March 2015 Volume 4, Issue 3 2 USDA Newsroom 2 Vet-Tech Chronicles 3 Food Science STEMulation 4 Hot Pepper Monthly 5 Knowing Your Herbs 6 2015 CEP Calendar of Events 7 Upcoming Events 8-12 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION SDA NEWSLETTER Cooperative Extension Program - Reaching. Teaching. Serving. Inside this issue: Guest speaker, Mr. Donald Bailey, Research Specialist at the University of the Virgin Islands/Agriculture Experiment Station spoke on , “Tilapia Aquaculture & Aquaponics Farming” at the seminar (above). Mr. Bailey and Dr. Alex Bolques (FAMU REC Director and Extension Crop Specialist) visited the aquaponic farm of members of the HCDC (local farmers/producers) in nearby town Havana, Florida (below). AQUAPONICS SEMINAR February 23, 2015– FAMU Teleconference Center
Transcript
March 2015
Volume 4, Issue 3
2
USDA Newsroom 2
Vet-Tech
Chronicles
3
Food Science
STEMulation
4
Hot Pepper
Monthly
5
Knowing Your
Herbs
6
2015 CEP
Calendar of
Events
7
Upcoming Events 8-12
COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
SDA NEWSLETTER Cooperative Extension Program - Reaching. Teaching. Serving.
Inside this issue:
Guest speaker, Mr. Donald Bailey, Research Specialist at the University of the Virgin Islands/Agriculture Experiment Station
spoke on , “Tilapia Aquaculture & Aquaponics Farming” at the seminar (above). Mr. Bailey and Dr. Alex Bolques (FAMU
REC Director and Extension Crop Specialist) visited the aquaponic farm of members of the HCDC (local farmers/producers) in
nearby town Havana, Florida (below).
AQUAPONICS SEMINAR February 23, 2015– FAMU Teleconference Center
Page 2 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION N
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USDA Launches Initiative to Develop New Solutions to End Child Hunger Grants provide $27 million to States, Tribal Nations to test innovative strategies for ensuring all American children have enough to eat
WASHINGTON, March 2, 2015 – In a speech at the 2015 National Anti-Hunger Policy Conference today about the
extent of childhood hunger in America and the impact of USDA programs on reducing food insecurity, Agriculture Secretary
Tom Vilsack announced more than $27 million in grants to fund innovative projects designed help end childhood hunger.
The announcement was part of USDA efforts during National Nutrition Month to focus on poverty and food insecurity
among children, especially in rural areas. These projects will be tested in Kentucky, Nevada, and Virginia, as well as the
Chickasaw and Navajo tribal nations.
"Too many children in America live in households that don't always know where their next meal is coming from. Many
families are forced to buy cheaper, less healthy foods because they don't have resources to purchase healthier options, or
don't live close to a store that sells healthy food," Secretary Vilsack said. "At USDA, we're deeply committed to ensuring that
all Americans, especially children, have access to a healthy diet whether at home or at school. The goal of ending child
hunger in America is absolutely achievable, and this new initiative will help us test innovated strategies for getting there."
In the United States, approximately 15.8 million children live in families that have had to worry about access to food, and
many of those children live in rural communities. The projects announced today are designed to test innovative strategies to
end childhood hunger, including alternative models for service delivery and benefit levels that promote the reduction or
elimination of childhood hunger and food insecurity. An independent evaluation will accompany this project to measure
impact and identify successful strategies. The projects will be evaluated primarily based on their ability to reduce food
insecurity among children.
Made possible by the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (HHFKA), the projects target areas or populations with
elevated levels of food insecurity or gaps in nutrition assistance program coverage. HHFKA requires that at least one project
be carried out on an Indian reservation in a rural area with a service population having a prevalence of diabetes that exceeds
15 percent. Projects chosen include:
Chickasaw Nation: The Chickasaw Nation will implement the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services Demonstration
Project to End Childhood Hunger, which will provide food through home delivery to households with children who
qualify for free school meals. Grant amount: $9.7 million.
Kentucky: The Commonwealth of Kentucky will implement the Ticket to Healthy Food Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program Demonstration, which will test the impact of providing households with children an additional
transportation deduction that may increase their SNAP benefits. The project will serve the Kentucky Highlands area in
the southeastern part of the state – a designated Promise Zone. Grant amount: $3.6 million.
Navajo Nation: The Navajo Nation Division of Health will implement the Food Access Navigation Project, which will
employ Food Access Navigators to evaluate assets and gaps in food access in selected regions of the reservation and
provide technical assistance for connecting eligible households to nutrition assistance programs. Grant amount: $2.4
million.
Nevada: The Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health will implement the Nevada SNAP Enhancement
Demonstration Project to test the relative impacts on SNAP households with children of (1) an increase in SNAP
benefits, and (2) a SNAP increase plus additional outreach, education, and case management. Grant amount: $3.1
million.
Virginia: The Virginia Department of Education will implement the Virginia Hunger-Free Kids Act Demonstration
Project, which will test the impact of providing (1) three school meals a day to all children in select schools during the
school year, (2) food for weekends and school breaks, and (3) more resources for low-income households to purchase
food during the summer months. Grant amount: $8.8 million.
Four of these projects are based in states receiving targeted USDA assistance to address chronic rural poverty through the
Department's StrikeForce Initiative for Rural Growth and Opportunity. USDA's StrikeForce Initiative is operational in
770 persistent poverty counties, parishes, boroughs, Colonias and tribal reservations in twenty states.
Contributors: Norman Scarbrough, LVT and Glen Wright , DVM
HOW TO IDENTIFY & TREAT OVERHEATING IN YOUR DOG
Our pets are like family to us and we do all that we can to ensure
not only their survival but there safety as well. As we near the
summer, one of the most common problems pet parents face, is the
unintentional mistake of leaving their pets outside for too long in
the hot weather. It is natural to want your pet to enjoy the outdoors
and have fresh air. However, let’s take a brief look at some tips to
help prevent any problems.
First, be mindful of the temperature outside. We as humans don’t
do well in extreme heat, it is also true for our pets. If the
temperature is above 80deg F, its better to either wait until the
evening or limit your pet to only a few minutes at a time outside.
Preferably, only 10-15min at a time should be allowed with access
to plenty of COOL water. The signs of overheating are heavy
excessive panting with the tongue hanging uncontrollably being
deep red and inflamed. Often times, the gaze will be fixed along
with that. DO NOT DRENCH YOUR PET IN COLD WATER,
as this can send blood pressure and temperature down too fast and
can cause shock. You can rinse the paws only in rubbing alcohol or
cold water and get your pet to a veterinarian right away.
The important thing to remember in the event your pet is
overheating is to remain calm. Allow your pet plenty of access to
cool water, shorten allotted times outside in temps above 80
degrees F and only rinse the paws in case overheating and get your
pet to a veterinarian ASAP!!!!
Photos courtesy of buttehuman.org and dogbreedsinfo.eu
Page 4
Contributor: Mrs. Conchita Newman
Food Science in the Community
Making Food Fun!
The STEM Food Science Extension Program’s efforts is to raise the awareness of food science by providing
innovative cool hands-on experiments for the K-12 outreach.
Did you know there is science behind soda?
When carbon dioxide is mixed in water it forms carbonic acid.
To this, salts like sodium bicarbonate are added to reduce the amount of acidity in the drink.
Sodium and other metallic salts are used to neutralize the acidic flavor of the drinks.
Food Science Students (Jazmine
Hall, Britney Clark, Johnniquia
McCoy) assisted with fun “soda
pop” experiment for the students
at Astoria Park Elementary.
Oakridge Elementary Health Fair : “Fuel Up to Play 60”
Food Science Student (Britney
Clark) assist with Fun “soda pop
“experiment for the students at
Oakridge Elementary
Astoria Park Elementary Science Night
Page 5 COOPERATIVE EXTENSION
*Hot Pepper Monthly * Contributor: Mr. Gilbert Queeley
It is the first day of March and Scotch Bonnet seeds that were sown during December to January should have fully
developed into mature seedlings ready to be transplanted into garden plots. In north Florida, March 14th marks the
unofficial final frost free day so transplanting on or soon after that date is a good way to get a competitive start if you
grow the crop for profit. This issue of the hot pepper monthly presents a few tips that can help you get your Scotch
Bonnet crop off to a good start.
Hardening off Seedlings that were grown in the greenhouse often have soft tender tissue that renders them unsuitable for harsh field
conditions. To avoid high mortality rates and poor crop performance, these seedlings should be trained to cope with
field conditions before being transplanted into the field. The hardening off process involves procedures such as:
reducing the amount of water given to the seedlings and only watering them on an ‘as needed basis’ during the
hardening off period that normally lasts 7 to 10 days.
gradually exposing the seedlings to full sunlight for several hours a day prior to transplanting. You can start by
exposing them for an additional hour of full sunlight each day until they achieve exposure to the total hours of
strong sunlight representative of your growing area.
Transplanting: The transplanting procedure outlined here is for seedlings planted in raised beds. When growing the
crop on a large scale, ensure that an irrigation system is in place before transplanting as water is critical during the
early stages of growth and until the plants have a well-established root system. It is a good practice to transplant
during the evenings or on cool or moderately rainy days. When transplanting:
hold the plants firmly at the base and pull out in a straight upward motion. The plant should come out fairly
easily with compacted soil around the roots. This protective soil should be left in place to prevent the roots from
drying out
make holes approximately 3 – 4 inches deep and 3 – 4 inches in diameter 2 to 3 feet apart in the center of the
beds.
insert the plants into the holes and fill in the empty space with loose soil up to the soil line
ensure that the plants are upright then compact the loose soil around the base by tapping or pressing it down with
the palm of your hand or with your fingers.
if necessary, turn on your irrigation system for 2 to 3 hours to ensure that the soil has sufficient moisture to
sustain the new transplants for an entire day
Mature seedlings ready for transplanting Seedlings with roots encased with
protective layer of soil.
Pay close attention to your field for the following week to ensure that your transplant-ing success was close to 100 percent. This is the best time to replace weak seedlings or
fill in empty spaces left by seedlings that did not survive transplanting with fresh ones.
That’s it for this month. The upcoming issues will provide management practices for
the crop through harvesting. Please be on the lookout for each issue. Scotch Bonnet seedlings planted on raised
beds with plastic mulch and a drip Irrigation
system
Page 6
Contributors: Linda Sapp and Trevor Hylton
Mexican Tea Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (Chenopodianceae)
This plant is an annual that grows to 3 ½ feet in height. Branches sprout profusely from the base. It may be
found in cultivated grounds or in abandon fields. It has very low nutrient needs and will thrive just about
anywhere. In some areas this plant is regarded as a bothersome weed.
Its primary use is in the manufacturing of chenopodium oil appears to work by paralyzing worms in the
intestine. In Mexico it is cooked and eaten as a vermifuge, and in Europe it is used as an infusion. In New
Mexico, Spanish-speaking people use a tea made of the leaves to encourage milk flow and to relieve
post-delivery pains. Having this herb on a small ruminant farm could be an effective means of intestinal
worm control.
Page 7
January
January 15th– Master Goat/Sheep Program and Master Farmer
The Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program is an equal employment/educational opportunity access organization which provides
research-based educational information and other services only to eligible individuals and institutions regardless of race, color, national origin, religion,
gender, age, disability, martial or veteran status.
