July and August-Hot News! By Johanna Hicks
July and August – Hot News! By the time this column goes to print, the 2017 “Kids’ Camp: Fun, Food, Fitness” will be in the history books. Forty-two children in grades 1 thru 4 took part in the 3-week summer day camp which featured a variety of experiences from hands-on food preparation to logging a combined 24,990 minutes (equaling 1,249.5 miles) of physical activity. Fire safety, water and sun safety, bullying, and weather safety...
Stop, Drop and Roll, 4H Exchange Trip, and Summer Sewing Workshop: By Johanna Hicks
Stop, Drop, and Roll – Good Advice All the Time! “Stop, Drop, and Roll” is the simple safety technique for children in case of fire, but this technique could also be applied to our lives all the time. When we think about our family life, social life, and career life, we are constantly putting out fires, while sometimes putting enormous pressure on ourselves and forgetting about our own wellbeing and/or welfare. Often, we are so...
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Offers Something for Everyone and Summer Sewing Workshop
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Offers Something for Everyone Did you know that every state in the United States has an Extension Service? Did you know that every county in Texas has Extension Agents who work with them and that some agents in smaller counties work more than one county? Were you aware that some of the larger counties have multiple agents to cover the large territory? How much do you really know about your Hopkins...
Happy and Safe Easter to All! By Johanna Hicks
Happy and Safe Easter to All! As families are gearing up for Easter, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides some timely information to keep your egg hunts safe and fun. Eggs have been used to celebrate spring festivals for centuries. Immigrant settlers brought symbolic Easter rabbits ad colored eggs to America, and since then, Easter egg hunts have been enjoyed by children of all ages! You can make sure your Easter egg hunts are...
Secondhand Smoke Harms Your Loved Ones By Johanna Hicks
Secondhand Smoke Harms Your Loved Ones Did you know that if you smoke around others, especially children, your smoking harms the people you care about? Smoking can affect the health of nonsmokers. Smoke that comes from the burning of a tobacco product or smoke that is exhaled by smokers is called secondhand smoke. Inhaling secondhand smoke is called involuntary or passive smoking. The same cancer-causing chemicals inhaled by...
Parents, Grandparents, Caregivers – This One’s for You! By Johanna Hicks
Parents, Grandparents, Caregivers – This One’s for You! Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a wealth of information and I’d like to share one of our many programs with you – Parenting Connections! Being a parent is simultaneously one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences that we will ever have. Parents have a tremendous responsibility to care for and raise children in a manner that will prepare them to...
Hand Hygiene is Key! By Johanna Hicks
Hand Hygiene is Key! Tis the season for flu, allergies, and upper respiratory problems! Unfortunately, sometimes these are unavoidable. However, there are some precautions you can take to lessen your chances of infection. These are been well documented, but a reminder never hurts! Proper hand washing is a good health habit that is extremely important in preventing the spread of contagious illnesses, like the flu. Wash your hands...
How to Choose Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables By Johanna Hicks
How to Choose Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables We all know that consuming more fruits and vegetables will have great benefits on our health. Those that are in season or at their peak harvest have the best flavor and are usually the least expensive. By choosing fruits and vegetables that are in season, you will teach your family to enjoy these good-for-you foods and save some money in the process. Include seasonal when planning your...
Agrilife Offers Accredited Food Handlers Program
GILMER – A Texas Department of State Health Services accredited food handlers program will be offered by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Jan. 22 in Gilmer. Julie York, instructor and AgriLife Extension county coordinator/family and consumer sciences agent, Upshur County, noted the program date falls on a Sunday. The program is required for all food service employees to help promote food safety will be from 3-5 p.m. at the...
Marriage and Parenting Education Wrap-Up By Johanna Hicks
Marriage & Parenting Education Wrap-up This is the 3rd in a series of program summaries in the area of Family & Consumer Sciences for 2016. (If you missed the first two, they covered Diabetes Education and Health & Wellness in Hopkins County.) One of my favorite workshops to teach is Twogether in Texas Marriage Education. This is a program recognized by the state of Texas and is deemed as being so important that the...
