From Across the Field
First and for most I would like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. Hopefully you have a chance to gather with friends, celebrate what you are thankful for, and share in the bounties of agriculture this holiday weekend. As I look back at the calendar it has been six months since I began working here in Henry County, where has the time gone? Other than the obvious change in temperature it seems like I just started yesterday. In half a year I have learned a lot, met many people, and have worked with a great set of colleagues both here in the county office and across the OSU Extension organization.
While Thanksgiving is certainly a time to celebrate and give thanks, it is also a good time of the year to finish things up around the home and yard. Use the holiday weekend to finish timely chores such as mulching plants, and fertilizing the lawn with a high nitrogen fertilizer. On the agronomic side of things, we have continued to receive questions about fall herbicide burn down applications. As long as the ground isn’t frozen and the plant is alive go ahead and spray. The plant will take in the herbicide slowly which will provide some weed control, which is typically better than no control at all.
While many know the story and the facts about the first Thanksgiving, the holiday has evolved significantly over the years. Thanksgiving is also a major source of demand for agricultural products, and so this week instead of a quote, I will end with some fun facts about your Thanksgiving feast.
Each Thanksgiving; About 50 million pumpkin pies are consumed; Americans consume 736 million pounds of turkey; 40 million green bean casseroles are made (Thank you Campbell’s Soup for your generous contribution to society); Minnesota provides the most turkeys each year at around 46 million birds. Also, for those who prefer ham over turkey, Thanksgiving ranks just behind Easter as the third most popular ham eating day, with Christmas being number one.
Have a great Thanksgiving and Go Bucks!
Garth Ruff,
Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Educator
OSU Henry County Extension