Extension Connection - UF/IFAS Leon County Extension

UF/IFAS Extension Leon County presents

Extension Connection July 2017

Dear Leon County Community, 4-H grows here. Summer, at the Extension Service, is bustling with excitement and energy as faculty and staff engage youth in new and interesting learning experiences.

Inside this Issue Title

Page

Science in Action ........................... 2 Building A Local Food System ........ 3 Upcoming Events ........................... 4

Teaming Up! Free Tax Preparation and Financial Management Education

4-H is one of Extension’s keystone programs. So much so, that each of our faculty have a responsibility to serve our 4-H youth resulting in creative, multidisciplinary 4-H programs and day camps. And, of course, a shout out to our volunteers, who without which this wouldn’t be possible.

innovative way of preparing income taxes. Skype software, which provides video chat and voice calls, is used to help residents connect with VITA volunteers. Starting in 2015 with seven rural counties in Florida, the program has expanded to include seven Georgia counties and eight counties in North Florida.

In the early 1970s, Gary Iskowitz was a graduate student at California State University Northridge, teaching tax law while working for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Seeing a growing problem of What makes this program so successful? questionable tax preparers scamming low The VITA program helps provide both a income people in his area, Iskowitz proposed to train a small number of student volunteers to go into the community to prepare free tax returns for underserved residents. People lined up around the block waiting to have their taxes prepared. This college student-volunteer effort started the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. More than 40 years later, VITA is still working hard to promote and support free tax preparation services for the underserved populations. In tax season 2016, more than three and a half million income tax returns were completed through a VITA site, nationally. Leon County Extension completed its third year serving as the hub site for a unique and

This newsletter shares some of our successes and impacts in the second quarter of 2017. Here are a few of our outreach numbers: • • •

Contacts: 4,400 (on and off site visits, phone and email consultations) Social Media: 6,072 Group Learning Participants: 5,914 Sincerely,

Kendra Zamojski Leon County Extension Director

valuable community service and a powerful learning experience for the participants. Not only does a taxpayer get their income taxes properly prepared for free, but Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS) Extension Agents educate participants about their personal income taxes and money management practices, which in turn enhances family economic stability. Local economies benefit from monies spent (and monies saved through taxpayer compliance).

Science in Action: Reducing Invasive Species The Leon County Horticulture Program hosted a workshop where approximately 30 participants, including Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and AmeriCorps staff, learned to identify and control the common invasive, exotic plants of Leon County.

Program Highlights: •

Two Leon County youth continued to enhance their writing and communication skills by advancing to the District 4-H Tropicana Public Speaking Contest held in May. Both Leon County participants took 1st place in their respective categories at the District Contest as well. Parents reported that the self-confidence obtained through this experience has continued to build their child’s confidence of speaking in front of an audience.

•

At 4-H Ecology Day, 71 fourth grade students learned how to become environmental stewards by attending “hands on” sessions on insects, ground water, wildlife, reptiles, and forestry. Student essays on their outdoor experience reflected an increased awareness of how animals and plants interact and depend on each other for survival.

•

Twenty teens completed 4-H Camp Counselor Training, resulting in all 20 teens serving as counselors during our annual residential camp held June 5 – 9, at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake in Madison, FL. All teens actively participated in camp by managing youth in their cabins, teaching classes, and leading activities during the week.

•

As a result of continuous efforts to provide youth environmental education, 70 youth attended residential camp at 4-H Camp Cherry Lake located in Madison, FL. Campers increased their knowledge in environmental education by participating in hands on sessions in outdoor cooking, duct tape science, GPS, and kayaking.

•

Twelve youth attending summer camp at Jacob Chapel church learned basic science.

•

An Agriculture In the Classroom grant was awarded to demonstrate blueberry production at Florida A&M University Developmental Research School.

•

Forty-five participants attend a container gardening demonstration at the Capital City Bank Wellness Fair held on June 14th.

Participants were often surprised to learn that some of the common plants in our area are actually invasive, exotic species. There was a special emphasis on air potato vine identification and control, as we had a guest speaker from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (FDACS) Division of Plant Industry (DPI) speak about the air potato beetle, a biological control agent for this aggressive, invasive weed. Dr. Christopher Kerr, who runs the beetle rearing project for DPI, discussed the program and even brought some beetles to show off. Participants were encouraged to contact DPI to help release beetles in areas of the panhandle where air potato vine is present.

Participants release the air potato beetle as a biological control agent for this aggressive, invasive weed.

2

Program Highlights: •

•

•

Success Stories:

Twenty-six youth attended the “Brainshops for the Mad Scientists of Tomorrow! Dirt! Can You Dig It?” workshop at the Leon County Dr. B. L. Perry Jr. Library Branch on June 22nd. The youth participated in the Seed to Table game, learned about soil decomposers, held worms, touched different soil textures, and created newspaper pots and planted vegetable seeds. Extension has many new writers in the Democrat Working Group, and July is the first month many of their articles will start to appear in the Home and Garden section of the Tallahassee Democrat. The weekly articles feature topics related to gardening, sustainability, and wildlife. The Fall, 2017 Seed Library Kick-off Event will be held on July 29 at the Leon County Eastside Branch Library. This is the day the seeds will become available to be checked-out, and there will be interactive Extension gardening and nutrition booths and a cooking demonstration by our Family Nutrition Program.

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) – which have nothing to do with oysters besides their similar shape – are some of the most delicate, subtlety flavored, and easiest to prepare mushrooms of the culinary world. They can easily be fried, stirfried, or braised within a matter of minutes in broths, vinegars, wines, and sauces; or added to soups, stuffed, or mixed with chopped garlic. In addition to being an easy mushroom to prepare, oyster mushrooms are a great source of fiber, protein, and many vitamins and minerals, as well as an excellent source of antioxidants. Arguably, one of the best qualities of oyster mushrooms are the ease to which they can be cultivated at home. Using sterilized straw, a plastic bag, oyster mushroom spawn, water, and following basic instructions, they can be produced in as little as two weeks! This is why Molly Jameson partnered with Sunny Liao, the new Assistant Professor in Soil Microbial Ecology for UF/IFAS, to deliver the “DIY FunGuide: Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms” workshop in May, 2017. At the workshop, participants were given step-by-step guides for oyster mushroom mother culture preparation, spawn inoculation, substrate preparation, and home-based incubation. As the workshop unfolded, they completed each phase in the process – as if they did not have to wait the weeks needed between each phase. Prepared materials demontrated every step to guide participants along the way. This included using tweezers to place oyster mushroom spores into a petri dish to grow, all the way up to mixing the mycelium into wheat straw, for it to start the mushroom fruiting process. One of the participants sent follow-up photos, in which she commented, “I have harvested about half a pound of mushrooms so far, so rate this effort as a success!” She said she has put the spawn in the refrigerator and will do the process again in the fall.

The Thrill of A Skill! Four Leon County 4-H sewing camp participants returned to sewing camp for a fourth year. Each is well on their way to mastering a life skill, which, according to the UF/IFAS Extension 4-H program, are those competencies that assist youth in functioning well in the environments in which they live, as well as helping to prepare them for transitions to adulthood. Youth returning to a skills camp multiple years is important because skills are best learned through practice and experiences that teach or reinforce skills. Altogether, twenty 4-H campers had multiple opportunities to try, make mistakes, and try again! Like most life skills, sewing is learned in sequential steps with practice, practice, and more practice. There is real evidence that practice does make perfect!

Uncovering the Mystery of Healthy Eating The Family Nutrition Program offered nutrition education at Sealey Elementary School during a school-wide Wellness Fair in May. Students in second through fifth grades toured the new school garden. Students learned about the importance of insects and pollinators in growing healthy fruits and vegetables, scouted for insects, and sampled fresh produce such as sugar snap peas and broccoli from the school garden. Returning to the classroom, students navigated to the "Mystery Box" station where they could use their senses to guess what food was hidden inside a box and learn why it is important to consume fresh fruits and vegetables for overall health and wellness. Activities such as these were complemented by other community partners, such as Leon County Schools Food and Nutrition Services, who provided samples of healthy recipes, and the Whole Kids Foundation, who offered students the opportunity to create their own healthy granola snack. By the end of the Wellness Fair, 338 students participated in engaging nutrition education activities promoting healthy eating habits.

3

Faculty 4-H Adulting Day Camp Teens will have a blast this summer discovering life skills that aren't taught in school! Fun, hands-on activities will help youth gain knowledge and skills that will last a lifetime. Session 1: Cooking, Canning, Baking, Gardening—June 15th Session 2: College, Scholarships, Campus tours—June 22nd Session 3: Leadership, teambuilding, and why it matters—July 6th Session 4: Budgets, Money, Banking, Cars—July 13th When: 9am-4pm Youth ages 13-18 (as of June 1, 2017) 4-H Gardening Day Camp Help your child gain an appreciation for nature by allowing them to learn hands-on in it! Participants will get down and dirty with soil, worms, and more! Gardening day camp is designed for our upcoming 4-H'ers and will allow them to explore future 4-H projects in which they can engage. July 14th 8:30 am-12 pm Youth ages 5 -7 (as of June 1, 2017) Cost: $20 Horticulture Workshops July 26th — Garden/Facility Tours for Chamber of Commerce

Tomato Grafting with Dr. Zhao Have you been wanting to try grafting but feel like you need a little more instruction? This workshop is for you! Learn how grafting can benefit your vegetable garden and proper grafting techniques with hands-on practice. This workshop is for homeowners, Master Gardeners, and farmers alike. July 21st 10 AM—12 PM Fall 2017 Seed Library Kick-off Kick off the fall growing season with gardening tips and cooking demonstrations. Check out the fall seeds which include spinach, kale, carrots, cilantro, and collards Location: Eastside Branch Library Address: 1583 Pedrick Rd. Date: July 29th Time: 12 PM—3 PM Grow Healthy, Eat Healthy Workshops Discover how to “check-out” seeds at Leon County libraries and learn all about fall vegetable gardening, seed identification, and easy ways to prepare healthy meals using seasonal produce. Location: Woodville Branch Library Address: 800 Old Woodville Rd Date: August 3rd Time: 6:00 PM

Location: Dr. B.L. Perry Branch Library July 27th – Garden/Facility Tour for Energy Address: 2817 S. Adams Street Camp Date: August 8th th Time: 6 PM July 29 – Presentation to Montejo Subdivision property owners on general Location: Collins Main Library landscape maintenance practices and Address: 200 W. Park Ave common landscape plants for our area. Date: August 15th August 1st – Pesticide License Certification Time: 6:00 PM and Training Location: Ft. Braden Branch Library Address: 16327 Blountstown Hwy Date: August 22nd Contact us: Time: 6:00 PM UF/IFAS Leon County Extension 615 Paul Russell Road Tallahassee, FL 32301 850-606-5200 Visit us at: leon.ifas.ufl.edu Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/LeonCountyExtension Find our events on Eventbrite: https://goo.gl/923CPN

Kendra Zamojski [email protected] County Extension Director Family & Consumer Sciences Marcus Boston [email protected] 4-H Youth Development Heidi Copeland [email protected] Family & Consumer Sciences Trevor Hylton [email protected] Agriculture/Vegetable Gardening FAMU Molly Jameson [email protected] Sustainable Agriculture and Community Food Systems Amy Mullins [email protected] Family & Consumer Sciences Stefanie Prevatt [email protected] 4-H Youth Development Mark Tancig [email protected] Residential and Commercial Horticulture

4