|
|
|
March/April 2022 Issue # 41
| |
|
Buena Vista Mavericks 4-H Club
Ring Stewarding at a 4-H Show
Katy Stefanowski
I was so excited to be the ring steward at the Buena Vista Ranchos 4-H horse show. My job was to help the judge by taking her directions for each group and bringing scorecards from the judge to the announcer. When each group entered the arena, I would have the horses line up where the judge requested. I also helped by calling out the horse’s numbers to the judge. Between groups I moved the cones to match the pattern the judge would use for scoring. When the judge was done with her scorecard, I took the cards to the announcer so the winners could be announced. Being the ring steward was an amazing experience and I learned a lot from Judge Lorette.
Colby McCormick
I really enjoyed my experience as being a ring steward! I learned so much about how horse shows work, and the amount of effort put into making them happen. As a ring steward for the western horse show at BVR, I did many things. I started by collecting the score card from Judge Lorette, then lining up horses according to where the Judge wanted them, setting up cones for the patterns and calling out the numbers on the backs of the contestants. My favorite part in this experience was getting to tell the horses when to walk, trot or canter as they were being judged. I am very thankful for BVR letting me help out at a western horse show and would love to do it again!
| |
Car Seat Safety Education Program Strengthens Outreach
Julian Rivera
The University of Arizona-Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center recently developed a partnership with the Phoenix Fire Department in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Highway to provide car seat safety education and equipment at no cost to families. On February 2 - 4, 2022, staff of the University of Arizona’s Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center received certification training to ensure proper installation of car seats by parents and caregivers throughout South Phoenix. The UArizona Car Seat Safety Education (CSSE) program’s goal is to protect infants and children from vehicle-related injuries and death.
Phoenix firefighters trained and certified by Safe Kids Worldwide taught UArizona staff to not only assess various car seat situations efficiently, but how to advise and educate drivers about keeping their children at maximum safety in their backseat. Several firefighters were on hand not only teaching in the classroom, but also giving installation demonstrations in a variety of vehicles outdoors.
As part of the Child Passenger Safety Technician training, the newly-educated personnel performed real one-on-one installations with the public during a free Car Seat event held at the Society of St. Vincent De Paul in Phoenix. During the event, 48 families were reached and educated on the most appropriate car seat for their child’s height, weight, age, and developmental level. Some parents arrived with children in car seats that were not properly installed, but were able to leave with proper installation and car seat education. Others needing a car seat were assessed and provided with the appropriate one. Upon completion of a written test, hands-on training and the installation event, trainees earned their car seat technician certification. By having car seat technicians on staff, the University of Arizona-Roosevelt Early Childhood Family Resource Center will be able to increase the number of Car Seat Safety Education events in South Phoenix and provide protection for more children through the continuous and proper use of appropriate child safety seats. For more information, please contact the Family Resource Center at 602-980-3692.
| |
Master Gardener Spring Plant Sale in March
Michael Chamberland, Urban Horticulture, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension
The Master Gardener Program held a Spring Plant Sale in March. A wide variety of plants were available, from cacti to flowers and vegetable starts. This sale was part of our initiative to educate and encourage plant propagation among Master Gardeners. We hope to enable the production of better quality and more desirable plant offerings. The Master Gardeners now turn their propagation efforts to starting plants for our larger Fall Festival Plant Sale, regularly held in October.
| |
|
Project CENTRL
Scott Koenig
Save the Date for the 2022 CENTRL Celebration Saturday June 4 returning to the Wild Horse Pass Show Room, pictured below! Class 30 will graduate, and we’ll introduce Class 31. We’ll recognize alumni who have made significant impacts in the agricultural and civic lives of the state: Linda Vensel, from Patagonia Class 2 and Jim Parks from Flagstaff Class 22. All alumni, family and friends of the Arizona Center for Rural Leadership are welcome to attend. Registration available soon at www.centrl.org/events.
| |
Project CENTRL’s Class 30 spent three days at the State Capitol learning about how to get involved in the legislative process in Arizona and visited with our five alumni elected to serve in Arizona’s 55th Legislature. Next the group will take on Washington, D.C. and Gettysburg, PA with members of Class 29 and 28 who were unable to attend last year.
| |
The Maricopa County Fair
April 6-10
Caroline Werkhoven
The date is rapidly approaching, and the 4-H Staff are ready for the County Fair! On Saturday, April 2nd, we hosted our annual 4-H General Projects Day. This is when our 4-H youth, who have been working hard all year long, get to show off what they have accomplished. Youth will have the opportunity to participate in “conference judging,” where they can talk with a judge, share what they have learned, discuss any struggles they had with their project, explain their project, and get some expert feedback. New for this year! Exhibitors can choose to sell their item(s).
All exhibits and awards will be on display in the Party Gras building, southwest corner of the Arizona State Fairgrounds, during the fair. Also during the fair, 4-H staff will host several activities for the public and our 4-H members and volunteers. Look for scavenger hunts, ladder ball, cake decorating & flower arranging competitions, and other activities. We would love to see you at the Maricopa County Fair! https://maricopacountyfair.org/entries-and-more.
| |
|
National Nutrition Month turns 50 this Year!!
By Dotty Spears, SNAP-Ed Program Coordinator Sr.
Traci Armstrong Florian, MS, RDN | FCHS Agent
Each year, during March, the SNAP-Ed program supports schools, teachers, and students by promoting National Nutrition Month. Our efforts have been hindered these past three years because of COVID with schools being closed to outside participation.
| |
However, the truth is, nutrition is a subject that can be celebrated all year long, and as communities come back to a new normal, SNAP-Ed intends to do just that—celebrate and support schools in their nutrition efforts.
National Nutrition Week began in 1973 with a US Presidential proclamation. It began as an opportunity to deliver nutrition education messages to the public and highlight the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) profession. This has not changed over the years except it became National Nutrition Month in 1980.
This is the 50th year for celebrating National Nutrition Month. Each year a theme was created. It is fun to see how nutritional science and messaging have changed over the years. Here are few fun ones to read, and you may recognize some of them:
| |
| 1973 Invest in Yourself—Buy Nutrition
1977 Nutrition . . . Foodway to Fun and Fitness
1978 Nutribird Says: Eat a Balanced Diet Every Day
1983 Say Yes to Less (Less Fat, Less Salt, Less Sugar) or Juggle the Foods You Eat
1988 Choose Good Nutrition—For Today & Tomorrow
1989 A Lifetime Decision—Choose Good Nutrition
1993 Eat Right America! (Food Guide Pyramid)
1997 All Foods Can Fit
2001 Food & Fitness: Build a Healthy Lifestylehttps://www.eatright.org/food/resources/national-nutrition-month
2004 Eat Smart, Stay Healthy
2007 No Fad Diets
2011 Eat Right with Color
2014 Enjoy the Taste of Eating Right
2017 Put Your Best Fork Forward
2020 Eat Right, Bite by Bite
2022 Celebrate a World of Flavors
| |
You will find tools and resources to use for National Nutrition Month here.
Our team and program look forward to sharing even more resources, promoting efforts, and providing materials with our SNAP-Ed partners through Arizona Health Zone throughout this month and throughout the year.
Photo Sources: Top Left: eatright.org/ Right: biggreen.org
| |
Field Crops IPM and Urban Agriculture Programs
The 8th Arizona Alfalfa and Forage Workshop
RSVP for this event by contacting Dr. Ayman Mostafa ayman@arizona.edu or 602-827-8213.
A clickable link to the agenda is included following the workshop description.
When: Thursday, April 21st, 2022 – 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Maricopa Agricultural Center
Who should attend: Growers, PCAs, Ag industry representatives and anyone interested in field crops in Arizona.
Topics: We will discuss topics related to weather, agronomic, soil and pest management practices for Arizona and the southwest alfalfa and forage crops.
CLICK HERE for Agenda
CEUs will be offered pending approval by the AZDA.
Lunch will be provided.
| |
Field Crops IPM and Urban Agriculture ProgramsAgricultural Production Seminar
CLICK HERE for the flyer and to register. A clickable link to the agenda is included after the seminar description.
When: Wednesday, April 6, 2022 – 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
Where: Freeman Corn Patch - 62-180 E 9th Pl, Mesa, AZ 85201
Who should attend: Growers, Ag professionals, PCAs, Ag industry representatives and anyone interested in field crops in Arizona.
Topics: Agronomic, economic, weather, soil health, citrus production, pesticide safety, pest management, and related topics to urban ag and field crops.
Speakers: The event will cover timely topics and recent research results conducted by some of UArizona Cooperative Extension Ag Team members.
CLICK HERE for Agenda
Lunch will be provided.
| |
|
Interim Directors Cut
Kai Umeda
Spring is certainly in the air as temperatures are pleasantly climbing to allow more outdoor activities such as gardening with plant sales and harvesting of citrus and vegetables. People may be suffering from allergies as pollens from spring blooms float in the air (this may be another good reason to stay healthy by wearing masks). The COVID chaos (masks are still recommended) is easing up a bit and so our Maricopa County Cooperative Extension program offerings are also cautiously easing back into conducting in-person education opportunities for SNAP-ED, Master Gardeners, Smartscape, Project WET, and Agriculture/Turfgrass. 4-H personnel and volunteers have been busy preparing for the Maricopa County Fair in early April as you are reading this newsletter. Our Maricopa County Cooperative Extension will be co-hosting with the Maricopa County Farm Bureau the revived Farm-City Breakfasts with each of the County Board of Supervisors members during April. The breakfasts are an effective way to engage and educate community and school leaders and administrators and neighborhood organizations all about the importance of agriculture in Arizona.
| |
|
|
|
|
