Only a kitchen thermometer can tell you for sure if a food item has been cooked safely without overcooking.

Where’s your food thermometer?

If you don’t have this essential piece of kitchen equipment, you need to get one

Hi, I’m Julie. What’s your name?” I asked the woman sitting at the table at a food safety conference. She responded with her name and place of work, and asked me where I work. “I work at North Dakota State University,” I replied. “I went to college there,” she said enthusiastically. “What was your major?”

This winter’s snowfall and bone-chilling temperatures have created difficult calving conditions.

Winter calving requires diligence

There are risks to both winter calving outdoors and indoor births

Winter calving can lead to health risks for the newborns, North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists caution. This winter’s heavy snowfall and dangerous wind chills have created calving conditions that are difficult to manage and put the ears, feet and life of newborn calves at risk. However, calving indoors also has its drawbacks. “When


Producers hope calves are born healthy.

Calf losses before birth a concern

Abortions can be a major concern for cattle producers

An “abortion” is the discharge of the fetus prior to the end of the normal gestation period, according to Gerald Stokka, North Dakota State University Extension veterinarian and livestock stewardship specialist. Many abortions occur within the first 45 days of conception (called early embryonic death), and the embryos or fetuses are so small that they

Serious consequences can result from not providing pregnant cows with enough protein during the winter.

Protein key for pregnant cows

Keep your cows in their best shape with proper feed

Underfeeding protein to stock cows through their winter gestation has serious consequences, a North Dakota State University Extension livestock expert warns. “If insufficient protein and nitrogen are provided and degraded in the rumen, forage digestion will be reduced and the cow may not meet caloric needs and lose weight,” says John Dhuyvetter, Extension livestock systems


Soybeans need to be aerated to keep them cool once they are harvested and in storage.

Challenging harvest means storage issues for soybeans

Cooling bins and holding until spring, then completing drying, appears the best strategy

A challenging soybean harvest is raising many storage and drying questions, according to Ken Hellevang, agricultural engineer with North Dakota State University Extension. Soybeans at 11 per cent moisture have similar storage characteristics as wheat or corn at about 13.5 per cent moisture, so 16 per cent moisture soybeans might be expected to store the

Palmer amaranth.

Is palmer amaranth waiting in the wings?

Experts weigh in on palmer amaranth, its climbing stats to the south, and the chance we might see the weed cropping up in Manitoba

Provincial weed specialist Tammy Jones says it’s not time to push the panic button on palmer amaranth, despite new cases reported in North Dakota. Manitoba has cast a closer eye to the situation now that the noxious weed has been spotted in the neighbouring state. “We knew it was in South Dakota, so the expectation


Soybeans may be viable cattle feed option

Soybeans may be viable cattle feed option

However, there are limits to how much mature cattle can handle

Cattle producers looking for feed sources this year may have a silver lining in recent trade spats. They should consider feeding hard-to-market North Dakota soybeans to beef cattle, North Dakota State University Extension livestock experts say. Soybeans can be used as a protein supplement for beef cattle, as long as the beans are a small

Damage to canola from frost is dependent on the seed moisture content and the time of the frost.

Assessing frost damage on crops

Fall frost information bulletin from Manitoba Agriculture

If frost does occur, the information below will give you some details to help assess any potential impact to crop yield and quality. The full impact of frost will not be obvious immediately. Several warm days may be required for the extent of leaf and crop damage to be evident. The magnitude of frost injury


Corn on the cob is delicious and nutrient packed.

Make some food memories with corn on the cob

Prairie Fare: Corn is used to make products like ethanol, plastics, matchsticks, glue and crayons... but it’s first and foremost food

I remember going out to our friend’s farm to help pick corn every summer when I was a child. I had fun harvesting the plump ears of corn in the cool temperatures of an early summer morning. After some training, I learned how to hang on to the stalk and then twist the ear toward

A bull recovering from foot rot, which can be caused when cattle avoiding flies stand in water for long periods.

Fly bites a nuisance that can also lead to foot rot

Chemical controls and pasture rotation are options for control of stable flies

Fly problems are prevalent in some parts of North Dakota this year, North Dakota State University Extension livestock specialists warn. Horn, face and stable flies all are irritating to cattle, but stable flies have been particularly bothersome. “They will bite and irritate the animals on the legs and belly, and control of these pests is