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Storing and feeding hay and commercial grains and feeds Storing Hay You can store hay indefinitely if the stack is managed correctly; although, in humid climates, using hay within three years of harvest is ideal. Hay growers need to bale it at correct moisture levels because if it is baled too damp the hay will generate heat, which leads to molding. Barn storage, especially long term, is best as it will prevent damage from weather. Rodents and other animals should be kept out, and hay should be stored off the floor. Bales placed directly on concrete could sweat and, if placed on the ground, might wick up moisture, which could result is...

Spring clean your refrigerator As you tackle spring cleaning, do not forget your refrigerator! Keeping your refrigerator clean is an important part of keeping your food safe. Start by throwing out perishable foods that should no longer be eaten. As a general rule, the safe storage time for cooked leftovers is four days; raw poultry and ground meats is one to two days. Contact the Whitley County Cooperative Extension Service office or refer to a cold storage chart like the one at http://www.foodsafety.gov/keep/charts/storagetimes.html to find safe storage times for specific foods. Do not taste items to see whether they are still good. The bacteria that cause food poisoning cannot be smelled or...

I hate emotional, knee-jerk reactions. I think opposition to amendments proposed to legislation in the current session of General Assembly, which would allow cities like Corbin to annex into another county, is just that. Emotional. Irrational. Selfish. These amendments were proposed by Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers and they appear, to me, to be a common sense solution that would allow for more economic development in places like the north Corbin area. I was dismayed to read that Sen. Albert Robinson opposed such a measure. It would be good for the county he represents. Actually reading the law and not just blasting it would be helpful. No annexation could take place without an interlocal agreement, ratified by...

As those of you, who have read our front page this week know already, Williamsburg Mayor Roddy Harrison is headed back to the drawing board in his effort to place a measure on the ballot that would allow for packaged alcohol sales in stores and by the drink sales at smaller restaurants. The measure is identical to what Corbin has had for several years and what Barbourville and London voters recently approved. Harrison's alcohol petition came up six valid signatures shy Monday of the total he needed to get the petition certified and on the ballot, so he went back to work Tuesday on a new petition that he hopes to...

How much fertilizer do you really need to use on your lawn and garden? If you are just making a guess, you could be using too much. But how can you know for sure? A simple and inexpensive soil test can tell you all you need to know to make your lawn and garden look great and to protect the environment from runoff of excess nutrients. Soil fertility testing is a program designed to provide homeowners, landscape contractors, turfgrass managers, greenhouse managers as well as others with a soil management tool to determine fertilizer requirements of their lawn, garden, trees and shrubs. The University of Kentucky Division of Regulatory Services...

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Let us use this time to reflect on this problem and to recognize the importance of good parenting. The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act is a federal law that broadly defines child abuse and neglect as any recent act or failure to act by a parent or caretaker that results in death, serious physical or emotional harm, sexual abuse, exploitation or presents an imminent risk of serious harm. Commonly recognized forms of maltreatment include physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse and neglect. It is also important to note, in the majority of cases, the abuse is committed by someone the child knows. With the...

Phone Scam! Many of you have had telephone calls from telemarketers and local scam artists trying to lure you into providing credit card or other information. These crooks prey on the elderly and the uneducated. According to Consumers Union, consumers lose $350 million a year to such scams. Locally there is a scam happening right now to customers of Jackson energy. According to Laurel County Sheriff John Root the scam caller is identifying themselves falsely as Jackson Energy and stating that money is owed to Jackson Energy and the caller is seeking credit card information. These phone scams are attempting to steal money from you. Jackson Energy advises they do...

I was reminiscing this past week with a friend about the wonders of the good old video game arcade. I know there are still some around. Some quite good ones, in fact, if you know where to look. But they aren’t as ubiquitous as they once were. In-home video game consoles, the rise of gaming on mobile devices and the overall decline of coin-op gaming systems in general saw to that. I miss those days. I remember vividly going to Aladdin’s Castle in the mall where I lived and playing games for hours on Friday nights. People used to gather around the game cabinets to watch particularly good players. It was fun. It...

Following record breaking years, the Kentucky agricultural economy, like the overall U.S. agricultural economy, slumped in 2015, with concern looming for 2016. On the national front, USDA is projecting 2015 net farm income to plummet to $56 billion, down 28 percent from 2014 levels and 55 percent off the record high established in 2013. In response to mounting supplies and depressed demand, prices for most crops and livestock are falling from their record high levels of recent years. U.S. agricultural exports declined from its peak in response to a strengthening U.S. dollar, sluggish economic growth overseas, and abundant supplies. Land values and crop rents appear to be slowly adjusting to...

Laughter encourages many individual health benefits such as reduced stressed levels, lowered blood pressure, enhanced memory, stronger immune system and enriched creativity and alertness. Families who laugh together are also often healthier and happier. Happy families are often close; they enjoy spending time together and supporting one another. While the typical day may be busy with school and work routines, it can be easy to add the goof-factor. For example, you can sing in the car or tell jokes or funny stories while you cook dinner or wait at a restaurant. Other ways that a family can laugh more includes: • Be silly. Say silly things, use crazy voices, make funny...