Northview FFA Honored For State And National Level Accomplishments
July 3, 2014
The Northview High School FFA was honored by Wednesday for their accomplishments on both the state and national level during the 86th Florida FFA Convention in Orlando.
The Northview FFA was selected as one of Florida’s Finest FFA Chapters for completion of the National Chapter Award program application. Chapters that receive the honor have excelled in the areas of student, chapter and community development and have worked hard to fulfill the mission of the FFA. The Northview FFA will be among the chapters that will represent Florida at the national level during the National Chapter Award Program in Louisville, KY.
Also Wednesday, the Northview FFA was selected as one of Florida’s Premier FFA Chapters. The Premier Chapter Award was initiated to recognize superior achievement by chapters in agricultural education and the FFA. To be eligible for this award, a chapter must be proficient in several areas, which include alumni and community partnerships, financial planning, and public relations, along with recruitment and other FFA activities.
Pictured top: Outgoing Northview FFA President Courtney Solari and Northview FFA advisor Perry Byars (middle) accept the Florida’s Finest FFA Chapter award Wednesday in Orlando. Pictured inset: Byars and incoming Northview FFA Vice President Bethany Reynolds accept the Florida’s Premier FFA Chapter award on stage during the 86th Florida FFA Convention. NorthEscambia.com images, click to enlarge.
Fourth Of July Picnic About $6 Per Person This Year
July 3, 2014
An all-American Fourth of July picnic of the nation’s favorite foods including hot dogs, cheeseburgers, pork spare ribs, potato salad, baked beans, lemonade and chocolate milk will cost slightly more this year but still comes in at less than $6 per person, says the American Farm Bureau Federation.
Farm Bureau’s informal survey reveals the average cost for a summer picnic for 10 is $58.72, or $5.87 per person. That’s about a 5-percent increase compared to a year ago.
“Despite some modest price increases over the past year or so – meats, especially – most Americans should be able to find summer picnic foods at prices close to the averages found by our volunteer shoppers,” said John Anderson, deputy chief economist at AFBF.
“Retail meat prices are higher compared to a year ago because the nation’s cattle herd is now at a historically small level,” Anderson said. “The total number of hogs farmers across the nation are raising is also down, which has contributed to higher retail prices for pork products.”
Although consumers will pay a bit more for their Independence Day picnics, finding delectable meat cuts and ingredients for side dishes will not be a problem.
“As a nation, we continue to enjoy a consistent, high-quality supply of meats and poultry that can be grilled or prepared any number of different ways. The whole array of home-grown foods Americans typically enjoy in the summer also is in plentiful supply,” he said.
AFBF’s summer picnic menu for 10 consists of hot dogs and buns, cheeseburgers and buns, pork spare ribs, deli potato salad, baked beans, corn chips, lemonade, chocolate milk, watermelon for dessert, and ketchup and mustard.
A total of 84 Farm Bureau members (volunteer shoppers) in 25 states checked retail prices for summer picnic foods at their local grocery stores for this informal survey.
Hundreds Turn Out For Twin Cities Watermelon Festival (With Gallery)
June 29, 2014
Hundreds of people turned out despite the heat and humidity Saturday for the first annual Twin Cities Volunteers Watermelon Festival in Century.
The family fun event included craft booths and food from dozens of vendors, local entertainment, and there was also plenty of ice cold watermelon.
For a photo gallery, click here.
The first annual Twin Cities Volunteers Watermelon Festival was sponsored in part by NorthEscambia.com.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Molino Volunteer Fire Department Holds Open House
June 29, 2014
The Molino Volunteer Fire Department held their annual Open House event Saturday at the their firehouse on Molino Road. The event included food, safety and equipment demonstrations and more.
The fire department is also looking for volunteers. Volunteers must be 16 to train and 18 or older with high school diploma to run calls on a fire truck. Call (850) 503-6754 for more information.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Blueberries Ripe For Picking
June 28, 2014
by Santa Rosa Extension
Blueberries are ripe for picking. So take the kids on an adventure and enjoy the freshness of local produce by visiting a u-pick farm. U-picks allow visitors to harvest their own fresh fruits and vegetables.
U-pick produce is grown in your own community and is crisp, sweet and loaded with flavor. With fewer than one million Americans now claiming farming as their primary occupation, farmers are a vanishing breed. Local farmers who sell direct to consumers cut out the middleman and get full retail price for their food – which means farm families can afford to stay on the farm, doing the work they love.
U-pick blueberry farms are scattered throughout the North Escambia area. Contact your local Extension Office for u-picks in your area.
Every farm is a bit different. Some have more relaxed rules, others more strict. But at all the farms, remind the kids that plants are living things to be cared for and respected, not abused. The farmer feeds his family and pays his bills from the well-being of these plants! So here are some general farm guidelines:
- Follow all rules posted by owners at their picking locations.
- Look for the check-in and check-out areas. Note whether you will be charged according to weight or volume.
- Health codes usually require no pets in the fields.
- Always call in advance to find out if the fruit/vegetables you want are available, to get directions, to check their opening and closing hours and to ask if children are allowed.
- Walk in the rows, don’t step on plants! Some farmers frown on stepping across rows, even if you do it carefully.
When you arrive at the farm, take some time to explain to your kids how to identify and pick ripe fruit. Select plump, full blueberries with a gray-blue color. A berry with any hint of red isn’t fully ripened. White and green colored blueberries will not ripen after they are picked. Unripe berries should be left on the bush because then they will turn into ripe berries for you to pick when you bring your friends back in a couple of weeks time.
The general rule when it comes to blueberries is “the bigger, the sweeter”. A fully ripe blueberry should easily come loose from the plant. If it takes any appreciable pressure to pick them, the berries aren’t fully ripe. It is best to pick blueberries by gently rolling each one from the cluster with the thumb into the palm of the hand. When picking is done this way, the berries that aren’t ripe will not come loose.
Once picked, don’t place the berries, still warm from the sun, in a closed bag or container. Leave the container open so moisture doesn’t form. Don’t wash the berries until just before using to prevent berries from becoming mushy. Chill berries soon after picking to increase shelf life. If refrigerated, fresh-picked blueberries will keep 10 to 14 days.
For more information, contact Santa Rosa County Extension at 850-623-3868.
Northview, Jay Students Attend Rural Electric Youth Tour In Washington
June 24, 2014
Two North Escambia area students were among 1,500 youth leaders from 41 states that enjoyed a week-long tour of Washington, DC.
Julie Hester of Northview High School and Tori Raught of Jay High School were winners of the Escambia River Electric Cooperative Youth Tour contest that is held annually for high school juniors in the EREC service area.
During the week, the students were able to see the World War II, Lincoln, Vietnam, Korean and FDR memorials; visit the Arlington National Cemetery, relax on the Potomac River during an evening boat cruise, and visit many other places of interest in Washington. Hester and Raught were also able to attend the play The Lion King at the Kennedy Center.
Both visited the Capitol where they learned more about how government works. During the Rural Electric Youth Day program, they had the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the history of rural electric cooperatives and the importance of cooperatives in the communities they serve.
Molino, Cottage Hill Churches Bid Goodbye To Gantzhorn
June 23, 2014
A farewell and appreciation reception was held Sunday in Molino for Pastor Alan Gantzhorn of Aldersgate United Methodist and Cottage Hill United Methodist churches.
Gantzhorn and his wife Jackie are being transferred to a church in Jackson, Ala., after nine years in Molino.
“It has been an honor to serve as your pastor for nine years,” Gantzhorn told his congregation. “You have showered your love on me and Jackie in so many ways. Our time serving at Aldersgate and Cottage Hill has richly blessed us. God has now chosen to put me to doing his work in another place; but Jackie and I will always treasure our time here and our beautiful memories of the people of this charge.”
During Sunday’s reception, church and community members expressed their appreciation to Gantzhorn for his service to both churches as well as the Molino and North Escambia communities.
Pictured top: Paston Alan Gantzhorn and his wife Jackie were presented with a farewell gift Sunday — a double rocking chair inscribed “The Lord your God is with you wherever you go” — from Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Pictured below: Gantzhord poses for a photo during a farewell reception Sunday afternoon in Molino. Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Barrineau Park 4-H Members Provide Treats To Cantonment, Molino Firefighters
June 22, 2014
This year, the Barrineau Park 4-H Club is celebrating 100 years at the oldest continuous 4-H Club in Florida. To celebrate, club members are doing 100 hours of community service.
As part of that project, they recently visited the Molino and Cantonment fire stations and delivered cookies, cupcakes and “thank you” letters to the firefighters.
Submitted photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Weekend Gardening: Time To Prune Gardenias And Hydrangeas
June 22, 2014
By Santa Rosa County Extension
Hydrangeas and gardenias are two of our most beloved shrubs in the South. They are revered for their flowers and are planted in large drifts throughout Northwest Florida.
Gardenia shrubs are evergreen and produce shiny, dark green leaves. They are known for their waxy, creamy white flowers. The flower’s aroma, adored by many gardeners, is powerful and pleasant.
Hydrangeas are deciduous shrubs and produce coarse, light green leaves. Their large leaves will fall off after a freeze. Although you are left with bare sticks during the winter, the summer blooms are well worth the winter bareness. While there are many different types of hydrangeas, the mopheads are probably the most recognizable. Their large inflorescences are usually blue on acid soil, pink on alkaline soil and a dirty white on neutral pH soil.
Even though these shrubs are different in many aspects, the one thing they have in common is when they “set” their flower buds. Both shrubs develop flower buds on old (mature) wood of the previous year and open in early summer of the following year. Flower buds are formed at the terminal end of stems and, if not killed by cold or removed by inappropriate pruning, provide the showy floral display the next year.
The best time to prune gardenias and hydrangeas is after they finish flowering for the season. Pruning them at the incorrect time of the year, such as winter, will remove the flower buds.
Your pruning program should be purposeful. First, remove all diseased, weak and dead wood. It will be important to disinfect your pruning equipment after removing suspect branches. Pruning shears, loppers and saws can be dipped in a weak bleach solution to prevent spread of disease between plants.
Once all the problem branches have been removed, then think about thinning the plant. Shrubs are often thinned to reduce a top-heavy appearance or to open up a dense canopy. To thin, simply remove some of the oldest branches by pruning them down to the ground. Remove about a quarter to a third of the branches, selecting the oldest ones for elimination. When thinning, take care not to damage the nearby younger stems and foliage.
Next, cut back branches that are excessively long. Prune back to a lateral branch that is six to twelve inches below the desirable plant height, removing no more than a third of the stem. Cut each branch separately to different lengths with hand pruners. This will maintain a neat informal shrub with a natural shape. Plants sheared into various geometric shapes produce a formality not suitable for many modern, natural landscapes. Making pruning cuts down inside the canopy instead of on the outside edge will also hide unsightly pruning cuts.
Within the last several years, reflowering hydrangeas have found their way into the marketplace. Reflowering hydrangeas produce an initial flush of flowers followed by sporadic flowering or later flushes of flowers in the same growing season.
Endless Summer Hydrangea is a reflowering hydrangea. It is very forgiving and will not suffer if left unpruned or pruned at the wrong time. In fact, young, recently planted shrubs are best left alone. Unlike other hydrangeas, your Endless Summer® will bloom on both old and new wood, branches that grew last year and the new branches from this year. Another unique feature is that this hydrangea will continue to set buds and bloom throughout the season. Deadheading, or removing the spent flowers will encourage continual blooming.
Council On Aging Needs Fans, Air Conditioners For Seniors
June 18, 2014
The Council on Aging of West Florida is in need of donations to help senior clients stay cool during the hot summer months.
Many clients are in need of fans and air conditioners. Donations, which must be new in the box, can be dropped off at the Council on Aging Office at 875 Royce Street in Pensacola.
Online donations towards fans and air conditioners can also be made by calling (850) 432-1475.