Spring brings fresh produce

Phone | 903-885-3443

Email | jshicks@ag.tamu.edu

Many home gardens have been planted and questions have been received by our office on preserving the harvest. A great resource for home food preservation comes from my colleagues at the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. They have published a book called “So Easy to Preserve,” which covers not only the basics of water bath canning and pressure canning, but also recipes for canned products, pickled products, spreads and syrups, freezing, and drying foods to preserve them. If you are interested in learning more, contact my office at 903-885-3443, and I’ll provide you with information. We also have a few publications in our office available to anyone interested.

In addition to food preservations publications, we have more great resources for produce, including full-color packets which include growing season, storage, varieties, fun facts & tips, and three recipes for each vegetable. Topics include bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, jalapenos, okra, onions, radishes, spinach, Swiss chard, tomatoes, and zucchini. We hope you will take advantage of the great resources available to you!

Walk Through Texas

Hopefully by now you have read or heard about Walk Through Texas History. This four-week program is designed to help Texans establish the habit of regular physical activity while learning the rich history of Texas. Each adult team may include up to 8 team members, all working together to reach designated goals while following along legendary historical paths created by fellow Texans. A new path has been developed, and already, we have four teams signed up to take part. The Texas Historical Commission has put together a 510-mile trek across Texas to highlight some wonderful historic sites.

The beauty of the program is that participants can log miles in their own neighborhoods, parks, walking tracks or even in their own homes. With each historic marker reached by the team, team members can read about that specific site and its’ rich history. I will be sending out a weekly e-mail with team mileage updates, along with a delicious recipe. To join a team, contact my office and I’ll provide you with details. Participants are not required to walk with their team members, but it is more fun to have a walking buddy!