News Hardee County Extension May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Hardee County Extension
News
May 2013
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Month – So What?
Have you ever
found yourself asking this question?
Why is so much
emphasis at times
placed on this issue
when you don’t
even have children,
your children are
grown, or you have
never even known
a teen parent? Is this whole issue of teen
pregnancy over-dramatized and blown
out of proportion? Since the month of
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, I thought we should take a
look at this issue and you can draw your
own conclusions.
First, let’s look at the children born to
teen mothers:
•The children of teen mothers are
more likely to be born prematurely
and at low birth weight, raising the
probability of infant death, blindness,
deafness, chronic respiratory
problems, mental retardation, mental
illness, cerebral palsy, dyslexia, and
hyperactivity.
•Children of teen mothers do worse
in school than those born to older
parents. They are 50 percent more
likely to repeat a grade, are less likely
to complete high school than the
children of older mothers, and have
lower performance on standardized
tests.
•The children of teen parents also
suffer higher rates of abuse and
neglect than would occur if their
mothers had delayed childbearing.
•The sons of teen mothers are 13
percent more likely to end up in
prison.
•The daughters of teen parents are 22
percent more likely to become teen
mothers themselves.
Secondly, let’s look at the teen mothers
of these children:
•Teen mothers are less likely to
complete the education necessary
to qualify for a well-paying job—only
41 percent of mothers who have
In this Issue
2
3
What’s in Season...
3
Is Steak the
New Lobster?
4
Herbs for the
kitchen garden
5
Clean Idea:
Gardening and
Clean Hands
5
Factors of
Adolescent Suicide
6
6
Deal with Picky Eaters
7
8
Ag careers are growing
10
ABCs of
Spring Cleaning
Aging in Place
Is a New Life Stage
The Extraordinary
Science of Addictive
Junk Food
Calendar of Events
UF/IFAS Extension
Hardee County
507 Civic Center Drive
Wauchula, FL 33873
(863) 773-2164
Web site: hardee.ifas.ufl.edu
Like us on Facebook
Hardee County 4-H
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
children before age 18 ever complete high school,
compared with 61 percent of similarly situated young
women who delay child bearing until age 20 or 21.
•Compared to women of similar socio-economic status
who postpone childbearing, teen mothers are more
likely to end up on welfare.
•Almost one-half of all teen mothers and over
three-quarters of unmarried teen mothers began
receiving welfare within five years of the birth of their
first child.
•Some 52 percent of all mothers on welfare had their
first child as a teenager.
•Two-thirds of families begun by a young unmarried
mother are poor.
•Teen mothers are likely to have a second birth relatively
soon—about one-fourth of teenage mothers have a
second child within 24 months of the first birth—which
can further impede their ability to finish school or keep
a job, and to escape poverty.
Thirdly, let’s look at the fathers of the children born to
teen mothers:
•Eight of ten teen fathers do not marry the mothers of
their children.
•Absent fathers of teen mothers pay less than $900
annually for child support, often because they are quite
poor themselves.
•Some research suggests teen fathers have lower levels
of education and suffer earning losses of 10-15 percent
annually than teens who do not father children.
Finally, let’s look at some economic issues surrounding
teen pregnancy:
•Teen childbearing costs taxpayers over $7 billion each
year in direct costs associated with health care, foster
care, criminal justice, and public assistance, as well as
lost tax revenues.
•A study estimating the cost-effectiveness and
cost-benefit of one particular curriculum found that
for every dollar invested in the program, $2.75 in total
medical and social
Costs were saved. The savings were produced by preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s).
I hope after reading this far you have been able to understand the importance of being concerned about the issue
of teen pregnancy. Not only does teen childbearing have
serious consequences for teen parents, their children, and
society; it also has important economic consequences.
Helping young women avoid too-early pregnancy
and childbearing—and young men avoid premature
fatherhood—is easier and much more cost effective than
dealing with all of the problems that occur after the babies
are born.
When children have children, their opportunities are
diminished right from the start, and the future is often
one of poverty. That’s not good for business. The business
community has a vested interest in preventing teen
pregnancy and childbearing because of the associated
financial, social, and workforce-related consequences.
If teens can delay parenthood, they will have the time
and resources they need for their education and training,
which are crucial to a productive workforce in an increasingly high-tech world. For more information go to www.
teenpregnancy.org.
Carolyn Hendry Wyatt
Family & Consumer Science/4-H Agent
Interim County Extension director
chwyatt@ufl.edu
What’s in Season...
Source: FSHS Newsletter
Florida State Horticultural Society Spring 2013 Vol. 22 Issue 3
http://fshs.org/Newsletters/2013/March_2013.pdf – (Page 7)
With the beautiful weather we enjoy in Florida we
also get to enjoy an abundance of fresh fruits and
vegetables grown locally...
Avacado
Eggplant
Potato
Bell Pepper
Grapefruit
Radish
Broccoli
Guava
Snap Bean
Cabbage
Lettuce
Spinach
Cantaloupe
Lime
Squash
Carambola
Mushroom
Strawberry
Carrot
Onion
Sweet Corn
Cauliflower
Orange
Tangerine
Celery
Papaya
Cucumber Passion
Tomato
Fruit
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
ABCs of Spring Cleaning
However long it takes you, ACI has a few suggestions for
addressing the ABCs of spring cleaning.
A is for Asthma and Allergy Triggers
During this challenging winter, many of us were snowed in
with our pets whose dander is one of the most common
triggers. Compound that with a few months of everyday
dust and the tiniest unwelcome guests who seek shelter in
our homes during cold weather, and it’s time to do away
with the “A.”
Have an allergen control plan. Clean one room at a time,
starting with where an asthma or allergy sufferer sleeps.
Wash their bedding and curtains. Dust surfaces and
vacuum the carpet clean the window sills and frames. Wet
mop floors.
ACI also has extensive online information on removing
asthma and allergy triggers.
B is for Bacteria
From the front door knob to kitchen counters, the
telephone and remote control, ACI recommends giving
every surface in your home the thorough cleaning it needs
with the goal of reducing the likelihood that bacteria stick
around for spring.
Prevent mold and mildew from
accumulating in the bathroom
by using a daily shower cleaner.
Mold and mildew remover
products are effective if you have
to use them. Use a disinfectant
to kill the mold and mildew.
If you’re in the kitchen, give
the surfaces a good cleaning
and disinfecting. Make sure
you allow enough time for the
germ kill, per the product label
instructions.
C is for Clutter
Sort it out: Take everything out
of the closet, dressers, shelves,
under the bed and off the
furniture. Put stuff in separate piles. Separate out what
you don’t need anymore and donate if you can.
Keep similar items together so that children know where
to find things. Put items inside drawers, closets, covered
boxes or plastic containers so dust can’t collect on them.
While the furniture surface is clear, use an electrostatic
dust sheet or furniture polish or wipes to take care of a
winter’s worth of dust.
Source:
•http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/abcs_of_spring_cleaning.
aspx
Is Steak the New Lobster?
When you think of lobster,
chances are you think of a
special occasion. At $24/
lb., most folks are certainly
not going to eat lobster on
a regular basis. Likewise,
many are becoming
increasingly concerned
that the rising price of
beef -- particularly the
higher-value cuts like the
ribeye and tenderloin -- is
making our product too
expensive for consumers.
Is beef becoming the new
lobster? Say it ain’t so!
Bigger Cattle; Smaller Steaks
This question was the headline of an article that
appeared in my local newspaper last week. The article
quoted Cory Eich, South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association
president and cattle producer from Canova, SD, who said,
“We don’t want to turn steak into lobster.”
On average, beef prices are about $1/lb. higher today than
in 2007, which can be attributed to fewer cattle in the
U.S., a situation brought on by higher input costs and the
worst drought we’ve seen in 50 years. The article stated
rising fuel prices, the 2% increase in payroll taxes, and the
storms on the East Coast as being possible factors in why
consumer enthusiasm about beef has cooled recently.
What we’re seeing is consumers trading down, resulting
in a “hamburger economy.” They are also trading out
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
-- opting for cheaper protein sources like chicken and pork,
which many view as easier to prepare.
The good news is that beef is versatile and affordable.
Sure, a ribeye can cost just as much as lobster in a highend restaurant, but choosing budget-friendly beef cuts to
prepare at home can be just as tasty and satisfying as the
most elegant dining experience.
To help educate consumers about the versatility of beef
on a budget, the American Meat Institute (AMI) and the
American Meat Science Association recently launched the
latest installment of their Meat MythCrusher video series.
The series seeks to bust some of the most common myths
surrounding meat.
“The new video explores the facts about meat affordability in the face of recent rising meat costs. Severe drought
and competition for corn from the ethanol industry have
caused corn prices to hit records levels, causing meat and
poultry prices to rise as well since corn is a critical part
of animal feed. This is led some to conclude that meat is
getting more expensive, says AMI.
Enjoy what you are reading? Click here to
Subscribe to BEEF Daily and receive Amanda’s
blog in your inbox every Monday-Thursday.
But Iowa State University Professor Steve Lonergan, PhD,
says when you consider historic data, meat prices have
actually decreased. “If we use 1980 as reference, we spent
31% of our grocery budget on meat,” he explains. “Today,
that number is about 21%. In that same time period, pork
is down about 38%, steak is down 25%, and ground beef is
down 20%.
Lonergan further confronts the myth by comparing the
percent of disposable income spent on food in other countries. He says the U.S. only spends roughly 6%, whereas
Europe spends 10%, and other developing countries spend
up to 45%. Additionally, he challenges the assumption
that affordable food is causing America’s obesity problem
saying, “blaming cheap food prices for the obesity problem
oversimplifies a complex and difficult matter.
The Meat Mythcrusher series includes more than 20
videos, which have logged more than 28,000 views on
YouTube since its 2011 launch. All of the videos and more
are available at www.meatmythcrushers.com.
Beef doesn’t have to become the next lobster. As
producers, high beef prices are a good problem to have,
but we certainly don’t want our prices to become a factor
that eliminates this protein option from the center of the
dinner plate. From ground beef to sirloin steaks, there
are certainly great beef options at affordable price points.
Our task is to educate our consumers on those different
options.
Source:
•http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/event/article/id/77373/group/homepage/
Jonathan Knutson
Forum News Service
Herbs for the kitchen garden
Several years ago, I had a chance to visit Arlington
National Cemetery. One cannot help but be moved by
the solemn nature of this place so steeped in history.
Overlooking the bustle of Washington, D.C., the
cemetery itself is a quiet place, seemingly unaffected
by time or the policy decisions that are made across
the river.
Ascending to the top of the hill the visitor arrives at
Arlington House, the one-time home of Robert E. Lee.
During a tour of the house and grounds, one observes
the well-manicured kitchen garden, located just
outside the kitchen building. As a precaution against
fire, kitchens in 19th century manor houses often were
located in a separate building. For convenience, a few
commonly used vegetables were in supply adjacent to
the kitchen, and prominently featured among these
were a variety of herbs.
Most of the common herbs can be grown seasonally
in Florida. Herbs also adapt well to container culture
because they are generally small and only a portion of
the plant is needed at any one time.
Click here for the remainder of the story
Published: Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 5:55 p.m.
David Holmes
Columnist
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
Clean Idea: Gardening and
Clean Hands
Many families are trying their hand at planting a garden as another way to live more sustainably. Whether
you are planting vegetables or flowers, Nancy Bock,
Senior Vice President, Education for the American
Cleaning Institute offers this advice for cleaning your
hands after your spring planting.
•A little prevention can help you manage dirt under
your nails – just scrape your nails on a bar of soap
before you dig in the dirt!
•When it’s time to clean up, squirt some hand soap
on your nail brush or rub the brush on your bar of
soap and scrub your nails. For stubborn dirt and
stains, you may need to use an exfoliating scrub.
•Be sure to dry your hands thoroughly with a paper
towel or clean hand towel to prevent them from
chapping and apply a moisturizer.
Handwashing Steps
1. Wet hands with clean, running water (warm or
cold) and apply soap, either in bar or liquid form.
2.Rub hands together to make a lather and scrub
them well; be sure to scrub the backs of your
hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
Do this away from running water, so the lather
isn’t washed away.
3. Continue rubbing your hands for at least 20
seconds. Need a timer? Hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice.
4.Rinse your hands well under running water.
5. Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry
them.
Factors of Adolescent Suicide
Mar 12, 2013 07:02 am
The loss of a child to suicide
can be particularly devastating to parents, friends,
and others in the child’s life.
When my daughter came
home one day telling me of
a classmate who was contemplating suicide, the flood
of fear for her friend and for
the fact that my daughter
was so closely exposed to
such pain was one of those
life-stopping moments.
As parents, relatives, friends, and professionals who deal
with teenagers, we can be aware of certain risks and
protective factors that can predict whether or not a teen
may attempt suicide. A study using data from the National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health identified a
number of such factors for adolescent suicide attempts.
The researchers found that among all adolescents, those
most at risk of attempting suicide were those who had
previously attempted suicide and would likely try again,
were victims of violence or perpetrated violence on others,
used alcohol and marijuana, and had problems in school.
There were some differences between girls and boys. For
girls, having a friend attempt or complete suicide, drug
use, and a history of mental health treatment predicted
suicide attempts. For boys, the more powerful predictors
were carrying a weapon at school and same-sex romantic
attractions.
While risk factors varied for genders and ethnic groups,
protective factors also varied. However, for all adolescents,
the most important deterrent in suicide attempts was a
perceived parent and family connectedness.
Read more
Source: Donna Davis, Senior Producer, Family Album Radio, Department of
Family, Youth and Community Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension
Diana Converse, Family Life Educator
UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
converse@ufl.edu
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
Deal with Picky Eaters
Apr 11, 2013 07:37 am
“No dessert unless you eat your vegetables!” “You’ve got
to join the Clean Plate Club!”
These were motivations to eat that many baby boomers
heard as they were growing up. Families across America
were learning how to eat by the rules. But, according to
current research, those rules may have done more harm
than good.
These days, developmental psychologists and nutritionists
are teaching a new approach, one based on research.
For example, research has shown that offering children
dessert as a reward for eating their vegetables teaches
them that vegetables are less desirable than dessert and
makes them less likely to want to eat their string beans or
broccoli.
Some old habits, like eating everything on the plate
and getting dessert only when the plate is clean, have
contributed to eating disorders and obesity in many baby
boomers. So what are the options when teaching kids,
especially those picky eaters, how to eat properly? University of Florida faculty offer several suggestions.
First, establish a comfortable meal environment without
television or other distractions.
Next, be aware of child-size portions. As a general rule,
serve one tablespoon of each food per year of life. Let
children ask for
more if they are
still hungry. If you
are having dessert,
include a small
serving on the plate
along with the
meal, and let your
child decide when
to eat it.
Third, respect
food preferences.
Allow your child
to politely decline
food he doesn’t like.
Always have something at each meal that your child
enjoys.
Finally, allow children to stop eating when they are full,
and leave the Clean Plate Club in the past as an old relic.
Source: Suzanna Smith for Family Album Radio, Family Youth and
Community Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension
Read more
Diana Converse, Family Life Educator
UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
converse@ufl.edu
Aging in Place Is a New Life
Stage
Apr 02, 2013 07:24 am
Many families today face tough decisions about how to
assist elderly relatives when they need some extra help
with daily living. Unsurprisingly, many such adults want
to remain in their own homes where they feel most
comfortable.
Fortunately, more and more older adults can “age in place,”
continuing to live in their homes “safely, independently,
and comfortably”. However, when the older person is
frail or disabled, professional care providers may become
necessary. This transition to receiving care can be an
“upheaval” in the older person’s life. In fact, researchers
writing in the journal Aging and Society suggest that aging
in place with professional care is actually a “new life stage”
that merits careful consideration.
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
Beginning to receive care at home is a three-step process.
First is separation from independent living, when the older
person is assessed to determine if they are eligible for
in-home care. The second step is a threshold, where
modifications are made to the home and the older
person begins to adapt to using a care provider. Personal
relationships may suffer during this time due to health and
mobility restrictions.
engineers, seed producers, restoration foresters, climate
change analysts and ecotourism specialists are just some
of the jobs that are showing strength in the U.S. job
market.
Ideally, the third step is re-connective home care, where
the care worker forms a personal, caring relationship that
includes the elderly in care decisions, and empowers the
elder to manage their home and personal life as much as
possible. Paying close attention to and valuing this crucial
relationship between older adult and the caregiver are
crucial to supporting continued independence at home.
“You can do almost anything through a CALS major,” said
Cathy Carr, director of alumni and career services for
CALS.
Read more
Source: Carol Church, Department of Family, Youth and Community
Sciences, UF/IFAS Extension, Gainesville, FL
Diana Converse, Family Life Educator
UF/IFAS Extension Hillsborough County
converse@ufl.edu
Ag careers are growing
By Ann M. O’phelan – Published: April 10, 2013
According to College Board, “The average published price
of tuition and fees at a four-year public college is $8,660.”
Times that by four years and the cost for an education can
be daunting. It’s no wonder that students are cautiously
making their career choices.
For those who are interested in agriculture careers, the
news is good. According to the USDA (2010-2015), “The
agricultural, food, and renewable natural resources sectors
of the U.S. economy will generate an estimated 54,400 annual openings for individuals with baccalaureate or higher
degrees in food, renewable energy and environmental
specialties between 2010 and 2015. Seventy-four percent
of the jobs will be in business and science occupations;
15 percent in agriculture and forestry production; and 11
percent in education, communication, and governmental
services.”
Jobs like land-use planners, environmental compliance
managers, food scientists, animal pathologists, biological
The University of Florida College of Agricultural and Life
Sciences (CALS) offers a variety of majors designed to fit
the demands of today’s ag careers.
CALS offers more than 20 undergraduate majors and 22
graduate majors.
“Our majors range from food and resource economics and
family, youth and community sciences to wildlife ecology
and conservation and plant science,” added Carr.
One example is an undergraduate degree in organic
agriculture. Fifty years ago, organic agriculture may not
have been on anyone’s radar; however, nowadays, organic
food sales are climbing by nearly 20 percent each year.
Covering more than 70 percent of the planet, and one of
the last great frontiers for scientific discovery, is the ocean.
“Our newest major is marine sciences,” said Carr.
This bachelor of science degree prepares students for
careers in conservation and management of aquatic
environments (ecology), aquatic animal health, sustainable
fisheries, and aquaculture.
Some ag careers, such as crop consulting, or soil and water
conservation, expect or even require, master’s degrees
or higher. Those two jobs would be a perfect fit for UF’s
Agroecology Master of Science program. This online
degree, the first degree of its kind offered in the U.S.,
offers a diverse interdisciplinary focus that emphasizes
sustainability, resource management, valuation of ecosystem services, ecosystem productivity and crop profitability.
A recent addition to CALS’ offerings is a course in
bio-energy crops. The course focuses primarily on ethanol
production, from sources such as corn, sugarcane, switchgrass, sweet sorghum and pine trees.
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
“Maintaining a professional image online is of upmost
importance,” explained Carr who also emphasized that
most companies promote job openings online and through
social media sites.
AgCareers.com experienced a significant 18 percent
increase in the number of jobs posted in 2011, while
unemployment rates hovered around 9 percent. Since
agriculture is the second leading industry in Florida,
outside of tourism, choosing a career in agriculture may
well mean you reap a promising future.
Find out more about the majors offered at UF: www.cals.
ufl.edu. For salary information: http://www.cals.ufl.edu/
current_students/outcomes.shtml.
In the past, many jobs in agriculture did not require a formal education; however, that is fast changing. In 2011, 66
percent of the jobs posted on AgCareers.com, the leading
online job board for agriculture, food, biotechnology, and
natural resources, required a bachelor’s degree or higher.
The leading career type in 2011 was sales/marketing.
Source:
•http://www2.highlandstoday.com/list/highlands-agri-leader-news/
ag-careers-are-growing-b82473721z1
According to AgCareers.com, some of the leading up
and coming ag jobs, particularly those for Florida, include:
agricultural sales, grain merchandiser, human resource
specialist, biological engineer, biostatistician, welder,
climate change analyst, food safety information specialist,
custom applicator, soil scientist, entomologist, hydraulics
technician, logistics & supply chain management,
environmental scientist, plant geneticist and breeder, crop
management consultant, food animal veterinarian, land
use manager, precision agriculture specialist, regulatory
scientist, seed producer and facilities manager.
By Michael Moss – Published: February 20, 2013
AgCareers.com is the place to turn to for recent graduates, or for those with established work histories.
“At any given time a user has free access to over 4,000
active jobs and internships posted on the site from a wide
variety of companies in agriculture,” explained Ashley
Collins, the site’s education and marketing specialist, who
explained that users can also upload resumes onto the
site’s database, and subscribe to the weekly e-newsletter
and/or social media updates in order to receive helpful job
search tips, information about upcoming events and much
more.
The Extraordinary Science of
Addictive Junk Food
On the evening of April 8, 1999, a long line of Town Cars
and taxis pulled up to the Minneapolis headquarters of
Pillsbury and discharged 11 men who controlled America’s
largest food companies. Nestlé was in attendance, as were
Kraft and Nabisco, General Mills and Procter & Gamble,
Coca-Cola and Mars. Rivals any other day, the C.E.O.’s and
company presidents had come together for a rare, private
meeting. On the agenda was one item: the emerging
obesity epidemic and how to deal with it. While the
atmosphere was cordial, the men assembled were hardly
friends. Their stature was defined by their skill in fighting
one another for what they called “stomach share” — the
amount of digestive space that any one company’s brand
can grab from the competition.
James Behnke, a 55-year-old executive at Pillsbury, greeted
the men as they arrived. He was anxious but also hopeful
about the plan that he and a few other food-company
executives had devised to engage the C.E.O.’s on America’s growing weight problem. “We were very concerned,
and rightfully so, that obesity was becoming a major issue,”
Behnke recalled. “People were starting to talk about sugar
taxes, and there was a lot of pressure on food companies.”
Getting the company chiefs in the same room to talk
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
about anything, much less a sensitive issue like this, was
a tricky business, so Behnke and his fellow organizers had
scripted the meeting carefully, honing the message to its
barest essentials. “C.E.O.’s in the food industry are typically
not technical guys, and they’re uncomfortable going to
meetings where technical people talk in technical terms
about technical things,” Behnke said. “They don’t want to
be embarrassed. They don’t want to make commitments.
They want to maintain their aloofness and autonomy.”
A chemist by training with a doctoral degree in food
science, Behnke became Pillsbury’s chief technical officer
in 1979 and was instrumental in creating a long line of hit
products, including microwaveable popcorn. He deeply
admired Pillsbury but in recent years had grown troubled
by pictures of obese children suffering from diabetes and
the earliest signs of hypertension and heart disease. In the
months leading up to the C.E.O. meeting, he was engaged
in conversation with a group of food-science experts who
were painting an increasingly grim picture of the public’s
ability to cope with the industry’s formulations — from the
body’s fragile controls on overeating to the hidden power
of some processed foods to make people feel hungrier
still. It was time, he and a handful of others felt, to warn
the C.E.O.’s that their companies may have gone too far in
creating and marketing products that posed the greatest
health concerns.
The discussion took place in Pillsbury’s auditorium. The
first speaker was a vice president of Kraft named Michael
Mudd. “I very much appreciate this opportunity to talk to
you about childhood obesity and the growing challenge
it presents for us all,” Mudd began. “Let me say right at
the start, this is not an easy subject. There are no easy
answers — for what the public health community must
do to bring this problem under control or for what the
industry should do as others seek to hold it accountable
for what has happened. But this much is clear: For those
of us who’ve looked hard at this issue, whether they’re
public health professionals or staff specialists in your own
companies, we feel sure that the one thing we shouldn’t
do is nothing.”
As he spoke, Mudd clicked through a deck of slides — 114
in all — projected on a large screen behind him. The
figures were staggering. More than half of American
adults were now considered overweight, with nearly
one-quarter of the adult population — 40 million people
— clinically defined as obese. Among children, the rates
had more than doubled since 1980, and the number of kids
considered obese had shot past 12 million. (This was still
only 1999; the nation’s obesity rates would climb much
higher.) Food manufacturers were now being blamed
for the problem from all sides — academia, the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, the American Heart
Association and the American Cancer Society. The secretary of agriculture, over whom the industry had long held
sway, had recently called obesity a “national epidemic.”
Source:
•http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/
the-extraordinary-science-of-junk-food.html?_r=0
This article is adapted from “Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,”
which will be published by Random House this month.
Michael Moss is an investigative reporter for The Times. He won a Pulitzer
Prize in 2010 for his reporting on the meat industry.
Editor: Joel Lovell
Hardee County Extension NEWS – May 2013
Calendar of Events
Small Farms & Alternative Enterprises
Conference 2013
“The 5th Annual Florida Small Farms and Alternative
Enterprises Conference promises to inform and
inspire agricultural innovators. Join us August 2-4
in Kissimmee, Florida for farm tours, a trade show,
networking opportunities, live animal exhibits,
hands-on workshops, and delicious locally-grown
food! Don’t miss this chance to learn more about
farming as well as alternative enterprises such as
beekeeping, hydroponics, grass-fed beef and more.
You will have the opportunity to interact with other
farmers and industry professionals and get all of
your questions answered. Join our mailing list on our
website to receive updates.
http://www.conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms/
index.html
6th Annual Youth Field Day, June 28, 2013
Range Cattle Research & Education Center, Ona
Join us for this year’s Youth Field Day/Expo!
Our goal is to excite students about agriculture
and science, reveal future opportunities in those
fields, and foster a love of learning which will
promote agriculture and good stewardship in
this future generation. This event is for students,
parents, and other adults.
Click here for additional information and to
register for the event.
Lynn Max
Specialty Crops Program Coordinator
University of Florida
Department of Horticultural Sciences
PO Box 110690
Gainesville, FL 32611-0690
Do you think someone else would enjoy this
newsletter? Click here to sign them up!
Do you wish to be removed from this newsletters’
mailing list? Click here to unsubscribe!
An Equal Opportunity Institution. Extension Service, University of Florida, Institute of Food and
Agricultural Sciences, Nick T. Place, Dean. Single copies of Extension publications (excluding 4-H
and youth publications) are available free to Florida residents from county Extension offices.