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Alexander County Center
May Newsletter 2020
With the unprecedented events taking place and lots of information being similar in both the N.C. Cooperative Extension-Alexander County Center Newsletter and Alexander County 4-H Newsletter this month the newsletters will be combined.  
COVID-19 Most Recent Update

All Alexander County Office's are open to staff but closed to public.
You may call the office if you need to pick up material and a staff member can deliver it to your vehicle. 

Below are helpful links that will keep you aware and informed:  
NC State and Alexander County government resources regarding the coronavirus can be found at the links below:
●       NC State Extension Website

We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time, and we are committed to continue serving and growing our community. 
 
Stay tuned to our  Alexander County Extension Facebook page for more info and updates as they become available.  Last, but not least, take the necessary precautions to keep you and your neighbors safe.



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Will COVID-19 Effect Meat Production?
Is it possible for the United States to see a shortage in meat in the coming months/year? Yes. We have a food supply chain. A chain is dependent on each link maintaining itself to make the chain strong. The food supply chain contains many links (stages of production) and each link is dependent upon the other. The poultry industry is the one that can make the most changes quickly. They can shorten or expand their ‘food chain’ in weeks. It takes 21 days for an egg to hatch, thus companies can incubate those eggs and have a chicken ready to process in roughly 10 weeks. Poultry companies can choose to incubate or not incubate eggs based on product demand or processing availability. Right now the processing link is the weakest part of the chain. It is the most critical. If processing plant workers do not show up to work or a significant number become sick, these animals cannot be processed. Companies are implementing many strategies to improve worker safety..... but will it be enough?     


4-H Update

May and June Club Meeting's will not be meeting.

 

NC 4-H Summer Campout 2020....Join NC 4-H Camps for a completely new and virtual camping experience in June! FREE and open to any family that wants to have an outdoor summer camping experience with virtual connections and learning to make it FUN, this one week experiential event will feature some of your favorite 4-H camping traditions like a dance party, slide show, trivia night, Arts & Crafts, and more.   Use our  a la carte menu of organized camp activities  to invest as little or as much screen time as you want. Sessions will even be led by trained, live Camp Counselors. The week's activities will culminate in a Friday-night backyard (or living room) CAMP OUT complete with some of your favorite camp songs, skits, and s'mores. You don't want to miss this unique virtual camping experience. It's as close to real 4-H camp as you can get this summer! Youth DO NOT need to be members of 4-H to participate. SPACE IS LIMITED, so register early. 
 

View details and schedule


Stay tuned to the NC 4-H Facebook Page for the Daily 4-H Spark.  Each day a 4-H Agents gives a program on a certain topic. 

If you have any questions or needs something from the 4-H Office please contact DJ Salyer at dj_salyer@ncsu.edu

Med instead of Meds: Eating the Mediterranean way

Now's the perfect time to start trying to eat healthy now that you're shelter in place. Why not shelter in place with us in the Extension Kitchen? In collaboration with the NCCE Iredell County Center, we would like to offer you a virtural Med instead of Meds experience on Tuesday and Thursdays of May starting May 12th at noon. If you've ever had the opportunity to take any of our FCS cooking session, you'll definiately want to sign up for our virtural session of Med instead of Meds. 




MyPlate Monday
MyPlate Monday is all about providing you more infromation about how to make your plate half full of fruits and vegetables. Every monday we will be posting some tips and tricks to try to eat the Myplate way and how to encourage your kids to eat the MyPlate ways.

Often time, people assume that eating healthy means eating boring food but it doesn't have to be that way. There are plenty of ways to encourge eating more fruits and vegetables, eating less process foods, consuming more whole grains, and drinking more milk and water. Check out these three different types of meals, all colorful, nutritious, simple, and delicious.

Like, Share, and follow us on https://www.facebook.com/alexanderextension/ for more MyPlate Monday Tips. 



Financial Literacy Fridays

COVID-19 getting you financially down? Worried about how you can better your 
finances?    While financial literacy skills are vital life skills to remain self-sufficient in today's economy, financial awareness is missing in the home, and financial education is absent from most schools.  Every friday we will be posting some financial tips via facebook to help you all through this tough time.The goal is to provide you with updated information on the financial choices you face daily. 

If you would like to recieve financial literacy resource, please complete the survey below. By completing the form, you will recieve a FREE pdf of "Ten Budget-Friendly Tips" to help you control your spending.  
More in My Basket: COVID-19 & SNAP Benefits
Due to COVID-19, USDA is lending SNAP Participants more assistance! The USDA has
 decided to increase overall monthly SNAP benefits by 40%! This significantly increases food purchasing power for North Carolina families! 
North Carolina has been one of the first four states to be approved for P-EBT (Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer). On Monday, April 20 TH, Governor Roy Cooper announced the distribution of P-EBT. Outlined below are the component:
  • P-EBT will help families purchase food for children impacted by school closings due to COVID-19.
  • The program provides the benefit on an EBT card to North Carolina families whose children are eligible for free and reduced lunch at school.
  • NCDHHS will begin distributing benefits in the coming weeks. 
  • Families will receive $250 in P-EBT benefits per child, provided in two installments, with the possibility of an additional benefit if North Carolina schools are closed beyond May 15.
  • Families will not need to apply for the P-EBT program. P-EBT eligible families already receiving Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) benefits will receive an additional benefit on their existing EBT card.
  • P-EBT eligible families not already enrolled in FNS will be mailed a new EBT card in the next few weeks. Families who receive a new EBT card will receive a letter from DHHS in the mail explaining how to activate and use their card. 
Confused in whether you meet this critera or not? Would you like more assitance in applying for FNS benefits. More in My Basket is here to help! More In My Basket (MIMB) is a program developed at North Carolina State University/Cooperative Extension that helps reduce hunger by connecting North Carolina residents to the Supplemen
tal Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

MIMB staff provide assistance to people who are interested in applying for SNAP. Staff answer questions and conduct screenings to help individuals determine eligibility for SNAP. If a person is likely-eligible, they can receive assistance with completing and submitting an application.  Assistance, which is available in English and Spanish, is provided on-site at various community events in North Carolina and through a toll-free line.

Contact us by calling (919) 515-9568 or (919) 513-4565 (English hotline)/ (919) 515-9568 (para ayuda en espanol) or visiting the website at morefood.org.