Fruit

"Produce Man" a.k.a. "Produce Paulie" has been visiting elementary schools in Danville and Boyle County to talk to children about the importance of eating five servings of fruits and vegetables every day. He is sponsored and performed by Danville/Boyle County Healthy Communities Coalition members Julie Steber, dietitian at the Boyle County Health Department; Donna Clore, Boyle County extension agent; Nancy Ricker, dietitian at McDowell Wellness Center;...

Members of the Alpha Alpha Alpha Chapter filled fruit and snack bags at their meeting Feb 11 at Shearer Elementary. The bags were then distributed to residents of Rosemary Brooks Place and patients at the Winchester Centre for Health and Rehabilitation. Harriet Conner presided at the meeting and Amy Handshoe, chaplain, presented the devotional. Jo Gravett gave the chapter's altruism report. Rachel Gabbard was chosen as the recipient for the Wind Beneath the Wings Award, given to an outstanding member of the chapter.

Ever since my cat died last year, I have been weighing the pros and cons of getting another pet. There is part of me that enjoys being able to leave town without making arrangements for an animal or having the freedom to lay clothes out on the bed without having them slept upon by a furry, but shedding, feline. On the other hand, I do miss the pure fun of having an animal in the house and you can always blame all unexplained noises of things that go bump in the night on your dog or cat. While I am debating this issue, I received a large herd of pets who took up residence in my house.

Lincoln middle and high Salad bar, fruit and dessert served daily. Monday: Hotdog or chilidog, macaroni with cheese, sauerkraut, peas, fruit and dessert. Tuesday: Chicken, hashbrown casserole, green beans, bread and fruit. Wednesday: Pot roast with gravy, mashed potatoes, carrots, roll, steamed broccoli and fruit. Thursday: Ham and turkey sandwich, macaroni and tomatoes, corn chips and fruit salad. Friday: Hamburger, fries, baked beans, fruit and dessert.

Boyle Boyle High Monday: Popcorn chicken, whipped potatoes, green beans, roll and pineapple bits. Tuesday: Chicken fajitas, buttered rice, steamed broccoli, vegetables with dip and applesauce. Wednesday: Hot ham and cheese, potatoes with parsley and tropical fruit mix. Thursday: Taco salad, chips, refried beans, corn, toast and peaches. Friday: Vegetable beef soup, grilled cheese, pears and garden salad. Boyle Middle Monday: Quesadilla, salsa, vegetable blend, peaches and salad.

Counterfeiting is a serious problem in our world today. Counterfeiters go to great lengths to produce fraudulent clothing, electronics and currency. Have you ever seen a counterfeit 200 dollar bill? No, of course not, there is no such thing as a 200 dollar bill. A counterfeiter does everything he can to work in all the details of an authentic dollar bill.  The most commonly counterfeited currency in the world is the American 20 dollar bill. The bank teller or merchant that is trained to identify a phony, is not trained to know what fakes look like, but in what the real dollar bill looks like.

There are many myths and old wives tales concerning fruit and vegetable crops that have become part of Kentucky lore. Several myths that still exist today involve grape coloration and fall frosts. A number of grape growers believe that it is necessary to pick the leaves off the vine to expose the grape clusters to the sun so the grapes will color. This myth probably originated from growers removing leaves to improve air-circulation and reduce fruit rot. The truth is grapes - with the exception of the seedless Reliance variety - do not need sunlight to color.

Normally, a hot dry year would favor vegetable production as long as growers have adequate irrigation. However, when daytime temperatures inch up over 100 degrees Fahrenheit as we've seen several days this year, we begin to see problems with many vegetable crops. Pollen begins to die and that affects fruit set and several disorders become apparent. One thing growers might see is blossom end rot, which simply is a rot at the blossom end of a fruit. Tomatoes usually suffer most, but eggplant, cucurbits and peppers all can succumb to the problem.

After two nights of freezing temperatures on April 10-11, many fruit growers reported losses. Overall, western and southern counties suffered less damage than central and eastern counties. Susceptibility to freeze damage resulted from an earlier-than-normal bloom. However, John Strang, Horticulture Specialist at the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, said that due to delayed bud and fruit development, northern counties fared better. Low temperatures ranged from 31¿ to 25¿F during the freeze event, and it appears that one to two degrees made enough difference to impart severe crop damage in some areas.

Two beehives have sweetened Jessamine County's implementation of Kentucky's Farm to School program. The bees will pollinate an orchard of 16 fruit trees that could produce food for school cafeterias by fall 2013. After approval from the board of education, the bees arrived at their new home behind Jessamine Career and Technology Center in April. Agriculture teacher Matt Simpson says he hopes the apple, pear and peach trees will be in the ground by the end of the school year. The money to purchase the hives and trees came from a Kentucky Department of Agriculture grant.

As we head into the spring and summer seasons when fresh fruits and vegetables are more readily available, here are a few suggestions for getting “five-a-day:” - Keep fruit handy in a bowl on the kitchen counter or at your desk at work. This makes it easy to eat as a snack. - Make it a habit to eat at least two vegetables at lunch and dinner. - If you find that your fresh fruits and vegetables spoil before you can get them all eaten, try buying frozen varieties.

The hunt for the egg is on! Saturday and Sunday will be filled with Easter egg hunting. Maybe this will have people asking about the nutritional value of eggs too. Last year the USDA reviewed standard large eggs from across the country and found that in the past decade, the average nutrient content of eggs has changed. Cholesterol levels have gone down, and the vitamin D levels have gone up. So why the change? The USDA estimates that the diet of the laying hens has changed over the years and this has resulted in the altered nutrients within the egg. This is great news because eggs provide lots of vitamins and minerals and only 70 calories.

Once called 'crane berry' by early settlers, due to its blossom's resemblance to the sandhill crane, cranberries are most popular at Thanksgiving. However, this little, red fruit packs a powerful flavor and health punch and is very versatile. This holiday season; take extra notice and enjoy this festive fruit. Cranberries are native to North America and were used by Native Americans and early settlers in a variety of uses. From being cooked with honey, mixed in with deer meat, or crushed and used to dye fabric; it wasn't until the early 1800's that this wild berry was farmed and cultivated on a large scale.

We hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable July 4th. The market was bustling last Saturday. It was great to see such a nice crowd in spite of the heat and humidity.  Market tables were filled will all the colors of the fruits of summer as well as beautiful fresh-cut flowers. Here is a list of some of the market offerings for this week: Veggies and fruit: blackberries; blueberries; cabbage; cantaloupe; corn; cucumbers; green beans, various types; onions; peaches; peppers; sugar snap peas; tomatoes; watermelon; yellow squash; zucchini Meats: beef; chicken; lamb; pork Other: Fresh eggs Baked goods: sourdough breads and rolls; Friendship Breads; granola; cakes Canned goods: jams and jellies; honey The Boyle County Farmers Market is located at the Boyle County Fairgrounds in Danville.

Before we know it, Christmas will be here once again. I would like to share with you what made Christmas become “Christmas” at my house when I was growing up. Of course, my family believed in the miraculous birth of Jesus, and we attended or participated in the church plays and activities the Sunday before Christmas. After that special  time, and we knew that Jesus was the reason for Christmas, there were other traditions we had. One was the smell of Christmas.