Nutrition & Health

There are no safe methods for home canning pumpkin butter. Pumpkin butter is a delicious autumn fruit spread that many folks love to preserve and sometimes give as gifts for the holidays. While canning pumpkin butter was once common, decades ago scientific studies found safety issues with the home…

Proper handling and preparation of eggs are important for safety.  Eggs are a wonderful, nutritious food that come so conveniently packaged in their own individual shells. But raw eggs can harbor Salmonella – both on the shell itself and inside the egg, too. Egg shells can be contaminated from…

Be safe when handling raw flour Flour is, generally speaking, a raw agricultural product which has not undergone any treatment to kill pathogenic bacteria – such as E. coli and Salmonella – that can cause foodborne illness.  Several disease outbreaks associated with flour and flour products …

Have you ever seen a walking stick insect, maybe in a museum display or at an entomology demonstration? They look just like twigs and are fascinating creatures. This makes them popular as pets in classrooms and homes. However, if pet walking sticks are accidentally or purposefully let out of their cages,…

Universal School Meals provide free meals to all students, helping reduce stigma, administrative burden, and unequal access, while also supporting nutrition, health, food security, and academic outcomes. However, after the COVID-19  pandemic, the federal waivers allowing all students, regardless of…

Tap Water Day 2026: What Shapes Trust in Tap Water Tap water trust has become an increasingly central concern across the water sector, drawing attention from agencies, educators, and policymakers alike.This growing focus reflects a broader recognition: communities have consistently signaled the need for…

About Carrots, Parsnips and RadishesCarrots are native to Eurasia, with the typical orange variety coming from east Asia.  Parsnips are native to the eastern Mediterranean and north to the Caucus Mountains. Beets also are from the Mediterranean region usually along the sandy coast.  Lastly radishes…

About OnionsOnions grown in the Tahoe/Truckee area do not typically achieve the size found in the markets.Onions are defined as short day, long day and intermediate day onions. Intermediate day onions may do best in our area. Tahoe is on the demarcation line for the limits of long-day and short-day onions…

Growing SquashSquash have separate male and female flowers (monoecious).Flowers are edibleCompanion plantings include corn, lettuce, onions and radishesAvoid planting with potatoes, tomatoes and eggplantsMany varieties have tendrils that help the plant climb and hold fruit off groundSquash can be grown in…