State Rep. Tom McKee, second from the right, recently welcomed students in the Pendleton County 4-H club to his Capitol office. The students are pictured with Shelley Meyer, the county extension agent for 4-H youth development. Photo submitted by LRC Public Information.

__PUBLIC__

Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner James Comer, second from right, holds his proclamation naming March 17-23 National Agriculture Week in Kentucky. On hand for the unveiling of the proclamation at Comer's office in Frankfort were, from left: Bonnie Jolly of the Kentucky Pork Producers Association, Meredith Scales of the Kentucky Dairy Development Council and Dave Maples of the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association.

__PUBLIC__

With warmer temperatures on the way, now is a good time to take inventory and make plans to go green for your annual spring cleaning.  One way to do this is to use homemade or purchased green household cleaning products.

Green cleaning products are safer for humans and provide added benefits for the environment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, air in our homes typically is more polluted than outside air, with one of the largest pollutants being household cleaners.  The use of green cleaning products can improve residential air quality.

Lindie Huffman, Agriculture and Natural Resources

Now is a good time to start thinking about pest control for your home vegetable garden.

You can control pest problems, and perhaps prevent future difficulties, in your garden by doing some advance planning and following a few simple Integrated Pest Management practices. IPM promotes minimal pesticide use and emphasizes use of all available pest control methods including cultural, mechanical and biological practices to prevent pest problems. Examples of the IPM approach include using plants with natural disease tolerance or resistance, using mulch to control weeds or row covers to prevent insect damage and using naturally occurring organisms such as lady beetles or praying mantis.

Sewing is a skill that complements the total development of the individual. It teaches concrete, measurable skills and provides an incremental learning curve, in which each success allows for the next project to be attempted. 4-H offers several ways to get involved in sewing.

The Fashion Revue is an educational experience for senior 4-Hers designed to promote skills in the construction, selection and coordination of clothing and related items. The Fashion Revue also provides a look into the business world of clothing.

Lindie Huffman, Agriculture and Natural Resources

It’s difficult to envision mowing your lawn this spring when frost or snow greets you nearly every morning. Yet that first spring mowing, usually in late March, begins your most important annual lawn duties.

The first mowing makes the lawn look spring-like and very attractive.  Subsequent regular mowing hardens the grass for drought and heat stresses later on.

So when the first clump of grass grows above the mowing height, mow, even if a lot of the yard doesn’t need to be mowed yet.

We all want beautiful and healthy skin, but some of us tend to equate beautiful, vibrant skin with tanned skin. Tanning is actually your body’s reaction to skin damage from ultraviolet rays.

Both the sun and tanning equipment release two types of ultraviolet rays. UVB rays reach the top of the skin and are the likely cause of many types of sunburn. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin. When your body is unprotected against UVA rays, it releases melanin, a pigment that darkens the skin.

Many young people love animals, and dogs are some of the most popular. If your child loves their dog, you may consider sending them to 4-H Dog Camp.

This year’s dog camp is May 17-19 at J.M. Feltner 4-H Camp in London. Registration is now open and will continue through Friday, April 19.

4-H Dog Camp is a great opportunity for young people to learn more about their best friend in a low-stress, supportive environment. While the camp targets young people and their dogs, parents are welcome to attend as adult volunteers. At dog camp, instructors offer guidance for beginners to advanced dog owners on basic animal care, obedience, agility, showmanship and potential careers. 4-H members will work with their dogs on their own and within groups. The camp is a good place for 4-H’ers and their dogs to prepare for the dog show in mid-August at the state fair in Louisville.

In addition to learning more about their animals, 4-H’ers will have the opportunity to meet young people from across the state who share similar interests.

The camp is limited to 100 young people and 150 people total. Spots are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost to attend is $75 each for 4-H’ers and adult volunteers. The application process includes both online registration and paper application. For more information about registering for this year’s 4-H Dog Camp, contact the 4-H youth development agent at the Pendleton County Cooperative Extension Service.

__PUBLIC__

The week of March 18 is “Fix a Leak Week,” and officials at the Kentucky Division of Water are encouraging residents to repair small water leaks in their homes.

Minor water leaks account for more than 1 trillion gallons of water wasted each year in U.S. homes, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) WaterSense program. Water leaks can account for an average of 10,000 gallons of water wasted in the home every year – enough to fill a backyard swimming pool.

The EPA suggests the following steps to check if you have a leak:

• Take a look at your water usage during a colder month, such as January or February. If a family of four exceeds 21,000 gallons per month, there are serious leaks.

The Kentucky Farm Service Agency (FSA) suggests that we all take a moment in these turbulent fiscal times to celebrate agriculture and honor our hard working farmers in Kentucky. State Executive Director John W. McCauley announces that March 19 is National Ag Day and this year’s theme is “Generations Nourishing Generations.”

“According to recent USDA studies, the agricultural sector right now remains a bright spot in terms of economic stability and growth and there is a strong demand for U.S. agricultural products,” said McCauley. “Generation after generation of agricultural producers in Kentucky are getting up early every day to provide the food, fiber, and fuel that feed and clothe Americans and others around the world. ”