Blackberries: Friend or Foe By Mario Villarino
As I started mowing more often and visiting sites around Hopkins County, the Blackberry weed has lately come into conversation often. Blackberries are plants that can be friends or foe depending of the intensity of the numbers of plants and purpose of the land. Some people might welcome them while others might have issues having them in their property. According to work done by the Noble Foundation in Oklahoma , Blackberry (Rubus sp.)...
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Test Your Knowledge By Johanna Hicks
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Test Your Knowledge During the past two months, I have presented programs for civic groups pertaining to Hopkins County Extension and what we have to offer. Although our volunteers and 4-H leaders are familiar with the variety of programs, workshops, program series, and events we offer, many people are simply unaware of who we are and what we do. So, before you read any further, take a...
Flies and How to Get Rid of Them By Mario Villarino
Happy New Year 2018! We at the Hopkins County Extension Office will like to wish you a safe and happy new year 2018!. Recently a heavy infestation of flies has been reported inside homes around Hopkins County. I know because I personally have found them around my home lately. The cold weather differential between outdoors and heated homes lures them inside looking for survival when cold weather prevails. According to Dr. Michael...
Partnerships and Team Work: A common trend in youth and adult education By Mario Villarino
During the third week of November, I got the opportunity to participate on the fourth and last session of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Leadership Workshop sponsored by the San Antonio Livestock Association. The 2016-2017 San Antonio Leadership Exposition (SALE-LE XII) training was conceptually designed to provide evidence of real experiences when leadership was executed. Recognizable or not, humans organize ourselves in teams...
Prussic Acid Intoxication of Cattle By Mario Villarino
Every years, as cold weather reaches Northeast Texas, concerns about toxicity of feed and feedstuff are common in our ranchers. Prussic acid poisoning also called hydrocyanic acid or cyanide poisoning. Cyanogenic compounds can develop in plants that are stressed; in the rumen the compounds are converted to cyanide, which can kill livestock. Livestock can show symptoms of intoxication within 5 minutes of eating plants with the poison,...
National 4-H Week, By Johanna Hicks
National 4-H Week For the 75th consecutive year, millions of youth, parents, volunteers and alumni across the country will be celebrating National 4-H Week during the first full week of October. Hopkins County 4-H will leverage National 4-H Week this year by showcasing the incredible experiences that 4-H offers young people , and will highlight the remarkable 4-H youth in our community who work each day to make a positive impact on...
Now Is The Time To Join 4-H
by Johanna Hicks Interested in Joining 4-H? Now is the Time! 4-H is the largest youth organization in the United States. In Texas, more than 550,000 youth are involved in 4-H experiences each year and we are pleased to announce that enrollment for the 2017/2018 year is now open. 4-H is a national organization which helps young people develop life-long knowledge and skills them “learn by doing.” It reaches people in their own...
Summer Gardening 101 By Mario Villarino
As we move into our hot gardening season, the increase of temperatures begins to show in both the garden and the gardener. As I was conducting one of our outdoor summer camps session earlier this week, the impact of the high temperatures in us the instructors and our participants was terrible. A similar effect can be expected in our livestock and plants during this time of the year. Because both July and August are in the top of the...
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...
Know Your Weeds By Mario Villarino
Know your weeds: MacCartney Rose Macartney rose, also known as “Cherokee rose,” “hedge” and “rose hedge,” presents severe management problems for livestock producers in Texas. Imported from the Orient in the late 1800s as a hedge for fencing purposes, the plant has escaped and naturalized . It now occupies more than 500,000 acres of Texas rangeland . This rose species forms dense stands that eliminate forage production and hinder...
