Junior Master Gardener News

 

BIWEEKLY UPDATE | OCT. 2020 ONLINE LGEG RESOURCES NATURE FUN ROASTED VEGGIES PONDERING LGEG ONLINE? MAKE THE LEAP. Pilot Virtual LGEG with your class for free! The online, video-based Virtual Learn, Grow, Eat & GO! Class for Elementary Students is available for use. Click the video to see a week 1 preview! JOIN THE PILOT GROUP RESOURCE REFRESH! From in-person to virtual and everywhere in between, there's new content to support YOU, teachers & leaders! LEADER RESOURCES NATURE FUN FOR THE GARDENERS! Check out this Facebook video from Lisa featuring a fun nature craft! Great craft for the whole family - to start, you'll need: stick / dowel rod marker scissors & glue cardstock paper materials gathered from a nature walk READY TO ROAST VEGGIES? Give Yellow Squash a try! With 6 ingredients, this dish is simple and an easy way to add a seasonal veggie to your meal. Thanks to our friends at Dinner Tonight for this recipe. DO YOU WANT YOUR GROUP TO BE FEATURED? Send us a note and photo, and let us know how your group is doing! We'd love to hear from you. VISIT OUR WEBSITE Junior Master Gardener Program | juniormastergardener@gmail.com CONNECT WITH US:  ‌  ‌  ‌

Move-mber: 4-H Fall Moving Challenge

 

Move-mber: 4-H Fall Moving Challenge Get Outside and Get Moving with North Carolina 4-H this November!

Goal The goal of the North Carolina 4-H "Move-mber" Fall Moving Challenge is to get our youth outside and moving.  With so much screen time these days with virtual learning, our goal is to encourage and inspire our youth to get outside and exercise.  The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that children and adolescents be active for at least 60 minutes every day! These guidelines can contribute to overall health, reduce stress, and decrease the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Walking is a great way to get the physical activity needed, explore the great outdoors, and spend time with family or friends!  Click here to learn how to be physically active while social distancing. To Participate Walk/Hike/Bike for at least 60 minutes per week, for at least four weeks, in November.  We encourage you to be active for more than this amount if you can! After completing each walk/hike/ride, enter your results here.  Each week will have a theme related to the 4 H's. Walks/Hikes/Rides must be completed November 1 through November 30.  If you want to explore local municipal parks, county parks, or state parks, be sure to check for hours of operation and trail conditions. To Register To register, complete this online registration through Eventbrite: here Private Facebook Group To help encourage, inspire, and motivate you, we have created a private Facebook group to share your experiences, photos, and stories.  Join our private Facebook group: here To be able to join the group, you must answer the following membership questions: In what year did 4-H start in North Carolina?  Answer: 1909 What do the four H's represent in 4-H?  Answers: Head, Heart, Hands, Health Where to Walk/Hike/Bike For some suggestions of places to walk/hike/bike, check out these websites: https://www.alltrails.com/us/north-carolina https://www.ncparks.gov/find-an-activity/trails https://www.nps.gov/blri/planyourvisit/nc-trails.htm https://www.nctripping.com/hiking-trails-in-north-carolina/ To Record Your Outdoor Adventures Online To enter your outdoor adventures online, enter information weekly. You will select the week you are entering information for as well as the minutes you were physically active for the week . If you want to, you can share how you were active outside! All weeks must be entered by December 1st at 5:00 pm.: link here Weekly Themes Each week has a themed activity to keep you motivated! Use your Head, Heart, Hands, & Health to follow along with these activities. Click here to access the activities handout. Finisher Awards For those who log at least one outdoor adventure per week and complete the challenge, a 4-H branded buff (neck gaiter) will be awarded to every registered finisher for the first 250 4-H'ers to complete the challenge. We encourage 4-H adults to get outside and participate as well, but finisher prizes are for youth participants. Link to the document with the 4-H Fall Moving Challenge information: here Link to the Google Form to record your weekly movement: here Link to the document with the Weekly Themes: here

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 October 23, 2020 to Dave Herpy at djherpy@ncsu.edu or (440) 537-3658.

Volunteer Training Opportunity

 Here is an opportunity for our 4-H Volunteers from Virginia...

Please share this information with your volunteers and anyone that may have an interest in leadership development.

In the wake of the ongoing pandemic we were forced to cancel the normal face-to-face fall conference of the Virginia Association of Adult 4-H Volunteer Leaders. In its place, we are pleased to offer a half-day virtual volunteer conference, similar to the virtual conference we held in April, with some wonderful sessions to provide high quality skill and leadership development. Workshop sessions will be applicable to both volunteers and Extension personnel.

When: Saturday, October 17, 2020; 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

Format: All sessions will be offered through Zoom, and will be accessible online or via telephone

Cost: This conference is FREE and open to everyone!

Registration / Session Access: Participants need to register online at https://forms.gle/ZHcncwH7LwZkB9Qm7. Everyone who registers will receive access information to each of the sessions.

General Sessions: Our welcome will be given by Frank Abbott, President of the Virginia Association of Adult 4-H Volunteer Leaders, and a "State of Virginia 4-H" update by Jeremy Johnson, Assistant Director and State 4-H Leader. Alyssa Walden, State Program Leader for Youth and Vice-President for Programs of the National Association of Extension 4-H Youth Development Professionals will provide a mid-day Lunch & Learn session.

Workshop Sessions: There are 5 fantastic sessions divided into two workshop blocs from which participants can choose.

Session Recordings: Each session will be recorded, and those registered will receive access to all recordings following the conclusion of the conference.

Complete Information: A complete schedule with session titles and descriptions is available at https://sites.google.com/vt.edu/v3conference/v3-fall-2020.

Please help spread the word, as this will be a great development opportunity which is not to be missed! See you on October 17!

Regards,

Chad N. Proudfoot and Kelly Rose

Co-Coordinators

Dr. Jim Clark to be Recognized

Dr. Jim Clark, author of several 4-H books including Clover All Over written for our Centennial Celebration, is receiving the 2020 John Tyler Caldwell Award for the Humanities. Please tune in for his awards ceremony on Thurs. Oct. 29 at 4 PM. It looks like a great event and wonderful celebration celebrating one of NC 4-H's stars!

Everyone can watch the program for free on the NC Humanities Council’s Facebook and YouTube pages. No registration is necessary; just tune in at 4 pm for the program. The chat will be enabled, so you can send him live congrats!

Facebook.com/NCHumanities

YouTube.com/NCHumanitiesCouncil

EFNEP Opportunity

 

Did you know that the 4-H Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is now offering food and nutrition classes online? For more information, contact Joanna Rogers at North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center, by phone at (910) 671-3276 or email at joanna_rogers@ncsu.edu.

Shopping with EFNEP

 

This article was written for the Robesonian by Ashley McRae, EFNEP Program Assistant.  It can also be found on the NC Cooperative Extension, Robeson County Center website.

Fall is upon us! Commercials advertising newly released horror movies are in full swing and the drop in temperature has prompted many to start pulling out those old chili and soup recipes for their families to enjoy. In stores we begin to see many of our favorite holiday treats reappear, and pumpkin spice themed food and drink saturate many of the aisles. With these things happening, one can imagine how hard it is to make healthy food choices when there are so many delicious, sometimes not-so-healthy options to choose from, but the truth is, it is possible.

Many families have faced challenges with maintaining healthy eating habits at some point. There are many factors that guide our decision making in the grocery store such as budget, preparation time, and availability of fresh options. Other times it is just easier to continue to do what we are comfortable with, which may not always be beneficial health wise. With the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), participants not only learn ways to get the best value for their money but also to choose foods and beverages that are necessary for a healthy diet. Having an understanding of these things is increasingly important as you are making decisions about what to purchase for your family, especially when shopping during the holiday season. Here are a few things to consider:

• Visit your local farmers market to purchase in-season fruits and vegetables when possible. Fruits and vegetables are often less expensive to buy when they are fresh and in season; some of your local vendors may even accept SNAP or WIC benefits. Having fruits available in the home is great, especially when you want a sweet treat. If you aren’t able to make it to the market, try to keep frozen and canned fruits and vegetables on hand to use with meals.
• When shopping at the grocery store, take into consideration stores are arranged in a way that encourages increased spending. If available, get a copy of the store directory so you are able to map your shopping trip. In EFNEP, we teach the idea of shopping the perimeter of the store first, which has many of your fresh foods, deli meats, dairy products, and meats. The aisles in the middle of the store normally contain more packaged foods that are high in saturated fats and sugars.
• Make a habit of allowing your children to be more involved in grocery shopping and planning. You can do things such as letting them pick a fruit or vegetable they would like the family to try. Encourage them to choose healthy alternatives low in sugar and additives. EFNEP advises children who are picky eaters are more likely to try new foods when given the choice to decide.

If you would like to learn more helpful tips about grocery shopping and planning, EFNEP could be a great series for you! For more information, contact Ashley McRae, Extension Adult Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program Assistant, at 910-671-3276, by E-mail at Ashley_McRae@ncsu.edu, or visit our website at http://robeson.ces.ncsu.edu/.

NC State University and N.C. A&T State University are collectively committed to positive action to secure equal opportunity and prohibit discrimination and harassment regardless of age, color, disability, family and marital status, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, political beliefs, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, and veteran status. NC State, N.C. A&T, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating.