Livestock Advisory Task Force Clint Fall, First District CEO, is one of 14 people selected to serve on Governor Pawlenty’s newly appointed Livestock Advisory Task Force. The group will study Minnesota’s livestock industry and develop recommendations on what can be done to both retain and strengthen the industry. Agriculture plays a huge role in the state’s economy, sometimes even surprising those of us involved in the industry. Driving down the highway creates a constant stream of corn and soybean fields, dairy, poultry, swine, beef, etc. In between farms are small communities with an occasional implement dealer, grain elevator or fertilizer plant. The driving force in our state’s economy is agriculture, and the livestock sector plays an important role. Mad Cow Disease The story of cow possibly infected with BSE (mad cow disease) is just breaking as I write this article. It’s unlikely the disease will spread in the United States since strict regulations were imposed when the disease was first identified in the United Kingdom. Examples of these regulations are: o A ban instated in 1989, on cattle or cattle products where BSE has been found. o In 1997, animal proteins (meat and bone meal) were banned from feeds in the United States. o A 10-year surveillance program is in place to test suspect animals. Consumers need to remember that BSE has never been found in meat or milk products. This type of national health issue surfaces occasionally, so my advice is to use common sense and separate fact from fiction. Care of Christmas plants Though many of us purchase or receive new plants for Christmas, we often lack the knowledge of how to take care of those plants once the holiday season is over. Keep in mind that some will hold their blooms much longer than others. Poinsettias and orchids, for example, will look good for months, given the right care and location. Depending on bud count, cyclamen may also bloom for months. Bromeliads don’t produce what we think of as “typical flowers,” but their flowering spikes have been known to last six months or more. Other plants will last through the holiday season, but not much longer. Chrysanthemums should live three weeks or so; azaleas, about the same – if you have a relatively cool place to display them. Christmas cactus only bloom for two to three weeks, but may be kept and made to re-bloom for years to come. Greenhouse growers have poinsettia production down to a science, and it shows in the final product. Not only are there new and more beautiful varieties each year, they seem better adapted to growing under ordinary home conditions. To keep a poinsettia looking good for a long time, begin with a robust plant; one with an abundance of large, well-colored bracts or “petals” surrounding the odd little gold flower at the tip of each stem. Once in your home, be sure the foliage receives direct sunlight every day. Don’t display your poinsettia in a dark location for more than a day or two at a time. Water it thoroughly whenever the soil surface begins to dry; leaves will curl and yellow if you allow the plant to wilt repeatedly. After about six weeks, begin a very light fertilizer regime. If you’re up to the challenge you can put the plant outdoors after frost, then bring it indoors in early autumn and force it into bloom again.
