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| This Week's Titles: |
| Taking
Care Of Holiday Plants |
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Transporting Holiday Foods
Safely |
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| Selecting
Safe Vines For Holiday Decorations |
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| College
Research On Soybean Biodiesel |
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| Things
To Know About Gift Cards |
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| Taking
Care Of Holiday Plants |
1:30 |
Take care of those holiday
plants you receive this Christmas season. |
Some of the most popular
plants given during the holidays include poinsettias, African
violets, and Christmas cactuses. Jim Crawford, a county extension
agent in Jefferson County says make those plants feel special,
by giving the proper care they need. He adds it's important
for African violets to receive plenty of sunlight. "They're
real dependant on sunlight, they're pretty tough and they will
put out leaves and you'll think it's growing real well, but
to make it bloom it's really got to have an Eastern or Western
exposure in the sun in the window sill so it gets at least six
hours of sun a day." Jim Crawford with the University of Georgia's
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. Poinsettia's
also need light, but it's important not to apply too much water
to these holiday plants. Instead of frequent watering, give
poinsettias a good drink of water when you touch the soil, and
it feels dry. For Christmas cactus, the county agent recommends
locating them near a window in the home facing South, so these
plants can get the bright sunlight they need. 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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| Transporting
Holiday Foods Safely |
1:55 |
Don't let foodborne pathogens
travel with your holiday dishes and crash those December parties
and meals. |
Tis the season for packing
families, gifts, and food in vehicles for a trip to a holiday
banquet or party. But a foods specialist with the University
of Georgia's College of Family and Consumer Sciences says salmonella
and other foodborne illnesses can turn the happy holiday season
into a season of sickness. She adds there's more to keeping
a covered dish safe, then just covering it up. "When you're
transporting the food you want to keep raw foods separate from
foods that are ready to eat. And so you can do this by wrapping
the foods securely, making sure that you keep raw meats that
you might be taking along to cook, keep those separate from
the other foods." Judy Harrison with the College of Family and
Consumer Sciences, who adds a cooked, stuffed turkey should
never be transported. It's best to cook the stuffing outside
the turkey. Before taking off with an unstuffed cooked turkey,
take it out of the oven then wrap it in foil and put it straight
into a cooler. The university specialist recommends leaving
that holiday feast at home, if you must travel a great distance.
You will also leave behind foodborne pathogens that won't have
a chance to make the 2006 holiday season a sick one. 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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| Selecting
Safe Vines For Holiday Decorations |
1:37 |
Mother nature can provide green
material for the holidays, but those leaves and vines can cause
problems. |
Many people are turning
back to nature to add green color to their homes for the holidays.
Reports indicate some people worry about accidentally bringing
poisonous leaves in the house during the holiday season. But
a horticulturist with the University of Georgia's College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences says another concern
is the vines people pull down in the woods and bring into their
home. He adds one vine we all know about can cause a lot of
problems. "You do need to know what it is you're bringing in
the house. Specifically you could accidentally bring in poison
ivy vines or bring in a poisonous berry that might hurt your
children or pets. So we're trying to recommend people get to
know their outdoor materials before they grab them." That was
Paul Thomas with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences. The only way to tell which vines are poison ivy is
to look at the base of the vine. If the vine looks hairy, or
has hundreds of tiny, root-like things attached to a tree or
rock, leave it alone. Once the oils inside poison ivy vines
get inside a warm home, they can be released from the vines.
This means every member of the family could suffer from the
effects of poison ivy. 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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| College
Research On Soybean Biodiesel |
1:38 |
College scientists are working
to bring soybeans from fields to fuel pumps. |
As high fuel prices burn
more dollars out of consumers pockets, the demand is growing
to find cheaper alternative fuels. Scientists with the University
of Georgia's College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
are working to develop a biodiesel fuel from soybean oil. Developing
soybean biodiesel could help soybeans make a comeback in Georgia.
"The oil side of soybean as a feedstock for biodiesel and I
think it's very exciting in that we know how to grow the crop
and we already know production things that need to be done in
order to be successful with it and with the new kind of use
I think we'll see some expanded acreage in the state of Georgia."
That was Roger Boerma with the College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences, who adds scientists want to learn from past fuel mistakes,
and focus on environmental, economic, and national security
issues. Soybean biodiesel fuel is already being tested in tractors,
combines, and other farm equipment on research farms. Despite
the encouraging results from this research, biofuels will not
be the final answer to energy independence. But one day in the
near future we could see more vehicles running on biodiesel,
instead of conventional petroleum diesel. 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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| Things
To Know About Gift Cards |
1:29 |
It's important to know all
the facts about gift cards, and how they work when purchasing
them for Christmas gifts. |
Gift cards are becoming
more popular for Christmas gifts, taking the place of long used
gift certificates. Gift card sales are expected to exceed forty-five
billion dollars this holiday season. But a consumer economic
specialist with the University of Georgia's College of Family
and Consumer Sciences says some people confuse gift cards with
credit cards, and there is a difference. "Well the big difference
between a gift card and a credit card is that a gift card is
a stored value card, which means that the magnetic strip on
it has a memory about how much money you paid for the card.
So, it's sort of like cash, when you make the transaction, that
amount is subtracted from the balance on the card." That was
Michael Rupured with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences.
Before purchasing a gift card, the university specialist recommends
finding out if the card comes with a small fee. When giving
a gift card, include details about fees, so the user will know
how to put that card to good use. It's also wise to include
the receipt in case the card is lost, or stolen. 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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