The Press-Dispatch
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The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, May 6, 2020 B-1 HOME LIFE TO ADVERTISE: Call: 812-354-8500 Email: ads@pressdispatch.net Visit: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg Deadline: 5 p.m. on Monday Down on the Farm Important agricultural considerations for May www.UebelhorGM.com Jasper • 1-800-937-8721 CHEVROLET Keeping kids busy WHILE WORKING FROM HOME YOUTH FIRST TODAY By Jordan Beach Youth First, Inc. As I am writing this I am following our state's stay-at-home orders by prac- ticing social distancing and working from home. For a lot of us this means working with children and spouses al- so in the home. It's not necessarily the most ideal work environment, but we make the best of what we have, and personally I feel blessed to have the opportunity to continue working. Even though I'm checking in with my gratitude, it can still take a toll on my mental health. It definitely creates new stress when try- ing to work and meet deadlines while also trying to meet the needs of our children. With the goal of completing our own work and ensuring our children have enriching experiences at the same time, we're going to look for activities you can set up for them at home. Ob- viously it is impossible to have activi- ties that will keep all age groups busy, so if you have a home with differing abilities like my own, you might need to have a couple of different activities going for this to work. Sensory play is a great way to keep your littles busy for extended periods of time. This can be something pre- pared before it is needed (like the night before) and used for multiple days. It doesn't need to be more difficult than necessary. Use items or ingredients you have around your house that are safe for babies and toddlers. We like to use cooked noodles (you can dye them if you'd like). Other easy ideas that are baby safe are dried cereals, Kool-Aid Play-Doh or do-it-yourself moon sand (2 cups of flour and ¼ cup oil). You could separate the dry cereal and moon sand for older children, and hide small toys in them. When sensory play gets old, and it will, I suggest scavenger hunts for old- er children. This does not need to be something extravagant. I write alpha- bet letters on paint samples and hide them around the house. If age-appro- priate, your children can work togeth- er to find all of the letters. This activ- ity keeps them busy because they not only need to find the letters; they have to keep track of what letters they've found and still need. I also like swapping out toys. This one takes a little more forethought. Keep some toys put back so your chil- dren don't have access to them all of the time. When you bring out the toys they haven't had access to for a while they will think it is awesome. These "new toys" will keep them more occu- pied than the ones they have regular access to. Even with distraction plans, work- ing from home with your kids under- foot is not simple. Hopefully some of these small tips will help keep them busy just long enough for you to check some more things off your to-do list. This column is written by Jordan Beach, LSW, school social worker for Youth First, Inc., a local nonprofit ded- icated to strengthening youth and fam- ilies. Youth First provides 59 Master's level social workers to 81 schools in 10 Indiana counties. Over 39,500 youth and families per year have access to Youth First's school social work and af- terschool programs that prevent sub- stance abuse, promote healthy behav- iors, and maximize student success. MEAT AND POTATO PATTIES MEALS IN Monica's MINUTES By Monica Sinclair This is the second week of finding recipes you can cook while on a tight budget. Just because money may be tight, does not necessarily mean that you cannot enjoy good old meat and potatoes. This week's reci- pe combines both into a savory patty. It's definitely not a combi- nation that I had thought of before, so I am anxious to try this one. Enjoy! INGREDIENTS • 3/4 lb. lean ground beef (90 % lean) • 3/4 cup finely shredded potatoes • 1/4 cup finely chopped onion • 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper • 1 large egg, beaten • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 1 tablespoon canola oil • 1 cup tomato juice • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour • 1/4 cup water DIRECTIONS 1. Combine the first six ingredients. Shape into four patties; press to flatten slightly. 2. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown patties on both sides; drain. 3. Add tomato juice. Simmer, covered, until a ther- mometer inserted into meat reads 160°, 20 -25 minutes. Remove patties to a serving platter; keep warm. 4. Whisk flour into water; gradually add to skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring con- stantly, until thickened. Spoon over patties. Serve immediately. Source: tasteof home.com Share your favorite recipe! www.facebook.com/mealsinminutes Monica's Meals in Minutes PO Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567 mealsinminutes@pressdispatch.net FACEBOOK MAIL EMAIL By Hans Schmitz Purdue Extension Educator hschmitz@purdue.edu With May comes the glut of the growing season, as early season plant- ing continues, and mid-season crop management applications begin. Pas- tures and hay fields are in full growth and should be utilized for grazing or cutting for the first and possibly sec- ond time this month. Farm economic management concerns also remain a key concern, as the price of corn has hit a 15 -year low, with soybeans be- having similarly though not in a re- cord-setting fashion. Likewise, the markets for livestock and livestock products have been hit in a spectacu- lar fashion by coronavirus. The first May date common in the agricultural industry is the end of the prime planting window for corn, May 10. A fter this date, the yield potential for corn begins to decline, according to a lifetime of work by corn special- ist Bob Nielsen. However, Dr. Nielsen will be the first to share that a strong corn crop can still be achieved with later planting. The potential, or great- est possible yield, is the only item that begins to shrink. From an econom- ic perspective, June and July planted corn can still create a positive return on investment over a fallow field with- out prevented planting insurance cov- erage. The prevented planting dead- lines for corn and soybeans do not kick in until June. For livestock management, particu- larly haying and graz- ing, achieving the right time to turn livestock out on a pasture or cut pastures for hay baling is a skilled science with a hint of art. A grass pas- ture should be mowed before seed heads be- gin to form and stem- my lignin levels rise in the grasses, decreasing digestibility. Consider the optimal time to mow a lawn. Seed heads in the lawn create more wear on mower blades and decreased uni- formity in height of the freshly mown lawn. Timing just prior to seed head production minimizes the number of trips across a lawn needed. The main difference between height of pasture and lawns are the amount of growth allowed, the mowing height, and the grass response to both factors. On the grazing side, a more general ap- proach is used. Depending on the spe- cies grazed, anywhere from two to four inches must be maintained to allow for good regrowth of pasture between pe- riods of grazing. A modified yard stick, known as a grazing stick, can be used to walk pastures and signify when grazing should begin and end. May deadlines in this respect are not set in stone, but the warm March this year prepared some ground for April graz- ing and haying, while others may be cut for hay first in early May. Economic deadlines are the trickiest. One of the most important this year could be taking advantage of the Pay- check Protection Program, of which agriculture is eli- gible. Deadlines depend on depletion of funds allocated, with agriculture not having much of a chance for the first round of payments after a bit of a delay in deciding wheth- er agriculture would qualify. Farmers must work with their banker, as the bank applies on behalf of the farmer. On the commodity marketing side, many farmers have livestock be- ginning to finish or crops still in grain bins. Optimizing timing to get the best price now involves avoiding cash pric- es where possible, keeping the basis in mind as one variable that can facil- itate a little movement. On the live- stock side, shopping around can be a limiting option, as those not growing under contract have fewer packers to choose from, and local stockyards be- ing likewise limited. Wherein depop- ulation may be necessary, growers are encouraged to contact the USDA Ser- vice Center in their county to inquire about any emergency programmat- ic assistance options. For more infor- mation on these items, contact Hans at hschmitz@purdue.edu or 812-838 - 1331. To enter the Birthday Club, email your name, ad- dress, phone number and birthdate to birthdayclub@ pressdispatch.net. Only the person's name, town and birthday will appear in the paper. As an added bonus, one lucky person each month will receive a free three month Press-Dispatch subscrip- tion. This month's birthdays have a chance to win a $25 gift certificate to The Ole Flower Shoppe and Mary L&R Floral, in Petersburg. APRIL WINNER And the winner is... Christy Allen from Evansville. Christy won a $25 gift certificate from Downtown Em- porium and a three-month subscription to The Press-Dis- patch. Congratulations! THIS WEEK'S BIRTHDAYS Marsha Shawhan ....................... Petersburg .........5/6 Cathy Dearing .............................. Otwell ............5/7 Stacy Murray ............................... Winslow .......... 5/9 Ruby Sallee ............................... Petersburg .......5/11 Jamie Sallee .............................. Petersburg .......5/11 THIS MONTH'S SPONSOR 201 S. 7th Street, Petersburg • 812-354-8793