Jasper County Extension newsletter
Agriculture & Natural Resources
Family & Consumer Sciences
SPRING
2015
Invitation to Texas Community Futures Forum
Thursday, April 23, at Coleman Hall, 740 W. Verna in Jasper
By Jasper County Agents Cindy VanDevender & Brock Fry
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service has a rich history of
providing educational programs that address the most critical
issues in Jasper County. In order to make sure that the programs being planned for the future are on target, we invite you
to participate in the Texas Community Futures Forum on Thursday, April 23, at 6:30 pm in the Coleman Hall, the community
meeting room behind the First Presbyterian Church.
Your opinion is highly valued in our community, so we truly
hope you can join us. Our expectation is that the forum will last
less than two hours, as we understand the value of your time.
This is open to the public. If you have any questions, please
feel free to contact the Extension office at 409-384-3721. We
would appreciate an RSVP by April 16 for planning purposes;
please call 409-384-3721 or email [email protected].
Brock Fry
CEA AG/NR agent
[email protected]
Cindy VanDevender
Family & Consumer Sciences
[email protected]
Texas A&M AgriLife
Extension Service, Jasper County
103 E. Houston St.
Jasper, TX 75951—409-384-3721
County website:
http://jasper.agrilife.org
Jasper Junior Livestock Show & Sale
FRIDAY & SATURDAY March 27 – 28 in JASPER
By Brock Fry, Jasper County Ag/NR Agent
This is an opportunity to show your support for Jasper County
youth, both 4-H and FFA students. These projects help them develop responsibility, character, and knowledge.
The Junior Livestock arena is located on CR 777 across from
Bell Field airport in Jasper. Come enjoy viewing rabbit, lamb,
steer, goat, heifer, swine and ag mechanics projects. An important part of this experience is showing the results to the public. Proceeds from the auction and add-ons (donations from supporters) is how many students begin their scholarship funds.
And when you work up an appetite, enjoy a variety of foods &
drinks at the concession stand.
The committee chairs are Buck Cole, steers; Eddie
McCauley, swine; Mike and Susan Harris, lambs and goats; Clint
and Amy Dennis, broilers; Eric Shierry, rabbits; Byron Watson
and Brett Crews, commercial heifers; Jaybo Jackson, breeding
beef; Jason Glenn and Brock Fry, scramble calves; and Jeff
Clark, ag mechanics.
For questions, call 409-382-8828.
Schedule on page 4
Keep up with County news & please
LIKE our agents’ facebook pages
For Agriculture: facebook.com/
Jasperagriculture
For Health & Wellness: facebook.com/
jaspercountyfcs
Educational programs of the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability,
genetic information or veteran status. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating.
Save the Date!
JASPER programs & workshops
Grafting Workshop
Saturday, August 8, 2015
9 am to 3 pm
Monday, April 13, 2—5 pm
103 E. Houston St., Jasper TX 75951
Cost: $15 includes snacks
1 CEU in IPM
Speaker: Truman Lamb, Anderson
County Extension Agent. Truman
has years of experience in grafting
pecan and fruit trees.
Sponsored by the Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension and the Jasper
County Agricultural Programs
Committee.
SODBUSTERS’
SYMPOSIUM
at Rayburn Country Club
Garden lectures, lunch, door
prizes, vendors, plant sales,
silent auction & more
RSVP by April 10, 409 384-3721
What ’s in your water?
Well Water Program at our office in Jasper on April
17, 6 to 9 pm, $25 for program & meal.
Featured speaker will be Leon Young, Ph.D., Regents Professor of Agriculture and Director of the
Soil, Plant & Water Analysis Lab at Stephen F. Austin University.
2376 Wingate Blvd. Brookeland, TX 75931
Special room rates available for overnight vistisors:
Call Rayburn Country 409-698-1002
or email www.lakerayburncountry.com
Contact our office for more information:
409-384-3721
What can an inexpensive test tell you about your
water? The SFASU test covers E. Coli (bacteria),
water pH, electrical conductivity (which is a measure
of salts), and minerals such as Na, K, Ca, Mg, P, Fe,
Mn, Zn, Pb, As, Cr, Cu, B, S, and No3-N
PRE-registration required. Please call 409-384-3721
to reserve a seat.
Cypress Creek Farm & Ranch Supply
894 FM 2938, Buna, TX 77612
Tuesday, March 31, 6:30 to 8:30 pm
FREE Workshop with 2 CEUs
Speaker: John Steward, Crop industries
2 general CEU hours offered for
private pesticide applicator license renewal
Please RSVP to Cypress Creek
at 409-994-9420
2
To find CEU classes go to
ceusearch.texasagriculture.gov/
Now is a good time to check the expiration
date on your private applicator license.
You need 15 CEUs in a 5-year period to renew your license without re-taking the test.
Please don’t wait until the last minute to take
classes. Also, if you just want to learn more
on a variety of topics, it’s never been easier
to find classes:
naturalresourcewebinars.tamu.edu/
also: agriliferegister.tamu.edu
“View all” to see classes that are
open to the public for a small fee
(and some are free).
STATE resources, workshops & events
Last Thursdays lecture series at the
East Texas Conservation Center
SFASU Garden Lecture Series
(aka old fish hatchery)
The Reeves Lecture Series are second
Thursdays at 7 pm in the Ina Bundrett
Conservation Education Building at the
Pineywoods Native Plant Center, 2900
Raguet St., Nacogdoches (just north of
the University).
Speaker: Chris Gregory
“Critters Around the Fishing Hole”
March 26,
starting at 7 pm, FREE
A rare plant raffle is held after the program. This event is free and open to the
public but donations are always appreciated. Park at Raguet Elementary School
next door — shuttle serve to the Conservation Education Bldg.
409-384-6894
from Master Naturalist
Lori Horne:
Next in series:
April 9, Matt Welch, Plants, Planting and Push-
EARTH DAY
Regatta
ing the Envelope
May 14, David Leedy, Can I interest YOU in an
4th annual paddling regatta — canoe, kayak and fish — April 18 at Caddo lake
(Karnack, TX) Online registration & info:
Aroid?
For more information, call 936-468-1832.
http://www.eventbrite.com/o/cypress-basin-texasmaster-naturalists-6174931049?s=32701646
********
Plant sale at Pineywoods Native Plant Center,
2900 Raguet St., Nacogdoches, TX. Free shuttle from school parking lot. April 11, 9 am
Pineywoods Beekeepers Association
2015 BEE SCHOOL in Lufkin
Newton Garden Club
52nd annual Flower Show
Learn how to be a beekeeper including handson management skills. This will be PBA’s 10th
season teaching this multi-part course.
Deep in the Heart of East Texas
Classes are Saturdays April 18 and 25,
10 am to 5 pm, at the AgriLife Conference
Room, 2201 S. Medford Dr., Lufkin TX 75901.
Friday, March 27, 4 to 6 pm
Saturday, March 28, 10 to 1 pm
at First Baptist Church Family Life Center
319 Main St., Newton, TX
Hive practice will be May at the PBS Fairview
Bee Yard. For more information or application
brochure, contact Terry McFall at
[email protected] or call 409-384-3626.
FREE! Public gets to vote on Friday. For questions, contact Molindia Henson, 409-565-4702
3
see p. 1 for story
Jasper County Junior Livestock Show & Sale
FRIDAY,
7 - 8 AM
8 - 9 AM
8 – 10 AM
9 – 11 AM
11AM – NOON
NOON – 2 PM
1 - 3 PM
3:30 – 5 PM
5 - 8 PM
5 – 8 PM
5:00 – 8:00 PM
MARCH 27, 2015
RABBIT AND BROILER CHECK-IN
MARKET BROILER JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP
MARKET RABBIT JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP, OPEN
BREEDING RABBIT SHOW & SHOWMANSHIP
SWINE CHECK-IN
GOAT & LAMB CHECK-IN
AG MECHANICS PROJECT SHOW
MARKET GOAT JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP
MARKET LAMB JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP
STEER CHECK-IN
COMMERICAL HEIFER CHECK-IN
MARKET SWINE JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP
SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015
9:00 AM
COMMERCIAL HEIFER SHOW
15 min. after CHS MARKET STEER JUDGING & SHOWMANSHIP
15 min. after MSS OPEN JR. BREEDING BEEF SHOW & SHOWMANSHIP
15 min. after BBS SCRAMBLE HEIFER SHOW
3:30 PM
CLOVER KID SHOW
4:30 PM
PRESENTATION OF SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
& OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
5 PM
LIVESTOCK AUCTION BEGINS!!
Congratulations to Sophia Palmore, Buna
4-H, for winning Reserve Grand Champion with her Simbrah
at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo
LIBRARY BOOK SALE is still on!
Saturday, March 21, 9 am—4 pm
RAIN or SHINE!
at the FIRE HALL on Water St. next to the
library, 1 block south of the courthouse.
Stock up for cheap on all kinds of books,
magazines, CDs and more.
Friends of the Library hold a sneak
preview fundraiser Friday night, 5 to 7
pm. You pay a premium to get
first pick., but it’s for
a good cause.
Earth DAY celebration,
Outdoor Swap Meet &
Master Gardener Plant SALE
Saturday April 25, 9 am to noon
All 3 events at the Outdoor Learning
Center, 225 Water St. Jasper.
EARTH DAY features free kids
activities, garden tours and butterfly
learning programs.
OUTDOOR SWAP MEET is like
a garage sale but only for outdoorsy
stuff like tools, sporting goods and
yard stuff. Please clean out your
garage or shed and either take a
booth or DONATE items for master
gardeners to sell to raise money for
the Arboretum projects.
PLANT SALE—you know JMG’s
have the best plants for East Texas.
Call our office, 409-384-3721
for information
cancelled — Azalea Fest
no reschedule
Re-scheduled:
1. Jasper Air Show, Oct. 3—4
jaspercoc.org
Jasper TX
75951
409 384-2762
2. MASTER GARDENER
PLANT SALE— come to the
greenhouse during
EARTH DAY
April 25
4
Food Safety is in your (clean) Hands
By FCS Agent Cindy VanDevender
One of the big pushes we’ve had in Jasper and surrounding counties is to train people in food safety and
get them certified to sell and serve food to the public
under Texas Cottage Food Law.
National Wildlife Federation’s s Garden
for Wildlife Program has certified thousands of habitats with 1.5 million active
participants in every state and nearly every
county in the U.S. Each certified site owner
agrees to offer food, water, shelter and
places to raise young for wildlife. Studies
shows that even a small property that contains these four key elements will see double the number of wildlife – birds, pollinators, small mammals and more – residing at
or frequenting the site.
Our Food Handler’s course is the “entry level” class
that people need if they are selling homemade food at
a farmers market or festival. Even unpaid volunteers
serving free samples or helping out at a fundraiser
meal for donations — if you are serving food to the
public, you need this class.
Commercial vendors, restaurant staff and kitchen managers are held to even higher standards and must keep
their certifications up to date. Why? Because food science is constantly learning more, and the bad bugs
that can make us sick keep evolving new strategies.
Here’s some advice from the CDC (Centers fo Disease
Control): Does your business follow recommendations
on proper exclusion and restriction of sick employees?
It is estimated that almost half of restaurant related outbreaks are related to food handled by sick employees.
Throughout 2015, NWF is calling upon
people to help support the declining monarch butterfly by encouraging them to
plant milkweed and nectar plants and provide habitat for this iconic species. To learn
more about this program: http://
www.nwf.org/how-to-help/garden-forwildlife.aspx
According to the FDA, it is required that food employees report if not feeling well. Reportable symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, sore throat with fever or lesion containing pus. These seems like common sense, but a survey conducted by the CDC
showed that 70% of the food managers reported working while sick. Reasons given: strong work ethic, felt
obligated because they were understaffed, or would
not get paid if not working.
Information source and for more information: https://
www.dshs.state.tx.us/foodestablishments/draft.shtm
Texasinvasives.org Online Training
Would you like to become involved in this citizen
scientist program? Take the online training and
join the Longleaf Ridge Invaders
www.texasinvasives.org/training/.
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Orange County
Master Gardener’s Annual
Bloomin’ Crazy Plant Fair
April 11, 2015, 8 am to 1 pm
Jewel Cormier Park
Exit 869 S of IH 10
Better Living for Texans
Eat.
Real.
Food.
Save the DATE
DINNER TONIGHT
cooking school
June 6 in Jasper
Vendors &
sponsors:
Contact us
409-384-3721
or visit our
website
and click on Events
http://jasper.agrilife.org
Dinner Dilemma
It’s 5 pm and you haven’t had time to think about dinner.
You walk in the door and are greeted with “What’s for
dinner?” You mind is blank; you have no idea what to fix.
If you haven’t planned in advance, here is a tip: Make each
week night a specific meal night.
Monday – Soup Night
Tuesday – Chicken Night
Wednesday – Mexican Food Night
Thursday – Hamburger Night
Friday – Pasta Night
This way, you already know what you are fixing for dinner;
you just have to narrow it down to recipe/ingredients.
For example:
Monday-Soup Night
If you have left over chicken, some noodles or rice, carrots,
onions, celery; you have the makings for chicken noodle
soup. Or if you have potatoes, onions, broth and milk you
have the makings for potato soup.
Find more healthy cooking ideas on Cindy’s
Jasper County Health & Wellness page at
facebook.com/jaspercountyfcs/info
FREE IDEAS & PROJECTS FOR KIDS
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www.TakeCareofTexas.org
Are you interested
in being a…
PRE-registration is
required!
Safe Sitter is a program for 11—14 year
olds where you learn lifesaving skills so
you can be safe if you’re home alone or
watching younger children.
2 Saturdays you can choose:
April 18 or May 16,
Limited to 8 students per session
$45 includes Safe Sitter backpack, all course
materials and snacks throughout the day.
$10 discount to current 4-H members.
9 am to 4 pm both days
at Buna Karate & Fitness
290 CR 734, Buna TX 77612
Safe sitter registration fee
$45 _______
Name:______________________________
Fee for current 4-H members $35 _______
Street or POB: _______________________
Fee to be a Safe Sitter and
4-H Member
City____________________ TX zip_______
$60 _______
Phone Number:________________________
Save $15 by joining 4-H today! Taking our Safe
Sitter course and joining 4-H entitles you to more
experience in preparing to be a great babysitter.
Through future classes you will learn things like
how to create nutritious snacks, the simples crafts
and games to play, how to deal with a difficult
child, tips and tricks for bedtime, reading and telling great stories, plus much more.
Email:_______________________________
Enclosed is my check in the amount of
$_____ payable to “Jasper Program Fund”
Return completed form and payment to:
Cindy VanDevender, CEA-FCS
103 E. Houston St., Jasper, TX 75951
Jasper Farmers Market is a member of the Texas
Certified Farmers Market Association. Contact our
office at 409-384-3721 NEW VENDOR PACKETS
WILL BE ONLINE AFTER THE APRIL MEETING.
Jasper County Farmers Market
celebrates 6th Year in May 2015!
First day of Market will be Saturday, May 2, 8—11
am in the Tractor Supply parking lot at Highways
190 & 96, same as last year. Expect to find farm ripe
fruits and vegetables, local honey, herbs,
flowers, local crafts & more.
jasper.agrilife.org
Market is open to local growers and for
hand-crafted items and home-made goodies. Market is open during the growing
season, May through July, closes for August, re-opens September through early
November.
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Fruits & Vegetables -Easy Choice!
In Texas, three out of four deaths are attributed
to a chronic disease. However, studies show two
and half cups of vegetables and fruits per day
can reduce the risk of certain chronic diseases.
We know a healthy eating pattern including
fruits and vegetables can help lower risks of developing obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and
some cancers.
Lifestyles are hectic; however, increasing fruit
and vegetables can be easy. Here are a few tips
for making fruits and vegetables the easy choice!
Choose to make half your plate fruits & vegetables. The rest should be one-quarter grains
and one-quarter protein with low-fat dairy on
PLANT MILKWEED FOR MONARCHS!
Monarch butterflies will soon leave winter roosts
in Mexico and return to breeding grounds all
across America and Canada, starting in Texas.
Adult monarchs feed from nectar on a variety of
flowers. However, larvae only eat plants in the
genus Asclepias — MILKWEED! — their future
relies on finding milkweeds along the way.
the side. MyPlate is a guide to making a healthy
meal, yet not every meal will look like MyPlate.
For example, a sandwich may not fit each portion
of the plate; however, a sandwich with whole
grain bread, lean protein, low-fat cheese and vegetables with a side of fruit makes a healthy plate.
Choose a variety of colors. The colors in fruit
and vegetables are not just pretty — colors reflect complex nutrients that pack a healthy
punch in reducing the risk of chronic diseases.
This time of year, Jasper Master Gardeners
always have milkweed for sale in the greenhouse at the Outdoor Learning Center 1 block
south of the courthouse. You can usually catch
them there on workdays, most Friday and Saturday mornings. Milkweed thrive in Texas flowerbeds and will often re-seed once established.
Choose whole fruits and vegetables over
juice. Fruit juice which can contain added sugars
and is higher in calories, lower in fiber.
Choose to prep your snacks ahead of time.
Package small snack bags of bell peppers, carrots, grapes, or your favorite fruit or vegetable.
Place them in a spot you can see in the refrigerator. Easy obvious & available snacks make the
right choice easy.
Just remember, when you see caterpillars eating
up the leaves, that’s a GOOD thing. That’s the
next generation of monarchs, and the milkweed
is designed by nature to thrive on this pruning.
8
TRASH IN – TRASH OUT –
TRASH-OFF!!
HELP CLEAN UP Jasper County
By Joanie Kochanek,
Master Naturalist
Inspection & Registration—Together At Last!
As a result of HB2305, Texas will stop issuing inspection stickers
and transition to a “Two Steps, One Sticker” vehicle inspection &
registration program. Beginning March 1, 2015, vehicles will no
longer be issued an inspection sticker. Your registration sticker
will serve as proof of both registration and inspection.
Step One—Pass a vehicle inspection and retain the vehicle
inspection report (VIR) issued to you by the station.
Step Two—Renew annual registration by mail, online, or in
person, and your inspection status will be verified electronically. A passing inspection is required for registration.
Two Step Tips

Single Expiration Date: Transitioning requires every vehicle’s inspection and registration dates to expire at the same
time. In order to do this, the first year you may register your
vehicle as long as your inspection is valid the day you register. However, if your inspection and registration stickers are
already aligned and both expire in the same month, your vehicle will need to pass inspection prior to renewal.
 90 Days: Beginning March 1, 2016, you have a 90-day window to complete the Two Steps and must have your vehicle
inspected within 90 days before your sticker expires.
 Inspection Verification: If your vehicle passed inspection
but the system is unable to electronically verify it, present
your passing VIR and you will be able to register.
 Inspection Fees: Inspection fees have not changed but
where you pay them has. You will now pay the inspection
station its portion of the fee at time of inspection and the
state’s portion will now be collected at time of registration.
For more, visit www.TwoStepsOneSticker.com. The website includes a calculator where you enter your inspection & registration
dates and find out exactly what you need to do, plus how this
program works for motor carriers, car dealers, local governments
and fleet managers.
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Community groups are coming together to clean up roadways, parks,
boat ramps and vacant lots. Springtime in East Texas is beautiful, with
flowering redbud, dogwoods, azaleas, wild plum and tulip trees. Let’s
take time to help clean up the roadsides. YOU can be a part!
Texas is a beautiful state and can be
more beautiful if everyone takes time
to pick up litter near their homes. An
amazing amount comes from the
beds of pickup trucks. Please don’t
keep loose trash in the back of your
truck.
The “Don’t Mess with Texas Trash
Off ” is Saturday, April 11. Mark your
calendars and join volunteers across
the state. Don’t Mess with Texas
Trash-Off is part of TXDOT’s litter
prevention program.
To find out where you can join or
start a team, sign up at www.ktb.org
or call 1-800-CLEAN-TX.
Jasper groups can participate by
cleaning up several areas in the
county, or meet up with local groups
at Sandy Creek Park across from
City Hall on Main Street in Jasper at
9 am Saturday, April 11.
Remember, every “litter bit”
picked up helps!
gardening news
Save the date:
Jasper Master Gardener
Gary McRight shares information on growing peppers
Spring Commercial Vegetable Tour
20% Shading can
increase pepper
production by 70%
Monday, April 27, 1 to 5 pm
Gary is a Master Gardener
Propagation Specialist who
will soon be engaged in
research on the new Texas
Superstar Tycoon tomato
with Dr. Joe Masabni of
Texas A&M. Dr. Masabni says the research on peppers proves what he has
been saying all along, that we have
too much sun in Texas and we really
don’t need vegetables in full sunlight
all day long.
What research in other sunny climates
found is that a moderate shade netting which reduces light transmission
by 20% actually increases production
by up to 70%, compared to the same
crop grown in an open field.
Efficiency of irrigation water is also
higher under shade netting structures.
Future research field trials will try to
determine the optimum level of shading for various vegetable crops, but it
seems that shade netting may be one
of the most affordable and sustainable
ways to increase vegetable yields.
read the whole article at: http://
www.hortidaily.com/article/14714/20procent-shading-can-increase-pepperproductivity-by-70-procent
Next month, watch for JMG Laura
Golden’s article on peppers for East Texas
in the April Lakecaster magazine.
with Dr. Joe Masabni, Texas A&M
Extension Vegetable Specialist
Tour local growers farms
and gardens; learn the latest
recommendations for growing
vegetables in East Texas
details to be announced
“Exclusion” best way to prepare for spring bug
boom from an article by Paul Schattenberg, AgriLife Today
“We’ve had a relatively bug-free winter but with the recent
rains and warm temperatures, expect to see lots of insect
pests that have been overwintering reemerge in force,” said
Wizzie Brown, AgriLife Ext. entomologist for Travis County.
Brown said now is the time to get ready for a bug boom, by
excluding the pests through removing potential sheltering and
breeding areas and securing your home from their approach.
“One of the best things you can do is prune trees and shrubs
away from your home, including any branches that touch or
hang over your roof,” she said. “And if you have any materials
stacked next to your home, such as firewood, bricks, stone or
landscaping materials, this would be a good time to move
them and make sure to remove any yard debris.”
Exclude insects from the house with weather stripping around
loose-fitting doors and windows. “If you can see daylight
around the edges of windows or doors, then it’s a good bet
insects can get inside from there,” Brown explained.
She also suggests blocking weep holes in outside walls that
have a brick or stone façade with copper mesh and to use an
expanding sealant to fill in cracks and crevices on the outside
of the home, as well as places where pipes or wires enter the
home from the exterior. Repair or replace damaged window
screens and clean gutters of any debris. Use mesh wire to
block any access points in the attic.
Spring is also when mosquitoes reappear, she said, so remove
or secure anything that can capture
water and provide mosquitoes with an
attractive breeding site.
Read more at http://today.agrilife.org/
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