February 2026 Newsletter Mitchell County Cooperative Extension

Upcoming Events

Livestock Club Interest Meeting - February 3, 2026

Pesticide Certification Exam - February 5, 2026

Mitchell County Forest nand Landscape Recovery Outreach - February 21, 2026

Project Record Books due to Mitchell County 4-H - February 23, 2026

Annual Livestock Meeting - February 24, 2026

Mitchell County 2026 Farmer of the Year Nominations Due March 9, 2026

*See Website for Times and Details*

EFNEP Article

February is American Heart Month!

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Americans.
• About 580,000 people in NC have Coronary heart disease.
• Hearts are healthier when we move more, eat healthier, limiting salt, get enough sleep, reduce stress, and quit smoking ( if applicable)

Food Safety

• This winter if you lose power, check the food in your freezer to see if it is thawing. It can be refrozen if it has ice crystals or it is below 40 degrees.
• If food has odor or unusual texture throw it out. WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT!
• Make cleaning out your fridge a regular thing.
• Make sure to get rid of any expired items and clean up any spills.

February is National Sweet Potato Month! Lots of ways they can be fixed- bake them, mash them, or make them into fries

February 9- National Pizza Day Making your own pizza you can control the toppings and even add a little extra veggies February 16- National Almond Day Almonds have protein, fiber, and one serving contains 50% of your daily value of vitamin E February 23- National Banana Bread Day Banana's are a good source of potassium and an excellent source of fiber and vitamin c

This fruit popper is a sweet treat for Valentine's Day without overdoing it on the sugar. Plus it is yummy and fun to make! Click the link for the recipe! https://ncefnep.org/fruit-poppers/ #valentinesday #valentines #healthydessert #dessert

Having trouble finding a way to stay active? Maybe you haven't found your favorite activity. Don' t give up! Keep trying different activities until you find one you enjoy! Examples:

• walking
• jogging
• hiking
• dancing
• work out videos
• sports

In EFNEP classes we learn about all this plus more! If interested or have any questions call Sarah Grinestaff at 688-4811 or email at sarah_grinestaff@ncsu.edu!

February is American Heart Health Month!

Take care of your heart by eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and limiting salt and saturated fat. Small changes can have large impacts.

February 4th is World Cancer Day

Did you know regular physical activity can reduce your chances of developing eight commonly occurring cancers? On World Cancer Day, learn more about what you can do to lower your cancer risk: https://bit.ly/4qdwze1 Cancer risk increases with the more excess weight a person gains and the longer a person is overweight. On World Cancer Day, learn more about the connection between obesity and cancer. https://bit.ly/4freXpq

Love is a journey, and so is your health!

This Valentine’s Day plan a physically active date — go for a walk, dance, or unleash your inner child by playing laser tag. Don't conform to the boring and mundane by conforming to social expectations. Whether you are single, celebrating with friends or a partner, make the day fun while being physically active.

Wits Workout Now Available

I am excited to announce that Mitchell County Cooperative Extension has added Wits Workout to its list of available programs. Classes will be scheduled at the Mitchell Senior Center in coming months. Wits Workout was created by University of Illinois Extension Educators Molly Hofer and Chelsey Byers by drawing on brain health and aging research. Its interactive model increases socialization, reduces isolation, and promotes intellectual engagement among older clients, all of which complement current research on aging brain health.  Although it was designed with the older demographic in mind, I love what I have seen of the program and would be happy to have adults of all ages in class. If you have or know of a group that meets regularly and is interested in scheduling sessions please contact me at: christina_robinson@ncsu.edu.

Livestock Club Interest Meeting

Come join us for our Young Livestock Program interest meeting on Tuesday, February 3rd at 5pm! Call 828-688-4811 or email erin_silver@ncsu.edu for any questions! 4-H Online Re-Enrollment: https://4honline.com/#/landing

4-H Online 2.0

Welcome to the new 4-H year! The first step to becoming an active 4-H member, volunteer, or participant during this year’s 4-H program (2026) is to “enroll or re-enroll”. If you are a 4-H member 18 or under (as of January 1, 2026), your parent or guardian can renew your membership. *New youth members, volunteers and participants are strongly encouraged to enroll now too. North Carolina 4-H uses an online system, called 4-H Online 2.0, to manage 4-H memberships, clubs, projects, activities, and communications. *All members who participate in North Carolina 4-H must have a 4-H Online 2.0 profile. 4-H Online 2.0 accounts are family-based, which means every family creates a “master” profile with its own login ID and password. A member file is then created within the family profile for each individual involved in North Carolina 4-H. If you were previously enrolled and / or if someone in your family was involved in North Carolina 4-H from 2021 to 2025, you probably have an existing family profile in 4-H Online 2.0. Previous members should use their existing login and password to access their family profile in the new 4-H Online 2.0 platform. *Members who are re-enrolling should NOT create a new account. North Carolina 4-H has created a new 4-H Online 2.0 Resource Site that houses a variety of tip sheets, videos and step-by step instructions for using the new program including:

• Family Enrollment Guide
• How to Re-Enroll
• New Member Enrollment
• Member Password Support
• 4-H Club Leader Guide to Using 4-H Online 2.0

About 4-H Online 2.0

• 4-H Online is the official NC 4-H online system for youth and adult members and participants with 4-H.
• 4-H Online is a partnership between the 4-H Family, the local 4-H program and the State 4-H Office.
• 4-H Online is a secure system that is in compliance with the PCI Security Standards Council. NC 4-H nor 4-H Online shares or sells any personal information to third party vendors without knowledge or permission.
• 4-H Online is based on “Zero-based enrollment.” Each year, at the start of the enrollment cycle, all 4-H membership in NC goes to zero and everyone must re-enroll. This process is based on federal accounting policies.

Spanish Enrollment Documents

Spanish language enrollment in 4-H Online 2.0 is not available at this time. Please use this link to download Spanish language enrollment documents.

For more information, please contact Erin Silver (erin_silver@ncsu.edu) or call us at 828-688-4811.

CED/Agriculture

Upcoming Pesticide Certification Exam – February 5, 2026

You will have the opportunity to participate in the upcoming pesticide certification exam scheduled for February 5, 2026. If you’re interested in advancing your certification or renewing your credentials, sign up here for more information follow this link

Mitchell County Forest and Landscape Recoery Outreach

Mitchell County will host an open house landowner information event on Saturday, February 21st from 1-3pm at Bowman Middle School (Multi Agency Resource Center). Topics will include wildfire safety, fuels reduction opportunities, forest damage compensation, erosion control and invasive species,

Nominations for Mitchell County 2026 Farmer of the Year

Please consider nominating a Mitchell County Farmer for this recognition. We are excited to recognized the achievments of our producers in Mitchell County and hope to promote agriculture and encourage growth and opportunites with in our county. You may nominate someone by using this link or stop by our office to complete a paper copy. Nominations are due on March 6th.

Mitchell County’s Extension Master Gardener program is expanding!

Extension Master Gardeners (EMG) are volunteers who engage the community through education and outreach and answer questions about all types of gardening. To prepare volunteers for this service, in-person attendance at a 12-week training is required. The training will take place in 2026.

Novice gardeners are as welcome to apply as are lifelong gardeners. Successful EMGs generally share three key attributes: 1) They are interested in gardening, 2) They are interested in learning, and 3) They enjoy sharing what they have learned with others.

Interested residents are invited to add their name to the list to receive more information as it becomes available. Call Kelli Grindstaff at 828-688-4811. Be sure to leave your name, a current email address and a phone number.