NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH 2017: Approaches to Building Community and Hope

Information about protective factors that help reduce child abuse and neglect, some established protective factors approaches, and how some State and local agencies are implementing protective factors approaches to create lasting change in how communities support families. 

https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/prevention_ch1.pdf

Bugs

BUGS My master’s degree is in medical and veterinary entomology, so when I get a chance to write about an odd happening in this field. I recently had a citizen who had a bat get into their house and roosted above her bed unfortunately and it took her a couple of day to get this unwanted houseguest removed and released to a place where both were much happier. After a few days, she had bites on her. She captured a few insects on tape that resembled bed bugs, brought these insect in for identification, and related her story about the bat. Breaking out the microscope and key to the cimex genera, I identified these as bat bugs, which to a Medical Veterinary Entomologist is extremely interesting, having been in NM my entire life and Eddy County for about 27 years I have never come across these before. The family Cimicidiae are blood-sucking insects that feed on birds and/or mammals. There are five member of this family present in New Mexico the notorious bed bug (Cimex lectularius) along with a close cousin the Bat bug (Cimex pilosellus), Swallow bug (Oeciacus vicarious), Poultry bug (Hamatoisphon inodorus) and Wood pecker bug (Hesperocimex coloradensis) which is mostly on the Colorado border on wood peckers and owls. In this article I am only talking about the bat bug (Cimex pilosellus), but some of this information can be applied to all. Prior to increase in bed bug, the bat bug was the most common bug found in homes in Colorado, according to Extension Entomologist with CSU. Bat bugs develop in colonies of roosting bats, which sometime occur in attics or behind walls of buildings. Bat bugs may move into human living areas and incidentally bite people. This happen more often after the bats either migrate or are removed from a roosting area. However, these insects are host specific and in the absences of a bat host, they cannot sustain and reproduce. They usually die out within a few weeks without the bat host, unlike its cousin the bed bug that does quite well on humans. The bites are however itchy and unpleasant but there are no known pathogens that are transmitted or vectored by the bed bugs or bat bug. Control of bat bugs focus on management on the roosting bats that are the original source of the insect. Removal and exclusion of the bats will prevent future infestations as the bat bugs will ultimately die –out in the absence of their bat hosts. However, like this citizen the problem may temporarily increase as the existing bat bugs migrate in search of new hosts. Any method of sealing off the area of bat roosting and human leaving space is useful to prevent these insects quest. If all ready in the human living space, the same treatment for bed bugs will help eliminate this temporary problem. Subscribe to Eddy County Ag news at: http://nmsueddyag.blogspot.com/ Eddy County Extension Service, New Mexico State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and educator. All programs are available to everyone regardless of race, color, religion, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. New Mexico State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the Eddy County Government Cooperating

USDA Expands Meat and Poultry Hotline Hours to Further Provide Food Safety Information to Consumers

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. You are subscribed to USDA Office of Communications. Release No. 0027.17 Contact: USDA Office of Communications press@oc.usda.gov (202) 720-4623 USDA Expands Meat and Poultry Hotline Hours to Further Provide Food Safety Information to Consumers WASHINGTON, April 3, 2017 — The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) today announced that it is increasing the delivery of safe food handling and preparation information by expanding the hours of its Meat and Poultry Hotline and Ask Karen chat services. As detailed in the Agency’s 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, FSIS is focusing on the reduction of foodborne illness, and one way to contribute to that reduction is to increase public awareness of safe food handling information. FSIS’ Meat and Poultry Hotline has been educating consumers since 1985. The toll-free telephone service assists in the prevention of foodborne illnesses by answering consumers’ questions about the safe storage, handling and preparation of meat, poultry and egg products. Beginning today, the hotline will be open for two additional hours, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET. “Our hotline provides a valuable service in educating consumers about how to safely prepare food,” said FSIS Administrator Al Almanza. “By keeping the hotline open an additional two hours, we are expanding our reach to allow more consumers, including those on the West Coast, to have their food safety questions answered.” The hotline is accompanied by Ask Karen, a 24-hour online service that provides answers to thousands of frequently asked questions and also allows consumers to email or live-chat with a food safety specialist during operating hours. For 32 years the Meat and Poultry Hotline has answered questions about food manufacturer recalls, food poisoning, food safety during power outages, and the inspection of meat, poultry and egg products. From novice cooks roasting their first turkey to experienced food handlers asking about foodborne bacteria, the Meat and Poultry Hotline has answered more than 3 million calls since its inception. “Our hotline staff are experts in their field and have backgrounds in nutrition, food technology and public health,” said Almanza. “Experts are available to talk with people in English and Spanish, so we are able to help address the food safety needs of diverse communities.” Consumers can contact the Meat and Poultry Hotline to speak to a live food expert at 1-888-674-6854, or visit Ask Karen to chat or email (in English or Spanish), Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time/7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pacific Time. # ________________________________________ Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences | Delete profile | Help ________________________________________ This email was sent to whoughto@nmsu.edu using GovDelivery, on behalf of: USDA Office of Communications · 1400 Independence Ave SW · Washington DC 20250 If you have questions about USDA activities, please visit our Ask the Expert page. This feature is designed to assist you in obtaining the information you are seeking. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

February is National Canned Food Month: Check out this link for helpful tips & healthy recipes

February is National Canned Food Month. Here are some of the things to celebrate about canned food and links to several tasty and quick canned food recipes. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen. 

• Canned foods are always there for you as a safe source of nutritious food if the electricity goes out or if you can't get to the store.
• You can store canned foods in any cool, dry place in your house. Ample refrigerator and freezer storage is not an issue.
• The pre-preparation is done for you ... making it easier for you to get a healthy meal on the table in a hurry. 
• Canned foods compare favorably to fresh and frozen foods in nutrition. 
• Canned foods have a long shelf life. 

Here's a fun fact about canned tomato products from my Extension colleagues in Vermont: Canned tomato products have more lycopene, an antioxidant found in tomatoes and tomato products, than fresh tomatoes. The heating process makes lycopene more easily absorbed.

Enjoy eating foods in a variety of forms — fresh, frozen, dried and canned. Each of them can be part of a healthy diet! 

• Fruity Frozen Fudge Pops (Canned pears/Source: Canned Food Alliance)
• Apricot Pops  (Canned apricots/Source: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)
• Mixed Fruit Salad (Canned mandarin oranges, fruit cocktail and pineapple chunks/Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, What's Cooking? USDA Mixing Bowl)
• Three Bean Pasta Salad (Canned kidney beans, chickpeas and green beans/Canned Food Alliance) 
• 10 Minute Chili (Canned tomato sauce/Source: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)
• Easy Bean Dip (Canned refried beans/Source: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)
• Slopppy Joe 5 Ways (Canned tomato sauce/Source: Beef It's What's for Dinner, Cattlemen's Beef Board and National Cattlemen's Beef Association
• Quick Black Bean Salsa (Canned black beans/Source: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)
• Salmon Patties (Canned salmon/Source: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)
• Tuna Melt Sandwich (Canned tuna/Source: Spend Smart. Eat Smart. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach)
• Three Bean Bake (Canned Great Northern beans, pork and beans, and light or dark kidney beans/Source K-State Research & Extension Family Nutrition Program, Kids A Cookin')

Wildlife water project bring partners together

Wildlife water project draws partners together Ruidoso News By Dianne L Stallings …The project involved a partnership of multiple agencies, a working rancher with a science background and volunteers willing to invest their muscle and sweat to finish the on-ground installation. The result will benefit wildlife and livestock in a self-sustaining network of a productive well, storage, pumps, a float box, overflow pipes, tough and dirt tank…"We’ve done a lot of improvements on the ranch that have helped the wildlife tremendously and that’s where the idea for this came from. Everything we do for wildlife obviously helps livestock as well. We’ve added a lot of small little ponds for surface water and in doing so, we’ve seen a tremendous increase in wildlife populations during the drought, everything from quail and rabbits all the way up to antelope and deer."

State Land Commissioner and Agriculture Industry Agree to New Grazing Fee

State Land Commissioner and Agriculture Industry Agree to New Grazing Fee State Land Office Press Release State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn this week met with members of the New Mexico Cattle Growers Association, the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, and the Northern New Mexico Stockmen’s Association who agreed to support a 3.38% increase in grazing fees for livestock on State Trust Lands. The current fee of $5.99 per Animal Unit Month (AUM) is effective until September 30, 2017 and the new fee of $6.19 will take effect October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018.The factors adjust agricultural lease rental fees up or down depending on the value of forage and economic conditions in the livestock industry. Industry leaders who support the increase include Craig Ogden, President of the New Mexico Farm and Livestock Bureau, who said, “The grazing fee formula works in its present form.”

Mike Corn Elected to American Sheep Industry President.

New Mexico Sheepman Elected to Industry’s Top Position Barn Media Press Release The 2017 American Sheep Industry Association Convention wrapped up on Saturday, Jan. 28, with the election of New Mexico sheep producer Mike Corn as the organization’s new president…Corn said he is humbled to lead the organization and that “It is an honor to be selected to lead the industry that my family has worked in for four generations. We have a great opportunity in the coming year to make some changes for this industry. I feel that there are positive things ahead for us and we have a great executive team in place that is up to the challenge.” The Corn family has been raising sheep in the Roswell area since the 1880s. He owns and operates his own ranch and raises white-faced, fine-wool sheep, mainly a merino cross. Corn is also the majority owner of the Roswell Wool Warehouse.