UT-TSU EXTENSIONSULLIVAN COUNTYApril – July 2020

STAFFChris Ramsey

County Director & Agriculture Extension Agent,

cwramsey@utk.edu

Rachel DeanFCS Extension Agent,

rdean4@utk.edu

Linda JonesTNCEP Program Assistant,

ljones83@utk.edu

Walter Malone4-H Extension Agent, wmalone1@utk.edu

Ina Ponder4-H Extension Agent, ina.ponder@utk.edu

Andrea BelcherAdministrative Assistant,

abelche4@utk.edu

Office Address:140 Spurgeon LaneBlountville, TN 37617

423-574-1919Sullivan.Tennessee.edu

Hours:Monday – Friday

8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Closed 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

for lunch

What is your role at Sullivan Extension?Administrative Assistant

If you could meet anyone in the world, dead or alive, who would it be?Kenny Chesney, Lidia Bastianich

Are you married, have kids/grandkids/pets?Married 40 years to Carl, Daughter, Carrie, Son, Trey, 3 cats

What do you do for fun?Garden, Love to Cook

Tell us something about yourself that most coworkers don't know.I love old horror movies/ Steven King. I really good at movie/music trivia.

What is your favorite meal?Steamed Crabs, I was born and raised Maryland

Please join us in welcoming Mrs. Andrea Belcher to the UT-TSU Extension staff. Andrea began serving as the Administrative Assistant for our Sullivan County office on July 1st. In her new role she will provide support to all Extension program areas including Agriculture and Natural Resources, Family and Consumer Sciences, and 4-H Youth Development. She is a graduate of the 2018 Master Gardener class and currently serves on the North East TN Master Gardener Association (NETMGA) Board. Again, we hope you will join us in welcoming Andrea to her new position with UT-TSU Extension Sullivan County.

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Dear Sullivan County Extension Clientele,

We are now in our fifth month of the altered operation of UT-TSU Extension due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation. As we have since March 23, we still continue to answer our telephone, emails, and texts and conduct online programs to serve Sullivan County clientele.

We have transitioned to having staff in the office to help move us closer to a “new normal”. While the office is closed to the public, clientele can call to make an appointment if there is a need. We do encourage you to call our office first. Just like other Extension programs across Tennessee and the U.S., we have adjusted our programming efforts to serve our clientele remotely when possible. Our objective is to continue to provide exceptional service while keeping our employees, volunteers, and clientele SAFE.

• Thank you for your understanding in these unusual times.

Sincerely, Chris Ramsey

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Have you ever wondered if the article you just read or the video youjust watched was accurate and reliable? Our media outlets arecurrently flooded with information on COVID-19 and it can beoverwhelming to try and filter through it all. It is important torecognize sources of reliable health information, especially whenso many of us get our news from the internet and social media. It isalso important that the health information that we share withothers is reliable.

Here are some helpful tips on how you can determine thecredibility of health and wellness information:

• Take a look at the content. Was this designed to sell aproduct? For example, an article claiming that theirmiracle drug can help someone lose 50 pounds in amonth might not a credible source of health information.Not to mention unhealthy! Additionally, look for theauthor or speaker’s credentials and background. Do theyhave the knowledge and expertise to be providinginformation about the subject?

• Where is the author or speaker getting their information?Look for the citing of reputable organizations or peer-reviewed journals throughout the source. Some currentexamples of reputable organizations, particularly relatedto COVID-19, would be organizations such as the CDC orthe Tennessee Department of Health.

• How do I know if a website is trustworthy? Check for thelast date that the website was updated, this canoftentimes be found at the bottom of a webpage orarticle. If it has not been updated in several years, theinformation may be out of date and inaccurate. Anotherway to evaluate the reliability of a website is its domain.The domain is the prefix that is at the end of eachwebsite address like .com, .edu, or .org.

• Domains like .edu and .gov have a high credibilityrating as they are from educational institutionsand government agencies.

• Domains like .org have a moderate credibilityrating. These are from organizations and non-profits.

• Domains such as .com, .net, .info and .biz have alow credibility rating. These are from commercialsites, networks, general use, and businesses.

• Follow these guidelines and you can assist in stoppingthe spread of misinformation on health-related topics.

Information adapted from a publication by the University of Illinois Extension. Source: https://extension.illinois.edu/sites/default/files/reliable_health_information.pdf

How to Identify Reputable Health Information:

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Edward Jenner is considered the founder of vaccinology in the West in 1796, after he inoculated a 13 year-old-boy withvaccinia virus (cowpox), and demonstrated immunity to smallpox. In 1798, the first smallpox vaccine was developed. Overthe 18th and 19th centuries, systematic implementation of mass smallpox immunization culminated in its global eradicationin 1979.

Louis Pasteur’s experiments spearheaded the development of live attenuated cholera vaccine and inactivated anthraxvaccine in humans (1897 and 1904, respectively). Plague vaccine was also invented in the late 19th Century. Between 1890and 1950, bacterial vaccine development proliferated, including the Bacillis-Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccination, which is stillin use today.

In 1923, Alexander Glenny perfected a method to inactivate tetanus toxin with formaldehyde. The same method was used todevelop a vaccine against diphtheria in 1926. Pertussis vaccine development took considerably longer, with a whole cellvaccine first licensed for use in the US in 1948.

Viral tissue culture methods developed from 1950-1985, and led to the advent of the Salk (inactivated) polio vaccine and theSabin (live attenuated oral) polio vaccine. Mass polio immunization has now eradicated the disease from many regionsaround the world.

Attenuated strains of measles, mumps and rubella were developed for inclusion in vaccines. Measles is currently the next possible target for elimination via vaccination.

Despite the evidence of health gains from immunization programs there has always been resistance to vaccines in some groups. The late 1970s and 1980s marked a period of increasing litigation and decreased profitability for vaccine manufacture, which led to a decline in the number of companies producing vaccines. The decline was arrested in part by the implementation of the National Vaccine Injury Compensation program in the US in 1986. The legacy of this era lives on to the present day in supply crises and continued media efforts by a growing vociferous anti-vaccination lobby.

The past two decades have seen the application of molecular genetics and its increased insights into immunology, microbiology and genomics applied to vaccinology. Current successes include the development of recombinant hepatitis B vaccines, the less reactogenic acellular pertussis vaccine, and new techniques for seasonal influenza vaccine manufacture.

Molecular genetics sets the scene for a bright future for vaccinology, including the development of new vaccine delivery systems (e.g. DNA vaccines, viral vectors, plant vaccines and topical formulations), new adjuvants, the development of more effective tuberculosis vaccines, and vaccines against cytomegalovirus (CMV), herpes simplex virus (HSV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), staphylococcal disease, streptococcal disease, pandemic influenza, shigella, HIV and schistosomiasis among others. Therapeutic vaccines may also soon be available for allergies, autoimmune diseases and addictions.

PROGRESS AGAINST POLIO - Four regions of the world are certified polio free—the Americas, Europe, South East Asia and the Western Pacific. Only three polio-endemic countries (countries that have never interrupted the transmission of wild poliovirus) remain—Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan.

Without our polio eradication efforts, more than 17 million people who are currently healthy would have been paralyzed by the virus.

A brief history of vaccination

Progress Against Polio

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Youth Vaccine Schedule:https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf

Adult Vaccine Schedule https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-combined-schedule.pdf

Importance of Vaccines

Top 10 Reasons to Protect Children Through Vaccination

• Parents want to do everything possible to make sure their children are healthy and protected from preventable diseases. Vaccination is the best way to do that.

• Vaccination protects children from serious illness and complications of vaccine-preventable diseases which can include amputation of an arm or leg, paralysis of limbs, hearing loss, convulsions, brain damage, and death.

• Vaccine-preventable diseases, such as measles, mumps, and whooping cough, are still a threat. They continue to infect U.S. children, resulting in hospitalizations and deaths every year.

• Though vaccination has led to a dramatic decline in the number of U.S. cases of several infectious diseases, some of these diseases are quite common in other countries and are brought to the U.S. by international travelers. If children are not vaccinated, they could easily get one of these diseases from a traveler or while traveling themselves.

• Outbreaks of preventable diseases occur when many parents decide not to vaccinate their children.

• Vaccination is safe and effective. All vaccines undergo long and careful review by scientists, doctors, and the federal government to make sure they are safe.

• Organizations such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all strongly support protecting children with recommended vaccinations.

• Vaccination protects others you care about, including family members, friends, and grandparents.

• If children aren’t vaccinated, they can spread disease to other children who are too young to be vaccinated or to people with weakened immune systems, such as transplant recipients and people with cancer. This could result in long-term complications and even death for these vulnerable people.

• We all have a public health commitment to our communities to protect each other and each other’s children by vaccinating our own family members.

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Youth Vaccine Schedule:https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/child/0-18yrs-child-combined-schedule.pdf

Vaccine Schedule

Adult Vaccine Schedule https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/schedules/downloads/adult/adult-combined-schedule.pdf

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A forage analysis will help you manage your hay better.Many livestock producers feed more hay thanthey should. A forage analysis will allow you to hold yourbest hay for the time when livestock need itmost. Save your best hay for the animal in lategestation and feed the poorer hay to those animals onlyneeding a maintenance-level forage.

Consider a Forage Analysis

The cost of the workshop is $110. The dates for theclasses and proposed topics (not set in stone yet) arelisted below. The classes will begin at 6:30 pm ESTand will not last any longer than 2 hours. Producersmust attend and participate in 9 of the 12 availableclasses to be eligible for Master Small RuminantCertification. You will be able to pick up your manualand sign at the UT-TSU Sullivan County ExtensionOffice.

Beef Producer Education Programs to Begin in September!

Small Ruminant Workshop Scheduled

A g r i c u l t u r e

Due to the current situation with COVID-19, we willoffer a fall series of beef education classes. This willinclude the opportunity to re-certify your Master BeefProducer certification. These classes will be acombination of online and face-to-face classes as ourCOVID-19 Re-opening Plan and CDC guidelines allow.These classes will begin in September. I will alsopromote these classes via my weekly beef email. Theregistration opportunity will be announced by themiddle of August.

The new applications should be available bySeptember 1, 2020. The application period will beOctober 1 – 7. Note you will be required to postmarkyour application or apply online during this one-weekperiod. You will need a current Beef Quality AssuranceCertification to complete the cost-share application.Call our office at 574-1919 for more information.

2020-2021 TAEP Cost-Share Program

Date Day Topic8-4-20 T Marketing Small Ruminants8-6-20 R Small Ruminant Facilities8-11-20 T Reproduction in Small Ruminants8-13-20 R Managing Parasites in Small Ruminants8-18-20 T Small Ruminant Health Management8-20-20 R Small Ruminant Genetics8-25-20 T Quality Assurance for Small Ruminants8-27-20 R Small Ruminant Carcass Merit9-1-20 T Forages for Small Ruminants9-3-20 R Lamb & Kid Management9-8-20 T Small Ruminant Nutrition9-10-20 R Legal Considerations for Producers &

Farm Programs

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2020 Master Gardener Training Class Schedule Set

The classes will begin on Thursday, August 6. Theclasses will be a combination of online and face-to-face meetings as the University of TN ExtensionCOVID-19 Re-opening Plan permits. As our re-opening plan allows, we will hold some meetingsface-to-face with full compliance with CDC guidelines.The classes will be held on Thursday evenings from6:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The series of programs willconsist of 17 educational programs covering a varietyof horticultural topics. The Master Gardener Programis focused on teaching individuals about horticultureand volunteerism in our communities. Call our officeat 574-1919 for more information and anapplication.

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ASIAN GIANT HORNETS (Vespa mandarinia)

I have received many calls about possible Asian GiantHornets. You can also find posts and links to photosabout Asian giant hornets on EPP’s Facebook page.

Anyone who believes they have seen an Asian gianthornet is encouraged to email photos foridentification. So far, all local submissions have beenidentified as European hornets, yellowjackets, oreastern cicada killers – none have been confirmed asAsian giant hornets. However, we want to be sure wedo not have any Asian giant hornets in the area so ifyou are still unsure after consulting the photos at theEPP Facebook page, please email(cwramsey@utk.edu) your photos to your Extensionoffice for identification.

Eastern cicada killers (Sphecius speciosus) havestarted emerging and appearing across TN the lastcouple of weeks. As a result, we have seen aresurgence of possible Asian giant hornet sightings.Eastern cicada killers are large, ground-nestingwasps with similar markings to Asian giant hornets(no confirmed sightings outside of the state ofWashington) and European hornets (known to bepresent in the Eastern US) but have a longer andmore slender abdomen and are native to the region.They are seldom aggressive but they have largestingers so it is best to leave them alone and notprovoke them.

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Beekeeping for Beginners

Best Practices for Beginners

Dr. Geoff Williams, Auburn UniversityAugust 257:30 – 8:30 PM EST

Zoom link: https://auburn.zoom.us/j/904522838Facebook Live & recording: facebook.com/LawrenceCountyextension

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Our office is consistently posting evidence-basedinformation on a regular basis on our Facebook page.We also recently created an Instagram page. You canfind us on Facebook at UT Extension Sullivan Countyand on Instagram at utextensionsullivan. Make sureto like and follow us for updates on programs andother information.

Social Media Updates:COVID-19 Response:

The Sullivan County UT-TSU Extension Office assistedseveral different community organizations over thepast few months as a response to the COVID-19crisis. Our office assisted with packing anddistributing over 13,000 meals with the SullivanCounty School system, as well as providededucational information for parents and guardians.Additionally, resources were provided to SecondHarvest Food Bank, the USDA CommoditiesDistribution, local senior centers, and otherorganizations. Does your organization needinformation on nutrition, staying healthy at home, orother topics? Please contact us and we would behappy to provide those for you.

F a m i l y C o n s u m e r S c i e n c e s

Sullivan County FCE members and volunteersprovided over 100 homemade cloth face masks tolocal nursing homes and health care providers inSullivan County. Sullivan County collaborated withCarter County FCS Agent Vickie Clark who createdmasks kits for those who needed supplies. This wasa great way to help others, while still sociallydistancing and remaining home. The masks weregreatly appreciated and received positive feedbackfrom those who received them. Around 180 hourswere spent on the project, equivocating to avolunteer value of over $4,100! Several thousandmasks have been distributed across the state aspart of this project. Thank you FCE members andvolunteers for your hard work on this project andyour continued service to our community!

Masks of Love Project

Do you enjoy canning each summer? If you have apressure canner with a dial gauge it’s important toget the gauge checked for accuracy each year priorto canning. If the gauge is inaccurate it could resultin incorrectly processed food and a potentiallyunsafe product. You can have your gauge checked atthe Extension office each year and this is a freeservice offered to the community. This is currentlybeing done without contact via a drop off in acontainer on the porch at our office. If interested,please call our office or email Rachel Dean to set upan appointment

Pressure Canner Dial Gauge Testing

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Diabetes Prevention Program

Prior to the closure due to COVID-19, a session of theyear-long CDC Diabetes Prevention Program kickedoff at the Bristol Slater Center. The class is currentlyon hold until it is safe to meet again in person;however, the participants have been enjoyingmonthly Zoom check-ins and receiving information inthe mail. A fully virtual Diabetes Prevention Programwill kick off this fall and the dates will be announcedin August. The class is a year long, meeting once aweek for the first 16 weeks and then going tobimonthly or monthly meetings for the rest of theyear. The class is designed for those who areprediabetic and the goal of the class is to reduceparticipant’s risk of developing diabetes. The cost ofthe class is $25.00 for the entire year. Are you at riskof developing prediabetes? Take a look at some ofthe risk factors and contact Rachel atrdean4@utk.edu for more information and theupcoming class schedule if interested.

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Rachel offered several Food Preservation classes viaZoom and Facebook during the months of April, May,and June. Topics have included pickling, jams, andjellies, pressure canning, and canning best practices.These will continue over the next few months,upcoming classes will be “Drying Foods at Home”and “Canning Tomatoes.” These are free classes andquestions can be sent ahead of time that can beanswered live. If you are interested in attendingvirtually contact Rachel at rdean4@utk or visit ourFacebook page to sign up.

Virtual Food Preservation Classes

We are fortunate enoughto live in an area where wehave access to delicioussummer produce!Although we are not ableto conduct our Farmer’sMarket Fresh program aswe normally would, youcan still find great recipesand tips on our socialmedia outlets! Try thistasty recipe for Honey MintFruit Salad:

Farmer’s Market Fresh Program

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What is TNCEP

Hello! I’m Linda Jones the program assistant for theTennessee Nutrition and Consumer Education Program(TNCEP), which provides nutrition and consumereducation for individuals and families who are SNAPeligible. We offer FREE classes/workshops forparticipants in all stages of life to develop the skillsneeded to choose and prepare healthy foods within alimited budget and choose a physically active lifestylewhile moving toward self-sufficiency.

COVID-19 has put us all into uncharted territory, andmany people are worried about money and being able tofeed their family. Some people may be motivated tomake healthy changes during this time. For others, theconstant cooking and cleaning has become toooverwhelming in addition to everything else they’redealing with (kids, work, aging parents at risk).

As a nutrition educator, I’m still here for you as wecontinue this journey even though I’m unable to offerface-to-face programs in the community at this time.Please visit the UT Extension Sullivan County Facebookpage for reliable information you can use including easy,affordable, healthy recipes, upcoming virtual classes,events, etc. We are dedicated to educating andsupporting our community. Please feel free to contactme via our Facebook page or ljones83@utk.edu.

T N C E P

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2020 Clover Bowl Goes Virtual!

An annual favorite, the 4-H Clover Bowl, carried on in2020 through a virtual format. The event testsstudents in grades 4-8 knowledge related to 4-H,Agriculture, Government, Life Skills, Science, andTennessee. It consists of three or four memberteams competing in a quiz bowl style tournamentformat. County contests were conducted todetermine teams for the Eastern Region event whichwas conducted on May 28, 2020.

This year’s virtual format was a new twist on thetraditional delivery method, but ultimately provided away for student’s to showcase the knowledge learnedin preparation for the event, interact with others, andlearn some new technology skills.

Teams from Holston, Indian Springs, Mary Hughes,and Miller Perry participated this year. Countywinners were the Holston 4th grade and Miller Perry5th grade teams. Holston reached the semi-finals orfinal four of the regional tournament and Miller Perrythe finals, earning 2nd place in the 5th gradedivision.

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Thanks to all the students and teachers whoparticipated this year despite significant changes andcongratulations on your accomplishments!

Multi-County 4-H Achievement Day Winners

Congratulations to these 4-H members for earning 1stplace in their project area at the Upper Eight Multi-County 4-H Achievement Contest. This year’s contestwas held virtually in May with members submittingvideos for judging. Rileigh shared a demonstration onhow to make a delicious fruit cobbler and Joseyshared about his beef cattle project. Great job!

Eastern Region All Star Conference

The 2020 Eastern Region All Star Council held THE CONFERENCE in June. This online experience included Initiation of new members, election of new officers, educational funshops, senior recognition, guest speakers, including UT President Randy Boyd, and time to connect with other youth from across East TN. Thanks to senior high member Suzanne Amos for representing Sullivan County at THE CONFERENCE.

TN All Stars is a recognition program for 4-H members. Before a 4-H'er can become an All Star member, they have to be a member of their county 4-H Honor Club. Honor Club provides recognition of 4-H members in grades 6-12 who have demonstrated consistent leadership ability and been active members in their clubs and communities. All Stars provide service to others through individual and cooperative efforts.

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June Dairy Month Poster Contest

Students in grades 4-12 wereinvited to create a 14x22 inchposter depicting the theme “TheArt of Dairy.”

The Dairy Alliance will be providing our county winnera free t-shirt and they will be eligible to win stateawards of up to $550.

Congratulations to this year’s June Dairy MonthPoster Contest Winner- Matthew Lewis!

June Dairy Month

June was National Dairy Month. Originallyestablished as a grocery/milk promotion in 1937,National Dairy Month now acts as a reminder of thehealth benefits that dairy products provide. Theycontain essential nutrients – including calcium,potassium, vitamin D, and protein. They also reducethe risk of high blood pressure, osteoporosis, andcertain cancers, while helping us to better manageour weight. Though June has come and gone,including dairy products in your diet can provide keynutrients needed for overall health.

During June our 4-H Facebook page featured postsrelated to dairy including: facts, games, videos,virtual tours, giveaways, recipes, and more! Visit@sullivancountytn4H on Facebook to view all thecontent.

Special thanks to our June Dairy Month chair,Suzanne Amos, for her leadership and efforts to helpshare the importance of dairy and agriculture.Suzanne led an effort to provide ice cream cake andcoupons to the Sullivan County Sheriff's Office duringJune to show appreciation for their work and promotedairy. Also Suzanne was featured in two local newsarticles. Follow the links here to view the articles:

Kingsport Times News from June 2, 2020Sullivan freshman heads up June Dairy Month

Bristol Herald Courier from June 15, 2020Hometown Stories: Teen spreading awareness ofdairy, dairy farmers

TN 4-H Academic UnConference

Four members were registered as delegates to theonline 4-H Academic UnConference for junior highyouth. This modification of the annual 4-H AcademicConference allowed middle school youth theopportunity to work with UT professors, specialists,and faculty members. Participants learned more in-depth knowledge about their 4-H project area,explored related careers, and networked with other4-H members across the state.

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2020 Bristol Virtual Steer Show Results

2020 marks the 76th year for the Bristol Junior SteerShow which typically provides 4-H and FFA youth fromprimarily Tennessee and Virginia opportunities toexhibit market steers, heifers, compete inshowmanship, a project record book competition,beef skill-a-thon, a college scholarship award, andbeef carcass competition.

This year in order to continue many of the annualcomponents of the Bristol Show activities weremodified to online formats. Despite the pandemic 25of 26 steer entries tagged in late 2019 entered avirtual steer show by submission of photos and video.Each entry was asked to provide a front, rear, andside profile photo, as well as a video of the animalfollowing a given example. In addition, to the virtualsteer show many of the other activities werecontinued including the beef skill-a-thon which wasmade open to all TN and VA youth and had over 80participants in three age divisions. Animal projectrecord books and scholarship applications weremodified for easier completion and submissiononline. This year 13 animals were processed andentered in the Bristol Beef Carcass Show. An awardspresentation was conducted with participants viaZoom on May 18 to announce results. Some SullivanCounty highlights included:

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• 6 Market Steer entries• Reserve Champion Steer Carcass – Dustin Frazier• Top 5 Steer Carcasses – Colby Stout & Garrett Trivette• 4th Place Junior Showmanship – Connor Watts• 2nd Place Intermediate Showmanship – Grant Trivette• 4th Place Intermediate Showmanship – Garrett Trivette• 6th Place Senior Showmanship – Colby Stout• 2nd Place Junior Project Books – Connor Watts• 1st Place Intermediate Project Books – Josey Caldwell

July Beef Month

There's no doubt this summer looks a little differentbut there are a few things that haven't changed:• July is Beef Month in Tennessee!• Summer grilling is still on, so fire up the grill• Beef cattle are produced in every county in

Tennessee making it one of the top beef-producingstates in the nation.

July Beef Month aims to share the nutritional benefitsthat beef can provide and recognize the hard work ofcattle producers. Throughout July posts about beefhave been shared on our 4-H Facebook page@sullivancountytn4H From July Beef Monthpromotional contests, the Tennessee Beef IndustryCouncil’s weekly beef book club, UT beef skill-a-thoneducational videos, recipes, beef facts, and more,we’ve tried to share more about this importantagricultural commodity. Visit our Facebook page toview what’s been shared this #JulyBeefMonth.

4‐H members will be offering pens of five pullets each for sale by public auction at 10:00 am on Saturday, August 1 at the Appalachian Fairgrounds Sheep Barn. Breeds include Buff Orpington and Black Australorp. All birds raised from chicks by 4-H youth.Interested buyers only to help limit crowd size. Social distancing standards and masks encouraged. For more information call: Sullivan Co.423‐574‐1919

4-H Poultry Sale

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2020 Tennessee 4-H Photo Search Entries

4-H members in grades 6-12 had the opportunity toportray their 4-H involvement through the state 4-HPhoto Search Contest. Each county was eligible toenter up to 10 entries for state judging. Thanks to allthe youth who submitted photos this year. We lookforward to hearing the results of the state contest.

A couple of our favorites!

“A Little Toady” by Daniel Grubb

“Roundabout Silver Spur” by Suzanne Amos

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4-H Fall Judging Teams

Study about a 4-H project, win awards, have fun andmake new friends! 4-H Judging Teams are a greatway to let the learning and fun begin.

On a 4-H Judging Team you will learn decision makingskills, make close observations, learn to recognizegood and bad points in products or workmanship,and learn to appreciate other opinions whiledeveloping skills to express yourself clearly.

We’re looking for youth interested in being part of afour member team for each of the areas listed below.Jr. High (6-8th grade) and Senior (9-12th) teams willwork together to train in their area of interest and cancompete in the Eastern Region 4-H Judging Conteststhis fall. All these contests will be in an on-lineformat.

CONSUMER DECISION MAKINGLearn consumer decision making skills. This year’stopics include: Active Wear, Fundraising, PlaceSettings and Wearable Technology.Contest: Sept. 10, at 6:00 pm

FORESTRYLearn tree identification, wood identification, insectand disease identification, tree measurement andforest orienteering.Contest: Sept. 17, at 6:00 pm

LIFE SKILLSThis event reinforces everyday skills. This year’stopics include: Making Change; Reduce, Reuse &Recycle; Throwing a Fit; and Chill It, Cook It, Toss It.Contest: Sept. 24, at 6:00 pm

DAIRY CATTLE JUDGINGLearn how to evaluate dairy cattle.Contest: Oct. 1, at 6:00 pm

If interested in participating in one of these judgingevents or serving as a coach for a project area pleasecontact us at the Extension Office, 423-574-1919.

Social Media

Follow us for on social media fortimely updates, project ideas,and learning resources.

@SullivanCountyTN4H

Upcoming DatesAugust

1st Multi-County 4-H Poultry Sale - Appalachian Fairgrounds1st 2020-2021 Academic Year 4-H Enrollment Begins4th FCE County Council Meeting- has been canceled6th Master Gardener Training Classes Begin6th Drying Foods at Home 5:30-6:30pm*11th Co-Parenting Apart 1:00-5:00pm*11th Canning Tomatoes 5:30-6:30pm*17th Staying Healthy at Home 10:00-11:00am**19th Food Preservation 101 10:00-11:00am**25th Beekeeping Beginners 7:30 – 8:30 PM EST*27th Co-Parenting Apart 5:00-9:00pm*August (TBA) Diabetes Prevention Program**August (TBA) Re-certify Master Beef Producer CertificationAugust/Sept (TBA) Master Small Ruminant Certification

September

1st Deadline for TAEP Reimbursement 7th Labor Day – Extension Office Closed 10th Eastern Region 4-H Judging Contest: Consumer Decision Making17th Eastern Region 4-H Judging Contest: Forestry24th Eastern Region 4-H Judging Contest: LifeSkills

4-H Poster Art Contest Begins

October

30th 4-H Posters due (Contact Agents for details)31st Halloween

*Taught Via Zoom ** The following classes will be offered in partnership with the Kingsport Senior Center and will also be recorded for viewing at a later time.

UT Extension provides a gateway to the University of Tennessee as the outreach unit of the Institute of Agriculture. With an office in every Tennessee county, UT Extension delivers education programs and research-based information to citizens throughout the state. In cooperation with Tennessee State University, UT Extension works from farmers, families, youth and communities to improve lives by addressing problems and issues at the local, state and national levels.