Around Our State
From salads and fruit to burgers, school lunches in about a third of West Virginia’ s counties are achieving“ fine dining” status, thanks to a new Farm to School food initiative.
Recent school lunches in Mason County, for example, featured burgers ground from steers raised by FFA and 4-H members, buns made from locally grown wheat, and salads prepared with local veggies and fruits.
“ The food is fresh and safe, and paying for
Rodney Wallbrown
it helps keep money in the community,” said Mason County Extension Agent Rodney Wallbrown.
Many school officials are interested in buying more locally grown foods to serve their students. WVU Extension agents are encouraging producers to participate in the effort led by the W. Va. Department of Education.
If interested in participating, contact your county’ s WVU Extension agent or school system food service director.
Proper storage ensures supply of fresh vegetables in fall and winter
roperly storing vegetables is
P important for a continuous supply of nutritious food for market or home use throughout the fall and winter. Canning, drying, and freezing are some ways to preserve vegetables. But you can also store fresh vegetables.
Root vegetables, such as beets, carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and turnips, are excellent candidates for storage. Beets and carrots planted in late July can be harvested in October. Lateplanted( after August) beets, turnips, and carrots can be mulched with 6 inches of straw or a floating row cover and then harvested the next spring. Harvest root vegetables when the soil is dry. Do not wash them before storage.
Fresh carrots and beets can be stored in sawdust or wood chips in a root cellar or unheated basement after harvest. Removing the tops before storage significantly increases their storage life. Bolero carrots and Chioggia beets are excellent for winter storage.
Leave parsnips and turnips in the ground for spring harvest or for use throughout the winter. Because they have long roots, dig parsnips rather than pull them.
Wrap individual sweet potatoes in newspaper to prevent moisture loss and store them in the basement.
Irish or white potatoes should be stored in a cool( 40 to 50 degrees F), dark room to prevent sprouting or turning green. Do not store potatoes with apples, which emit ethylene gas that causes early sprouting of potatoes. Late potatoes keep longer than“ new” potatoes.
Certain vegetables should be cured after harvest. Curing involves subjecting newly harvested vegetables to warm
Some veggies can be stored in a root cellar.( www. flickr. com / photos / dok1 / 2208601679 /)
temperatures and high humidity for about a week. Curing toughens the skin and concentrates sugars in vegetables like winter squash and sweet potatoes. Cure onions by placing freshly harvested bulbs on a screen in the shade or an outbuilding for one to two weeks until their tops are dried. Place dried onions in a mesh bag and store them in a cold, dry room such as an attic.
Pumpkins and winter squash varieties, such as Hubbard, butternut, and acorn, are good keepers. Pick mature squash after the first light frost( avoid heavy frost). You should not be able to penetrate the skin of the squash with your thumb nail. Leave as much of the stem intact as possible. The same goes for pumpkins. Store squash on a shelf without stacking in a warm, dry area.
Store leafy vegetables such as green and Chinese cabbage with the outer wrapper leaves attached. Wrap individual heads in newspaper and put them in a cold room. Remove outer leaves as they become yellow.
Remember to check stored vegetables often and discard rotting items.
By Lewis W. Jett, Commercial Horticulture Specialist, and Louise Donato, Marion County Extension Agent, WVU Extension Service
ii / Fall 2012
14 West Virginia Farm Bureau News
Insert Provided by WVU Extension Service and Davis College of Ag., Natural Resources, and Design