Tift's Golden Radish

NOV. 17, 2017

Tifton, Georgia

478-227-7126

tiftongrapevine.com

Ga. Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black, from left, Georgia Organics Director Alice Rolls, Tift Superintendent Patrick Atwater, Tift School Nutrition Director Vanessa Hayes, Ga. Health Commissioner J. Patrick O'Neal, UGA Extension Dean Laura Perry Johnson and state School Superintendent Richard Woods at the Atlanta ceremony.

GOLDEN RADISH AWARD

TIFT SCHOOLS NAMED 'OUTSTANDING' FOR FARM TO SCHOOL

The Tift County School System has been given the "Outstanding District" Golden Radish Award, the highest level of recognition in the state for farm-to-school programs.

Tift County's School Nutrition Department's mission is to expose, educate and elevate the quality of meals served to 7,600 students in the district's 12 schools.


	VIDEO: The Golden Radish Awards

Its initiative is recognized as one

of the state's most innovative programs focused on agricultural and nutrition education, supporting local farmers and getting students excited to eat healthy and fresh local foods.

Tift County Schools was also recognized at the Platinum level for its accomplishments during the last school year, which include:

* The School Nutrition Department purchased a cow from a student and had it processed by a local community partner. The meat provided meals for four days to more than 300 students at Omega Elementary.

* The district supports a 15-acre farm where students learn how to plant, maintain and

glean crops on a larger scale. Students also learn how to extend the life of their harvest at the county's state of the art canning facility maintained by an FFA instructor.

* Local farmer Len Lastinger taught students how to harvest eggs from the schools' laying hens. The corresponding omelet taste test was a big hit.

Georgia's agriculture, education and public health departments, along with University of Georgia Cooperative Extension and Georgia Organics representatives joined at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in Atlanta to celebrate more than 40 percent of Georgia school districts with farm to school programs.

PECAN CROP LOOKING GOOD

Tropical Storm Irma knocked down pecan trees, broke tree limbs and blew nuts off the trees and out of their shucks when it moved through Georgia in September, but a local pecan expert is still optimistic about this year's crop, estimating yields up to 100 million pounds.

Lenny Wells, pecan specialist with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension


	The pecan crop's development was ahead of schedule by about 10 days this year.

in Tifton, says t he pecan harvest is well underway and farmers are taking advantage of dry weather and good prices. As a result, the pecan market softened in recent weeks, but Wells doesn't expect the price to stay low for long.

"We often see this trend when the nuts really start rolling in every year. The last several years, the price bumped back up again after a couple of weeks as many growers started holding pecans. I wouldn't be surprised to see this happen again," Wells says.

The crop's development was ahead of schedule by about 10 days this year. All varieties are currently being harvested, and because of the early timing of nut maturity, Wells expects most of this year's harvest to be completed by early December.

Before pecans fully mature, they are enclosed in a green shuck, or husk. When Tropical Storm Irma moved through on Sept. 11, a lot of those immature pecans were knocked to the ground, rendering them useless.

Church Pianist

Position

Tifton First United

Methodist Church

107 W 12th St., Tifton, GA

Tifton First United Methodist Church has an opening for a church pianist. This is a part-

time position.

The pianist is responsible for preparing for and practicing with the chancel choir, orchestra and ensemble every Wednesday evening for about two hours and for playing at Sunday traditional services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., as well at special services at Christmas, Easter, etc.

Interested persons should contact Angie Carr at musicdirector@tiftonfumc.org or at

229-382-6100.

HOLIDAY MARKET, COOKIE WALK

HELPS RING IN SEASON SATURDAY

The holiday season is definitely here! This Saturday, Nov. 18, s hoppers can get a jump start on their Christmas list or get stocking stuffers from local vendors selling a variety of home-grown and homemade gifts.

The Wiregrass Farmers Market is hosting its annual Holiday Market from 2-6 p.m. Saturday at the Ga. Museum of Agriculture and Historic Village, while Peace Lutheran Church hosts its annual Cookie Walk from 9 a.m.-noon at the church's Fellowship Hall at 604 Tennessee Drive.

At the Farmers Market's Holiday Market, there will be locally made and grown holiday gifts, holiday music by Jeff Newberry, hot cocoa and pictures with Santa.

Items available for sale will include handcrafted soaps, scrubs and bath soaks, handcrafted cards, jewelry, aprons, woodcrafts, herbal remedies, potted plants, and more.

Visitors to the Market may also purchase a variety of food items that include artisanal baked goods, locally grown and made jams and jellies, fresh-roasted coffee, locally produced honey, pecans, pies, cakes, cold pressed unrefined locally made oils and nut flours, and fiber goods.

On Saturday morning, folks can visit Peace Lutheran Church's Cookie Walk where more than two dozen kinds of homemade cookies will be available, along with cakes, breads, German pastries, holiday candies and homemade peanut brittle.

Handmade Christmas ornaments and many new items will also be for sale .

...and a Garden can Attract Them

Jayda Williams creates a butterfly garden while students in the background construct a pergola in Professor Katharine Melcher's edible landscape class at the University of Georgia in Tifton. Students are learning how to incorporate soil, plants, animals and human preferences into their design components; their finished projects will frame the campus' Future Farmstead site.

Country Living at its Finest!

2448 Chula Brookfield Road

Tifton, GA 31793

Price: $399,000

O n just over 6 acres, this home has so much to offer. You will enjoy the peaceful country setting complete with a large pond for fishing, in-ground pool and covered porch with an outdoor kitchen.

The pool house is attached to the main house and is complete with a bedroom, bath with tiled, walk-in shower and kitchen. This 4 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home has beautiful hardwood floors, granite countertops, crown molding and so much more!

Make your appointment to see this gorgeous home today!

Jordan Pope

229-386-8737

CASA PLAYHOUSES POP UP

ALONG LOVE AVENUE

WINNING TICKETS TO BE DRAWN AT HOMETOWN HOLIDAYS

Coastal Plain CASA's annual Playhouse Fundraiser to benefit the community's foster children is underway. Five playhouses have been built and donated, and $10 tickets are available at various locations around town.

The drawing for the winning tickets will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 during Tifton's Hometown Holiday Christmas Celebration.

The playhouses can be viewed in front of First Baptist Church on Love Avenue. All proceeds from the ticket sales go toward Coastal Plain CASA ( Court Appointed Special Advocates) for children in foster care.

ROTARIANS TOLD AREA IS A 'HOT SPOT' FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE


	Nancy Bryan speaks to Tifton Rotarians.

Nancy Bryan, executive director of Ruth's Cottage and The Patticake House, on Wednesday told the Rotary Club of Tifton about the many projects under way at the domestic violence prevention program and emergency shelter.

She said the Tifton Judicial Circuit is one of five hot spots in the state for family violence. In the local service area during 2016, there were three domestic violence deaths and 13 deaths in the past four years , Bryan said.

Also last year, there were 2,407 documented cases of sexual assault in Georgia.

Bryan said the organization's emergency shelter currently must turn away between five and 25 victims of domestic violence each week because of the shelter's limited capacity.

The program is kicking off a capital campaign in hopes of building a larger shelter with administrative offices all under one roof. The board of directors of Ruth's Cottage and The Patticake House have made an initial outlay of $45,000 for the project, and the Tift County Commission has donated the site and agreed to seek a $750,000 Community Development Block Grant, Bryan said.

However, more funds will be needed to complete the project, she added.

' MANNA DROP' SATURDAY TO HELP NEEDY

WITH THANKSGIVING DINNER

Students at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will help to make Thanksgiving dinner a hearty feast when they distribute 450 meals through the annual ABAC "Manna Drop" on Saturday.

Lane Riley, a junior from Adel, organized the event along with Madison Woodson, a senior from Jesup, and Caroline Langdale, a sophomore from Valdosta.

"It's the weekend before Thanksgiving, and we wanted to give back to our community," Riley said. "This is something that Dill Driscoll had been doing through the Stafford School of Business, and we wanted to keep it going."

Riley said the event will begin at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 18 at Charles Spencer Elementary School in Tifton. It will continue until all bags of food have been distributed. ABAC student volunteers will help direct traffic and give away the food.

"The community has really gotten behind us on this, and we have a list of like 60 sponsors who are making this happen," Riley said.

Our pet resort provides high-quality pet boarding and daycare for cats and dogs as well as a dog day spa in Tifton.

Boarding, Bathing, Nail Trimming

and More!

Now Taking

Holiday Reservations!

Call Us Today!

229-396-4676

1676 S. Carpenter Road, Tifton

BEAUTY SPOT OF THE MONTH

For its residential award, Keep Tift Beautiful is recognizing Doug and Priscilla Dolney at 2605 Kaycee Drive as the "Beauty Spot of the Month" for November .

TIPS FOR SAFELY FRYING A TURKEY

Frying a holiday turkey can be tricky. Here are some tips from UGA experts to help make sure your bird is t horoughly cooked and your holiday doesn't include a trip to the emergency room or a call to the fire department.

"People who fry turkeys say it produces a moister turkey. And it's quicker," said Elizabeth Andress, a UGA Cooperative Extension food safety specialist. "But in the eyes of safety experts, the typical propane-fueled turkey fryer is a major accident waiting to happen. There are definitely safety issues to consider."

Don't use too much oil

Some of the most serious injuries are caused by faulty or misused equipment, like unstable fryer stands, uninsulated pot handles and or fry pots that have been overfilled with oil. Filling the pot too full of oil can cause the oil to spill over when the turkey is placed in the pot. Spillovers at cooking temperatures can cause severe burns , Andress warns.

Food safety by the fryer

"You have to be sure all the harmful bacteria have been killed," Andress said. "The only way to do this is to measure the temperature of the cooked turkey in several places with a food thermometer."

First, heat the oil to 365 to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. This usually takes 45 minutes to an hour.

Next, add your turkey and allow the oil to return to 365 to 375 degrees. Whole turkeys require about 3 minutes per pound to cook. To be sure your bird is safely cooked, she said, the temperature must reach at least 165 degrees in the thickest part of the breast. Some cooks prefer the innermost part of the thigh to reach 180 degrees.

Andress recommends following these safety steps :

Use propane-fired turkey fryers outdoors, a safe distance from buildings and anything that can burn.
Never use turkey fryers on wooden decks or inside garages.
Place the fryer on a flat surface to reduce the risk of accidental tipping.
Never leave the fryer unattended.
Never allow children or pets near the fryer. Even after use, the oil inside the pot can remain dangerously hot for hours.
Don't overfill the fryer.
Use well-insulated potholders or oven mitts when touching the pot or lid handles.
Make sure the turkey is completely thawed. Be careful with marinades. Oil and water don't mix, and water causes oil to spill over, which could cause a fire or explosion hazard.
Keep an all-purpose fire extinguisher nearby. And never use water to extinguish a grease fire.

GET YOUR DANCIN' SHOES ON

The group

"SELF" (Seniors Enjoying Life Forever) is holding its

monthly dance for Tifton's

seniors

today,

Friday, Nov. 17, at the

Leroy Rogers Senior Center on Second Street in

Tifton

Doors open at 6 p.m.; dining at 7 p.m.; and dancing beginning at 8 p.m.

All local seniors are welcome to attend.

8-11 a.m.

Tift County Recreation Department Gym

401 N. Victory Drive

Tifton

For Tickets Contact: becky.smith@amerisbank.com

Sponsored by

The Rotary Club of Tifton

and

The Tift County Recreation Department

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YOUR WEEKEND

. ..at a Glance

FRIDAY, NOV. 17

Tifton Junior Woman's Club Glow Run, 6 p.m., Northside Baptist Church, Tifton
Tift County High Blue Devils football playoff @ Hillgrove High Hawks, 7:30 p.m., Powder Springs

SATURDAY, NOV. 18

Christmas Cookie Walk, 9 a.m.-noon, Peace Lutheran Church, 604 Tennessee Drive, Tifton
Native American Experience, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Ga. Museum of Agriculture & Historic Village, Tifton
Toys for Tots with Plant Broadcasting & Santa, noon-4 p.m., Plant TiftNet, 114 Kent Road, Tifton
Wiregrass Farmers Market's Holiday Market, 2-6 p.m., Peanut Museum, Ga. Museum of Agriculture, Tifton