Castle Country Radio was able to sit down with USU-Extension Office’s Agriculture Assistant Professor, Steve Price to discuss hay donations that are needed for the Navajo Nation, and about those mysterious seeds that folks have been receiving through the mail.

“So basically, its been kind of a perfect storm of events that has caused an issue there (Navajo Nation), between Coronavirus and the drought that has hit there even harder than we have been hit, a lot of folks are having a hard time getting a hold of hay so they are trying to look for donations from anywhere,” explained Price. The size of bales needed are the smaller bales, 3 string, as most folks on the Navajo Nation don’t have the equipment to work with the larger bales. If you would like to make a hay donation to the Navajo Nation you will need to visit their website at https://www.navajo-nsn.gov/ to contact one of their chapter houses.

There has been talk on the news lately of the mysterious seeds being sent through the mail and there have been some local community members that have received those packages. “They have been getting fruit seeds, vegetable seeds, weed seeds, pretty much anything under the sun. It’s kind of a filler. They’re not really any particular type of seed, it just happens to be what they stuffing those packages with,” said Price. They are not human health issue but more of a plant health issue. The seeds could cause problems for other plants if they are planted so its important that they are disposed of properly.

The Utah Department of Agriculture in Salt Lake City is very interested in analyzing the seeds so you can send your package to their office or take it to the USU-Extension Offices in either Carbon or Emery County. “If you don’t want to deal with trying to send them off you can also sterilize them at home. We’re asking people not just throw them directly in the trash please put them on a lined baking sheet, cook them at 325 degrees for a half-hour to sterilize them that why if they are going into the trash put them in another zip lock,” explained Price. Again, the seeds are not a human health issue but more of a plant health issue.