4 Broadcaster Press July 4, 2017 www.broadcasteronline.com Family Fun With Gardening By Megan Erickson SDSU Extension Nutrition Field Specialist Calling all gardeners – new comers, “green thumbs” and experienced. It’s summer! If you and your family have been thinking about starting a garden, now is the perfect time to do so. Gardening is a fun activity to get involved in something rewarding – you’ll not only be growing food, you’ll be growing as a family. Gardening is a fun way to incorporate physical activity into your day, and is a great way to connect kids to where their food comes from. Garden Types Container Gardening New to gardening? Container gardening may be just for you. Container gardening allows you to hone in your skills with as little as one plant. It’s as simple as purchasing gardening pots, seeds, and potting soil. You could also buy starter plants, or seeds that have been planted for you, and are already starting to grow. This type of gardening also works great if you don’t have access to much yard space. Try it on your patio, balcony, or windowsill. Traditional Gardens For those who have yard space to spare, there’s always the option to till up a section for your garden. Then it will be time to get in the dirt and plant whatever your heart desires! This type of gardening is a bit more labor-intensive, but the rewards from the array of plants are tremendous. Melons and gourds are great for growing in this type of garden. Raised Beds A modification of the traditional garden is a raised garden. It’s the best of both worlds! The garden bed is high enough off the ground to keep away from critters, and it’s easier on the joints. A raised garden is a frame made out of wood that has a bed to pour potting soil and plant the seeds. This type of garden is ideal for seniors who have limited mobility. Dig in! Get kids involved. Ask them what fruits and vegetables they would like to grow. Let them select, plant, harvest and even cook the produce. Kids as young as two can dig a hole or plant some seeds. Let them help count the seeds. Kids can even help water the seeds or pick out those pesky weeds. When it comes to harvest time, how fun for kids to yank a carrot out of the ground that they planted! Kids will be fascinated by the growing process and more apt to try new fruits and vegetables. What should I plant? To learn more on what to start planting, contact a Master Gardener at an SDSU Extension location near you! While there may be some challenges faced when gardening, it is a worthwhile experience. The rewards are not only the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor, you can grow as a family too. If you’re worried about your family spending too much time indoors on their technology, gardening is a perfect way to learn a lifelong hobby. With your experiences, others might be motivated to follow suit and have their own gardens as well! With the spread of knowledge comes a happier and healthier community. Strategies To Avoid Identity Theft By Leacey E. Brown SDSU Extension Gerontology Field Specialist We are all concerned about identity theft. Fortunately we can reduce our risk of becoming a victim. Here are some tips: Protect your personal information. Protect personal information by not sharing your Social Security Number, credit card information, or bank account information with anyone unless you initiated contact. Also keep your Social Security Card stored in a secure location such as a safe deposit box. In addition, only carry your Medicare Card when you are scheduled to go to the doctor. Remove yourself from mailing and calling lists. Remove your contact information from mailing and calling lists. •To put a stop to preapproved credit card offers, visit optoutprescreen.com or call 888.567.8688. Please note this service will request your Social Security Number and date of birth. •To reduce telemarketing calls, register your telephone number with donotcall.gov. Please note that legitimate companies will not call phone numbers on the do-not-call list. If you receive calls after registering your phone number, you can safely assume the caller is trying to scam you. •DMA Choice is an additional service that allows us to control the direct mailing items we receive. Please visit dmachoice.org to learn more. Use strong passwords. Use strong passwords and codes for your electronic devices, online accounts, and computers. Changing your password regularly is not necessary if it is strong. Passwords should be more than 8 characters long, with uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols (#, &, *, etc.). Never use the same password for multiple accounts or words that can be found in the dictionary. If you are like me and have trouble remembering passwords, try the sentence (pass phrase) strategy. Here is an example. I selected a verse from the Bible: “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.” To create your password, use the first letter of each word. The password would be: “IibttritLtttih.”. To make it extra strong, replace a letters with a number and a symbol. For example, “#ibttritLt3tih.”. Be wary of unknown emails. Delete emails from strangers or claim to represent the Social Security Administration, IRS or other government agencies. Also be skeptical of emails claiming there is a problem with your bank, credit card or Utilities Company, especially if they are asking you to confirm sensitive information such as your Social Security Number. Delete Stories you missed this week because you’re not a Plain Talk subscriber The approval on first reading by the Clay County Commission on an amended zoning ordinance regarding Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). The measure will receive its second reading and possible final approval on July 6. these message immediately and contact the telephone number found on the back of your card or statement. Secure your mailbox. Either empty it quickly or buy a box that locks. In addition, outgoing mailing containing payments or sensitive information should be placed in U.S. Postal Service mail boxes or delivered directly to the post office. Monitor your bank accounts. Monitor your accounts by reviewing credit card and bank statements carefully. Ask your bank or credit card issuers if they offer free alerts to warn about suspicious activity. I recently received a call from my bank that my debit card had been used in Texas. They immediately canceled the card and issued me a new one. I was also not responsible for the charges. Ask your bank for details. Track your credit. Watch your credit by signing up for a monthly service. Many credit issuers or banks offer this service to their customers for a monthly fee. You may also get one free report each year from the three credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) by visiting annualcreditreport.com or calling 877.322.8228. Consider a credit security freeze. Consider setting up security freezes with the three credit bureaus if you do not plan to apply for new credit, loans, insurance or utility services. A freeze prevents crooks from opening We’re all ears. An update on the Sanford Vermillion construction project, which most recently included the demolition of older brick buildings located west of the main health care complex. 201 W. Cherry •Vermillion, SD 57069 605-624-4429 • classifieds@plaintalk.net Coverage of the Public Safety Cookout and Food Giveaway held Friday, June 30 in Vermillion. A report from the Clay County Historical Society’s annual ice cream social held at the Austin-Whittemore House. Pick up this Friday’s Plain Talk! Local news since 1884! Here for you yesterday, today and tomorrow. 201 W. Cherry, Vermillion, SD 57069 605-624-2695 Create a family code word or phrase for telephone calls. A common strategy to scam people out of their hard-earned dollars is to call and claim to be a family member in trouble. For example, a grandson may call and claim to need money to buy a plane ticket to get home from a foreign country. A family code word or phrase could be used to confirm the caller is who they say they are. Be sure it’s not something that someone could figure out with an internet search (e.g. Husband’s name). A good time to share the family code or phrase is during family gatherings such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. Another strategy is to request a telephone number from the caller. If they are unwilling to provide it, hang up immediately. Call a friend or family member and alert them about the situation. They should be able to help locate the family member the caller was claiming to be and determine if there is an actual need for assistance. In Summary We can protect ourselves from identity theft. The key is to reduce ways scam artist can access our personal information. TRUCK DRIVER POSITIONS AVAILABLE Paid Health Insurance • Vacation • IRA • Home Weekends Must Have Class A CDL • Good Driving Record Ability To Pass DOT Physical & Drug Screen Gray Carriers Inc. 402-379-2357 • 1-800-336-4729 Hartington Tree LLC And if you want to see: A behind the scenes look at the work of the cast and crew of the Vermillion Community Theatre as they prepare to present the musical “Fiddler on the Roof” later this month. Create a family code for phone calls. BroadcasterOnline.com “Get Connected!” Your opinion is something we always want to hear. Questions? Call, write us or contact Comments? us via e-mail and let us Story Ideas? know how we are doing. Coverage of the 148th annual Midsommar Festival held at Dalesburg Lutheran Church June 23 through June 25. accounts in your name. Rules vary by state. Please visit all three bureaus online to learn more about setting up a freeze (equifax.com, experian.com and transunion.com). 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