Spilyay Tymoo Warm Springs, Oregon October 30, 1992 PAGE 7 Prepare cattle herd now for severe winter months; reduce herd size, buy food Every to often, a region faces a crop year of much less than average precipitation. Having arrived fresh from the South Texas Brush Country two weeks ago, it was easy to tell that rangcland on the Reservation and throughout Central Oregon is suf fering from a lack of moisture. On the average, a drought occurs every five years or so. Unfortunately, we are going into our eighth con secutive crop year drought. We Aggies and OSU tvpes often refer to the period from September through June as a "crop year" because moisture (primarily in the form of snow and spring thaw) from these months is responsible for forage growth. A dry spring can mean a 60 percent reduction in perennial grass range growth. If the drought persists, of course, a further reduction can be expected. Water excellent when dieting Water sunnresses the appetite and naturally helps the body mcubolic stored fat Studies show that a de crease in water intake will cause fat deposiu to increase and an increase in water intake can actually reduce fat deposits. Why? The kidneys can't function properly without enough water. When they don't work to capacity, some of their load is dumped onto the liver. A primary function of the liver is to mcubolic stored fat into useable energy for the body. If the liver must do the kidney's work, it metabolizes less fat As a result, more fat remains stored in the body and weight loss stops. Herd Management There are several management practices that the producer may use to reduce impending winter feed needs and stretch his fall grazing as well as hay supplies. On operations where calves are kept and sold as yearlings, these animals can be marketed at weaning. This approach can save feed that would otherwise be consumed by the cal ves and makes sure that mama cows will go into another possibly dry winter in better condition. Pregnancy testing to cull open cows andor culling cows that would otherwise have a tough time making through the winter will also cut win ter feed costs. An alternative to reducing herd numbers is to purchase feed. Buying grass hay, alfalfa, cereal grains, etc., are necessary to keep the base herd intact and to maintain calf crop per cent. Keeping an eye on pregnant cows and first-calf heifers to ensure that they are on a high plane of nutrition is important. Cold weather increases energy needs of all livestock, and affects these animals especially. By providing proper herd nutrition now, the stockman will ensure optimal herd condition by the time the snow flics. Information provided by: Warm Springs OSU Extension Office 1131 Paiuto Street 553-3238 Extension office to move; new agriculture specialist on board Protect, feed our feathered friends this winter Watching birds at feeders is fasci nating for children and adults. With winter ncaring, it's lime to help our feathered friends find sufficient food to survive. The high-energy mainstaysof any bird feeding program are a source of fat (suet is best) and a selection of grains and seeds. Where snow cov to grind up hard seeds. Course sand works fine. To suet, seed, grains and grit a wide variety of foods may be added including nutmcats; fresh, dried or frozen fruits and baked goods. Pea nut butter mixed with seed makes an excellent meal for most birds. All food, except for suet and composite . . ' .... . - A ..I I J find particles of grit in their gizzards Pay yourself first and save Every individual and every fam ily needs an emergency fund for un expected happenings such as car repairs, appliance breakdowns and sudden illnesses. But many people have trouble accumulating an emer gency fund. If you don't have an emergency fund, develop the habit of putting money aside on a regular basis. When you work on your monthly spending plan, include a savings ac count as one of your fixed expenses just like the rent or mortgage and utility bills. In other words, pay yourself first. crs the ground, grit needs to be sup- blocks designed to be pecked, should t..a. 1. 1 .-a ...... t.. rr u:.- :.. .;.. Here are some guidelines to fol low when feeding birds: 1. Recommended birdseed mix: 50 percent sunflower seeds, 35 per cent millet, 15 percent find or me dium cracked corn. 2. Once you start feeding birds Put "unexpected moneys" such as tax returns, overtime pay, bonuses, rebate money or money saved by using coupons into your savings ac count. Look for expenses you can re duce. As you reduce expenses, in crease savings. A rule of thumb says that indi viduals and families should have two to three months' take-home pay in an emergency fund. Remember, it docs take time for savings to accumulate. However, getting started is the most important step. don't quit in the middle of the win ter. The birds are now dependent on you as a source of food. Continue feeding well into the spring. 3. Use the type of feeder that suits the kind of feed you offer i.e.': hopper feeders for seed and grains, platform feeders for scraps and fruit, etc. 4. Locate feeders that protect the birds from weather and predators. Squirrel protection can be accom plished by putting metal sheeting around the pole. Put a band at least 1 8 inches wide. 5. Shop early in the fall for seed and grains; buy in 50 or 100 pound bags and store in rodent-proof containers. The OSU Extension office is in the process of moving to the Educa tion Center (Old Boys Dorm) where we will join with the education de partment and culture and heritage. We will be on the second floor. Hopefully, this will be our lasting home. OSU is having telephone problems at this time, problems that will be resolved once we arc moved into the education center. The only phone number that is working now is 553 3432. We apologize forany inconve nience we have caused with this phone problem. Once we arc moved into our new home, we will have an open house and invite all to come to sec our new home and enjoy some good food. The Warm Springs Extension of fice welcomes its newest addition to the staff, Bob Pawclek, a former extension agent at Hidalgo County, Texas. He arrived two weeks ago from his home near San Antonio. Bob will provide leadership and de livery of a livestock production and management programs for the reser vation. Bob is a 1985 graduate of Texas AAM University with a BS degree in animal science. Ho served as an ex tension agent in deep south Texas before trying hisown hand at ranching on his family's homestead at Falls City, Texas. Bob is very happy to be "back in the saddle" asanagentagain, and he invites producers to stop in for a visit, or give him a call at 553-3432. Books play an important role in development of child's learning capabilities Watch your credit spending, control debt How much credit can you afford? Some experts suggest that your con sumer debt level not exceed 20 per cent of your income There is a more accurate method of computing an acceptable amount of credit debt. Try reviewing your houschold'sbudgcttodctcrminchow much money you have each month that could go toward a credit obli gation. The overuse of credit can lead to financial problems. Your use of credit may be out of control when: You allow some bills to hold over to the next month because you don't have enough money. You pay only the minimum due on charge accounts. You have to charge purchases more than you like because of lack of cash. You take out a new loan before old ones are paid off. You cut back on necessities in order to pay installments. If you recognize these signs, you may want to take steps now to cut back on your debts. By the timcchildrcnare four years old. they have achieved 50 percent of their general intelligence. Another 30 percent is achieved by age eight. One-third of their speech and vo cabulary skills are developed by the lime heshe enters first grade. Books can play a large part in a child's language development and are very useful aid to parents who play an important role in this devel opment. Children aren't supposed to just sit and listen as you read. Try to relate some of the ideas to personal situations. Books also help you introduce new experiences, different lifestyles and foreign objects to youngsters. There arc four basic types of books designed to teach two to eight year olds. Identification books Collections of pictures with few or no words arc good to help toddlers learn to talk. Magazines, catalogs and story books may be adapted for identifi cation activities. Concept books are well suited to three to five year olds. They demon strate such things as seasons, shapes, counting, sizes and motions. Wordless picture books allow children to make up their own story to correspond with the pictures in a book. Pictures can be used in a scries or individually to stimulate the child's imagination and promote language development and interaction with the parent. Story books convey a wide range of ideas and usually have a well defined beginning, middle and end. Story books include fairy and fold talcs, animal characters and routine activities such as riding the bus to school or parents going out for an evening. There arc many contemporary story books which deal with particular experiences such as an unemployed father, a new brother or sister, the death of a grandparent and divorcing parents. Contemporary stories are helpful in explaining situations a child might encounter or to expose them to lifestyles outside their community such ascthnicorcultural differences. Your local librarian can help choose books appropriate for your child's needs and interests. Children may enjoy using books more if you let them do some of the choosing. There are many guides to children's reading designed for par ents and teachers. These may include bibliographies on selected topics, suggestions for reading to children, choosing books and using the mas media. Your librarian can suggest some guides. Initiate good energy management practices The following tips will help you recognize the good energy manage ment practices you now use and identify areas where improvement is needed. Good management means using resources effectively to obtain the maximum comfort, convenience and satisfaction from your invest ment. Some of these tips involve investing money, the long-range benefit should be cost effective. Find and fix air leaks around windows, doors, foundation, electri cal outlets, exhaust fans and attic openings. Install storm windows and doors to reduce heat loss andor heat gain. Use solar heat to reduce home heating costs. Provide summer shade for south and west windows. Adjust temperature setting by five degrees on heating and air con ditioning system. Compensate for comfort with the clothing you wear. Use exhaust fans effectively to control excess heat and moisture at the source. B Adjust temperature setting on water heater to lowest effective set ting. Use 140dcgrccsfordishwashcr; Parental support, encouragement essential In 4-H Successful 4-H members have the interest and support of their parents. If you are wondering how you can help, here are some suggestions: Learn about 4-H, what it stands for, and how it operates. $ Assist your son or daughter in selecting 4-H projects Show your interest and enthusi asm for the projects selected. Find out what is suggested for the members to do and learn. Help guide your child, but don't do the job for him or her. See that a project is carried through to completion. Encourage your child when he or she succeeds, but even more so when things are not going well. Help your child see progress, not just the end result. Be an example Help your child be a good sport and appreciate suc cess of others. Provide transportation to local meetings and county activities in which your child and others of the club are interested. Or, provide re freshments for meetings and special 4-H functions. Don't wait to be asked volunteer your help. Attend 4-H meetings and other special activities. Help your child find a way to participate in special activities that interest him or her such as county contests, camps, fairs or displays. Keep informed about 4-H through information that comes to members of your family. Be a 4-H booster in your community. Support your local 4-H leaders. Get acquainted with them. Let them know you appreciate their efforts. Offer your services to assist the leader. You have knowledge and skill needed in 4-H. If the need arises, help find local leaders for your 4-H club. Several kindsof leaders are needed organizational, project, resource and activity leaders. Consider helping in one of these ways yourself. 4-H The Way To Go possibly 1 30 degrees without a dish washer. Insulate the water heater. Insulate ceilings, exterior walls, under floors, heat ducts and hot wa ter pipes and water heater. Use energy powered home ap pliances efficiently. Use lighting efficiently. Light the areas in your home being used. Select energy efficient bulbs, tubes and fixtures when replacements are made. Consider energy efficiency when purchasing appliances, and other motors. Consider lifetime cost when making purchasing decisions. If a change of housing is planned, consider how much space is essential. Extra space takes energy to heat, cool, light and clean. Whether shopping for housing to buy or rent, evaluate it for energy efficiency. Turn off home entertainment equipment when no one is really lis tening or watching. Consider transportationenergy costs when selecting a place to live, work, socialize and shop. Make fuel economy a consider ation in new car purchases. 4-H prepares youth for future Where can kids fail and not be afraid to try again? 4-H clubs. 4-H gives kids a chance to fail in a loving environment and 4-H is a place for experiences, not answers. It's a special place where creativity, curiosity and ideas arc nurtured. 4-H is also a place for kids to have input into their own learning and where they can evaluate themselves. Let's all remember that 4-H is a youth development program. Youth learn skills that will take them into their adult years skills like patience, creativity, persistence, organization and communication. When exercising, start routine slowly Your body will be painfully clear about telling you when you overdo it. What's the main reason you are likely to drop yourexercise program? More often than lack of time or mo tivation, it's injury...from overusing your muscles, ligaments and tendons. So, start your workout routine slowly and progress slowly. Watch for any signs of soreness. If you hurt, switch to an activity that puts no strain on the injured area. Then gradually resume your previous Be sure you have adequate ventilation for indoor projects No w that the cooler weather means you'll be doing more craft and home improvement projects indoors, be sure to protect yourself with good ventilation. Many common materials used around the home should be used only with adequate ventilation. Read the product labels carefully to determine whether or not the product can be used indoors or requires special ventilation. Opening one window in a room is probably not enough to ensure ad equate ventilation. Open two or more windows, turn on a portable fan to create a draft out a window, andor turn on a good exhaust fan to improve the ventilation in a room-. Avoid working for too long with materials you know give off hazardous fumes. Products which should be used only with good ventilation include paint strippers, glues and adhesives, paints, sealers, varnishes, strong cleaning products, fungicides and insecticides. Dizziness, drowsiness or other symptoms of sickness are clues that ventilation is not good enough. If any of these symptoms occur, get out of the area quickly and call your doctor. Pay special attention to children who may be helping or playing near the area where you are working on a project. Help your children develop an awareness of safe practices by explaining how and why you are improving the ventilation for your project area. lime is not measured by the passing of the years, but by what one does, feels and achieves. workout routine. If the pain reappears, rest for a week, then start at a less strenuous pace because you need to build up more muscle strength. The injury might begin as a mild ache, but overuse injuries tend to recur or turn from mild to severe if you don't treat them properly. So, give the area plenty of time to heal. Chili Bean Dip 1 15-ounce can kidney beans 3 Tbsp. drained bean liquid 1 Tbsp. vinegar 1 tsp. chili powder 18 tsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. grated onion 2 tsp. chopped parsley Drain kidney beans; save liquid. Place drained beans, bean liquid, vinegar and seasonings in blender. Blend until smooth. Remove mixture from blender and stir in onion and parsley. Chill thoroughly. Serve with crisp vegetable sticks. Salad recipes provide tasty main-dish meal ideas salad Curried Turkey and Peanut Salad 12 cup plain yogurt 14 cup mayonnaise or dressing 1 to 1 12 tsp. curry powder 14 tsp. salt 18 tsp. pepper 3 cups chopped cooked turkey or chicken 1 cup halved seedless grapes Holiday shopping doesn't have to mean HUGE bills for the next year Holiday shopping doesn't have to be the first step toward a long winter of overdue department store bills and cutting corners to make up for over spending on gifts. A realistic shopping strategy is the key to keeping spending in line with your resources. Ask yourself: Who do I want to remember with gifts? What price range is appropri ate and affordable? I use for holiday gifts? How much of my current in come can I afford to spend on gifts? A How much, if any, can I afford to buy on credit? If these questions reveal that the amount of money available is less than you need to complete your gift buying, give the gift list a second look. You may be able to find less costly alternatives to what you planned to give. You also may want to discuss A How much, if any, savings can Leadership training set for this fall Here is the 1992 Trainine sched- Liz Blann ule for 4-H leaders. Community members are welcome to attend any or all meetings. Hope to see you there. Lynne Breese Effective Club Meetings 4-H Center 7:00-8:00 p.m. November 5, 1992 Arlene Boileau Working with Kids and Adults 4-H Center 7:00-8:00 p.m. November 12, 1992 RecordKeeping, learn how to keep project records 4-H Center 7:00-8:00 p.m. November 17, 1992 Tom Wright Goal SettingLeadership Tech niques Training Rm, Fire Hall 7:00-8:00 p.m. November 19, 1992 Hope this will get you off to a great 4-H start There will be more training offered throughout 1992 1 993. Keep your eyes and ears open! ! budget limits with family members. If funds are tight this year, letting everyone know will prevent disap pointments. Not all gifts have to be purchased. Food and craft gifts are always ap preciated. However, these items may require more time than you have to devote to holiday preparations. It doesn't help if you have more unfin ished projects than you can com plete. Handcrafted gifts require care ful planning and work months ahead of the holiday season. Cut the fat, literally Gifts of services are especially thoughtful. Babysitting coupons for young parents or window washing or snow shoveling "gificertificates" for older friends often are welcome gifts. You may have gifts among the things you already own. Special family heirlooms make memorable gifts. Or you could divide house plants and share them with others. Gift giving should be a joy for the giver as well as the receiver. Plan ning to make the costs of gifts fit within the limits of the family budget makes the holidays more pleasant 1 2 cup chopped sweet red or green pepper 6 lettuce leaves 13 cup chopped peanuts For yogurt dressing, in a large mixing bowl combine the yogurt, mayonnaise, curry powder, salt, and pepper; mix well. Fold in chopped turkey, grapes, water chestnuts, and red pepper. Cover and chill thoroughly before serving. Serve turkey salad on lettuce leaves. Sprinkle individual servings with chopped peanuts. Makes 6 main dish servings. Mediterranean Meatball Salad 1 egg 13 cup plain yogurt 34cupsoftbreadcrumbs(l slice) 14 tsp. ground allspice 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground lamb 6 cups torn romainc 1 l2cupschcrry tomatoes, halved 1 cup sliced radishes 12 cup sliced green onion 1 can (2 14 ounce) sliced pitted ripe olives, drained 13 cup salad oil 14 cup lemon juice 1 tsp. dried mint, crushed 14 cup crumbled feta cheese In a large mixing bowl beat egg; stir in yogurt. Stir in bread crumbs, allspice, and 12 teaspoon salt. Add ground beef and mix well. Shape mixture into 1 inch meatballs. Place meatballs in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 350' oven for 15 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Remove meatballs from pan and drain on paper towels. Cool meatballs slightly. Meanwhile, in a very large salad bowl combine romaine, tomatoes, radishes, onion, and olives. Coyer and chill while preparing dressing. For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine oil, lemon juice, and mint. Cover and shake well. To serve, add meatballs to salad mixture. Shake dressing again and pour over salad mixture. Toss lightly. Sprinkle salad with feta cheese. Makes 6 main-dish servings. Nutritious ways to reduce calories offered When you buy meats, choose lean cuts and then trim away all visible fats. For poultry, remove any visible fat and the skin before cooking. Re move fat from homemade soups, stews and gravies by refrigerating them and then skimming off the congealed fat on top. You'll save 100 calories for each teaspoon! Trying to cut the cream in your coffee? Start with light cream. If that tastes okay, experiment with a light creamwhole milk combo. Soon, you might even find that whole milk, or better yet, low-fat milk, suits your purpose. Limit your use of non-dairy creamers, though. Most are made witu oils that are even more saturated than heavy cream. Go green! Salad greens, tangy and fresh, are a dieter's delight: Few calorics and lotsofvitaminsCandA, potassium and even some B vita mins. There's a little iron and cal cium and practically no sodium. The darker the green, the better source of . iin it is. Soup is a dieter's friend, and now new research finds that low-cal soup is just as hunger-soothing as high-cal soup. At John's Hopkins University, researchers fed two groups of volun teers tomato soup, telling each to eat as much as they wanted. One group ate high calorie soup, the other, low caloric soup. Each group felt full after eating about the same amount with the high-calorie eaters consum ing 146 calories and the low-calorie eaters only 17.