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| This Week's Titles: |
| Program
Helps Southeast Georgia Cattlemen |
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West Nile Virus Is Back |
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| Helping
Graduate Students Improve Writing Skills |
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| Protecting
Cold Food When The Power Goes Out |
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| Armyworms
On The March In Central Georgia |
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| Program
Helps Southeast Georgia Cattlemen |
1:37 |
A program in a Southeast Georgia
county is helping cattlemen produce tasty beef products, and
bring home more money. |
Cattle farmers in Effingham
County were already known for growing and selling good quality
beef cows. Four y ears ago, a program began in Effingham County
to help cattlemen improve on a good thing. Bill Tyson, a county
extension agent in Effingham County says the Beef Quality Assurance
Training covers important issues cattlemen must deal with to
be successful. "Familiarizes everyone with the handling of cattle.
Giving vaccinations, feeding the cattle, and it kind of puts
you in a record keeping mode, which this day and time record
keeping goes hand and hand with management." Bill Tyson with
the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. The program also assists beef producers in providing
wholesome, safe, and consistently high quality beef products.
Beef cattle farmers in Effingham County are expected to receive
a premium over five percente for their certification, and alternative
marketing efforts. These producers should be rewarded with a
premium of $2,500 per truckload of cattle shipped out of Effingham
County. John Harrell, University of Georgia College of Agricultural
and Environmental Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| West
Nile Virus Is Back |
1:40 |
A mosquito bite could make
some people very sick. |
In late August, around three
cases of West Nile Virus were confirmed in Georgia. One person
died in Southwest Georgia as a result of the disease. Elmer
Gray, an entomologist with the University of Georgia's College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says people get the
West Nile Virus when they are bitten by infected mosquitoes.
He adds some of the mosquitoes that transmit the West Nile Virus
breed in storm drains. "But as far as the West Nile Virus, a
lot of the mosquitoes that transmit that, the southern house
mosquito likes to breed in storm drains. So actually periods
of rain and then dry are very favorable for their development
because the storm drains don't get flushed out by heavy rains."
Elmer Gray with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, who adds the warm, humid conditions of late summer
and early fall causes the temperature of standing water to rise,
which helps increase the mosquito population. To reduce your
chances of getting bit by infected mosquitoes, pour standing
water out of buckets, tires, and other containers, then remove
them so they won't fill up with additional water. Wear long
sleeve clothing, and use an insect repellant that contains deet
to protect yourself from biting mosquitoes. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Helping
Graduate Students Improve Writing Skills |
1:31 |
A new course at the University
of Georgia is write on when it comes to helping graduate students
conduct research. |
The new course began in
2005, and helps students focus on scholarly writing while they
conduct research. Dick Hudson, a public service associate with
the University of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences says students taking the course learn scholarly writing
is different when compared to writing a research paper. "And
so the idea is to get these students writing again, but also
an undergraduate even though there are research papers that
students do, they don't really have to do that many serious
scholarly papers and once they're in graduate school they should
be able to do this, and so what we do in this course is talk
to them about the various journal styles, make sure they understand
that." Dick Hudson with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. The course also helps students learn about writing
scholarly journals in their field of study, and writing scholarly
critiques. The course is an important part of the overall Masters
Degree curriculum, and is now required of all students majoring
in ag leadership, and ag education. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Protecting
Cold Food When The Power Goes Out |
1:47 |
Don't be caught in the dark
with a lot of spoiled food if the electricity goes off for an
extended period of time. |
Reports indicate September
and early October is the peak time for hurricanes and tropical
storms to develop. One of the main effects of a tropical weather
system, or severe weather, is the loss of electricity, which
could last for several days. Elizabeth Andress, a food safety
specialist with the University of Georgia's College of Family
and Consumer Sciences says one of the biggest losses is food
spoiling in a freezer or refrigerator. She adds it's important
to keep doors shut as long as possible on a freezer or refrigerator
when the electricity is off. "The best thing you can do to try
to keep your foods safe in the refrigerator or freezer is to
keep the doors closed as much as possible. A refrigerator will
keep foods safely cold for about four hours if it is unopened,
and a full freezer will hold the temperature for about forty-eight
hours if it's not opened at all." Elizabeth Andress with the
College of Family and Consumer Sciences. If it appears your
county will feel the effects of a tropical cyclone, or severe
weather, turn the temperature down in the freezer and refrigerator,
so it will get colder. If you are faced with an extended power
outage, try to obtain dry ice, or blocks of ice that can be
put inside a freezer. If bagged ice is available, put some in
a cooler, then put some of the food inside the cooler to help
protect it until the power comes back on. John Harrell, University
of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,
reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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| Armyworms
On The March In Central Georgia |
1:34 |
Small worms are on the march
in Central Georgia, eating lawns and pastures as they go. |
Armyworms see Bermuda grass
lawns and athletic fields as a large grass buffet, that will
keep them well fed. Willie Chance, a county extension agent
in Houston County says armyworms can devour a home lawn in a
hurry. They also love to sink their teeth into pastures. Even
though strong winds from tropical weather systems have stayed
away from Georgia this year, strong winds in summer thunderstorms
could bring in these wormy pests. "It's amazing how strong some
of those winds in thunderstorms get and they'll just push some
of these little insects like this in the areas and they come
in on those waves then you have problems with them after the
storms." Willie Chance with the University of Georgia's College
of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences who adds armyworms
can cause serious damage to a lawn already weakened by drought
conditions. Early reports indicate the armyworm problem in Central
Georgia could be worse than last year. One way to look for these
pests is to watch for large numbers of birds on lawns. They
can be found on some turf lawns eating the armyworms. Chemicals
are on the market that will control these insects, and may be
needed to control armyworms the birds did not eat. John Harrell,
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, reporting from Tifton. |
Links to audio files:
(files include a brief quote from the source for your use.)
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