Southern Huntingdon's Ag In Classroom Day

April 30th, I got the amazing opportunity to teach 4th graders from the Southern Huntingdon County School District about Farm Safety!  We enjoyed a beautiful day at the Shade Gap Volunteer Fire Company's Picnic Grounds.  The kids learned about alpacas, sheep, pigs, rabbits, chickens, maple syrup, grains, dairy foods and cows!  The Southern Huntingdon County FFA Chapter did a marvelous job on organizing the event, I had a great time!

Blue Juniata FFA Banquet

Yesterday evening (April 16th), I got the opportunity to attend the Blue Juniata FFA Banquet.  It was a great honor to attend this event since I am a past member of this chapter.  I was able to not only watch my brother and sister accept their awards but all the FFA members that I grew up with get theirs. Thank you Blue Juniata FFA Chapter for having me, it was a great time!  Congratulations to all for a great year and good luck to the seniors as you leave this chapter of your life!

Did You Start Gardening? Article- April 16, 2015

“April showers bring May flowers.” This old saying brings great news to everyone knowing that we will be seeing beautiful flowers everywhere and warm weather is on its way.  To our gardeners, this means that it’s time to bring out the gardening tools and seeds to start the season off right!

 By planting your own fruits and vegetables, you’re not only benefitting yourself by saving money and eating healthier but supporting the PA Preferred program!  This program supports many companies that use only foods grown in Pennsylvania.  Purchasing only Pennsylvanian foods supports our neighbors, families, friends and local farmers while restoring pride in homegrown products and helping the economy.  Here in Huntingdon, we have our own farmer’s market starting back up in May at Portstown Park!

                If you are planting flowers, vegetables or fruits this season, consider entering your products at the Huntingdon County Fair in Neary Hall.   It’s a great way to show off your hard work and support the PA Preferred Program.

                So with the April showers coming and going, start your own garden with your family.  Plant items that you use most in celebration of April being National Garden Month while giving small children a project to do this summer!  Next time, you shop at a local grocery store or farmer’s market remember to look for the PA Preferred logo to support PA’s number one industry, agriculture.  Happy Gardening!

Do You Want to Take a Part in Something Bigger?

“It’s an AG-venture!” 5K Run/Walk is coming to the Huntingdon County Fairgrounds on May 17^th at 2pm in support of our youth!  This 3.1 mile race will take you all over the 69 acres of the beautiful Huntingdon County Fairgrounds.

The cost to walk or run is $20 per person and you will receive an awesome t-shirt and a great cardio workout!  All the proceeds from this race will go to the Msgnr. John W. Mignot Scholarship fund.  This scholarship is offered to six college fair participants across the state, thanks to the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fairs (PSACF). 

If you would like to participate and help out the youth, hop on www.huntingdoncountyfair.com to download your registration form today! Make sure you tell your family and friends about this great race so they can enjoy the fellowship with you!  If you any questions, feel free to email me at sarah15.jefferis@gmail.com. Hopefully I will see you and your family and friends at the first ever “It’s an AG-venture!”  5K!

Tick Safety Article- March 26, 2015

With the sunshine coming out, people and pets both love to be outside but so do ticks!  Everyone knows what a tick is and the damage that it can do to one’s immune system.  When it comes to spreading safety about these insects, everyone focuses on Lyme disease.  But do you know how to prevent yourself and your beloved pets from a tick?

The time of year has come for everyone to be out and about enjoying the Great Outdoors with hikes or bike rides, trips to Raystown Lake and gardening.  When out and about in the woods, it’s very likely to come across numerous ticks. For our avid hikers, wear light colors to clearly identify a tick and you can use DEET on your exposed skin to repel ticks.  If you wear long pants while being outside, you should tuck the pant legs into your socks so the ticks can’t crawl underneath the denim and attach to your skin.  Coming indoors from an adventure is the perfect time to check yourself for ticks.  Remember to always check your entire body especially where your skin folds due to ticks being able to hide easily.  Also throw your clothes into the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to assure that insects hiding in your clothing are killed.

If you are yard lover, there are ways to protect yourself, your family and your pets from ticks.  These insects love to hide in tall grasses, shrubs and even in the leaves that clutter your gardens and yard every fall.  Keeping your yard trimmed and the leaves cleaned up will help tremendously!  Living in area that is surrounded by woods, you can guarantee seeing a tick in your yard.  By building a three foot barrier of wood chips or gravel between your lawn and the wooded areas, you can restrict tick migration into your family recreational space.  While your pets are soaking up the sun the next couple months, take precautions to ensure that you won’t be pulling ticks off of them when they come inside.  There are various sprays and shampoos that you can use to keep ticks away.

While you are enjoying your time in the sun and warmth, always be aware of your surroundings and be alert for these nasty insects.  If you take these precautions, you will have a tick-free spring and summer!

"Time to Spring Into an AG-venture!" Article- March 12, 2015

     It’s that time of year that we all have been anxiously waiting for!  With Spring on its way that means more time being spent outdoors gardening, attending sport events and being able to run/walk in this beautiful weather!

     Do you want something to do on a beautiful Sunday afternoon while raising money for a good cause?  Then sign up today for the AG-venture 5K run/walk that is being held on May 17, 2015 at the Huntingdon County Fairgrounds!  This 3.1 mile course will take you all over the beautiful, quiet 69 acres that hosts the Bigger and Better Huntingdon County Fair. 

     The cost for participants is $20 with that you will receive an awesome t-shirt and a great cardio workout.  The proceeds from this race will go to the Msgnr. John W. Mignot Scholarship fund.  This scholarship is offered by the Pennsylvania State Association of County Fair (PSACF) to six youth fair participants that are college bound across the state.  We have had many county youth receive this scholarship over the years.

     The youth of our county have done outstanding things over the past years and I have been lucky enough to watch not only myself but my friends grow!  Everyone has been affected from the fair in some way whether it’s for the food, the memories or in many fair participants’ cases, a big family reunion.  I believe that it is time to give back to something that keeps on giving to us!

Come join me and many of our fair members and enjoy a nice afternoon stroll while celebrating our youth’s success!  To get a registration form, hop on the fair’s website (www.huntingdoncountyfair.com) and make sure to print your family and friends one off too!  If you have any questions, you can email me at sarah15.jefferis@gmail.com .  I can’t wait to take part of this ‘AG-venture’ with all of you!

Huntingdon County Holstein Banquet

On March 7, I traveled to Shaver's Creek Community Building with my mom to attend the Huntingdon County Holstein Banquet!  It was a great night to visit with many of county's farmers. Congratulations to all award recipients and thank you to all the farmers that do so much for us!!