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Consumer Q's for July 5, 2007

Contact:  Teresa Jenkins
(404) 656-3645
1-800-282-585

                                                                     CONSUMER Q’s

Prepared by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, Office of Public Affairs
Tommy Irvin, Commissioner
Call Consumer Q’s Hotline at 1-800-282-5852

Consumer Alert:  Agriculture Commissioner Alerts Horse Owners to Possible Toxicity with some Alfalfa Hay

Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tommy Irvin is alerting horse owners to a problem that has occurred with some alfalfa hay from Michigan and the upper Midwest.

The hay may contain hoary alyssum (Berteroa incana), a weed that is toxic to horses. 

“We have a report of 25 horses sickened from eating alfalfa hay from Michigan that contained this plant.  The horses had swollen legs, fever and some were showing signs of foundering,” said Commissioner Irvin.

“What is especially troubling is that the weed was practically invisible in the hay.  It was only after close investigation after the horses got sick that the presence of this plant was found,” said Irvin. 

Hoary alyssum has round stems and an alternate leaf pattern. (The leaves are not directly opposite each other but appear alternately up the stem.)  Because the dried leaves are fragile, most of them will have fractured and become part of the alfalfa “dust” in the bale.  The older stems may have a purple blush.  Stems may have a slight fuzz or “hoary” appearance. 

“I urge all horse owners in Georgia to check their alfalfa hay and to contact their veterinarian if they see any problems with their horses,” said Irvin.

Hoary alyssum is native to Europe and naturalized throughout much of the northern U.S.  For more information, horse owners can refer to “Hoary Alyssum: Toxicity to Horses, Forage Quality and Control” from the University of Minnesota at: www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI5567.html.

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Fast Facts About Agriculture

July is...

National Ice Cream Month

National Hot Dog Month

National Baked Bean Month

National Picnic Month

National Ice Cream Day--  

     July 21

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Getting the Scoop on Ice Cream...

* About half the ice cream sold in the U.S. is vanilla.  Chocolate and strawberry rank next in popularity.

* About 7 quarts (6.6 liters) of milk are required to produce 4 quarts (3.8 liters) of ice cream.

* Ice cream is rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein and vitamin A.  It’s also high in calories because of the carbohydrates and fats it contains.

* Ice cream is a good source of energy.

History Lesson

Ice cream used to be considered a luxury food.  That all changed in 1851 when Jacob Fussel, a Baltimore milk dealer, established the first ice cream plant.

During early 1900 ice cream became a national favorite after soda fountains introduced sodas, sundaes, and other new ways of serving it.

Ice cream cones made their debut at the 1904 World Fair in St. Louis.  Ice cream bars were introduced a little later, in 1921.

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Female Farmers

Based on the 2002 Agriculture census Women operate 822,383 farms In the United States.

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How can I protect my stored winter clothes from moths?

Clean wool, and fur garments before storing them for the summer.   Dry-cleaning or thorough laundering using hot water kills all stages of insects.   Clean the items you plan to store, according to the care instruction label and then store the clothes in a sealed container.   Place the items in brown paper bags, cedar chests, moth bags or moth closets and tape the container closed.   Furs should be store commercially.   In addition to protect them from insects, furs need controlled temperature and humidity.

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If you have questions or problems with products or services regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, you may write the Office of Consumer Services, Room 224, 19 Martin Luther King Drive, Atlanta 30334 or call 404/656-3645 (Atlanta area) or 1-800-282-5852 (state wide).