Brock Fry CEA AG/NR agent bafry@ag.tamu.edu

Cindy VanDevender Family & Consumer Sciences

cvandeve@ag.tamu.edu

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Jasper County

103 E. Houston St. Jasper, TX 75951—409-384-3721

Jasper County Extension newsletter

SPRING

2015

Agriculture & Natural Resources

Family & Consumer Sciences

County website: http://jasper.agrilife.org

Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.

Jasper Junior Livestock Show & Sale FRIDAY & SATURDAY March 27 – 28 in JASPER By Brock Fry, Jasper County Ag/NR Agent

This is an opportunity to show your support for Jasper County youth, both 4-H and FFA students. These projects help them de-velop responsibility, character, and knowledge.

The Junior Livestock arena is located on CR 777 across from Bell Field airport in Jasper. Come enjoy viewing rabbit, lamb, steer, goat, heifer, swine and ag mechanics projects. An im-portant part of this experience is showing the results to the pub-lic. Proceeds from the auction and add-ons (donations from sup-porters) is how many students begin their scholarship funds.

And when you work up an appetite, enjoy a variety of foods & drinks at the concession stand.

The committee chairs are Buck Cole, steers; Eddie McCauley, swine; Mike and Susan Harris, lambs and goats; Clint and Amy Dennis, broilers; Eric Shierry, rabbits; Byron Watson and Brett Crews, commercial heifers; Jaybo Jackson, breeding beef; Jason Glenn and Brock Fry, scramble calves; and Jeff Clark, ag mechanics.

For questions, call 409-382-8828. Schedule on page 4

Invitation to Texas Community Futures Forum Thursday, April 23, at Coleman Hall, 740 W. Verna in Jasper

By Jasper County Agents Cindy VanDevender & Brock Fry

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a rich history of providing educational programs that address the most critical issues in Jasper County. In order to make sure that the pro-grams being planned for the future are on target, we invite you to participate in the Texas Community Futures Forum on Thurs-day, April 23, at 6:30 pm in the Coleman Hall, the community meeting room behind the First Presbyterian Church.

Your opinion is highly valued in our community, so we truly hope you can join us. Our expectation is that the forum will last less than two hours, as we understand the value of your time.

This is open to the public. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Extension office at 409-384-3721. We would appreciate an RSVP by April 16 for planning purposes; please call 409-384-3721 or email srkerr@ag.tamu.edu.

For Agriculture: facebook.com/

Jasperagriculture

For Health & Wellness: facebook.com/

jaspercountyfcs

Keep up with County news & please

LIKE our agents’ facebook pages

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To find CEU classes go to

ceusearch.texasagriculture.gov/ Now is a good time to check the expiration

date on your private applicator license. You need 15 CEUs in a 5-year period to re-new your license without re-taking the test.

Please don’t wait until the last minute to take classes. Also, if you just want to learn more on a variety of topics, it’s never been easier

to find classes: naturalresourcewebinars.tamu.edu/ also: agriliferegister.tamu.edu

“View all” to see classes that are open to the public for a small fee

(and some are free).

What ’s in your water? Well Water Program at our office in Jasper on April 17, 6 to 9 pm, $25 for program & meal.

Featured speaker will be Leon Young, Ph.D., Re-gents Professor of Agriculture and Director of the Soil, Plant & Water Analysis Lab at Stephen F. Aus-tin University.

What can an inexpensive test tell you about your water? The SFASU test covers E. Coli (bacteria), water pH, electrical conductivity (which is a measure of salts), and minerals such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb, As, Cr, Cu, B, S, and No3-N PRE-registration required. Please call 409-384-3721 to reserve a seat.

JASPER programs & workshops

Grafting Workshop Monday, April 13, 2—5 pm

103 E. Houston St., Jasper TX 75951 Cost: $15 includes snacks 1 CEU in IPM

Speaker: Truman Lamb, Anderson County Extension Agent. Truman has years of experience in grafting pecan and fruit trees. Sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and the Jasper County Agricultural Programs Committee. RSVP by April 10, 409 384-3721

Cypress Creek Farm & Ranch Supply 894 FM 2938, Buna, TX 77612

Tuesday, March 31, 6:30 to 8:30 pm

FREE Workshop with 2 CEUs Speaker: John Steward, Crop industries

2 general CEU hours offered for private pesticide applicator license renewal

Please RSVP to Cypress Creek at 409-994-9420

Save the Date!

Saturday, August 8, 2015 9 am to 3 pm

SODBUSTERS’ SYMPOSIUM

at Rayburn Country Club

Garden lectures, lunch, door prizes, vendors, plant sales, silent auction & more

2376 Wingate Blvd. Brookeland, TX 75931 Special room rates available for overnight vistisors:

Call Rayburn Country 409-698-1002 or email www.lakerayburncountry.com

Contact our office for more information:

409-384-3721

3

STATE resources, workshops & events

SFASU Garden Lecture Series The Reeves Lecture Series are second Thursdays at 7 pm in the Ina Bundrett Conservation Education Building at the Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., Nacogdoches (just north of the University).

A rare plant raffle is held after the pro-gram. This event is free and open to the public but donations are always appreci-ated. Park at Raguet Elementary School next door — shuttle serve to the Conser-vation Education Bldg. Next in series: April 9, Matt Welch, Plants, Planting and Push-ing the Envelope May 14, David Leedy, Can I interest YOU in an Aroid?

For more information, call 936-468-1832.

********

Plant sale at Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900 Raguet St., Nacogdoches, TX. Free shut-tle from school parking lot. April 11, 9 am

Last Thursdays lecture series at the

East Texas Conservation Center

(aka old fish hatchery)

Speaker: Chris Gregory

“Critters Around the Fishing Hole”

March 26,

starting at 7 pm, FREE

409-384-6894

Pineywoods Beekeepers Association

2015 BEE SCHOOL in Lufkin Learn how to be a beekeeper including hands-on management skills. This will be PBA’s 10th season teaching this multi-part course. Classes are Saturdays April 18 and 25, 10 am to 5 pm, at the AgriLife Conference Room, 2201 S. Medford Dr., Lufkin TX 75901. Hive practice will be May at the PBS Fairview Bee Yard. For more information or application brochure, contact Terry McFall at tdmcfall@hotmail.com or call 409-384-3626.

from Master Naturalist Lori Horne:

EARTH DAY Regatta

4th annual paddling regatta — canoe, kay-ak and fish — April 18 at Caddo lake (Karnack, TX) Online registration & info: http://www.eventbrite.com/o/cypress-basin-texas-master-naturalists-6174931049?s=32701646

Newton Garden Club 52nd annual Flower Show

Deep in the Heart of East Texas Friday, March 27, 4 to 6 pm Saturday, March 28, 10 to 1 pm at First Baptist Church Family Life Center 319 Main St., Newton, TX FREE! Public gets to vote on Friday. For ques-tions, contact Molindia Henson, 409-565-4702

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see p. 1 for story

Jasper County Junior Livestock Show & Sale

FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015

7 - 8 AM RABBIT AND BROILER CHECK-IN 8 - 9 AM MARKET BROILER JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP

8 – 10 AM MARKET RABBIT JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP, OPEN BREEDING RABBIT SHOW & SHOWMANSHIP

9 – 11 AM SWINE CHECK-IN

11AM – NOON GOAT & LAMB CHECK-IN NOON – 2 PM AG MECHANICS PROJECT SHOW

1 - 3 PM MARKET GOAT JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP 3:30 – 5 PM MARKET LAMB JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP

5 - 8 PM STEER CHECK-IN 5 – 8 PM COMMERICAL HEIFER CHECK-IN

5:00 – 8:00 PM MARKET SWINE JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP

SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015

9:00 AM COMMERCIAL HEIFER SHOW 15 min. after CHS MARKET STEER JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP

15 min. after MSS OPEN JR. BREEDING BEEF SHOW & SHOWMANSHIP

15 min. after BBS SCRAMBLE HEIFER SHOW 3:30 PM CLOVER KID SHOW

4:30 PM PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS & OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

5 PM LIVESTOCK AUCTION BEGINS!!

Congratulations to Sophia Palmore, Buna

4-H, for winning Reserve Grand Champion with her Simbrah

at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

jaspercoc.org Jasper TX 75951 409 384-2762

cancelled — Azalea Fest

no reschedule

Re-scheduled: 1. Jasper Air Show, Oct. 3—4

2. MASTER GARDENER PLANT SALE— come to the

greenhouse during

EARTH DAY April 25

LIBRARY BOOK SALE is still on! Saturday, March 21, 9 am—4 pm

RAIN or SHINE! at the FIRE HALL on Water St. next to the

library, 1 block south of the courthouse.

Stock up for cheap on all kinds of books,

magazines, CDs and more.

Friends of the Library hold a sneak

preview fundraiser Friday night, 5 to 7

pm. You pay a premium to get

first pick., but it’s for

a good cause.

Earth DAY celebration, Outdoor Swap Meet &

Master Gardener Plant SALE Saturday April 25, 9 am to noon

All 3 events at the Outdoor Learning Center, 225 Water St. Jasper.

EARTH DAY features free kids activities, garden tours and butterfly learning programs.

OUTDOOR SWAP MEET is like a garage sale but only for outdoorsy stuff like tools, sporting goods and yard stuff. Please clean out your garage or shed and either take a booth or DONATE items for master gardeners to sell to raise money for the Arboretum projects.

PLANT SALE—you know JMG’s have the best plants for East Texas.

Call our office, 409-384-3721 for information

5

Texasinvasives.org Online Training Would you like to become involved in this citizen scientist program? Take the online training and

join the Longleaf Ridge Invaders www.texasinvasives.org/training/.

Orange County Master Gardener’s Annual

Bloomin’ Crazy Plant Fair April 11, 2015, 8 am to 1 pm

Jewel Cormier Park Exit 869 S of IH 10

National Wildlife Federation’s s Garden

for Wildlife Program has certified thou-

sands of habitats with 1.5 million active

participants in every state and nearly every

county in the U.S. Each certified site owner

agrees to offer food, water, shelter and

places to raise young for wildlife. Studies

shows that even a small property that con-

tains these four key elements will see dou-

ble the number of wildlife – birds, pollina-

tors, small mammals and more – residing at

or frequenting the site.

Throughout 2015, NWF is calling upon

people to help support the declining mon-

arch butterfly by encouraging them to

plant milkweed and nectar plants and pro-

vide habitat for this iconic species. To learn

more about this program: http://

www.nwf.org/how-to-help/garden-for-

wildlife.aspx

Food Safety is in your (clean) Hands

By FCS Agent Cindy VanDevender

One of the big pushes we’ve had in Jasper and sur-rounding counties is to train people in food safety and get them certified to sell and serve food to the public under Texas Cottage Food Law. Our Food Handler’s course is the “entry level” class that people need if they are selling homemade food at a farmers market or festival. Even unpaid volunteers serving free samples or helping out at a fundraiser meal for donations — if you are serving food to the public, you need this class. Commercial vendors, restaurant staff and kitchen man-agers are held to even higher standards and must keep their certifications up to date. Why? Because food sci-ence is constantly learning more, and the bad bugs that can make us sick keep evolving new strategies. Here’s some advice from the CDC (Centers fo Disease Control): Does your business follow recommendations on proper exclusion and restriction of sick employees? It is estimated that almost half of restaurant related out-breaks are related to food handled by sick employees. According to the FDA, it is required that food employ-ees report if not feeling well. Reportable symptoms in-clude vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fe-ver or lesion containing pus. These seems like com-mon sense, but a survey conducted by the CDC showed that 70% of the food managers reported work-ing while sick. Reasons given: strong work ethic, felt obligated because they were understaffed, or would not get paid if not working.

Information source and for more information: https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/foodestablishments/draft.shtm

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Find more healthy cooking ideas on Cindy’s

Jasper County Health & Wellness page at

facebook.com/jaspercountyfcs/info

www.TakeCareofTexas.org

Eat.

Real.

Food.

Save the DATE

DINNER TONIGHT cooking school

June 6 in Jasper

Vendors & sponsors: Contact us

409-384-3721 or visit our

website and click on Events http://jasper.agrilife.org

FREE IDEAS & PROJECTS FOR KIDS

Better Living for Texans Dinner Dilemma

It’s 5 pm and you haven’t had time to think about dinner. You walk in the door and are greeted with “What’s for dinner?” You mind is blank; you have no idea what to fix. If you haven’t planned in advance, here is a tip: Make each week night a specific meal night.

Monday – Soup Night

Tuesday – Chicken Night

Wednesday – Mexican Food Night

Thursday – Hamburger Night

Friday – Pasta Night

This way, you already know what you are fixing for dinner; you just have to narrow it down to recipe/ingredients.

For example: Monday-Soup Night If you have left over chicken, some noodles or rice, carrots, onions, celery; you have the makings for chicken noodle soup. Or if you have potatoes, onions, broth and milk you have the makings for potato soup.

7

Are you interested

in being a…

2 Saturdays you can choose:

April 18 or May 16, 9 am to 4 pm both days at Buna Karate & Fitness

290 CR 734, Buna TX 77612

Safe Sitter is a program for 11—14 year olds where you learn lifesaving skills so you can be safe if you’re home alone or watching younger children.

Limited to 8 students per session $45 includes Safe Sitter backpack, all course materials and snacks throughout the day. $10 discount to current 4-H members.

PRE-registration is

required!

Safe sitter registration fee $45 _______

Fee for current 4-H members $35 _______

Fee to be a Safe Sitter and 4-H Member $60 _______ Save $15 by joining 4-H today! Taking our Safe Sitter course and joining 4-H entitles you to more experience in preparing to be a great babysitter. Through future classes you will learn things like how to create nutritious snacks, the simples crafts and games to play, how to deal with a difficult child, tips and tricks for bedtime, reading and tell-ing great stories, plus much more.

Name:______________________________

Street or POB: _______________________

City____________________ TX zip_______

Phone Number:________________________

Email:_______________________________

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $_____ payable to “Jasper Program Fund”

Return completed form and payment to: Cindy VanDevender, CEA-FCS

103 E. Houston St., Jasper, TX 75951

Jasper County Farmers Market celebrates 6th Year in May 2015!

First day of Market will be Saturday, May 2, 8—11

am in the Tractor Supply parking lot at Highways 190 & 96, same as last year. Expect to find farm ripe fruits and vegetables, local honey, herbs, flowers, local crafts & more.

Market is open to local growers and for hand-crafted items and home-made good-ies. Market is open during the growing season, May through July, closes for Au-gust, re-opens September through early November.

Jasper Farmers Market is a member of the Texas Certified Farmers Market Association. Contact our office at 409-384-3721 NEW VENDOR PACKETS

WILL BE ONLINE AFTER THE APRIL MEETING.

jasper.agrilife.org

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Fruits & Vegetables -Easy Choice!

In Texas, three out of four deaths are attributed to a chronic disease. However, studies show two and half cups of vegetables and fruits per day can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases. We know a healthy eating pattern including fruits and vegetables can help lower risks of de-veloping obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Lifestyles are hectic; however, increasing fruit and vegetables can be easy. Here are a few tips for making fruits and vegetables the easy choice!

Choose to make half your plate fruits & vege-tables. The rest should be one-quarter grains and one-quarter protein with low-fat dairy on

the side. MyPlate is a guide to making a healthy meal, yet not every meal will look like MyPlate. For example, a sandwich may not fit each portion of the plate; however, a sandwich with whole grain bread, lean protein, low-fat cheese and veg-etables with a side of fruit makes a healthy plate.

Choose a variety of colors. The colors in fruit and vegetables are not just pretty — colors re-flect complex nutrients that pack a healthy punch in reducing the risk of chronic diseases.

Choose whole fruits and vegetables over juice. Fruit juice which can contain added sugars and is higher in calories, lower in fiber.

Choose to prep your snacks ahead of time. Package small snack bags of bell peppers, car-rots, grapes, or your favorite fruit or vegetable. Place them in a spot you can see in the refrigera-tor. Easy obvious & available snacks make the right choice easy.

PLANT MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS! Monarch butterflies will soon leave winter roosts in Mexico and return to breeding grounds all across America and Canada, starting in Texas. Adult monarchs feed from nectar on a variety of flowers. However, larvae only eat plants in the genus Asclepias — MILKWEED! — their future relies on finding milkweeds along the way.

This time of year, Jasper Master Gardeners always have milkweed for sale in the green-house at the Outdoor Learning Center 1 block south of the courthouse. You can usually catch them there on workdays, most Friday and Satur-day mornings. Milkweed thrive in Texas flower-beds and will often re-seed once established. Just remember, when you see caterpillars eating up the leaves, that’s a GOOD thing. That’s the next generation of monarchs, and the milkweed is designed by nature to thrive on this pruning.

9

Inspection & Registration—Together At Last!

As a result of HB2305, Texas will stop issuing inspection stickers and transition to a “Two Steps, One Sticker” vehicle inspection & registration program. Beginning March 1, 2015, vehicles will no longer be issued an inspection sticker. Your registration sticker will serve as proof of both registration and inspection.

Step One—Pass a vehicle inspection and retain the vehicle

inspection report (VIR) issued to you by the station.

Step Two—Renew annual registration by mail, online, or in person, and your inspection status will be verified electroni-

cally. A passing inspection is required for registration.

Two Step Tips

Single Expiration Date: Transitioning requires every vehi-

cle’s inspection and registration dates to expire at the same time. In order to do this, the first year you may register your vehicle as long as your inspection is valid the day you regis-ter. However, if your inspection and registration stickers are already aligned and both expire in the same month, your ve-hicle will need to pass inspection prior to renewal.

90 Days: Beginning March 1, 2016, you have a 90-day win-

dow to complete the Two Steps and must have your vehicle inspected within 90 days before your sticker expires.

Inspection Verification: If your vehicle passed inspection

but the system is unable to electronically verify it, present your passing VIR and you will be able to register.

Inspection Fees: Inspection fees have not changed but

where you pay them has. You will now pay the inspection station its portion of the fee at time of inspection and the state’s portion will now be collected at time of registration.

For more, visit www.TwoStepsOneSticker.com. The website in-cludes a calculator where you enter your inspection & registration dates and find out exactly what you need to do, plus how this program works for motor carriers, car dealers, local governments and fleet managers.

TRASH IN – TRASH OUT –

TRASH-OFF!! HELP CLEAN UP Jasper County By Joanie Kochanek, Master Naturalist Community groups are coming to-gether to clean up roadways, parks, boat ramps and vacant lots. Spring-time in East Texas is beautiful, with flowering redbud, dogwoods, azal-eas, wild plum and tulip trees. Let’s take time to help clean up the road-sides. YOU can be a part!

Texas is a beautiful state and can be more beautiful if everyone takes time to pick up litter near their homes. An amazing amount comes from the beds of pickup trucks. Please don’t keep loose trash in the back of your truck.

The “Don’t Mess with Texas Trash Off ” is Saturday, April 11. Mark your calendars and join volunteers across the state. Don’t Mess with Texas Trash-Off is part of TXDOT’s litter prevention program.

To find out where you can join or start a team, sign up at www.ktb.org or call 1-800-CLEAN-TX.

Jasper groups can participate by cleaning up several areas in the county, or meet up with local groups at Sandy Creek Park across from City Hall on Main Street in Jasper at 9 am Saturday, April 11.

Remember, every “litter bit” picked up helps!

10

gardening news

Jasper Master Gardener Gary McRight shares infor-mation on growing peppers

20% Shading can increase pepper production by 70% Gary is a Master Gardener Propagation Specialist who will soon be engaged in research on the new Texas Superstar Tycoon tomato with Dr. Joe Masabni of Texas A&M. Dr. Masabni says the re-search on peppers proves what he has been saying all along, that we have too much sun in Texas and we really don’t need vegetables in full sunlight all day long. What research in other sunny climates found is that a moderate shade net-ting which reduces light transmission by 20% actually increases production by up to 70%, compared to the same crop grown in an open field. Efficiency of irrigation water is also higher under shade netting structures. Future research field trials will try to determine the optimum level of shad-ing for various vegetable crops, but it seems that shade netting may be one of the most affordable and sustainable ways to increase vegetable yields. read the whole article at: http://

www.hortidaily.com/article/14714/20-

procent-shading-can-increase-pepper-

productivity-by-70-procent

Next month, watch for JMG Laura Golden’s article on peppers for East Texas in the April Lakecaster magazine.

Save the date:

Spring Commercial Vegetable Tour with Dr. Joe Masabni, Texas A&M Extension Vegetable Specialist Monday, April 27, 1 to 5 pm Tour local growers farms and gardens; learn the latest recommendations for growing vegetables in East Texas

details to be announced

“Exclusion” best way to prepare for spring bug boom from an article by Paul Schattenberg, AgriLife Today

“We’ve had a relatively bug-free winter but with the recent rains and warm temperatures, expect to see lots of insect pests that have been overwintering reemerge in force,” said Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Ext. entomologist for Travis County.

Brown said now is the time to get ready for a bug boom, by excluding the pests through removing potential sheltering and breeding areas and securing your home from their approach.

“One of the best things you can do is prune trees and shrubs away from your home, including any branches that touch or hang over your roof,” she said. “And if you have any materials stacked next to your home, such as firewood, bricks, stone or landscaping materials, this would be a good time to move them and make sure to remove any yard debris.”

Exclude insects from the house with weather stripping around loose-fitting doors and windows. “If you can see daylight around the edges of windows or doors, then it’s a good bet insects can get inside from there,” Brown explained.

She also suggests blocking weep holes in outside walls that have a brick or stone façade with copper mesh and to use an expanding sealant to fill in cracks and crevices on the outside of the home, as well as places where pipes or wires enter the home from the exterior. Repair or replace damaged window screens and clean gutters of any debris. Use mesh wire to block any access points in the attic.

Spring is also when mosquitoes reappear, she said, so remove or secure anything that can capture water and provide mosquitoes with an attractive breeding site. Read more at http://today.agrilife.org/