Agriculture : News
DATE: March 15, 2010
HARDIN COUNTY COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SERVICE
201 Peterson Drive
Elizabethtown, Kentucky 42701-9370
BY: Doug Shepherd
County Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources
Spring Weather Safety:
Neither lamb nor lion, the arrival of March in Kentucky was less than notable. Still, changeable weather is one of the harbingers of spring and often it comes in the form of high winds and blustery conditions. Even though tornadoes can occur in any season, they are most common in spring, along with downbursts and Derecho (now there’s a new word for you!) winds.
A tornado is a violently rotating column of air which descends from a thunderstorm. These violent storms form thousands of feet above the earth’s surface usually during warm, humid, unsettled weather and usually in conjunction with a severe thunderstorm. Along with rain, dust and debris sucked into the center of the air column form the distinct funnel shape that identifies a tornado. Wind speeds, ranging from 40 to more than 300 mph, can be extremely destructive. A tornado can level a building, lift a railroad car off its tracks and strip asphalt from pavement.
Derecho wind storms and downbursts also come from thunderstorms. Derechos are rapidly moving, large-scale and long-lived wind events associated with bands of thunderstorms or showers. Winds ranging from 57 to more than 100 miles per hour can topple 18-wheelers and blow down trees. Downbursts are much smaller and are formed by high winds in the upper levels of thunderstorms that funnel down to the surface. Both can cause serious damage and can be life threatening, so even when just a thunderstorm watch or warning has been issued you should always be prepared.
Make a tornado emergency plan for both work and home. Keep a weather radio in good working condition with extra batteries and make sure you and your family know what precautions to take in your home, a car, open country or other situations that may arise.
- In your home or any sturdy building, take shelter in the lowest level away from any windows, preferably under a sturdy object to protect yourself from falling debris.
- In your car, you should attempt to drive to shelter. If this is not possible, exit the vehicle and take cover by laying down in a ditch or low-lying area with your hands over your head. If a low-lying area is not nearby or you cannot exit your vehicle, strap on your seat belt, cover your head and keep your body below window level.
- In a mobile home, even tied down, always evacuate and take cover in a low-lying area and cover your head.
Special considerations for livestock producers include moving livestock to high ground in case of heavy rain and potential flash flooding. If moving livestock is not possible, open gates so they can escape high water. You should take precautions against lightning strikes by preventing animals from herding under isolated trees and moving them away from other large conductors that may attract lightning.
Ag Day Fun Facts:
As we mentioned in last week’s column, National Ag Day is Saturday, March 20 and this week is National Ag Week. Here’s some agriculture trivia you can share with your friends and notice the underlying theme of the real awesomeness of nature.
Honey: Honey bees must tap two million flowers to make one pound of honey. Each worker honey bee makes 1/12th teaspoon of honey in its lifetime. Bees have been producing honey from flowering plants for at least 10 million years and maybe even as long as 20 million years.
Dairy Cow: In a year’s time a dairy cow producers 1,500 gallons of milk. Dairy cows provide us with milk and milk by-products like cheese, butter and ice cream. In addition milk is also used to manufacture glue, paint and plastics. The average US dairy cow producers 22.5 quarts of milk each day, or 16,000 glasses of milk per year - enough for about 40 people. One day’s production is 2.6 lbs of butter or 7 gallons of milk or 6 lbs of cheese. A cow has four stomachs - the rumen, the reticulum where food that has been more thoroughly chewed is stored once the cow has chewed the cud and has swallowed it; the omasum where extra water is squeezed out, and the abomasum. Cows are sedentary animals spending up to 8 hours a day chewing the cud while standing still or lying down to rest after grazing. Hamburger meat, much of which is made from dairy animals, from a single steer will make about 720 quarter pound hamburger patties.
Onions: Contain a mild antibiotic that fights infections, soothes burns, tames bee stings and relieves the itch of athletes foot.
Sheep: There are 914 different breeds of sheep in the world. There are 35 breeds in the U.S. Wool is a natural fiber grown from sheep.
Popcorn: Pops because water is stored in a small circle of soft starch in each kernel. As the kernel is heated, the water heats, the droplet of moisture turns to steam and the steam builds up pressure until the kernel finally explodes to many times its original volume. Americans today consume 17.3 billion quarts of popped popcorn each year! The average American eats about 68 quarts! Over the years, popcorn also has been used as an ingredient in pudding, candy, soup, salad and entrees. Microwave popcorn is the same as other popcorn except the kernels are usually larger and the packaging is designed for maximum popability.
Lettuce: Is actually a member of the sunflower family. Darker Green lettuce leaves are more nutritious than lighter green leaves.
Eggs: It takes 24 to 26 hours for a hen to produce an egg; there is 30 minutes between each egg-producing cycle. About 240 million laying hens produce about 5.5 billion dozen eggs per year in the United States. Egg yolks are one of the few foods that naturally contain Vitamin D.
Apples: Are a member of the rose family. Washington state grows the most apples in the U.S. The apples from one tree can fill 20 boxes every year. Fresh apples float because 25 percent of their volume is air. In the winter, apple trees need to "rest" for about 900-1,000 hours below 45 degrees Fahrenheit in order to flower and fruit properly. If you grew 100 apple trees from the seeds of one tree, they would all be different.
Pigs: Pigs can't sweat. Pigs have no sweat glands, that is why they roll around in mud to cool off. Heart valves from hogs are used to replace damaged or diseased human heart valves. A pig can run a 7-minute mile. A baby pig, or piglet, weighs about 3 1/2 pounds at birth and will double its weight in just 7 days.
Cotton: If all of the cotton produced annually in the U.S. were used to make one product, such as blue jeans, it would make 5 Billion pair. One bale of cotton can produce 1,217 men's t-shirts or 313,600 one-hundred dollar ($100) bills. Industrial products containing cotton include wall coverings, book bindings, and zipper tapes. Cotton is a food crop. Almost 200 million gallons of cottonseed oil are used in food products such as margarine and salad dressing. Cottonseed and cottonseed meal are used in feed for livestock and poultry. And even products such as toothpaste, ice cream, and the paper money used to buy them contain by-products of the cotton seed.
Bottom line Agriculture is a very important part of your everyday life since the products we use in our everyday lives come from plant and animal byproducts produced by America's farmers and ranchers. Health care: Pharmaceuticals, surgical sutures, ointments, latex gloves, x-ray film, gelatin for capsules and heart valves. Construction: Lumber, paints, brushes, tar paper, dry wall and tool handles. Transportation: Fuel, lubricants, antifreeze, tires and upholstery. Manufacturing: Adhesives, solvents and detergents. Printing: Paper, ink and film. Personal Care Products: Shampoo, cosmetics, lotions, finger nail polish and toothpaste. Education: Crayons, textbooks, chalk, desks, pencils and paper. Sports: Uniforms, baseball bats, leather equipment and shoes.
Educational programs of the Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service serve all people regardless of race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, or disability.
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