By Becky Jacobson
SUN Columnist
Archuleta County 4-H will host an open house for the youth of Archuleta County. Come see what new and exciting opportunities await you at the local Extension office on Wednesday, Oct. 23, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. The CSU Extension office is located on the Archuleta County Fairgrounds at 344 U.S. 84.
If you are a young person ages 5-7, you can explore the world of the 4-Hs (head, heart, hand and health) as a Cloverbud. Older youth up to age 18 can learn valuable life skills, explore new subjects, travel and meet new people from across Colorado and the world as a 4-H member. Your local Extension office has much to offer you and your family, so mark your calendar for Oct. 23 to join us.
If you were one of the lucky people who had the opportunity to participate in 4-H in your youth, you might remember a program centered on rural ways of life, agriculture, ranching and home economics. Today, we are proud to teach from our core values, but we are so much more than cows and cooking.
If you’ve ever wondered what 4-H is all about or wanted to get acquainted with 4-H activities, this is your chance. We are kicking off our new 4-H year this October and are looking for new members and new volunteers.
Come to open house to learn about 4-H and discover all of the projects we will be offering members this year, including:
• Alpaca.
• Gardening.
• Cats.
• Sports fishing.
• Shooting sports.
• Photography.
• Scrapbooking.
• Home design.
• Vet science.
• Cake decorating.
• Beginning cooking.
• Clothing.
• Dog agility.
• Horse.
• Livestock.
• Model rocketry.
• Wildlife conservation.
Come out to the Archuleta County Extension office with your family and have some fun, enjoy hands-on activities, and visit with 4-H’ers and volunteers. Meet with our staff — 4-H Program Coordinator Becky Jacobson, Administrative Assistant Terry Schaaf and Extension Agent Robin Young — and tour the Extension office. Experience what makes 4-H and Extension programming valuable to your community and get involved.
For more information about the open house, call the Extension office at 264-5931.
Colorado Master
Gardener program
applications being taken
The Master Gardener program is innovative and flexible in its outreach and works to match volunteer skills and schedules. Each year, Colorado Master Gardeners all over the state help people make the right choices for their garden care. Anyone who would like to play an active role in the education of gardeners of all ages is invited to join our Colorado Master Gardener team.
Classes typically meet once a week on Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for 11 consecutive weeks. The cost of the Master Gardener apprentice training is $170 and the Colorado Gardener Certificate is $530. Partial scholarships are available as well for the apprentice program.
If you would like to learn more about successful gardening in Archuleta County, be sure to call the CSU Extension office in Archuleta County today at 264-5931. To register for the 2020 Colorado Master Gardener Program, which tentatively begins Jan. 23, 2020, please go to www.cmg.extension.colostate.edu. Hard copies are accepted at the local office, too. Applications will be accepted until Dec. 15. Apply today.
Testing of dial pressure canner gauges
The CSU Extension — Archuleta County Office is now offering to test dial pressure canner gauges for $5 for Archuleta County residents. For more information, contact Terry Schaaf at 264-5931.
Dial gauges should be checked for accuracy before use each year. Gauges that read high cause under-processing and may result in unsafe food. Low readings cause overprocessing. Pressure adjustments can be made if the gauge reads up to 2 pounds high or low. Gauges that differ by more than 2 pounds should be replaced.
Replacement gauges and other parts (e.g. gasket, safety plugs) for canners are often found at stores that sell food preservation equipment or from canner manufacturers. When ordering parts, be sure to provide your canner model number and describe the parts you need.
Weighted gauges will either keep rocking gently or make a frequent jiggling noise to indicate that the correct pressure is being maintained. Read the manufacturer’s instructions to know how a particular weighted gauge should rock or jiggle. Weighted gauges do not require testing.
Shred Day
On Oct. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m., you can bring a maximum of three boxes to the old Hometown Market parking lot and support your local 4-H program. The cost is $5 per box. Protect your identity.
Healthy Lands Workshop
There has been a date change for the Healthy Lands Workshop to Nov. 12. It will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Extension office. Please call the San Juan Conservation District office at 731-3615 to register. There will be a free lunch.
CPR and first aid classes
CPR and first aid certification classes are offered monthly by the CSU Extension office on the second Monday and Wednesday of each month from 6 to 10 p.m. Anyone needing to receive or renew certification can register by calling the Extension office at 264-5931.
We will also attempt to schedule classes on additional dates with five or more registrations. Cost for the classes is $80 for combined CPR/first aid and $55 for CPR, first aid or recertification. The type of first aid information provided will vary by the needs of the audience.
