Music, good for body and mind

By Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU Extension food and nutrition specialist

The young musical artists nodded at me, and I clicked on the stopwatch as they began playing. Each had 10 minutes to play a prepared piece of music.

My role was to stop them if they played too long. The judges were behind a curtain in the back of the room.

“Thank you!” I said loudly to one participant as my stopwatch hit the 10-minute mark.

The young person stopped despite being in the middle of a very complex section called a “cadenza.” I could imagine how many hours the musician had spent practicing the piece. I felt bad about stopping the performance.

Timekeeping musical performances is not part of my day job. I am a proud member of the symphony board. I was helping with the contest one Saturday morning.

As I listened to these talented young people, I thought back to my children’s early musical experiences and my own. Learning to play a musical instrument well takes years of practice and a lot of support.

When you begin to play a violin, trombone, saxophone or other instrument, unfortunately, your family members do not always have a pleasant listening experience. My children learned piano, viola, guitar and/or clarinet. I sometimes asked them to close the door.

That wasn’t all that supportive, I guess.

“Check the key signature, please,” I’d say when I heard a “clunker” note.

A few years ago, when becoming an empty nester was imminent, I joined a community band. I still use the flute my parents bought me when I was about 16.

I was struck by the range of ages in the community band, ranging from early 20s to early 90s.

You can enjoy and/or play music throughout your life.

Music plays some key roles in many aspects of health, whether you are playing an instrument, singing, dancing or simply listening to music.

Playing a horn or wind instrument requires movement of your hands, pushing air out of your lungs, articulating notes with your tongue, reading with your eyes and, of course, interpreting all the notes and rhythms with your brain. If you are in a marching band, that adds another dimension.

Music can promote our ability to think.

Researchers studied the influence of different types of music or silence on intelligence test scores. The college students listened to Mozart, a relaxation tape or sat in silence. The Mozart sonata promoted greater scores.

Music may help patients be less stressed during surgery. When patients listened to music during an eye surgery that is performed while the patient is awake, their blood pressure stayed at normal levels.

Music sometimes is part of therapy among people with Parkinson’s Disease, a neurologic disorder. It helps them retain balance and ability to move.

According to a study of leisure activities and brain health, dancing helped reduce the risk for dementia, better than golfing, swimming, tennis and seven other leisure activities.

In 2020, the AARP reported the results of a survey about music. Women were more likely than men to have participated in dancing or singing, and younger people were more likely to have played an instrument. Interestingly, a majority of people (58%) sang alone and 38% had engaged in dancing in their lives.

Dancing to music is good for your heart health and brain health. The individuals in the AARP study who participated in music self-reported their general health and brain function as “excellent” or “very good.” The people who listened to music were less likely to report issues with anxiety or depression.

You might want to dust off your musical instrument or learn to play one. Exercise your vocal cords.

Tips to keeping your animals healthy and happy during winter months

By Katie Ockert, Michigan State University

Cold temperatures can cause some challenges in small and hobby farm livestock barns, but using some easy techniques you can manage your livestock successfully during the winter months.

Water

Ensuring your animals have access to fresh, clean water is essential to their health. Livestock cannot meet their water requirements by eating snow. Waterers should be regularly cleaned to help reduce the number of bacteria, fecal matter, and other solids that may build up over time and affect the taste of the water. Water consumption is affected by numerous factors such as animal size, diet, productivity, and the season. Dehydration can be fatal to animals.

In the winter, battling frozen water buckets and tanks can be a challenge. By using immersible tank heaters, heated buckets, or automatic waterers, water is kept ice-free, and at a temperature the animal is comfortable drinking. Products that utilize electricity, such as immersible tank heaters and heated buckets, should be checked with a voltmeter to ensure there is no current running through the water. Any electrical current will deter animals from drinking from the water tank or bucket. By inserting one end of the voltmeter in the water tank and the other into the ground, you will get a reading that will indicate if there is a problem. Make sure to check for electric current often.

North Dakota State University bulletin, “Livestock Water Requirements,” features an easy to use chart for water consumption rates for beef cattle, dairy cattle, horses, sheep, and swine during various stages of development. This tool can help you determine not just enough water for your animals, but also if your animals are consuming enough water.

Water quality will also affect the amount of water livestock will consume. Water quality can be impacted by contaminants such as salts, excessive nutrients, or bacteria. It is important to have your water tested to determine if it contains contaminants that may impact your livestock. In Michigan, testing for private wells is the responsibility of the well owner. Water tests can be done by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy certified laboratory, or your local health department may provide testing.

Housing

Most animals need some shelter during the winter months; however, their natural winter coats allow them to endure cold temperatures. Providing shelter or wind breaks that can be easily accessed by animals is key. Humans oftentimes are prone to making the winter environment for their animals too warm, which is unhealthy for animals.

Michigan State University Extension recommends the following factors to consider when evaluating the housing of your animals:

Air quality: Ventilation to help dispel respiration gasses and manure odor is important. Depending on the type of barn you have, there are various ways the barn can be ventilated. Ridge vents are more prevalent in newer barns and are based on the premise that heat rises. Older barns may require opening doors or windows to allow for air circulation. Poorly ventilated spaces can cause irritation in the animals’ lungs and lead to respiratory infections such as pneumonia. If you notice condensation on walls or ceilings, that is a good indication your air isn’t ventilating enough for the number of animals occupying the space. You will need to adjust accordingly.

Dry bedding areas: Dry bedding provides insulation from the cold ground, helps preserve body heat, and minimizes stress. There are many options for bedding you can use including straw and wood shavings, and with cattle you can use corn stover or similar crop residues for cows and bulls. Overall, livestock bedding should be comfortable, clean, and absorbent.

Feed: Animals must maintain their energy reserves to endure cold temperatures. Before the weather gets cold, asses the body condition of each animal and adjust the nutrition they are receiving to adequately prepare them to thrive in winter conditions. It is critical to continue to assess body condition scores throughout the winter, as it may be necessary to increase the amounts of good quality feed and forages. Supplying adequate amounts of feed is essential in your animal’s well-being through the winter months.

AMBA releases recommended variety list with two additions

The American Malting Barley Association (AMBA) Board of Directors annually develops a list of recommended malting barley varieties for U.S. growers for the upcoming crop year. AMBA is a nonprofit trade association of 60+ malting, brewing, distilling, and food companies that are end users of U.S. malting barley.

The AMBA Recommended List is intended to provide U.S. growers with guidance as to what varieties the industry may be contracting or purchasing in the coming year. It is not intended as a list of approved or certified malting varieties for the use by brewers, distillers, food companies, or maltsters. There may be many suitable malting barley varieties grown domestically or internationally that are not on the list yet have quality characteristics desired by the industry. Some varieties will be used in large quantities and many others are only utilized in niche markets, so producers are encouraged to contact their local elevator, grain handler or processor to gauge market demand for any variety grown in their region prior to seeding.

Additions to the 2023 list include CDC Fraser and KWS Donau.

CDC Fraser is a spring variety registered in Canada in 2016 and developed by Dr. Aaron Beattie at the Crop Development Centre, University of Saskatchewan. It offers high extract, enzyme, and grain yield with a good disease resistance package. CDC Fraser has quickly

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A struggling golfer was having the worst round of his life. He couldn’t get off of the tee, his iron game was in shambles, and he was 20 over par after the front nine. Things unfortunately didn’t get much better, and as the futility continued, the golfer began to steam. Finally, mercifully the round was coming to an end. But when the exasperated golfer missed a 3-foot putt on the 18th, he couldn’t take it any longer. Looking directly at his caddie he screamed, “You’ve got to be the worst caddie in the world!” The caddie looked directly at the golfer and without missing a beat said, “I doubt it. That would just be too much of a coincidence.”

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A boy asks his father, “Dad, are bugs good to eat?” “That’s disgusting. Don’t talk about things like that over dinner,” the dad replies. After dinner the father asks, “Now, son, what did you want to ask me?” “Oh, nothing,” the boy says. “There was a bug in your soup, but now it’s gone.” gained momentum in western Canada, often replacing AC Metcalfe acreage.

KWS Donau is a winter variety widely used in Austria and released by KWS Seeds. It is an early maturing variety with good yield, providing light-colored malts with favorable beta-glucan. KWS Donau possesses many of the same favorable attributes of its predecessor, KWS Wintmalt.

Varieties excluded from the 2023 list include Pinnacle and Charles - two varieties that have experienced significant decline in acreage over the past several years and are no longer considered recommended varieties to growers.

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17th Annual Sale

March 6, 2023

Selling

Semi-load(s) of Fir firewood for sale. Approximately 12-15 cords per load. Call or text (406) 366-6337 for delivery inquiry and quote or to get on the list.

Lunch at 11:30 • Sale starts at 1:00 pm Glasgow Stockyards in Glasgow, MT

55 Red Angus X Yearling Bulls

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