitats, agriculture, forests, recreation, and the scenery that draws people here to live and tourists here to visit.”

“But land use economic issues are a key, sometimes overlooked, piece of the land use planning and decision-making process in our towns and cities,” says Mitchell.

“In recent years, more local open space committees, conservation commissions and town planning boards have called us for help with land conservation initiatives. New Hampshire communities concerned about the economic impacts of growth and development have begun conducting studies on the relative costs of land development. We realized other communities could benefit from what they’d learned,” says Mitchell. “So we designed a program to meet this need, using research-based information specific to the state and region.”

“In conjunction with the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests, and the Forest Society’s Center for Land Conservation Assistance, we’ve created a one-hour presentation called The Dollars and Sense of Saving Special Places. The presentation features slides and handouts that conservation commissions, open space committees, town planning boards and other civic organizations can use to build awareness and support locally for land conservation.

“Dollars and Sense covers the effects of growth, the benefits of open space, the economics of land use, and, because communities usually need funds to accomplish conservation goals, the presentation also includes information about a variety funding sources available to support conservation projects, including municipal, federal, state and private sources.”

For more information about The Dollars and Sense of Saving Special Places program and how to arrange a presentation in your community, contact: Frank Mitchell (862-1067) or Amanda Stone (346-5324).

Research on the economics of land use

“Recently, UNH Cooperative Extension, the Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests , and the Forest Society’s Center for Land Conservation Assistance compiled information from a number of studies that collectively confirm the economic value of open space,” says Mitchell. “The data clearly show that working farms and forests and undeveloped natural areas bring in more revenue to a town than the land requires in services, and that conserving these lands can slow property tax increases in the long run.”

Mitchell cites these examples:

• A 1999 statewide study found that the open space components of agriculture, forestry, recreation, tourism and second homes contribute a total of $8 billion per year or 25 percent of the annual Gross State Product, and 35 percent of local taxes.

• A 1994 study considered tax bills on median-value homes in all 234 N.H. towns. This study found taxes higher in towns with more taxable property, more residents, and more commercial and industrial development. It also found taxes lower in towns with more open space and a higher proportion of vacation homes.

• A 2004 study in the town of Lee looked at 33 residential areas (see Figure 1). In 30 of these areas, tax income did not cover the expenses. Similar studies in Chester and Peterborough have also shown that residential land use rarely pays for itself.
  
  
• In 13 of the 14 New Hampshire towns that have conducted “cost of community services” studies (see Figure 2), residential properties require more in services than they provide in revenues.

New Hampshire communities respond

New Hampshire communities have responded to the rapid growth and loss of open space with an unprecedented willingness to fund land conservation.

“Since 2001, 70 New Hampshire towns and cities have raised and appropriated more than $125 million for land conservation,” Mitchell says. “That’s impressive!”

A survey of voters conducted in 2004 by UNH professors Mark Ducey and Richard England revealed some reasons voters have been approving conservation funding measures:

• 47 percent said open space, historical character and natural beauty were the features they appreciated most about their towns.
• 41percent identified “growth, sprawl and open space” as the biggest issue or problem facing their towns.
• 60 percent felt their town had grown “too fast.”

• More than 75 percent reported they had voted for a land conservation proposal in their town.
• 63 percent felt that land conservation “will assure the present and future quality of drinking water.”

“The appropriation of conservation funding is only part of the story,” says Mitchell. “Communities and conservation groups have also become much more sophisticated in the way they plan and conduct conservation projects. For example, most towns have established criteria for selecting and evaluating land conservation projects, and are using the criteria to focus their efforts on the most important conservation properties in order to get the most conservation value for their investment.”

Conservation links

• Brentwood Open Space Committee
  Includes fiscal impact study data as well as land conservation information.
  
  
• NH Association of Conservation Commissions list - N.H. municipalities that dedicate all or a portion of the Land Use Change Tax to conservation
  
  
• UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community Conservation Assistance Program A team of Extension Educators provides direct assistance to selected community land and water conservation planning projects at no cost to the communities.
  
  
• Society for the Protection of NH Forests
  Includes information on land conservation planning, implementation and funding.
  
  
• New Hampshire 's Changing Landscape 2005: Population Growth and Land Use Changes: What They Mean for the Granite State (Executive summary). An update of the Forest Society’s 1999 analysis of changes in population growth, development and land use and the impacts on natural resource values

“Matt feels good about losing weight. When he played outside last summer, he would have to catch his breath. Now he doesn’t have to catch his breath anymore,” says Matt’s mother JoAnn.

Six-year-old Matt, nicknamed “Bear,” has lost 18 pounds since last December, when he weighed 117 pounds. His family doctor told JoAnn that Matt had the height of an eight year-old and the weight of a 14 year-old.

But Matt also had medical problems related to his weight, including high blood pressure. His doctor was so concerned with Matt’s health he referred Matt to a specialist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon.

The Dartmouth-Hitchcock doctor told Matt and JoAnn that Matt needed to lose weight. JoAnn was surprised. She hadn’t really thought about the health implications of Matt’s weight.

Experts nationwide have become increasingly alarmed about childhood obesity. National studies have shown that 15 percent of American children are overweight or obese. A recent New Hampshire study reported that 22 percent of boys and 17 percent of girls of elementary-school age are overweight and another 20 percent are at risk for becoming overweight.

But, being out of breath is nothing compared to the health risks associated with obesity. Obesity is a risk factor for the development of a variety of complications, including type 2 diabetes—a disease doctors once called “adult onset” diabetes because it appeared so rarely in children. A recent Yale University study revealed that 25 percent of obese children were at high risk for developing diabetes.

Matt’s Head Start teacher referred JoAnn to Terri Schoppmeyer, a UNH Cooperative Extension Nutrition Connections educator. Terri taught JoAnn the basics of nutrition, label reading, how to eat well on fewer calories, and the importance of parents serving as role models for good nutrition.

JoAnn started by writing down everything Matt ate, then decided what she needed to cut back on. “Matt used to eat two salami sandwiches on white bread with mayonnaise, but now has only one sandwich with mustard, instead of mayonnaise,” she said. “It was difficult at first to cut back on food for Matt. He’d say, ‘There’s nothing good to eat!’”

JoAnn and her husband have five children. The whole family began following a more healthy diet and lost a total of 65 pounds since December 2, 2004.

Dad plays a special role, because what Dad eats, “Bear” eats; if Dad eats well, so does “Bear.” JoAnn said, “Matt even likes asparagus and swordfish, just like his Dad.”

JoAnn says she is spending more on groceries; “I’m buying more fruit and other foods that sometimes cost more.” But when it comes to food, JoAnn now thinks first about her family’s health. “It’s hard at first to change eating habits, but you have to stick to it. Your child’s health is more important than anything.”

Some of the changes JoAnn made:

• Cutting back on items like chocolate milk (Matt was drinking four or five glasses each day)
• Offering fruits instead of breakfast pastries and other sugary, fatty foods
• Reading labels to identify the most nutritious foods
• Buying lower-fat products
• Finding ways to get her kids to eat vegetables
• Offering water instead of high-calorie drinks
• Encouraging more exercise

One of the best ideas JoAnn has for the summer is to keep a cooler full of ice cold water on her porch. When the kids get thirsty, they just open up the cooler and get their water. No hanging out in front of the refrigerator on hot summer days in this household!

Looking for nutrition information? Call toll-free:1-877-398-4769, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

By Valerie Long, UNH Cooperative Extension Food Stamp Nutrition Education
Program Coordinator

Youth mappers to chart community resources in Belknap and Strafford Counties

Every community has all sorts of places to go, to learn, to have fun, to work out, to find work and to get or give help, as well as people who make things happen.

But residents can’t connect with resources if they don’t know about them, and community leaders can learn more about the resources their communities lack once they’ve identified the ones they already have.

Identifying and documenting community assets will provide summer work for about 40 young people ages 14-20 in Belknap and Strafford Counties who will pilot a “community youth mapping” process organizers hope will spread statewide.

Between July 20 and August 5, teams of young people working with adult mentors in the pilot counties will fan out into local communities to identify and “map” their local assets. Decked out in colorful t-shirts that identify them as youth mappers, the teams will canvass neighborhoods, surveying businesses, service agencies, recreation programs, churches, health care facilities, emergency services, and a host of other resources, including many not listed in traditional service or business directories.

Once the teams have designed their surveys, conducted their interviews, and recorded their data, they—and perhaps others—will enter their information into an online database with interactive maps they can update and expand as the project grows.

In addition to gaining valuable skills and gaining a broad understanding of their local communities, those involved in the mapping project will earn either academic credit or cash for their work.

Getting young people involved in asset mapping
“Asset mapping is the name given to the process by which community members take stock of community strengths and assets,” says Charlotte Cross, a UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development Specialist who organized and leads the project. “Youth mapping brings young people into the process.”

Through her work with nonprofit agencies serving youth, college faculty, businesses, the criminal justice system, community leaders, teachers, school administrators, and parents, Cross had discovered tremendous interest in the concept of youth asset mapping.

“I spent the past three years looking at various models that would offer tools and training materials, and help communities with planning, training and organizing the data collection. The Academy for Educational Development (AED), Center for Youth Development and Policy Research, kept rising to the top,” she said. “They’d developed and tested a model they call Community YouthMapping (CYM) that’s been used in more than 100 sites across the U.S., as well as in other countries, including Haiti, Egypt, the Netherlands and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa. AED had credibility and funding from many foundations and government agencies. And they’d developed a nationwide online Community YouthMapping Web site where local teams can store, update and access their information.”

Project history
In March, Cross had recruited a group of five co-sponsoring organizations (see links at end of article) and convened an orientation meeting to gauge interest in community youth mapping, inviting an AED consultant to give a presentation on the specifics of the organization’s CYM model.

“We had a tremendous response,” Cross says. “Seventy people showed up, representing youth-serving organizations from all over New Hampshire, and 30 said they’d be willing to serve on a statewide CYM steering committee.

“What’s more, two agencies immediately stepped forward and offered themselves as pilot sites for this initiative: the Community Response Coalition (CoRe), in Belknap County and the Transition Resource Network at Strafford Learning Center, covering Strafford County. The two groups collectively committed $77,800 of their existing funding to pilot the initiative locally.” The county sponsors recruited youth for the project through schools and youth-serving agencies.

Youth mappers develop individual and team skills while serving the entire community
“Community youth mapping is designed to be the foundation of a community’s information infrastructure,” says Cross. “It involves a comprehensive process that supports the entire community, while serving those youth immediately involved in the process.”

“Overall, it’s a youth development initiative. I think of it as ‘supervised fieldwork,’” she says. “The youth involved learn valuable workforce skills, such as how to conduct interviews, record information, work with databases, analyze, report, and present what they’ve learned.

“They also develop important job-readiness ‘soft’ skills: teamwork, conflict resolution, communication, professional behavior. They take leadership roles that help build self-esteem. They learn more about and become more engaged their communities.”

In trainings held July 18-22 in both counties, the teens and their adult mentors were introduced to the Community YouthMapping process and the survey tool they’ll use to collect and record information. “The training features role-playing, canvassing safety, dealing with difficult people, professional protocols, interpersonal relations and daily expectations on the job,” says Cross.

Next steps
“We’ve received a $25,000 grant from the N.H. Workforce Opportunity Youth Council we’ll use to purchase the statewide license that will enable all participating communities to access the online CYM system and pave the way for future projects among the dozens of organizations that have expressed interest in sponsoring youth mapping programs locally,” says Cross.

This fall, Cross says she’ll bring all interested parties together for a follow-up workshop to share the results of the summer pilots and form a statewide CYM steering committee.

“State legislators have also expressed interest in the project,” she says. “In June, I was invited to give a presentation to the Legislative Caucus for Young Children, and they’ve invited me back this fall to discuss the results of our summer pilots.”

For more information about Community Youth Mapping Initiative, contact Charlotte Cross at (603)862-2495.

For more information about CYM’s co-sponsoring partners

• Belknap County Citizens Council
• Community Response (CoRe)
• Makin’ It Happen
• N.H. Department of Health and Human Services, Maternal and Child Health
• Reclaiming Futures

Savvy farmers and gardeners consider regular soil testing the most cost-effective crop insurance available.

For the price of a couple of fast food meals, a home gardener or commercial grower can receive a detailed soil analysis from a state-of-the-art testing facility, along with crop-specific recommendations for what to do. Following through with these recommendations will save you money, help you grow better crops, and improve your soil environment.

Although UNH has closed its Durham soil-testing lab, UNH Cooperative Extension continues to provide a comprehensive soil testing service to New Hampshire farmers and home gardeners.

When you send your samples to UNH, Extension staff will forward them to a state-of-the-art laboratory at Pennsylvania State University for analysis. Based on the lab’s analysis, Extension
soil experts will make recommendations specific to New Hampshire’s climate
and soils.

New, improved reporting system

• Our new reporting system reflects new research findings, including the latest research
  on environmental risks from nitrogen and phosphorus movement.
• Home garden reports will contain the results of a lead screening test, with guidelines for minimizing risks to children.
• We’ve improved the readability of our reporting format.
• Each report will refer you to the latest fact sheets related to the crops you plan to produce.
• The new system gives you the option of receiving your report and recommendations by email. Those who don’t wish to receive their results online can still choose to receive results by U.S. mail.

We’ve posted new forms and more detailed information about our soil testing services.

You can also request copies of the forms and information you need by calling or visiting your local UNH Cooperative Extension
office.

Information for home gardeners

• Understanding Your Soil Test Results
• Home and Community Food Gardening A comprehensive guide.
• Information for Commercial Growers Click on general category of interest at left side of page to find specific information and fact sheets.

50 percent to 70 percent of local ticks infected

Scientists have discovered that an unexpectedly high percentage of blacklegged ticks in New Hampshire carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease in humans.

Research collaborators Alan Eaton, a University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension entomologist, and Eleanor Lacombe of Maine Medical Center Research Institute, analyzed 150 adult blacklegged ticks collected in Durham , Lee and Concord , for the presence of the bacteria.

“We found more than 50 percent of the ticks from Lee and Durham and more than 70 percent from the Concord sample infected with Lyme-causing bacteria,” said Eaton. “Based on evidence from previous, but limited, research in New Hampshire , we expected only about 30 percent of the ticks would carry the bacteria.

“These are preliminary data, and we need to do more work to get a complete picture of the Lyme disease risk in New Hampshire ,” cautioned Eaton.

“Mid-October is the time of peak adult activity for blacklegged tick, the primary organism that causes Lyme disease in New Hampshire ,” Eaton said. “People can reduce their chances of getting Lyme disease by tucking pantlegs into socks before a trip into woods or fields, using insect repellant on socks and pantlegs, and checking themselves thoroughly for ticks after a day outdoors”

“Because it takes 30 or more hours for a tick to infect you after it attaches to your body, doing a tick check every night before you go to bed so will greatly reduce your chances of getting Lyme disease,” said Eaton. “An adult blacklegged tick that’s just begun to feed will appear about the size of a sesame seed, but it can reach the size of a small grape as it becomes engorged with your blood.”

New Hampshire is home to many other species of ticks, but the others don’t spread Lyme disease,” said Eaton. “In mid-October and November, the adult blacklegged tick—which used to be called the “deer tick”—is the one people are most likely to find.”

“The blacklegged tick itself becomes infected with Lyme disease-causing bacteria by feeding on an infected ‘reservoir host’, an organism that carries high levels of the bacteria in its bloodstream,” said Eaton. “In New Hampshire , the primary reservoir host for Lyme disease is the white-footed mouse.”

For more information about ticks and Lyme disease:

• N.H. Department of Health & Human Services' Web page on Lyme disease
• Extensive Web-based information on Lyme disease from the federal Centers for Disease Control
• Biology and Management of Ticks in New Hampshire
• Maine Medical Center Research Institute's Lyme disease research lab

To many Americans, the thought of retirement conjures up visions of restful days playing golf, reading a good book, or traveling to new and exciting destinations.

Have you thought about your own retirement? Have you thought about how you’ll pay for it?

The concept of retirement our parents and grandparents had is changing. When you reach age 60, one third of your life or more may lie in front of you. It has become increasingly important to plan for that time in your life. What will you do with those years, and how will you pay for them?

Many individuals approaching the age of traditional retirement are deciding to leave the work force slowly, with periods of partial retirement or part-time schedules. Most Baby Boomers expect to work full-time or part-time long after age 65. Some will even retire from one career to pursue new vocational interests and employment opportunities. There is no set age for retirement, and workers are protected against age discrimination starting at age 40.

However, decisions to retire are influenced by many factors, some beyond the control of the retiree. These include health, the needs of other family members, mergers and corporate changes, and retirement income sources.

Americans are living longer and enjoying a healthy and active later life. As people live longer, the chance of outliving savings and assets grow. While most older Americans never experience poverty, poverty rates are higher among people age 85 and older, women, minorities, and individuals living alone.

Longer life expectancies require planning for the number of years spent in retirement and the need to build adequate income sources. Individuals are increasingly responsible for their own financial security in later life. In recent years the responsibility of paying for retirement has shifted from employer-funded to employee-funded plans.

Older persons must often manage multiple income sources. In addition to workplace 401(k) or 403(b) plans, individuals may have pensions, individual retirement plans (IRAs), real estate and other investments, as well as Social Security. Although Social Security was never designed to be the only source of retirement income, it remains critical to many. Those who rely solely on Social Security are much more likely to live at or near poverty levels.

Longer life expectancies also increase the likelihood of unexpected changes in health. Health care is a major cost for many older Americans. Five of the six primary causes of death for older Americans are chronic diseases or diseases that are seldom cured. These diseases – including arthritis, diabetes, and heart disease – can negatively affect quality of life and ability to function. The high costs of treating and managing these diseases increase the chances of becoming a financial burden. Planning for later years must include protection against expenses related to health needs, including health insurance beyond Medicare and methods for financing long-term care.

You are not too young (or too old!) to start planning. The U.S. Department of Labor offers the following “10 ways to beat the clock and prepare for retirement.”

• Know your retirement needs . Experts estimate that you will need at least 70 percent of your pre-retirement income to maintain your standard of living.
  
  
• Find out about your Social Security benefits. On average, Social Security pays about 40 percent of pre-retirement earnings. Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to get a free Personal Earnings and Benefit Estimate Statement.
  
  
• Learn about your employer’s pension or profit-sharing plan . If your employer has a plan (you are fortunate!), determine what your retirement benefit will be. Most employers provide an individual statement upon request. Before changing jobs, find out what will happen to your pension. Determine what benefits, if any, you are due from previous employers and from your spouse’s plan.
  
  
• Contribute to a tax-sheltered savings plan through work . If you have a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, contribute as much as possible. Your taxes will be lower, your company may match some or all of your personal contribution, and deductions are automatic from your paycheck—out of sight, out of mind! Over time, the tax deferral and compounding of interest will make an even bigger contribution to what you save.
  
  
• Ask your employer to start a plan . If your employer doesn’t have a retirement savings plan, suggest starting one. From their perspective, it is a great tool for attracting and keeping good employees.
  
  
• Put money into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). You can set a tax-derferred IRA through your bank, accountant, or financial planner.
  
  
• Don’t touch your tax-sheltered retirement savings . Besides what you will lose in principal and interest, you may lose tax benefits or have to pay a penalty. If you change jobs, roll over your tax-sheltered retirement savings into your new employer’s plan or an IRA.
  
  
• Start now, set goals, and stick to them! The sooner you start, the more time you have to save. Make saving for retirement a high priority.
  
  
• Educate yourself about basic investment principles. Where you invest savings can be as important as the amount you save.
  
  
• Ask questions. As questions arise, ask your employer, your

UNH Cooperative Extension offers a free program called "Take the Road to Financial Security in Later Life." For more information or to schedule a program for your group, call the Family and Consumer Resources educator in your county Extension office.

Let’s start with the basics: The holidays aren’t the time to pay back, impress or splurge on gifts.

Too often, holiday shoppers try to deal with guilt, neglect, and a thousand other sentiments that have little to do with the spirit of the season, by buying far more than they can afford.

As a result they drain family resources, overextending credit accounts and reducing savings accounts. Many splurge shoppers end up having to cope with a serious financial burden long after the holidays.

A plan, a budget, and a list can help you curb the urge to overspend at the height of the holiday buying season. You may even enjoy the process of preparing without the panic, and maybe even without the guilt.

Here are some tips that may help:

• Make your shopping list now and include only those family and friends with whom you want to exchange gifts. Send cards to others. You can’t give gifts to everyone, but you can share holiday greetings.
  
  
• Decide how much money you have to spend and estimate how much of that total amount you will spend on whom. Then think about an appropriate gift for each within your price range before you set out to shop.
  
  
• Planning now gives you time to buy the materials and to create homemade gifts for a less expensive holiday, adding a personal touch to your giving. Making gifts at home during the next few weeks is an excellent opportunity to involve your whole family in the process.
  
  
• Many retailers have pre-season sales. On-line retailers often offer free shipping for a short period. Once you have a clear idea of what you need to buy, shop now to take advantage of these sales and early season selection.
  
  
• After each shopping trip write down how much you’ve spent. Keep your list up to date. Some shoppers buy early and forget what they have, risking needless panic buying at the last minute.
  
  

Remember, stress and fatigue often lead to poor buying decisions. Start early to avoid overspending, to avoid the mad rush, and to enjoy the process. You may find that being prepared will curb your urge to splurge.

By Suzann Enzian Knight, UNH Cooperative Extension Family Resource Management Specialist

Child sexual abuse is a largely hidden problem in New Hampshire, as it is around the world. We hear a lot about child sexual abuse in the media, and some people feel our attention to the topic has been overblown. But in reality, the sexual abuse of children persists in a climate of secrecy within families.

Two levels of conversation about child sexual abuse

We have two levels of conversation about child sexual abuse in our society: public and private.

At the public level, we almost universally condemn sexual abuse and describe perpetrators as deviant and despicable people. Despite the fact that most people who commit child sex abuse are people their child victims depend on for the very basics of life—food, shelter, and emotional support, we still tend to teach our children about the danger of strangers. That’s partly because people find it difficult to face, and even more difficult to act upon, the fact that someone they know and may even love could be sexually abusing a child.

The complexity of the situation at the private, personal level is masked by the simplistic portrayals of child molestation we typically see on TV and in movies. For example, perpetrators often make children feel responsible for the abuse. This makes it difficult for victims to tell their story, since they may feel they have to incriminate themselves to tell the truth about their situation. Child victims abused by perpetrators upon whom they depend for survival and emotional support, rightly feel conflicted about accusing their abusers of harm.

In typical media depictions, all children are pure and innocent and all molesters are evil. In these narrow portrayals, child victims of sexual abuse often don’t see or hear their own story of abuse. If children have feelings of affection toward their abusers, or if they’ve gone along with the abuse or responded to the sexual advances, they rightly fear they will be judged if they tell their story. And when victims do speak out, they often find that while the people around them believe the sexual activity occurred, they may attribute some responsibility to the child.

Research has shown that nationwide, around 90 percent of sexual abuse cases are never reported to the authorities. Even when cases are reported and investigated, New Hampshire state law requires child protective workers to meet a high burden of proof in court before cases are substantiated and families are provided with services or children are removed from abusive situations.

So what can we do?

Our Science article offers national policy recommendations that would begin to plug the gaps in our knowledge of child sexual abuse and how to treat it effectively. But there is a lot we can do as members of our local communities to prevent child sexual abuse.

• Respect children. Respect children’s right to say no to any touch. Do not tickle, roughhouse, or touch children in any way once they indicate they don’t want to be touched. It isn’t OK forAunt Agnes to kiss little Jimmy or squeeze his cheeks if he doesn’t want her to.
  
  
• Teach children “good touch.” Infant massage, foot massage, hugs, and other appropriate forms of touch are opportunities to help children learn to recognize what good touch is. You can help even very young children identify how their muscles feel, and how they think and feel when they experience wanted, appropriate touch. A surprising amount of child sexual abuse is perpetrated by other children and teens. Give the clear message to your children that they must respect other people when they say no to touch. What feels good to one person may not feel good to another.
  

• Look for warning signs in perpetrators. Teaching children to protect themselves and looking for signs of abuse in children are secondary measures that aren’t, in and of themselves adequate. Ultimately, to stop sexual abuse, we need to stop people from abusing children. If you suspect a particular child is in danger, or a particular adult is having sexual contact with a child, you must report it to the Bureau of Child Protection by calling the N.H. Child Abuse Report Line at 1-800-894-5533. If you have a more general concern, look at the resources at Stop It Now, or call 1-888-PREVENT.
  

• Learn more about, and continuing supporting, the N.H. Division for Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). While child protective services aren’t the full answer, DCYF plays a crucial role. They do much more than remove children from dangerous situations. They work with families every day in which sexual abuse is a concern. With the support of New Hampshire citizens, DCYF could take a leading role in teaching New Hampshire citizens to recognize signs of abuse in both perpetrators and victims, and take action.
  
  
• Fund sex offender treatment. Treatment can work. One thing we know doesn’t work is simply sending offenders to prison with no treatment. Stop It Now helps abusers come forward and get treatment or call 1-888-PREVENT.
  
  
• If you’re an adult or teenwith concerns about yourself and this issue, please take the first step and call this toll-free helpline at 1-888-PREVENT (1-888-773-8368), or visit this Web site.

by Kathy Becker Blease, PhD, UNH Cooperative Extension Family Education and PolicySpecialist

For more information

• How you can help stop child abuse & neglect
• Warning signs of child sexual abuse
• Common questions about child sexual abuse
• If you worry about your own sexual feelings toward children
• Child sexual abuse resources

Having a “credit checkup” is important to achieving financial security now and in later life. We all know how important it is to have physical checkups, but have you had a “credit checkup” lately?

Like a medical checkup, a credit checkup will help you identify whether you are credit healthy or if you need to take action. Many credit “illnesses” lie hidden until they surface as a crisis in obtaining a loan or making a purchase requiring credit approval. They can create very serious emotional and financial problems for you or your family, especially in the case of identity theft. Unfortunately, very few people ever think of having a “credit health checkup.”

Your ability to get credit is determined by the information stored in credit files maintained by credit bureaus. The information in your file is used to produce credit reports, and to calculate your credit score. Your credit report may also influence whether you get a job or insurance, as employers and insurance companies may base their hiring decision or underwriting on information contained in your credit file.

Individuals with higher credit scores have a better chance of getting a loan and borrowing money is likely to cost less.

The credit files themselves may contain mistakes, resulting in problems even for people who always pay their bills on time and repay their debts according to the terms of the loan.

It’s important to find out what others see when they request your credit report. A review of your credit file can expose any hidden problems and allow you to correct them before they erupt into a crisis. Also, checking your credit report regularly can provide early indications of identity theft or unauthorized use of credit in your name.

Free annual credit report
Just as a physical check-up helps to uncover health problems, a Credit Check-Up will give you a chance to check your credit health. In New Hampshire, consumers now have the right to receive a free annual copy of their credit report from each of the three credit bureaus—TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Monitoring your credit report will help you maintain your credit-worthiness and protect you from inaccurate information and even identity theft. Reviewing your file can help you take steps to improve and “clean up” your credit rating.

To review your credit reports throughout the year at no cost, request a free credit report now from one of the credit bureaus; then, every four months request from a different credit bureau. By the end of one year, you will have a free credit report from each of the three credit bureaus.

In addition to your free annual credit report from each of the three credit bureaus, you can pay $9.50 to receive a copy of your credit report at any time. Also, any time you are denied credit, you are entitled to a free copy of your credit report from the credit reporting bureau that provided the information to the prospective lender. Your denial letter should contain information on how to request that report.

How to get your free credit report
The three credit reporting bureaus have collaborated on a central web site consumers can use to access their credit reports online.

As of September 1, those of us on the Eastern Seaboard can use the Web site to make our requests.

If you choose to request your credit report online, go through https://www.annualcreditreport.com. Look for the heading https at the beginning of your URL. The ‘s’ indicates the Web site is secure. Copycat Web sites may make it easier for the Web site to gain access to your computer information through spyware or adware.

Each of the credit bureaus requests additional information as an extra proof of identity for security purposes, to make sure that the online user is the same person named on the credit report. The credit bureau may ask for lender names, monthly payment ranges for a specific lender, the name of your employer, or account numbers of specified accounts (such as credit cards, mortgages, or consumer loans).

Two alternative ways to get access to your free credit report if you’re not comfortable getting your credit report online are:

• Call the toll free number 1-877-322-8228
• Submit your request by mail to Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta GA, 30398-5281. You can download a form from the central web site.

Credit scores
Lenders primarily use credit applications and the information in your credit report to determine the financial risk of lending you money. Credit scoring was developed to simplify and speed up the lending process by calculating a number to represent a person’s credit risk level.

Your credit scores is a snapshot of your creditworthiness, based solely on the information in your credit report maintained by that credit bureau. Credit scores range from 150 to 900. The higher the score, the more confidence a lender has that the debt will be repaid. The lower the score, the more it will cost you in interest and fees to get credit.

You don’t receive your credit score as part of your free credit report. You’ll have to order it separately, and you’ll have to pay a fee to get it.

Avoid the pitfalls when requesting your credit report
Be forewarned: Many other Web sites have cropped up that promise free credit reports; if you get into one of these sites, you may end up paying for a credit report that could have been free, or purchasing expensive goods and services, such as credit card theft protection, credit repair, etc.

Credit Check-Up workshop
UNH Cooperative Extension is now offering a one-hour workshop called Credit Check-Up to help you learn how to understand the information you receive in your credit report. This free workshop is available to the general public, to organizations, or as a worksite program for employers.

• Three-fourths of American families have one or more credit cards.
• The average total credit card debt for American households with at least one card was $9,000 in 2004.
• In 1999 that figure was $7,564 showing credit card use increasing.
• A 2004 Gallup Poll shows that more than half of Americans have at least one card they don’t pay off in full each month. The average outstanding balance per card with balances is reported to be a little over $2,900 (in the Northeast the average balance is $1,918).
• Employers and insurance companies are among the businesses that can access your credit file.
• You have a right to receive a free annual copy of your credit report from each of the three credit bureaus.
• Your credit report says a lot about who you are to potential lenders. Know what others know about you by obtaining a copy of your credit report.
• Errors are often found in credit reports. This is a key reason for you to periodically review your credit report.
• Another important reason to regularly check your credit report is for early detection of identity theft.
• Your credit report is the basis of your credit score.
• Your credit score will determine whether you are approved for a loan and whether you pay a higher interest rate for a loan.
• When requesting the free annual credit report, consumers need to be aware of signing up for unwanted services with a cost from the three credit reporting agencies.
• You can write a 100-word statement to explain negative information in your credit file, but be aware that lenders often only look at your credit score, and this explanation is not included in the score calculations.
• You can follow some simple steps to “clean up” your credit file.
• Monitoring and periodically reviewing your credit report is an important step toward protecting both your identity and your creditworthiness.

By Suzann Enzian Knight, Extension Family Resource Management Specialist; Kathe Fredette, Family & Consumer Resources Program Assistant, Nancy Bradford-Sisson, Sharon Cowen and Deb Maes, Family & Consumer Resources Educators

Local Officials: why engage citizens in participatory decision-making?

• To develop a richer information base. Local citizens know the local needs and issues best.
• To educate both citizens and policy makers about the many dimensions of an issue or decision.
• To allow discussion of many points of view on the issue and give each citizen a voice.
• To make it easier to implement decision or policy easier.
• To help build accountability for public officials and citizen.

Public notice requirements
By law, public officials must notify the public of community-level public meetings by posting notices before the meeting. All meetings must take place in locations accessible to the public. These legal safeguards ensure that citizens have an opportunity to speak up about local decisions before they go into effect.

In spite of this public notice requirement, some municipal boards and committees still conduct policy-making without full disclosure to the public. In some instances, time constraints or lack of understanding of the public's role in the decision-making process leave the public out of decision-making sessions. In other cases, public officials intentionally neglect to engage the public, for fear that public input might derail their agenda.

Tools for encouraging citizen participation in local decision-making
For every issue before them, public officials have a variety of tools available to engage citizens in decision-making. Among them:

Citizen advisory committees
Citizen advisors help enrich the discussion with diverse perspectives on policy or program development that foster positive relations with the community. Here's an example of citizen participation in Department of Transportation projects.

Community surveys & questionnaires
Community surveys help public officials gather data about local attitudes regarding well-defined issues, problems or opportunities. The University of Kansas Community Toolbox project offers some wonderful tools for conducting community surveys.

Focus groups
The focus group is a roundtable discussion aimed at gathering ideas and opinions from a targeted group of citizens. Focus groups help build a synergy of thoughts and ideas.The U. Kansas Community Toolbox offers resources for conducting focus groups.

Public hearings
Hearings are public meetings that enable residents to express their concerns about public plans, decisions, or issues. Click here or information on public hearings.

NH Public Notices contains a wealth of information about "the relationship between public notice advertisements and 'active citizenship,' an American ideal holding that the collective good works of individual citizens make society stronger and benefit all the people."

Periods for Public Review and Comment
Public review and comment refers to a formal process that provides a window of time within which the public may review proposed public plans or policies and comment before the plan or policy becomes law. Your local newspaper the Federal Register usually print notices of notice of upcoming hearings.

Community Forums
A community forum is a public meeting intended to bring together a variety of community perspectives to discuss salient issues, visions, problems, or concerns that the community is facing. The University of Kansas Community toolkit offers good information on community forums.

UNH Cooperative Extension engages communities in an expended community forum process called a Community Profile , during which a community takes stock of where it is today and develops an action plan for how it wants to operate in the future

Public officials: before you decide which tools to use, ask yourself

• How do you want to involve the public?
• At what point in the decision-making process should you involve the public?
• How will you get the public engaged in the process, given that most citizens live busy lives?

• Collect public input at various (or all) stages of the process, not merely to validate an existing plan.
• Provide citizens enough information, education, and/or training to play a meaningful role in the decision-making process.
• Give all stakeholders affected by a particular decision or policy an equal opportunity to participate in the process.
• Facilitate the public participation process, but refrain from "leading" inways designed to elicit specific participant or group responses.

• Periodically visiting the Town Hall or other public buildings where meeting notices are posted to keep informed of local decision-making
• Writing letters to public officials to keep them accountable
• Asking key questions at town meetings
• Encouraging officials to develop an effective process to engage local citizens
• Turning to the various state and Federal regulatory agencies to ensure that public officials abide by state laws and regulations.

Finally, citizens have the right to enact a citizen initiative - if enough signatures are garnered, public officials may be forced to put an issue up for referendum.

Participatory decision-making requires energy, time and resources. Yet if cities and towns want to respond effectively to citizen needs, local officials need to start listening to citizens and recruiting their help in crafting the policies and decisions that will shape the future of their community.

“College students are particularly vulnerable to credit card marketing,” says Extension Educator Karen Blass. “They typically live away from their families, have little or no financial training, and receive several credit card offers a week. They don’t have the income to support significant amounts of debt, and sometimes rely on credit cards to cover college costs in addition to their high levels of consumer wants.”

“Although a typical student has received no education about finances or managing debt before arriving at college, studies show more than 80 percent of college students have at least one credit card—most have four or five—and carry an average balance of more than $2,000,” Blass says. “A fifth of them have more than $10,000 in credit card debt and many are paying interest rates as high as 20 percent.”

After seeking and obtaining a grant from the UNH Parents Association in 2001, Blass and several Extension colleagues partnered with UNH Health Services and UNH Residential Life to launch a program aimed at educating UNH students to manage money and debt.

“Project C.A.S.H. provides essential money management skills to college students to enable them to build a foundation for future financial security,” says Blass. “We help them decrease debt (especially credit card debt), increase savings, and become aware of the impact of advertising on their spending habits.”

C.A.S.H. Web site

Since 2001, Project C.A.S.H. (Creating a Savings Habit) has presented workshops to staff and students on money management, distributed literature to students and parents, written articles on money for the student publication The New Hampshire, offered presentations at numerous campus events, trained UNH Health Services Peer Educators in money management, and developed a comprehensive web site.

The innovative site offers a wealth of information in easy-to-read, interactive formats that will prove useful to any teen or young adult who wants to learn more about money management, as well as parents, teachers and youth group leaders.

Site visitors can test their financial literacy (a test 68 percent of high school seniors failed in 2002); learn the three simple rules of money management, and understand the techniques advertisers use to manipulate them to buy products and use more credit.

Even adults can learn a lot from this financial literacy Web site. And if you know an older teen who wants to become a millionaire, encourage him or her to visit the Project C.A.S.H. homepage today.

N.H. Celebrates September as Food Safety Education Month

Public health officials estimate that more than 76 million Americans get sick from something they eat or drink each year. Roughly 325,000 of them require hospitalization and 5,000 die from foodborne illnesses. In 2002, the U.S Department of Agriculture estimated the costs associated with illnesses caused by only five major food and waterborne pathogens (microorganisms that can make people sick) at nearly $7 billion.

What’s going on?

Among the many reasons for such high rates of foodborne disease, food safety experts cite the increasing size and centralization of food production and processing systems, global trade, new and emerging foodborne pathogens, demographic and lifestyle changes, changing tastes and cooking practices, and the ever-increasing number of handlers in the human food chain from farm to mouth.

Whatever the causes, “We need to look at food as a system and to all sectors of the food system as sharing responsibility for food safety,” says Catherine Violette, UNH Cooperative Extension’s food and nutrition specialist. “This includes producers, processors, food service providers, households and individual consumers. Although no food is entirely risk free, some behaviors, some foods and some production, preparation and handling practices are more risky than others. Our Cooperative Extension food safety programs try to increase awareness of those riskier behaviors in all sectors of the food system.”

“In healthy people, foodborne illnesses, though unpleasant, tend to be acute and fairly brief,” says Violette. “But they can pose a serious health threat to vulnerable populations such as children, pregnant and nursing women, elderly people and people suffering from chronic diseases.”

Eating out

“American eating habits have changed significantly in the past 25 years,” says Violette. “A generation ago most families prepared and ate most meals at home. Today Americans eat more than a quarter of their meals away from home and spend almost half their food dollars in restaurants.”

“New Hampshire’s economy depends heavily on the tourist industry and restaurants are big business here,” Violette says, adding, “The state has more than 3,200 eating and drinking establishments, employing more than 41,000 workers, with gross sales of $1.6 billion annually.”

In addition to restaurants, Americans also “eat out” in a wide variety of foodservice establishments that include schools, college dining halls, hospitals, nursing homes, senior meal sites, soup kitchens, summer camps, retreat centers, day care centers, small delicatessens, and the takeout counters at many New Hampshire supermarkets.

SAFE and ServSafe® programs train food service workers and managers

Although 17 states currently mandate that food service workers receive formal training and pass a food safety/sanitation certification examination, New Hampshire does not.

But restaurants and other food service establishments have a powerful motivation to educate their workers in food safety practices. “A single incidence of foodborne illness ends up costing a business, on average, about $150, 000,” says Janet Casey, education manager for the N.H. Lodging and Restaurant Association (NHLRA). “A single incident sends a ripple effect through the staff, the entire community and casts a pall over the region’s foodservice industry.”

Responding to the growing need to provide basic food safety training to food service establishments and food handlers, Cooperative Extension developed a signature program called Safety in the Food Environment (SAFE), and has partnered with NHLRA to offer a more comprehensive program called ServSafe ® for food service managers. Both programs offer the latest science-based information and teach the industry’s best practices for keeping food safe.

Safety in the Food Environment (SAFE) is an interactive two-hour training that focuses on three areas of concern for food handlers:

• Good personal hygiene, e.g., proper and frequent handwashing, appropriate dress and hair covering, covering open wounds, staying away from work when sick.
  
• Avoiding cross-contamination of one food by another, via unsanitized cutting boards, kitchen utensils, towels, workers’ hands, etc.
  
• Time and temperature principles; e.g., cooking foods to proper temperatures, keeping hot foods hot and cold foods cold during holding periods

In the past three years alone, more than 1,800 food service workers have attended a SAFE training. “I offer most of my SAFE classes at the host site, like a restaurant or a summer camp,” says Marilyn Sullivan, an Extension educator who teaches SAFE courses in Merrimack County. “Restaurants sometimes have their entire staff attend the SAFE training—from cooks and wait staff, to bussing staff, greeters, clerks, and managers themselves.”

“I adapt the SAFE curriculum to meet the needs of different client groups,” Sullivan says. “For example, I just completed a training for people who work in food pantries. Because they do only minimal food preparation, I shifted the primary focus to safe receiving and storage practices.”

Sullivan says managers place high value on the SAFE programs because their content reinforces what state and local health inspectors and they themselves require. “Managers tell me they’ve not only observed increased awareness of food safety principles among workers who’ve attended a SAFE program, they’ve also seen cooks and wait staff reminding each other to wash a cutting board or check a temperature,” says Sullivan. “Managers like those peer exchanges.”

ServSafe ®, a program developed by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, intended primarily for food service managers, offers a much more comprehensive introduction to food safety. UNH Cooperative Extension partners with the N.H. Lodging and Restaurant Association to offer ServSafe ® trainings throughout the year at various sites statewide. Busy managers or food service workers can even take the course online.

“Depending on who offers the training and the methods they use, ServSafe® is delivered as either a one or two-day course,” says Alice Mullen, a family and consumer resources educator in Hillsborough County. “The course can involve written materials, videos, hands-on demonstrations and exercises, such as having people practice calibrating thermometers.”

“ServSafe® students take a certifying exam at the end of the course and must receive a score of 75 percent or better to pass. “The certification is good for five years, after which they must recertify. ServSafe® certification is a good marketing tool for restaurants and also for yourself, if you’re seeking work in the food service industry.”

“People often come into this course thinking they already know a lot about food safety,” says Mullen. “But at the end, they’ll come up and tell me they’ve become much more aware of the opportunities for cross-contamination and begun washing their hands a lot more frequently, or changed practices in their restaurant so they cool hot foods down more quickly for storage.”

Good Agricultural Practices (GAP): Food safety education for fruit and vegetable growers

“In New Hampshire, we’ve trained an interdisciplinary team to conduct voluntary farm food safety audits.” says Violette. “Using a checklist, the team evaluates all aspects of the operation, from production and harvesting to post-harvest handling, storage, and practices in the sales area if it’s a direct-marketing operation.” After the evaluation, growers receive a copy of the completed checklist and a letter summarizing suggested changes to improve food safety. The GAP program is free and confidential.

Nada Haddad, Rockingham County’s agricultural resources educator, has worked on teams conducting the voluntary audits. “The audits have been very successful,” she says, “but not every grower asks for an audit, and time prevents us from visiting every farm.” So Haddad has added food safety education to the agenda during her popular “twilight meetings,” when anywhere from 30 to 150 growers gather late in the day to hear speakers, discuss the latest horticultural research, share information and socialize.

“We used to focus almost exclusively on crop production: soil fertility, pest management, and so forth,” she says. “Because more and more growers have moved to direct marketing, we began adding a marketing component. Recently, I’ve invited [family and consumer resources educator] Claudia Boozer-Blasco to talk about food safety issues. It’s been well-received.”

For more information about the GAP program, contact the family and consumer resources educator or the agricultural resources educator in your UNH Cooperative Extension county office. Growers can also update their own food safety knowledge from an extensive series of online fact sheets.

Food safety in the home

Many of the same causes of foodborne illnesses in restaurants and other food service establishments also apply in the home, at picnics and potlucks, on camping trips and during power outages and other emergency situations.

Cooperative Extension to family and consumer resources educators sometimes offer food safety workshops for consumers, at senior centers, public libraries, schools and health promotion centers. As Alice Mullen sometimes does during SAFE and ServSafe trainings, she might put in an appearance as Gert, “a cooking show chef who does everything wrong from a food safety perspective.” Although Gert often brings down the house, Mullen says, “She also offers people a way to see a range of risky food handling behaviors being practiced.”

Because science advances and new foodborne pathogens keep emerging, “best practices change,” says Mullen. “Consumers should make sure to update their knowledge of food safety and food preservation practices.” Keep abreast of the latest food safety information with this large collection of fact sheets that cover best practices for the home, on outings, during emergencies and power outages, when cooking for large groups, and for home food preservation.

For more information

• Foodborne Illness: Ten Least Wanted Foodborne Pathogens
• Tips for keeping food safe during the summer months.
• Food Safety While Hiking, Camping, and Boating
• Overview of federal food safety programs
• Food Safety and Biosecurity
• If you suspect a case of foodborne illness
  
  

More than 60 Cooperative Extension Advisory Council members, educators, legislators, county commissioners, business owners, and community members turned out September 20 to hear a panel of Coos County residents talk about their relationship to the University of New Hampshire and Cooperative Extension. The afternoon program was followed by remarks from UNH President Ann Weaver Hart and a discussion designed to generate ideas for further collaborations between UNH and Coos County. Attendees included.

Hart called Cooperative Extension “one of the greatest resources that our American culture has ever had,” noting not only the distinct partnership between the land-grant university and county, state and federal governments, but also its ability to change with the times to address critical issues facing individuals, families and communities.

While Hart’s daylong visit focused on Cooperative Extension, she talked about several partnerships between UNH and people living and working in Coos County—from an undergraduate research project on moose habitat in Milan to an upcoming project with UNH’s Carsey Institute and the Androscoggin Valley Partnership Project that will explore workforce development in the region.

Hart also noted with pride that about 340 students from Coos and Grafton counties attend UNH. Of those, 142 were named to the Dean’s List last semester.

This was Hart’s fifth county visit, having previously visited Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford, and Grafton counties.

Panelists describe long-time ties to UNH and Extension

Most of the panelists had some connection to UNH Cooperative Extension as members of 4-H clubs when they were children. John Scarinza of Randolph highlighted the breadth and scope of what Cooperative Extension offers. Scarinza has tapped the expertise of Extension educators for his work on the Randolph Planning Board, his membership with the tree farm program, and his work with the New Hampshire State Police, when Extension educated him on timber harvesting laws. He noted that Cooperative Extension keeps current with changing times and technologies, pointing out one of its publications, How Not to Get Lost Using GPS.

“Extension is an invaluable resource to myself and the communities up here,” Scarinza said.

Michelle Pimental of Berlin talked about how an Extension program called LEAP— Lifeskills for Employment, Achievement and Purpose— turned her life around, enabling her to strike a balance between work and family, manage her time, and find and take advantage of community resources.

Describing Cooperative Extension the “front door to the university,” community leader Bill Joyce of Stark called Extension a true partnership. “The staff works with you, and I’ve never been disappointed.”

When Clare Hinkley Valley arrived in Berlin 21 years ago, she soon connected with UNH and was hired as an adjunct professor of nursing so that she could educate nurses in the area on the latest research and techniques. “UNH has been instrumental in the success of nurses in the North Country ,” she said, adding that she feels excited about new collaborative research between UNH Nursing Professor Susan Fetzer and area hospitals.

Fred Sullivan, owner of Sullivan’s Greenhouses in Lancaster, the largest greenhouse operation north of the Lakes Region, has been connected to UNH and Cooperative Extension since he was a small boy, earning the distinction of having the best 4-H garden in New Hampshire when he was 10 years old. “The advice we give to our customers has come from the expertise and programs at UNH,” Sullivan said, noting in particular the information on greenhouse management and the use of micronutrients, the latter applying the research of UNH Professor Paul Fisher.

County Conversation generates new ideas and concerns for the future

The conversation that took place after the panelists spoke covered a range of topics, from providing better North Country access to New Hampshire Public Television, to more connections to high-speed Internet access for residents.

Several people asked Hart and others to consider using Coos County as “a learning lab,” using the 10,000-acre Randolph Community Forest as an example.

Issues that are facing the region, according to attendees, include the out-migration of young people who leave and don’t return, the lack of spare time opportunities for youth between the ages of 13 and 20, and the in-migration of families in need of social services the county can’t provide.

Earlier in the day, President Hart traveled to Gray Mist Farm in Groveton, where Nancy and Gordon Gray operate a diverse family farm operation that works closely with Extension agricultural specialists and field educators.

by Kim Billings , UNH Media Relations

A collaboration between UNH forestry student Jen Weimer, former UNH plant biology professor Robert Blanchard, and Extension foresters has produced an easy-to-search online collection of pictures and fact sheets for common insects and diseases of New Hampshire's trees and the forests of the Northeast.

Site visitors can search the forest pest pages four ways:

• by photograph under the Forest Pest category.
• by tree species under the Forest Pest Host category.
• by part of tree affected under the Tree Type and Part Affected category.
• by a Keyword Search function

“Jen’s given us a great start,” said Karen Bennett, Extension forest resources specialist. “Limited time and lack of adequate web references prevented her from including many of the pests on her list. As people have time to use the new site and give us their feedback, we’ll gradually expand it to include a wider range of tree species, diseases, and insect pests.”

On Sunday, it’s quiet – by Friday, the laughter is contagious. That’s because over 100 youth from across New England, children of military deployed parents, have come to know one other, making new friends and finding someone they can talk to about having a parent or caregiver off to Iraq or one of several other military assignments overseas.

These children, who find themselves “Suddenly Military” when a member of their family leaves for military deployment, were at “ Camp Purple ” this past week at the UNH 4-H Camp at Bear Hill State Park . free through the efforts of UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program, with support from the National Military Family Association and Sears, American Dream Campaign.

Operation Purple is the designation for all military branches working together. The overall goal is to provide the youth with a normal camp experience, showcasing the different branches of the military. Each day features a different branch of the military through a flag raising ceremony and playing of their branch anthem.

Whether it was learning archery or swimming, by the end of the week, the camaraderie among the kids was apparent. Arm and arm, they’d trudge up the stone steps to the dining hall to “sing” for their lunch, try to win the most points on the archery range or just have fun on the beach or in the water. One camper proudly showed off the felt “frog” she’d made in the arts and crafts class.

Thursday was New Hampshire Day, and helping serve lunch was UNH Cooperative Extension’s Dean and Director John Pike and Maj. Gen. Kenneth Clark, Adjutant General of the NH National Guard. As 4-H Youth Development Program Leader Wendy Brock noted, “It’s all about the kids.”

New Hampshire is one of 15 states participating in Operation: Military Kids (OMK) for National Guard and Reserve youth and families left behind.  As the lead organization for the NH OMK program, UNH Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program, with its network of youth development programs throughout the state, has worked closely over the past several months with the Army and Air National Guard.

National Guard units receive support through the Family Assistance Centers in Concord , Hillsboro , Littleton , Manchester , Portsmouth and Somersworth. Each center supports families throughout the state. At Operation Purple Camp, young people, ages 8-16 years, this week had the opportunity to master new skills from swimming, archery and crafts, and along the way learned about leadership skills experienced generosity while doing a service activity; and associated with other youth who have the common bond of a deployed family member.

The goal was to provide youth with a normal camp experience, showcasing with pride the different branches of the military. Each day features a different branch of the military through a flag raising ceremony, playing of their branch anthem and hopefully having some representatives from that branch of the military in attendance.

Click here for photos.

New Hampshire residents whose homes were damaged by last weekend’s flooding face many tasks as they return to assess the clean-up. More rain is hampering these efforts and may create even more adverse conditions that could lead to additional flooding.

As homeowners prepare to go back into their flood-damaged homes, remember that going back home can be dangerous, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Because flooding can cause structural, electrical and other hazards. Physical dangers are not necessarily over after the water goes down. Hazards are not always obvious. They can be potentially life-threatening if precautions are not taken.”

So where do residents start? Concerns focus on cleaning up the mud and debris, financial worries, determining what can be salvaged and working towards making the home habitable again.

UNH Cooperative Extension has a wealth of material to help residents in the storm-ravaged areas of New Hampshire. Cleaning and disinfecting your home is a top priority, along with how to clean soaked bedding, what to do with all the foodstuffs left behind and how to eradicate any growing mildew.

In some cases, the first 48 hours are crucial to saving family heirlooms, photographs and books. On top of it all is the stress of coping with what appears to be a monumental task of returning home.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Cheshire County office, where the most severe damaged occurred, has additional information available on a variety of topics. The office can be reached by calling 603-352-4550.


If you have additional questions, please contact any of the 10 local Extension offices in each county.

An article entitled The Science of Child Sexual Abuse, co-authored by Kathy Becker Blease, UNH Cooperative Extension Family Education and Policy Specialist, appears in the April 22 issue of the journal Science.

In the Policy Forum article, Becker Blease joins lead author Jennifer Freyd of the University of Oregon and a team of experts in psychiatry, law, political science, and psychology, to summarize scientific findings on the topic and offer recommendations to researchers and policy makers.

The authors cite research on childhood sexual abuse, which shows:

• an association between child sexual abuse and serious mental and physical health problems, substance abuse, suicide, victimization and criminality in adulthood.
  
• most child sex abuse is committed by family members and individuals close to the child, which increases the likelihood of delayed disclosure and possible memory failure and increases the potential for negative reactions by caregivers and lack of intervention.
  
• 20 percent of women and 5 to 10 percent of men worldwide report incidents of sex abuse in childhood.
  
• nearly 90 percent of child sex abuse cases are never reported to authorities.
  
• cognitive and neurological mechanisms that may underlie the forgetting of abuse.

To address serious gaps in the research-based understanding of child sex abuse, and problems caused by a knowledge base scattered across many disciplines, the authors call for:

• vigorous interdisciplinary research efforts to determine the prevalence of child sex abuse and identify its causes and consequences, prevention and treatment.
  
• expanding the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, a federally funded coalition of 54 centers providing community-based treatment to children and their families.
  
• creating an Institute of Child Abuse and Interpersonal Violence within the National Institutes of Health.

“A 1996 U.S. Department of Justice Report estimated the annual cost of rape and sexual violence against children at $1.5 billion in medical costs, and $23 million in overall costs,” says Becker Blease. “Expanding our efforts to understand, prevent, and treat child sexual abuse will help us provide better training to health professionals, provide better scientific documentation to policy makers, and raise the levels of both public and private awareness on this important topic.”

Link:

• The Science of Child Sexual Abuse (manuscript version)

Last weekend’s floods caused severe and visible damage to roads and homes in the southwest part of the state. Some foresters and landowners are worried there is woodland damage too.

UNH Cooperative Extension’s Forest Resources Educator in Merrimack County Tim Fleury is concerned, but hasn’t been able to walk enough land to know the extent of the problem. “People are dealing with the immediate problems in their homes and communities. They haven’t had time to look at their woodlot.”

Fleury advises landowners to go for a walk in their woods and provides some practical tips. “Safety is the most important thing. Don’t go alone and do wear hunter orange.” He also advises you to bring along a shovel. “A shovel is your friend,” he says, “It’s easy to carry and can be used to tidy up your woods roads. You can fix small problems before they become bigger.”

Walk your woods roads and trails and clean out any debris in culverts and ditches. Fill in any gullies in the road. Don’t bend down to clean out large culverts or bridges with fast moving water. “It is too easy to slip and become wedged in the culvert or otherwise hurt yourself. Wait until the water recedes and you can safely fix the damage.”

Chuck Hersey, Extension’s Sullivan County Forest Resources Educator, agrees there’s probably extensive damage in the forest but, “We don’t know where and how much there is. We encourage people to call us to report the condition of their land. We track the effect of natural disasters on the woods. We can better help people today if we know about the damage and it helps us plan for the future.”

He expects most damage to be in the form of washed out roads and trails, culverts and bridges. “Standing water lingers in the floodplains and the low lying areas that grow trees adapted to water. They should be able to withstand this flooding. It’s the land that isn’t covered and protected by trees that was the most vulnerable.”

Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) directors of Parks and Recreation, Allison McLean, and Forests and Lands, Philip Bryce, closed several state parks, state forests and state trail areas in the southwestern part of the state to protect the safety of visitors. The closures are necessary to allow time to inspect and assess the damage to roads, bridges, dams, and trails. A complete list of the state parks and forests closed.

To learn how to contact your local County Extension Educator, Forest Resources, or to receive the free booklet, “Best Management Practices for Erosion Control”, contact the UNH Cooperative Extension Forestry Information Center at 800-444-8978.
 

Visit "Now What? Cleaning Up After the Floods" for links about flood recovery news.

UNH Cooperative Extension and the Center for Integrative Regional Problem Solving (CIRPS) have developed the online Resource Clearinghouse for Rapidly Growing Communities to provide New England communities with a fast, easy way to find experts, information, and other resources to help conserve open space, protect the human health and environmental health, and preserve local character.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ranks sprawl as one of the biggest environmental challenges facing New England, a region that loses more than 1,200 acres of open space to development each week.

Between 1982 and 1997, New England lost open space at almost six times the rate of population growth, while the United States as a whole consumed land at two to one-half times the rate of population growth. Southern Maine, Northeast Massachusetts and the New Hampshire seacoast share the challenges of a steady influx of new residents and tourists from the Boston area seeking escape from urban life and/or rising real estate prices.

The Clearinghouse harnesses the best of what a university can offer: scientific information and expertise, technical expertise in on-line communication, and a multi-disciplinary regional perspective.

Background
Asurvey of local citizens and organizations developed this list of the top 10 issues facing communities concerned with rapid growth: conserving open space, water protection, economic impacts of land use choices, growth management, leadership training, preserving New England character, transportation, economic development, encouraging community collaboration, and affordable housing.

New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts participants at a 2003 CIRPS symposium, The Voices of Communities Experiencing Rapid Change, identified a central clearinghouse providing easy and quick access to information, organizations, and tools as a major way UNH and its external partners could help communities meet the challenges posed by increased growth and development.

A planning group, which included representation from Nashua Regional Planning Commission, Rockingham Planning Commission, New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, NH Office of Planning of Energy and Planning, Concord 20/20, GrowSmart Maine, Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve, and departments and programs of the University of New Hampshire, formed to develop the Clearinghouse. The NH Charitable Foundation, the NH Estuaries Project and the Maine Community Foundation provided funding for the first phase of the project.

What the Clearinghouse provides
A searchable database focuses on the top 10 concerns of rapidly growing communities. Users get quick access to a variety of valuable information, including links to organizations and agencies that can help communities with these issues; background and contact information for UNH faculty and UNH Cooperative Extension experts on the issues; direct access to ordering information or links to the text of publications and other tools, such as CD-ROMs, other clearinghouses, seminars, and stories from communities that have implemented growth management or smart growth strategies, including best practices and outcomes.

Ask a question
The “query” function of the site allows individuals to plug in specific details about the information they are seeking, providing them with a targeted response of what’s currently available in the Clearinghouse. Additionally, individuals can input “keywords” or “view all resources” in the site.

Find organizations that offer help
A Community Assistance Providers section lets site visitors the resources of many organizations and individuals who can help communities in areas of concern associated with rapid growth. The section offers information about the areas of interest and expertise of the organizations/individuals, the geographic region in which they work, descriptions of what they offer, along with contact information, including a link to the website, if available.

Find information tools
The Publications and Other Tools section includes articles and books, data-intensive websites conference information and proceedings; and toolkits. Listings include the type of tool, the region it covers, a brief description, and contact information.

Find expert help
An Experts and Consultants section provides information on experts from the University of New Hampshire and other consultants who can provide technical expertise and support to community leaders. These listings include the experts’ areas of expertise and interest, the regions in which they work, as well as descriptions of the individuals’ background and experience, the services they provide and their contact information.

Learn from other communities
Stories compiled from successful action groups in communities that conducted UNH Cooperative Extension’s Community Profile project, as well from UNH students who interviewed community leaders and regional planning commission members. The stories provide site users with the steps towns or citizen groups took to accomplish their goals, as well as links to pictures, and to organizations and experts who provide support.

Help build the site
The submit new resources feature encourages organizations, consultants, community leaders and other, to help develop the site by suggesting resources or simply telling the story about an initiative they’ve developed to help deal with rapid growth— an innovative zoning practice, a visioning process to set future agendas, a successful land preservation effort.

Review and post comments about site features
The Clearinghouse also allows users to give feedback on real-world experience using the resources in the database. This information can be viewed by other online users and will provide site developers with insights they can use to evaluate and improve the site.

For more information about the Clearinghouse, contact Amy Seif at 862-4650, or Michele Gagne at 862-5046.

by Michele Gagne, Program Coordinator for the Strengthening NH Communities Initiative and the Community Profile Project

This program means that a New Hampshire company grinding organic grains into muffin and pancake mixes, producing organic yogurt or cheese, or turning organic maple products into a line a line of maple-flavored organic salsas can have its processing operation certified in-state and its products bearing a New Hampshire certification label.

Richard Uncles, supervisor of DAMF's Bureau of Markets, said organic processors themselves came forward to help develop and push the enabling legislation, "on the grounds of affordability and a desire to maintain a strong New Hampshire brand identity for their products."

"New Hampshire processors had discovered it was a very expensive proposition to hire an outside certifier," Uncles said. "With the new program, we'll provide certification as a service, charging only enough to cover our costs.

"Also, New Hampshire processors wanted to maintain their own state identity with a New Hampshire 'brand' label," said Uncles. "They told legislators it looks kind of strange to have to market products bearing another state's organic label."

Meeting national organic standards
"This is not a food safety program," Uncles said. "It will simply ensure that a grower or processor meets the federal standards as 'organic' under the federal rule."

After 10 years of public deliberation, the National Organic Rule went into effect in October 2002. It specifies in detail how growers must care for their soils, grow their crops, and care for livestock if they want to label their products "organic." The national program also established rules for processing and handling operations: livestock and poultry slaughtering, grinding, canning, pickling, freezing, packaging and other means of processing food labeled organic.

NH DAMF had developed and managed its own organic certification program for nearly a decade before becoming accredited as a certifying agency under the federal rule. But until now, DAMF has only certified raw agricultural products, such as vegetables, fruits, eggs and meat. "We had a dilemma," said Uncles. "We couldn't take on an open-ended responsibility for certifying processing and handling operations without some means of funding it."

Program may help organic growers
Uncles said the new certification program will also benefit the state's organic growers. "It's critical for some producers of raw agricultural products that there be certified processors out there," he said. "Say you're producing an organic maple product. If you can sell to a processor making maple popcorn and selling it as certified organic, it adds value to your own product."

New Hampshire currently has approximately 110 certified organic producers raising a wide variety of crops, including vegetables, herbs, eggs, poultry, beef, maple products and ornamentals. Strong consumer demand for organic and locally produced foods provide strong market niches new farmers can exploit, Uncles said.

More information about organic certification:

• NH Organic certification program
• The National Organic Program Homepage
• Move out from here to find information on organic standards, news updates, and consumer. You might want to begin with the Questions and Answers page.
• National Organic Standards
• 2008 New Hampshire certified organic producers' directory

Help! I found my pot-bellied pig chomping down on some exotic-looking plant in the barnyard this morning. I hope you can help identify it. The plant seems to have sprouted up from nowhere. It looks like some sort of exotic tropical specimen, with huge, heart-shaped leaves, spiny stems, bright yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers, and fleshy, dark- green seedpods about four inches long. I’m worried they might have poisoned him!

Now that spring has finally arrived in force and folks have headed outside to take stock of the natural world, people who raise pigs or chickens or vegetables, people with lawns and lilac bushes and perennial flowerbeds, or people just curious about snakes, or bats, birds, wild turkeys, or insects, will start calling us with questions. (The pot-bellied pig question arrived early one August morning.)

Yes, adventures in the great outdoors, even adventures that take place just outside your kitchen door, can stimulate a lot of questions. But where can you turn for answers?

If you’re smart, like the caller concerned about her pet pig, you’ll call the UNH Cooperative Extension Info Line at 1-877-398-4769. Trained volunteers linked to an extraordinary network of professionals with expertise in a wide variety of subject matter areas answer the phones Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., dispensing practical, environmentally-sound, research-based information tailored for New Hampshire conditions. People who can’t call during business hours can email questions.

Some days the calls come so fast and furious our phone staff can barely catch their breath between calls:

Can humans get roundworms from dog droppings on the lawn?
Where can I get my chickens tested for bird flu?
How long will homemade pickles last on the shelf?
Can I bury my dog’s ashes under the rose bush I want to plant as his memorial?
How can I banish a family of skunks from under the front porch?
How do I get my well water tested?
Do you have plans for a bat house?
The grass on the front lawn looks yellow and sparse. What can I do?
How can I tell if the tick I just pulled off my son’s leg is the kind that transmits Lyme disease?
How can I get more potassium into my diet?

At the end of the day, an elderly gentleman wants to know why his zucchini flowers aren’t developing into zucchinis. We tell him the likely reason is that the female flowers aren’t getting pollinated during this wet spell, give him a lesson in hand-pollination, and close down our phone lines for the day.

Over the past five years, volunteers staffing the Info Line have fielded almost 50,000 questions on gardening and landscaping, lawn care, food safety, food preservation, backyard livestock, water quality, wildlife, household pests, composting, tree care and so much more.

Few of us have extended families and neighbors these days with the knowledge and experience to advise us what to do when the chickens start pecking each other, or explain the advantages of removing suckers from the tomato plants. Most of us are at least two generations removed from folks who grew their own food, kept livestock, and knew which tree species produced the longest-lasting heat.

Most questions that come to the Info Line are uncomplicated and easy to answer. Chances are, the Info Line staffer you talk to has answered similar questions already, had the experience him/herself, or knows someone who has. And when they don’t have the answer at their fingertips, our staff will do the research to get you the information you need or refer you to someone who has it.

One more thing about the Info Line volunteers: without exception they’re very curious. They sign up for the 70-plus hours of training and commit to many hours on the job because they revel in the chance to learn something new as they research answers for you.

Oh, about that “exotic tropical plant” with the heart-shaped leaves, trumpet-shaped flowers and “fleshy seedpods” the caller’s pet pig enjoyed so much?

Because the woman—a recent transplant to rural New Hampshire—had to dash off to work to deliver a presentation, we suggested she put on gloves, pull up the plant, and bring it to her veterinarian’s office after her presentation, while we continued using our botanical “keys” to track its identity.

Turns out she didn’t need further advice from us—or her vet. She called ten minutes later from work to thank us and to say that her coworkers had identified the plant immediately—as a zucchini!

By Margaret Hagen, Director, UNH Cooperative Extension Family, Home & GardenEducationCenter

More from the Family, Home & Garden Education Center

• Do you like to learn through fun, hands-on classes or workshops? Visit our calendar of events to look

• If you want information oriented towards how to grow, build, diagnose or raise almost anything, check out the more than 150 Home & Garden Information Fact Sheets.

• Take a look at some of the New Hampshire Outside columns, mostly written by Extension volunteers with a personal story to tell about life in New Hampshire’s outdoors.

• WMUR-TV (Channel 9) also features a weekly UNH Cooperative Extension spot called “Grow It Green” which airs at noon Tuesdays and during Saturday morning’s early news. The spots highlight topics of seasonal interest.