4-H welcomes fall with fresh, flavorful apples and pecans

The annual 4-H apple and pecan sale sponsored by the Pinellas County 4-H Association is now in full swing. This sale is the main fundraiser for the 4-H Association. Each year, the Pinellas County 4-H Association awards $6,000 in grants for 4-H camps and trips, 4-H Legislature, 4-H Congress and, most recently, college scholarships.

This year, the sale is featuring Yellow Delicious and Empire apples. Both varieties are excellent for baking, cooking or just eating. The apples are priced $44 for a 40-pound bushel, or $24 for a half-bushel. Pecans, halves or pieces are available in 1-pound bags. Specialty milk and dark chocolate-covered pecans are offered in 12-ounce decorative bags. All bags are $11 each.

Any 4-H member can take your prepaid order, or orders can be placed through the 4-H Association website at http://pc4hassociation.org. Orders must be placed by Tuesday, Oct. 1. Orders can be picked up from Thursday, Oct. 31 to Saturday, Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Chester Ochs 4-H Educational Center, 14644 113th Ave.N. in Largo.

Parents and Kids – An Educational Opportunity!

Parents and Kids – An Educational Opportunity!

Brooker Creek Preserve is proud to announce they are looking for youth members to join their 4-H Forest Ecology Team and Brooker Creek Explorers Club. Youth joining the Forest Ecology Team will work towards competing in an annual 4-H Forest Ecology Contest held in April. This contest quizzes students on their plant and animal identification skills, compass and map skills, and ecological knowledge. Both the Team and the Club are fun ways to learn, get outdoors, and be involved in your community. Activities for the forest ecology team will be led by Lara Miller, Natural Resource Extension Agent for Pinellas County, and the Brooker Creek Explorers club will be led by Brooker Creek Preserve volunteers. If you are interested in joining either opportunity or both please contact Lara Miller at lmiller@pinellascounty.org. You may also join us at the 4-H Open House hosted at Brooker Creek Preserve on Saturday, October 13^th from 1:00-3:00pm. Families will have the opportunity to inquire more about the 4-H clubs and teams being offered as well as participate in a variety of fun, hands-on activities such as:

Activity 1:  Leaf and Bark rubbing

Activity 2:  Identification of the leaf that was rubbed

Activity 3:  Age of several Tree Cookies

Activity 4:  Drawing Your Own Life as a Tree Cookie

Free registration for the Open House is available here. We  look forward to seeing you there!

At Pinellas County Extension – registration made easy

Rain barrels, cooking classes, financial plans, 4-H … Pinellas County Extension has always addressed a variety of issues to help residents improve their quality of life. As an outreach of the University of Florida, the educational programs are geared toward making the most of resources, from money management skills to programs that teach energy efficient practices.

To make it easier for residents to participate in the variety of classes and program, Extension agents are introducing a citizen-friendly process to facilitate advance registration for programs. The new format will make it easy to sign up for any of the special events.

Visitors to pinellascounty.org will notice a process that is simple to follow, with readily available information and a fun new look.

“We are very excited about this new registration because it is so easy and fun for people to use,” said Mary Campbell, director of Pinellas County Extension. “We hope it will translate into more of our citizens taking advantage of our services.”

The new registration site will come online on Monday, Aug. 1, for all of the Extension classes that require registration, including those held at the Extension office in Largo, Brooker Creek Preserve in Tarpon Springs and Weedon Island Preserve in St. Petersburg. Online visitors will be easily directed to the registration page. Payment for classes with fees can be made using a credit or debit card (no cash or checks).

Pinellas County Extension is a partnership between Pinellas County government and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) as part of a nationwide network of land grant universities. The University of Florida is an equal access/equal opportunity institution.

The mission of Pinellas County Extension is to provide research-based knowledge and education programs enabling people to make practical decisions to improve their quality of life and the world around them. Education focuses on sustainable living, lawn and garden, families and consumers, and 4-H youth development.

Pinellas County Extension offers programming at the Extension office, 12520 Ulmerton Road, Largo, (727) 582-2100,www.pinellascountyextension.org; Brooker Creek Preserve Environmental Education Center, 3940 Keystone Road, Tarpon Springs, (727) 453-6800, www.brookercreekpreserve.org and Weedon Island Preserve Cultural and Natural History Center, 1800 Weedon Drive N.E., St. Petersburg, (727) 453-6500, www.weedonislandpreserve.org.

Pinellas County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you are a person with a disability who needs any accommodation in order to participate, you are entitled, at no cost to you, to the provision of certain assistance. At least seven days prior to the event, contact the Office of Human Rights, 400 S. Fort Harrison Ave., Suite 500, Clearwater, FL 33756, (727) 464-4062 (V/TDD).

Build Stronger Families with 4-H Teening-Up Workshop

Families with teenagers have their own set of unique challenges to deal with on the home front. To help families with youth ages 11 to 17 tackle these issues, Pinellas County Extension 4-H Youth Development is holding a two-day Family Teening-Up Workshop to help build stronger relationships. Parents, caregivers and youth should plan on attending both days of the workshop together.

The workshop is planned for Saturday, Aug. 8, and Saturday, August 15, and will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on both days. It will be held at Pinellas County Extension centrally located at 12520 Ulmerton Road in Largo.

The workshop is a group learning program to help parents, caregivers and teens learn about and understand the normal development of teenagers and improve their family communication. Practical information and resources with hands-on learning activities to enhance family relationships will be shared.

Saturday, Aug. 8, Day One provides practical information and resources with hands-on learning activities that can enhance the family relationship while focusing on the teen brain, transitions in adolescence and positive discipline.

Saturday, Aug. 15, Day Two targets talking with teens about issues that affect their daily lives, understanding teen anger while managing yours and empowering teens to build assets. Families must attend Day One of the workshop to be eligible for this one.

Families receive a Family Resource Binder complete with all program information to take home. The cost for the two-day workshop and materials is $50 per family.

Registration is required for this 4-H Family Teening-Up Workshop. To register, visit www.pinellascountyextension.org, click on the “Online Class Registration” button and then click on the “Family Programs” tab. Citizens may also call (727) 582-2450 to register. Please be sure to register before Saturday, Aug. 1.

Please note that this program is not designed to offer therapy or other services for teens and families with more serious problems. For services available in Pinellas County, please call Tampa Bay Cares at 211 or visit www.211tampabay.org for more in-depth information.