How are You Doing...Now?

 This article was written by our own County Extension Director, Christy Strickland for the Robesonian.

A little over a year ago, I wrote an article entitled “How are you Doing?”  It seems a little strange to still need to ask the same question. So much has changed recently regarding mask wearing and the mandates regarding crowd size and other things related to gatherings, but so many things are still difficult to navigate. I think it is still safe to say we are all experiencing things we have never faced before. We have learned a lot about ourselves and how we handle stress during COVID-19.

Our children and grandchildren have been able to return to in-person school, but it has been a challenge for everyone. Groups are beginning to have more face-to-face meetings and most churches are now meeting in person. As some of the mandates are lifted and we are able to be without a mask for outside events, we are beginning to look at how we can navigate indoor gatherings without being masked. There is a sense of freedom, but I will be honest, that creates a little stress too.

The COVID-19 vaccine is now available to almost everyone ages 12 and up, and is contributing to our ability to begin to “open up” more opportunities for gathering together in safe numbers. Being back together feels really good. In a way, we are forging a new frontier to our new normal and it feels very liberating. But let’s not deceive ourselves, there is more work to be done. Many of us have received our COVID-19 vaccine and that will go a long way with slowing down the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, there are still large numbers of Robeson County residents who have chosen not to get vaccinated. More people need to be vaccinated to continue to move forward with fighting COVID-19. If you are still on the fence about the vaccine, I encourage you to get your information from reliable sources. Those who can give you scientific data to support the safety of the vaccine and why you need to be vaccinated.

I want to encourage you to be patient with those making the decisions regarding the mandates and suggestions, as well as those managing the research and the data reporting. To use a phrase I have heard before, “we are building a plane while we are flying it.” The research is ongoing, and we learn a little more with each new study.

We have also learned many new ways to get things done during COVID-19. Virtual access has been a critical piece to everything we as a community have had to do. Some of those changes we will want to continue and some we will never want to do again. Many organizations, including North Carolina Cooperative Extension, will want to continue to offer virtual options even when we return to more in-person efforts.

N.C. Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center continues to be committed to staying in touch! We are slowly beginning to provide more in-person options for programming, and we are very interested in knowing what information you need from us and how you want to receive that information. Please don’t hesitate to let us know what you need from Extension. We will continue to add to and update the ways you can get information from us.

A Message from our State 4-H Leader on National 4-H Center Petition

As you may have heard, the National 4-H Council is accepting bids to sell the National 4-H Center in Chevy Chase, MD.  The National 4-H Center has provided decades of developmental and networking opportunities for thousands of 4-H youth and will be difficult to replace.  Four-H alumni and friends, so inclined, are signing a Petition to halt the sale of the Center.  Please share this information with your 4-H alumni, friends, supporters and anyone you believe may be interested in this effort.

Mike Yoder

Butterflies

 Love butterflies? Tune in to North Carolina 4-H's livestream of painted lady caterpillars eating, growing, and transforming. Watch as they get bigger each day and work their biological magic to metamorphose into flighted, flitter-fluttering adult butterflies. https://go.ncsu.edu/paintedladies 

4-H Top 4 for the week of May 17

Good morning everyone.  Hope all the folks who have Mother monikers out there had a great Mother's day.  

-May 18 we will be starting a new SPIN Club for our 5-8 year olds-Cooking with Ms. JoJo.  This club will be held virtually for about an hour on Tuesdays, for six weeks starting at 5:30.  Youth will have a chance to cook with Ms. JoJo and learn about eating healthier, making smart eating choices, and just have a good time.  This is part of our EFNEP (Expanded Foods and Nutrition Education Program) with a SPIN on it.  So if they have done EFNEP before they will have a whole new arsenal of cooking opportunities. You can register in the app under programs or by clicking this link https://forms.gle/SEqYrkDkkGgWFjYG7.  Please note to take part in this program the 4-H member must be active in 4-H Online.   You have until noon today to register.  If you need assistance with this please contact Wendy Maynor at wrmaynor@ncsu.edu.  She can help walk you through it.   

-Saturday May 22 will be our first in person face to face training opportunity for our 4-H adult volunteers.  The SE District Volunteers will be hosting a Spring Day from 10-2 at the NC Cooperative Extension Wayne County Center.  We will have a business meeting, workshops on a variety of topics, and a picnic lunch.  Due to COVID restrictions travel will be on your own.  Registration is available on the 4-H app or you can go to this link:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/se-district-spring-day-tickets-154705870423    For more information about this opportunity please contact Shea Ann DeJarnette at sadejarn@ncsu.edu. 

-4-H Summer Fun will be available for registration this week.  So that you can save the dates:  Citizenship Focus (for 14-18 year old 4-H Members) June 14-16;  Jr. Chef  (9-13 year old 4-H Members) July 6-9; Animal Science Day Camp (4-H members 9-13) July 12-15;  4-H Congress (4-H members 14-18) July 17-20; BJP Overnight Camp (9-14 year olds) July 25-20;  4-H Biotech Day Camp (4-H Members 9-13) August 2-9;  Cloverbud Day Camp (4-H Members 5-8 years old) August 9-13.  At this time call camps will be virtual except those listed in red.  The camps listed in red will be in person face to face.  Keep an eye on your app for more information.

-4-H Citizenship North Carolina Focus is ready for registration.  It is only open to the first 200 4-H members, statewide, between the ages of 14-18 that register.  This is an awesome experience to learn about government, attend workshops, and meet lawmakers.  This is also a great state event to have on your resume if you want to compete in ARIE or apply for Honor Club.  There is a $30 fee for the event and this includes your t-shirt and conference materials.  Thanks to our United Way funds you will only need to pay $15.  IF you register and do not attend you will be expected to reimburse us for the remainder of the fee.  The event will take place June 14-16.  The deadline to register is May 25.  For more information and to register please check it out on our app under programs or you can click this link https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2021-4-h-citizenship-nc-focus-robeson-county-tickets-155127732223

That is all we have today.  Hope you have a great week!  

Wendy, Christy, and Shea Ann

COVID-19 Vaccine Availability for Youth 12 and Up

 

Beginning today, Thursday May 13, the Health Department began serving all people 12 years and older with COVID vaccinations. Only Pfizer is approved for use for people 12 to 18 so it is a two-shot regimen. The importance for employees is if they were planning on a cruise, having their child attend camp or any other place of congregation vaccinations may be required to be completed. For example, the Buffalo Bills home opener in football is reserved for vaccinated people only.

Vaccinations are offered every weekday until 1:00 except Wednesday when the clinic runs to 4:30. Appointments are encouraged but walk-ins are accommodated if vaccine is available (Pfizer must be thawed to be used). County employees who get vaccinated are entitled to a gift card for $25 for getting vaccinated and an additional $50 if the series is completed at the Health Department.

Eating Smart and Moving More for Mental Wellness

 This article was written by our own Adult EFNEP Program Assistant, Ashley McRae, for the Robesonian.

Would you believe me if I told you healthy eating and physical activity can impact your mental health? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices.” The CDC also talks in depth of the immediate benefits on how physical activity affects brain health.

In the Adult Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), a huge component of our work is centered around encouraging participants to “Eat Smart, Move More” for wellness; both sharing equal importance in mental health. This month, we celebrate National Mental Health Awareness. Even though EFNEP’s mission does not solely focus on mental health, our curriculum does a wonderful job of showing participants how these topics are closely related to healthy living.

So, what does it look like when we “Eat Smart”? Eating smart basically challenges us to make smarter choices when making purchasing decisions for ourselves or families. When we “Eat Smart”, we choose to not buy those items loaded with sugar, and avoid those fatty foods and items that have been over processed. In some of the EFNEP lessons, there are opportunities to discuss how what we consume affects us mentally. For example, too much caffeine can trigger anxiety in some individuals, whereas diets promoting eating high-fat dairy or fried foods could contribute to depression over time. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) says, “…food – along with other factors – plays an important contributing role in the development, management and prevention of specific mental health problems…”

Now, “Moving More” is always the hard part. The thought of planning to be more physically active is a mental work-out at times. However, physical activity is important not only for maintaining a healthy weight, but a healthy mind as well. Research shows moderate to vigorous physical activity has instant effects on the brain, which is why after an intense workout you may feel more relaxed or performing stretches before bed helps you to sleep more peacefully and think more clearly.

Adults need at least 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. In the Adult EFNEP classes, participants are shown various ways to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines. One way we suggest is gardening, which is a great form of exercise. Gardening allows you to strengthen your muscles and requires continual movement. Aside from that, gardening is very therapeutic and a great way to get you outdoors. Always keep in mind what works best for you. That’s the great thing about moving more, you can get as creative as you like.

 

Soil to Seed is Now Digital

 

Soil to Seed Now Digital

Today May 12, 2021 From the food we eat, to the water we drink, to the places where we live and play, soil erosion and sedimentation profoundly affects our everyday lives. The loss of soil from our landscapes and its deposition into our waterways, reduce the ability of the land to be productive in supporting plant growth and the capacity of the water to nurture aquatic habitats, host recreation and have municipal usefulness. This curriculum focuses on the accelerated processes of erosion and sedimentation that transpire as a direct result of agricultural and construction development activities. Soil to Seed is designed to cultivate high school aged-youth in understanding the principles of erosion and sediment control. AND now it is in in digital format. Special Thanks for all those who worked hard to make this happen. They are: LIz Driscoll, Tabitha Barnes, Nick Hynes, Katy Haywood, Mason Lawrence, Tanya Heath, Danny Lough, Liz Driscoll, Kristin Bedell, Evie Lubak, Danielle Riggs

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension. Extension's 4-H program is the largest youth development organization in North Carolina. We help over 247,000 young people grow into active, contributing citizens each year. Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made by [INSERT DATE] to [CONTACT NAME & PHONE/EMAIL].