U of M News Wire: March 1, 2007

 
 
Recent snow, ice raise concerns about excessive roof loads on farm buildings

By Larry Jacobson
U of M News Wire

Recent weather conditions in Minnesota may result in excessive roof loads on agricultural buildings due to the accumulation of snow and ice.
 
The month of March will hopefully provide some opportunity for the existing ice and snow on roofs to melt or slide off. However, if we continue to receive above normal snowfalls, you should monitor the snow load situation on your agricultural buildings and take appropriate action.
 
Check high-risks areas, and if you need to remove snow, be extremely careful.
 
Snow and ice storms that have hit the state have left several inches of ice and/or several feet of snow on some roofs, which have added to the total weight that trusses and rafters must support. Because of this ice layer, snow that has recently fallen on a typical metal roof is not sliding off like it normally does in the winter. If the ice layer doesn’t melt, each additional snowfall this year will intensify the problem.
 
Snow loads for agricultural buildings in much of southern and western Minnesota are generally around 20 pounds per square foot. This level of loading is not intended to last all winter; there is a fatigue factor. A roof may be able to support the designed snow load for several days or a few weeks, probably no more than 30 days.
 
So what do you do if you have too much snow on your roof?
 
The simple answer is to get it off as soon as possible. Generally there is some time between a large snowfall event and possible structural failure. Unfortunately, one good way to remove snow from a roof is to physically get up on the roof and push the snow off with a shovel and/or broom.
 
There obviously is the safety concern of falling off when working on a snow-covered and icy roof. It's important to use ladders, safety ropes and take necessary precautions. Snow rakes also can be used to remove snow. When using a snow rake, use extreme caution when working near overhead electrical power lines. Also, avoid excessive scraping on the roof or trying to chip off ice. These practices can damage the roof and lead to a leaky roof.
 
There are other, more "innovative" methods of removing snow and ice from roofs. One involves warming the inside of the building sufficiently with large heaters to melt the ice layer, and then hoping the snow and ice slide off. Obviously, a lot of heat is necessary for even a moderately-sized building, and it must be an open-trussed structure (no flat ceiling), and have an uninsulated metal roof. Caution is necessary to prevent large chunks of ice and snow that slide off the roof from falling on people, animals or equipment.
 
For flat ceiling buildings, putting heaters in the attic is generally not recommended. That's because of the fire danger and the possibility of creating ice dams along the building's eaves.
 
Larry Jacobson is a professor and agricultural engineer with the University of Minnesota Extension.
 
 
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Winter greens, anyone?

By Crystal Oko
U of M News Wire
 
On weekdays, one can find Carol Ford as the "office goddess" in the Science and Math Division at the University of Minnesota, Morris, (UMM). (Her official title is principal administrative specialist.) On nights and weekends she's in a T-shirt in her 80-degree greenhouse tending to all her greens. Just two years ago, Ford and her husband, Chuck Waibel, made their dream come true when they built a greenhouse that now provides food during the winter months for families involved in an organization called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).
 
CSA is a distribution system that provides food directly from the producer to the consumer. Families pay in advance to a get a share of the producer's weekly crop. Many families in west central Minnesota participate in CSAs, but only in the summer, which makes sense due to Minnesota's harsh winters.
 
Ford, who loves to do research, has combined this passion with another love: greenhouses and "green" initiatives. After much research and reading, she became particularly inspired by a passive solar greenhouse in Cheyenne, Wyo. that was run entirely by volunteers.
 
"I thought if they can do it in the harsh winters of Wyoming, why can't we do it here," says Ford.
 
Ford and her husband have always had an interest in building a winter CSA, and together they attended a course through The Land Stewardship Project called "Farm Beginnings." Since then, Ford and Waibel have constructed an 18-by-24-foot greenhouse on their double lot in Milan, about 30 miles south of Morris.
 
They are now in their second year of providing fresh winter greens to 15 families. "It's going great, better than I hoped," says Ford. "I have not had as many sleepless nights this winter." Ford explained that their first winter included an infestation of aphids and was "a learning curve year." The 15 families, already part of a summer CSA, are thrilled that they can continue receiving fresh organic greens through the Ford's winter CSA.
 
Ford will be one of the presenters at The Home Grown Economy Conference, sponsored by Congressman Collin Peterson, in April (rescheduled from Monday, Feb. 26) on the Morris campus. (see sidebar)
 
"If [conference participants] see the potential of a CSA and get thinking about it and talking about it, the word will spread," says Ford. "All they have to do is have a salad from my greenhouse, and they will be convinced that there should be one on every block of every neighborhood in Minnesota."
 
Crystal Oko, Woodbury, is a senior in speech communication and a communications assistant in the Morris campus Office of University Relations.
 
 
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Growing Concerns
A childrearing question-and-answer column with Dr. Martha Erickson of the University of Minnesota

 
Question: Several times lately our four-year-old has gotten all worked up at night, claiming that there's a monster under his bed. He says that he's afraid to be alone in his room. Is this cause for concern? And, how can we help him get over these fears?
 
Answer: What you describe is not at all unusual. For many reasons, young children get frightened when they're alone, especially at night and in the dark. They often imagine all sorts of scary creatures in the closet or under the bed. Very young children can't separate reality from fantasy, and when they can't see what's around them, their vivid imaginations go to work. Also, the frightening images that surround our children on television and film may feed into these fears.
 
These images are not all fantasy: Actual news stories of children being abused or kidnapped can erode the security of children of all ages. It also is common for ordinary stress and anxiety to bubble up at night--when children can't exactly name what's making them uneasy, it may come out as fear of imagined creatures.
 
Such fears become cause for serious concern only when they go on long enough--or are intense enough--that they interfere significantly with a child’s sleep or the ability to play and learn during the daytime hours. In that case it would be wise to check to be sure he has not experienced something traumatic--and seek professional counseling if needed.
 
For now, here are a few tips on how to help your son master these fears so that he--and you--can rest easily:
 
• Take your son's fears seriously, without overreacting. It is important not to dismiss or ridicule his fears. Hear his feelings and reflect them back to him with words: "I can see you're really scared."
 
• Reassure him that you are there to make sure he is safe. Offer comfort as needed, and demonstrate to him that there's nothing frightening in his room. This may mean turning on the light in his closet or looking under the bed to show him that everything is fine.
 
• Over time, help him actively master his fears by reading or making up stories about little boys and  their monsters. (Maurice Sendak’s “Where the Wild Things Are” was a favorite at our house.) Or you could join him in imaginative play and act out monster stories. For example, he could pretend to be the monster and you could be the child who tells the monster to either start being nice or go someplace else. Or your son could be the parent reassuring his stuffed animal or doll that he will keep them safe.
 
• Finally, see through your child's eyes by remembering your own childhood. What used to frighten you? And what did you find comforting at those times? As with so many aspects of parenting, our own childhood memories often yield the best information on how to care for our children.