Harold Cunningham, MGEV in Chattooga, shared about a recent Junior Master Gardener event with 4th graders at Leroy Massey Elementary School:

A few weeks ago the raised garden beds were assembled and filled with rich topsoil/compost mixture and we held our monthly Jr. MG program with Ms. Burdick's 4th grade students. The students planted about 110 cabbage plants in the new raised beds. Each student labeled a Popsicle stick with their name and placed it in the soil next to the cabbage they planted. There was a tremendous amount of enthusiasm on their part! They are excited to see the plants grow and produce in what they proudly called "their garden".   The big question by students was, "Can we EAT it when it's grown?" The answer, of course was, "YES!" It will be interesting to see if their taste buds will maintain that same enthusiasm once the cabbage actually meets their pallet.

My instruction time integrated with Ms. Burdick's lessons on "the role of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem" (per GA. standards), using the cabbage plant to focus on the role of "producers" in the community. Ms. Burdick had the students bring their science journals with them. They drew and labeled the illustration (on our whiteboard) in their journals.

Finally, the students were really delighted to see that the flower bulbs they planted last fall were in full bloom…with a variety of shapes, sizes and brilliant colors.  Each student took pride in pointing out the very flowering bulb which he/she had personally planted. They also enjoyed smelling and tasting the mint plants in the butterfly garden… again "for the first time".

https://www.facebook.com/UGAMasterGardener

Chattooga County 4-H would like to Congratulate Casey Stott as the winner of the 4-H Camp Raffle! Mr. Stott  won a $250 Wal-Mart Gift Card! THANKS TO ALL for supporting our youth CAMP goals! We appreciate all our parents, friends, and sponsors!

4-H COUNTY COUNCIL meeting TONIGHT at Howard Finster's Paradise Garden!  LOTS and LOTS of news and events to share so be prepared for some big announcements about Spring and Summer plans! See y'all at 6:30!

James H. (Sloppy) Floyd State Park has a First-time camper program.  If you've always wanted to try camping, but weren't sure how to begin – let Sloppy Floyd State Park help you out. Through the First-Time Camper program, you will get borrowed gear, expert advice, and two nights’ accommodations all for only $50. So call 706-857-0826 and make your reservations to discover the joy of sleeping under the stars.

The borrowed camping gear includes: 1 Tent that sleeps 6, 4 sleeping pads, 1 camping stove with fuel, 4 roasting forks, 1 lantern, and 2 camp chairs. Camping gear provided by REI (Recreation Equipment Incorporated) & Coleman.  (Please bring your own sleeping bag or blanket, and a pillow.)

April was first declared Child Abuse Prevention Month by presidential proclamation in 1983. Since then, April has been a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse.  The majority of child abuse cases stemmed from situations and conditions that can be preventable when community programs and systems are engaged and supportive. A community that cares about early childhood development, parental support, and maternal mental health, for instance, is more likely to foster nurturing families and healthy children. 

In SFY 2014: • Child Protective Services workers investigated 33,221 reports of child maltreatment. • 906 adoptions were finalized. • At the end of SFY 2014 there were 8,620 children in foster care. (Stats provided by http://tinyurl.com/p5qsrbk) 

A body of research has identified factors known to prevent and reduce child abuse and neglect. These factors—including parental resilience, nurturing and attachment, social connections, knowledge about parenting and child development, social and emotional competence of children, and concrete supports for parents—are outlined in Preventing Child Maltreatment and Promoting Well-Being: A Network for Action 2015 Resource Guide, also developed by the Children's Bureau.

The Chattooga County Extension is collecting data for the 2014 Farm Gate Value. If you are a land owner and use the land for agriculture (timber, livestock, hay, or crops) please complete one of the surveys and return it back to our office. It you have questions or concerns please contact our office at 706-857-0744.

These forms can be picked up at your Local Feed stores, Insurance Companies, The Tax Office and the Extension office, if you cannot print from the below link.

• 2014 Farm Gate Survey form
• 2014 Farm Gate Survey information form

This form can be emailed to: uge1055@uga.edu; mailed to: 10011 Commerce St., Summerville, GA 30747; phoned in to: 706-857-0744; or brought in person to the office.

Walk Georgia welcomes April by reporting over 62,586 miles since the program launched in February. That’s like circling Earth 2.5 times! Let’s keep up the good work in April.

Walk Georgia has heard that this nice weather inspires lots of people to move more.  As a reward for the good work, Walk Georgia will be giving away prizes that are a well deserved treat! Go LIKE the WalkGeorgia Facebook page, and enter to win the GIVEAWAY! While on the Walk Georgia site, check out the recipe tab for nutritious, low calorie foods.

Follow Walk Georgia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest.  For questions or comments contact Kendra Stallings with the Chattooga County Extension Office at 706-857-0744.

The Chattooga County DFCS, Walker DFCS and Dade DFCS currently have an opening for a Business Support-Document Specialist. 

To apply please see this link below: http://dhsjobs.dhs.ga.gov/Job/JobDisplay2.aspx?Id=6796 and contact Kim Humphrey, the Chattooga County DFCS Director at 706-857-0845.