Extension News March 2025

Seydel Cropps Retires After 23 Years of Service with NC Cooperative Extension

After 23 years of dedicated service to NC Cooperative Extension, Surry Center, Seydel Cropps is retiring. Throughout her tenure, Seydel has been an invaluable Expanded Foods Nutrition Program (EFNEP) educator, impacting countless lives with her passion for nutrition and healthy living.

Seydel’s programs were often hands-on, with participants tasting quick, easy, and nutritious meals they could replicate at home. Her approach made healthy eating accessible and fun, helping many improve their food choices and overall wellness. Seydel’s warm and welcoming presence made her a cherished part of the community, and she will be greatly missed by all who had the pleasure of working with her.

We are excited for Seydel as she embarks on her next adventure and wish her all the best in this new chapter of her life. Seydel truly is a gem, and her legacy will continue to inspire many.

Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Certification Underway

The Extension Master Gardener Volunteer Certification program is in full swing this year, with a unique collaboration between Stokes and Surry counties. Currently, 15 dedicated interns are taking part in the class, where they learn a new horticulture topic each week.

Recently, the interns learned the proper pruning techniques for blueberry bushes, gaining hands-on experience that will be valuable in their future volunteer work. Thank you, Annette McCleery, for allowing us to use your blueberry bushes as a classroom and Master Gardener volunteer, Christina Connell for instructing the group on the best tools for pruning, disinfecting tools, and sharpening tools. The program involves 40 hours of classroom instruction and 40 hours of volunteer service to become a certified Extension Master Gardener Volunteer.

This class is offered every two years, and we look forward to seeing these interns grow in their knowledge and commitment to enhancing local communities through horticulture.

Horticulture Workshop Fun and Educational

Extension Master Gardener Volunteers hosted a workshop at the Lowgap Public Library in February. Participants learned how to build a cold frame and various vegetables to grow this time of year. Milk jugs were used to plant lettuce seeds, creating tiny greenhouses outside! Be on the lookout for future workshops.

Garden Planning

With longer days and temperatures on the rise, March is a great time to begin thinking about your spring gardens! It’s a great opportunity to get your children involved in the planning process. Draw out a plot and design your gardens or flower beds now. Talk about whether your gardens will be in full sun, partial sun, or shade and which plants will grow best there. It is also a good time to test your soil and add any needed nutrients. Though it is still too cold for most vegetable and flower plants outdoors, you can start your seeds indoors using materials you likely already have. Rotisserie chicken containers, strawberry containers, or any clear clamshell-type food containers can be great for a mini greenhouse! Just layer a couple of inches of seed-starting mix, sprinkle your seeds, gently cover them, and moisten the soil with a spray bottle. Then close the lid of the container and place it in a sunny windowsill. Kids can even enjoy decorating the outside with markers. Check your soil every few days to ensure that it is moist. Within a week or two, your seeds should have germinated, and the kids will have seedlings to care for. By the time the weather warms to allow for transplanting your plants outdoors, you should have nice mature plants with strong roots. As an added bonus, all of the public libraries in Surry County now have seed libraries! This is a project completed by our Surry County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers. You may take 3 packets of seeds at no cost each time you visit the library! This would be a great hands-on learning opportunity for your children! After you have selected your seeds, ask the librarian about children’s books on gardening or to go along with the type of seeds you will be planting. Happy gardening!

"Speedway to Healthy" Races into Surry County

Surry County third graders have been on an adventure racing through Speedway to Healthy, a 1,200-square-foot walk-through exhibit at the Surry County Service Center Training Room. On February 25, 26, and 27, students from each of the elementary schools in Surry County began at the starting line, where each child was given a food sticker from the MyPlate food model. The students raced through the body pretending to be molecules of food found in the MyPlate food groups. They visited 11 “pit stops” on their adventure, starting at the brain, moving into the mouth, through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, heart, lungs, kidneys, bones, muscles, and exiting through the skin. Each “pit stop,” manned by volunteers, featured fun educational activities focused on healthy lifestyle choices.

Speedway to Healthy replicates the interior of the human body and teaches children about their bodies’ relationships with food. Created by Cooperative Extension specialists at A&T State University, Speedway to Healthy equips North Carolina youth with research-based learning and outreach in a fun way that helps start and sustain healthy habits.

Start Your Day Right

Dark Chocolate Cherry Oats Recipe

Looking for a new go-to breakfast?

If you enjoy breakfast that is on the sweeter side, then this oatmeal bowl is a must-try. Not only are oats a delicious and versatile whole grain, but they are also a good source of fiber. Fiber is important for our digestive health, so it is important to make it a part of your daily meals. Along with fiber, this bowl is packed with healthy fats, protein, and fruit. Here’s how to make it:

Recipe

Makes 2 Serving | Serving Size: ½ the recipe

Ingredients

Oat Base:

• 1 Cup of Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 Green Apple
• 2 Cups of Water
• 1 ½ Teaspoons of Cinnamon

Toppings:

• 2 squares of dark chocolate (or 2 tablespoons of dark chocolate chips)
• ½ Cups of Frozen Dark Cherries (or other frozen or fresh berries)
• 2 Tablespoons of Peanut Butter
• 1 Tablespoon of Honey

Directions

1. In a medium pot, bring 2 cups of water to a boil.
2. Wash and chop the apple before adding it to the boiling water. Cover with a lid and cook on medium-high heat for 10 minutes.
3. Once the apples are cooked, add the oats and cinnamon. Cook on medium heat until all of the liquid is absorbed – about 5-10 minutes.
4. Divide the oat base into two bowls and top each bowl with dark chocolate, frozen cherries, peanut butter, and a drizzle of honey.
5. Enjoy!

Recipe and Blog from Student Volunteer, Libby Robertson

Benefits of a Healthy Weight

Do you need a little extra incentive to shed excess weight? Then consider the following ten (10) benefits of doing so:

1. Improve self-esteem
2. Decrease cholesterol levels
3. Lower blood pressure
4. Improve blood sugar levels
5. Relieve stress
6. Less aches and pains
7. Sleep better
8. Reduce risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and stroke
9. Improve ability to move around more easily
10. Greater longevity

Remember you want to accomplish the weight loss in a healthy manner. This means eating smart and moving more. Why not start today? You will not regret it!

Recertification Trainings

Paraquat Training

Join NC Cooperative Extension in the continuing education process for private pesticide applicators to renew their paraquat training. The training will be held on March 5, 2025 from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the Surry County Center located at 915 E Atkins St, Dobson, NC. Please contact our office at 336-401-8025 to register.

Private Pesticide V Safety Training

On March 20, 2025 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Yadkin County Agricultural Building, there will be a Private Pesticide V Safety Training held for folks with an active private pesticide license. Some of the topics that will be featured during this training include Proper Fungicide Use to Minimize Resistance, Managing Herbicide Runoff for Cleaner Water and Greater Profits, and an update from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture; Pesticide Control Division staff with current regulations regarding various pesticide products.

Private pesticide applicators must obtain at least 2 hours of both X and V credits every three years to satisfy license recertification requirements. Private applicators can only obtain V credits from in-person recertification trainings offered locally through North Carolina Cooperative Extension. If you need training for your private pesticide license and are interested in attending, please call 336-401-8025 to register or click the link.

2025 Herter-O'Neal Scholarship

$750 Available for Tuition and/or Books

The Herter-O'Neal Scholarship is being offered by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Administrative Professionals Association. The scholarship is open to students pursuing a college degree (Associates and/or Bachelors) in a business-related field of study or enrolled in a diploma program that results in a degree (Associate or Bachelor’s). Applicants must be enrolled to attend classes at a college during the 2025-2026 school year. Applicants must be a legal resident of North Carolina. All eligible applicants will be considered. The privacy of all applicants will be protected.

Applications are due March 19, 2025