Sorted by date Results 1 - 12 of 12
The Escambia County 4-H and FFA Calf Show starts at 12 p.m., Thursday, March 5, with sale starting right after, at around 6 p.m. In March of 2019, youth from across Escambia County, AL and the surrounding area gathered for the 2019 edition of the Escambia County 4-H/FFA Calf Show at Perdido River Farms in Atmore, AL. The show saw 41 youth show off the work they did with their 8 heifers and 39 steer. For some of those youth, their financial rewards from showmanship or class divisions were enjoyed for a short time before they were invested into...
Bullying is common in children and youth. Research shows that one in three young people admit to bullying others. An Alabama Extension family and child development specialist said it is important parents be alert for warning signs that their child is bullying others. “How young people behave at home is often a reflection of how they behave with others at school,” Adrienne Duke said. “Children who bully others tend to feel a need to have control over situations, push boundaries, and are often unaware of the consequences of violent behav...
The flu claimed the lives of 910 people in the United States in 2019, according to the CDC. In addition to the flu-related deaths, there were an estimated 16,000 hospitalizations, 800,000 visits to physicians and 1.7 million confirmed flu cases during the 2019-2020 flu season. This time of year is a prime time for the flu and other diseases to easily spread. However, there are several things people can do to help to fend off sickness. Helen Jones, an Alabama Extension human nutrition, diet and health regional agent, said according to the...
New federal regulations make it illegal for retailers to sell any tobacco product including e-cigarettes to people under 21. Adrienne Duke, a family and child development studies specialist with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, said the new age limit reflects a national response to vaping. “Federal law supersedes state law, meaning in Alabama, the legal age to purchase these product increases from 19 to 21,” Duke said. “People who sell to minors face fines and potential jail time.” Vaping an Epidemic Duke said vaping is a widespread, a...
This time of year, too many crape myrtles are slaugh- tered. Homeowners go wild pruning these trees, possibly damaging and stunting their growth and beauty. Crape myrtles are a popu- lar choice because of the bright bloom colors of red, white, pink or purple. Pruning crape myrtles cor- rectly is essential for these qualities to flourish in the tree. Crape Murder Sadly, the wrong pruning techniques happen most often with crape myrtle trees. That is why many have called this practice crape murder. Gardeners often do not know how to properly...
Every year, our Extension Offices across the state conduct their Grassroots Survey to gather input from people about the types of educational programs they believe would increase the quality of life of the people of their community. During the past few years while I have been in Escambia County, one of the consistent top needs identified by the survey population has been healthy living. This includes nutrition education, substance and drug abuse, and physical fitness. This issue is not exclusive to Escambia County, but is an issue facing many c...
4-H is a community of young people across America and the world who are learning leadership, citizenship, and life skills. 4-H is focused on positive youth development through hands-on learning and educational programs to build skills which will help them succeed in life. We provide programs through several different methods: in-school clubs which meet monthly, in-school enrichment which are short-term programs focused on a certain topic, clubs which meet regularly and are usually are focused on a specific interest like archery club (on 1st and...
4-H Chick Chain 2019 is in The Books! Since May, youth from across the area have been working daily to take care of their chicks for the Escambia County 4-H Chick Chain Program. All of their work culminated at the Chick Chain Show & Sale this past Saturday, November 2 during the morning of the LaRae Harvest Festival. Youth checked in before 9am and judging began with showmanship, where they presented one of the two chickens they brought to the judge and answer questions about the work they did, about the health of their chickens, as well as...
Don’t Miss Your Window of Influence When I am driving to and from work, playing chauffeur to my family, or when working on tasks at my office desk, I enjoy listening to music. I will either be listening to choir music to help me learn my part for songs we sing at church or will be listening to WOW 90.0 FM. One day last week, I was driving and the radio host was providing three “nuggets of wisdom” based on his experience of being a dad. I started listening after he had already shared his first nugget of wisdom, but was able to hear the secon...
Bullying is a more preva- lent issue than many parents think. Research shows that at some point, it is highly likely that youth will be exposed to bullying as a bystander and have an opportunity to inter- vene. The following article from Maggie Lawrence, News Unit Manager for Alabama Cooperative Extension System, goes over some ways for parents to talk to their children about bullying and how to encourage behaviors that youth can use to inter- vene: Parents might feel bullying does not affect their families if their child is not a victim or...
On November 2, in conjunction with the LaRae Harvest Festival, youth from across Escambia County will be gathering to showcase the work they did this year as part of the Escambia County 4-H Chick Chain. Prior to May, youth signed up to participate in the 4-H Chick Chain project and paid for the 10 freshly hatched pullet chicks they would get in May. Chicks were ordered from Cackle Hatchery in Lebanon, Missouri and delivered to the Escambia County Extension Office. Families picked up their 10 baby chicks from the Extension Office on May 15 and...
Thank you for the opportunity to be a guest columnist with the Tri-City Ledger. I was asked to take this on now that Ms. Carolyn Bivins, Alabama Cooperative Extension System Regional Extension Agent, is retired after 45 years of service to Escambia County and the surrounding counties. Ms. Carolyn was a blessing to our region and she has more than earned the time to invest in whatever projects and opportunities that she wants to pursue. As a guest columnist, I will be bringing some information and articles about what 4-H is doing here locally...
