Posts Tagged: Tulare County
Creative, healthy cooking marks EFNEP's anniversary in Tulare County
EFNEP, UC Cooperative Extension's Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, partnered with Culinary Arts Program in Tulare County to celebrate EFNEP's 50th anniversary. Chef Jeff, who is leading the Culinary Arts Program, sponsored and conducted a two-hour workshop in May 2019 for EFNEP parents, with a focus on basic cooking principles. The participants learned how to make and tasted a creative grilled salad.
The parents had just completed the EFNEP Eat Smart ? Be Active nutrition education series at Tulare Adult School. Mariana Lopez, a bilingual nutrition educator, led the EFNEP classes from March 19 to May 21. Ten participants completed the series and graduated. The graduates expressed interest in a cooking workshop. Deepa Srivastava, the UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor, reached out to Chef Jeff to initiate this collaboration and Lopez coordinated efforts to organize the cooking workshop.
The starter
Chef Jeff started the workshop by introducing his culinary program. He shared cooking methodology and the use of "mother sauces," basic sauces that serve as a bases for flavoring different dishes. All participants had great questions for the chef, which indicated their interest in learning more about the measurements, ingredients and the application of "hot and cold" cooking techniques.
The main course
EFNEP participants learned the art and science of putting together a healthy vinaigrette and grilled salad. In this process, Chef Jeff provided information about the importance of food safety and sanitation, knife skills, cutting and chopping, and healthy salad ingredients. He demonstrated how to wash, cut and chop variety of vegetables followed by grilling the vegetables on the stove top. Participants loved the taste of the colorful grilled vegetables. Additionally, Chef Jeff explained the many creative ways to eat grilled vegetables, including lettuce wraps. Participants were mesmerized to see him create a rose from sliced tomatoes.
The dessert
Icing on the cake was the take-home message and the potential for a long-term collaboration between EFNEP and Tulare Culinary Arts Program. The two-hour workshop was packed with cooking knowledge, skills and creativity. Participants' meaningful comments about the workshop included, “it was fun, creative, and new information.”
“I really enjoyed taking part of this special collaboration between our Tulare EFNEP Program and the Tulare Culinary Arts program with Chef Jeff," Lopez said. "It gave me the opportunity to connect with my participants in a more personal level, because I was also a participant — learning and taking with me fun and exciting tips to share in my classes with my food demos as well as in my home with my family's meals.”
The workshop ended with the chef happily packing grilled salad for participants to take home. Indeed, Chef Jeff inspired participants to cook healthy with fun and creativity!
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Participants tasting the grilled vegetables.
Celebrating EFNEP’s 50 years with UC Master Gardeners in Tulare County
EFNEP, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program, partnered with UC Master Gardeners in Tulare County to celebrate EFNEP's 50th Anniversary! The UC Master Gardeners provided a one-hour workshop about container gardening for parents of young children. The parents had just completed the EFNEP Eat Smart•Be Active series at Conyer Elementary in Visalia, Calif.
Mariana Lopez, a UC nutrition educator who speaks English and Spanish, led the EFNEP classes from Jan. 30 to March 27, 2019. Seven of the 10 participants completed the series and graduated. The graduates expressed interest in participating in a gardening workshop. Deepa Srivastava, the UC Cooperative Extension nutrition, family and consumer sciences advisor, reached out to Susan Gillison, the UC Master Gardener coordinator, to initiate this collaboration and Mariana coordinated the gardening workshop.
UC Master Gardeners provided full support
The Master Gardeners provided the materials such as soil, pots, basil seedlings and cilantro seeds. The guidance and knowledge received from Dana Young, the Master Gardener volunteer – also known as The Plant Lady – was very helpful! Parents participated with their children in the hands-on container gardening activity. Dana explained that container, or pot gardening, is the practice of growing plants in containers instead of planting in the ground. Herbs and other edible plants can be grown in containers. The participants also learned about healthy soil and gutter gardening.
Parents enthusiastically shared their experience from participating in this hands-on activity:
“Knowledge about gutter gardening was very helpful!”
“It was exciting to be a part of this activity, my child loved it!”
Indeed, the EFNEP and Master Gardener collaboration in Tulare County was successful. The Site Coordinator of Conyer Elementary expressed interest in holding additional meaningful workshops like these for parents during the school year!
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/h3>/h3>/h3>/h2>/span>Fourth-graders learn fast food can be healthy
UC Cooperative Extension nutrition educators in Tulare County keyed in on that point in time in a play performed for 1,600 fourth-grade students at AgVentures Farm and Nutrition Day, May 23.
The play is a scripted game show titled “What Does MyPlate Say?” which encourages the children to think about the USDA's MyPlate eating guidelines, introduced to them by UC CalFresh educators in their classrooms throughout the year, when they order a fast food meal.
Five “contestants” were selected from the audience and asked to look at a food court menu. The first contestant is asked to select a fruit from the menu, and picks a yogurt parfait. Applause and a chorus of “Healthy, healthy, healthy eyes! Healthy, healthy, healthy skin!” affirm the choice.
The second student is charged with selecting a vegetable in the food court.
“French fries from MickeyC's,” he says. “Potatoes are vegetables, aren't they?”
The brightly dressed host, Sally Strawberry, admits that's true but declares french fries a “sometimes food.” Try again.
The second response, “veggie bowl from Bear Express,” is met with music, bells and applause.
Contestant three is challenged to find whole grains in the food court.
“Turkey on whole wheat from Sideway?” he responds tentatively. “Grains give us strength and energy to play!”
The fourth child to play gets a tricky question. “Can you choose a food that is high in protein but also high in fiber?” asks Sally Strawberry.
“Bean burrito from Beeanie Bell,” the child chimes.
“Muy rico,” Strawberry says. “We now have a fruit, vegetable, whole grains and protein. We just need a drink.”
“Milk, from any place,” the last child says.
See scenes from 2014 AgVentures in Tulare County in the one-minute video below:
Blue Oak Acorn Toxicity Risk in Cattle
Four head mature cows have been reported dead in Tulare County foothills from 2500 feet to 1000 foot elevations. All were in the vicinity of Blue Oaks with heavy crop of acorns.
Neil McDougald, Livestock Range Advisor of Madera County indicated that this year is similar to other years he has seen where there have been incidents of acorn toxicity. There is a very large acorn crop, and recent rains has led to some early green-up under Oak Trees which can result in some cows camping and eating an overload of acorns resulting in acorn poisoning.
Most cattle in California spend at least part of the year in areas where oak trees abound. Health problems due to ingestion of oak leaves or acorns are certainly not an everyday problem; however, when problems do occur they can be catastrophic. Several years ago, in a few northern California counties, about 2,700 cattle died due to oak toxicity1.
Some years have much higher production of oak acorns than others and this year, 2011 in the Foothill Ranges of the Southern Sierras, has been reported as one of the highest production years observed. In addition early rains may increase the risk of acorns by reducing the nutrient value of last year’s forage, as well as causing an early greening of grass under the oaks where acorns are accumulating.
During the week of October 10, 2011 four head mature cows were reported to be found dead in Tulare County foothills from 2500 feet to 1000 foot elevations. All were in the immediate vicinity of Blue Oaks with heavy crop of acorns. These cattle were not available for necropsy and cause of death was not confirmed, however oak acorn toxicity is suspected.
Oak toxicity symptoms usually appear when cattle eat 50% or more of their diet as oak (acorns, leaves, buds). Toxicity can be prevented by supplementing cattle with hay or other supplements when forage conditions are poor and acorns are abundant. A higher risk may occur if early or late snowstorms covers available forage and knocks down oak limbs with large amounts of buds and young leaves or acorns, be sure to start hay supplementation immediately. A delay of only a day or two could result in many deaths.
There are two recommendations to avoid cattle loss due to acorn toxicity. One is to provide supplement to draw cattle away from the acorns, so that their exposure decreases. The other is to remove cattle observed eating acorns from fields with high levels of acorns.
It is recommended that producers work with their local veterinarian and/or diagnostic laboratory, to be certain of the actual cause of death in all livestock losses. There are many other factors that can cause sudden death and although oak toxicity may be likely and immediate actions should be taken to prevent further deaths, a follow up with a veterinarian is often the best course of action to prevent further losses. For a more comprehensive discussion on identification and recommended actions for Oak Toxicity and Acorn Calf syndrome in cattle please refer to the link below.
Dr. John Maas, UC Davis Extension Veterinarian, informative article on oak toxicity (OAK TOXICITY UCD Vet Views California Cattleman, Jan 2001):
http://www.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/vetext/INF-BE_cca/INF-BE_cca01/INF-BE_cca0101.html.
Blue Oak Acorn
Cattle Pasture amongst Blue Oaks
UC Cooperative Extension nominates nutrition stars
UC Cooperative Extension nutrition educators in Tulare County nominated two local principals and a teacher for the 6th Annual California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Spotlight Awards, said an article in the Visalia Times-Delta. A committee will select one outstanding principal and one outstanding teacher from among the nominees. Supporting comments that can be made until June 30 on the website, in addition to the written nominations, will be considered by the committee in selecting the awardees.
Gold medalists receive $10,000 to further promote physical activity in their communities, silver medalists receive $2,500 and bronze medalists receive $1,000.
Anyone can go to the Governor's Council website and show support for the nominees by clicking "like," which tallies support from people who have Facebook accounts, clicking "support," or writing supportive comments.
Tulare County UCCE nutrition educator Julie Cates nominated principal Ira Porchia of Roosevelt School. Twice per year Porchia purchases a children's bicycle and all students with perfect attendance are entered into a bike lottery, Cates wrote in the nomination.
“Some kids just need a carrot dangled in front of them, a small incentive,” Porchia told Cates.
Cates said Porchia cheerfully reads facts and trivia related to fruits and vegetables provided by the UCCE Nutrition Program over the intercom and came into a classroom to personally pedal a “fruit smoothie bike," a bicycle modified to spin healthy ingredients in a blender mounted behind the seat.
Cates also nominated third-grade teacher Melissa Van Osch from Frank Kohn Elementary School. Van Osch coordinates an annual “Jump Rope for Heart" and during the month of December she used "The 12 Days of Fitness" physical activity curriculum in her classroom.
UCCE nutrition educator Leonila Leon nominated principal Valerie Brown of Maple Elementary School. Brown supports nutrition and fitness programs that allow students to become healthier, the nomination says. Brown enrolled several of her teachers into the UCCE nutrition program. The teachers receive a curriculum to teach students about healthy eating and exercise.
Principal Ira Porchia rides the "fruit smoothie bike."