Is your lawn and garden ready for winter?

Your Cooperative Extension Service warns that time is running out to protect your landscape from harsh winter conditions.

Cut back late flowering perennials to just a few inches from the soil and mulch the crowns of all your plants with compost to protect them from hard freezes.

Give your lawn one final mowing and be sure to keep leaves raked throughout the season.

Do you want to reduce your risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer?

Your Cooperative Extension Service recommends eating sweet potatoes.

The center for science in the public interest rated sweet potatoes highest of all vegetables in nutritional value and disease fighting antioxidants.

Sweet potatoes can be served baked, broiled, fried, steamed, grilled, sauted or fresh with dip. They go well with all meat and are used in stews, soups and salads; breads, pies, custards and cakes.

Do you like win-win propositions?

Then your Cooperative Extension Service recommends protecting yourself and the environment by recycling the batteries from your smoke detectors.

We change to daylight standard time in November, a time we traditionally refresh the batteries in our smoke alarms.

Do you consider your pets winter needs?

Your Cooperative Extension Service recommends sheltering your pet in a garage, basement, or dog house when sub-freezing temperatures are forecast.

Remember to provide them with warm, dry bedding such as blankets, or straw to make them more comfortable.

While inside, protect your animal from toxic materials like anti-freeze and fire hazards like portable heaters.