The Putnam County Mural Project has announced a new mural that will celebrate Greencastle’s history in Indiana.

The announcement made available on the organization’s Facebook page:

We are excited to share a new partnership with the City of Greencastle to celebrate the 200th anniversary of our community with a beautiful work of art. This project will engage the community in the mural-making process and will be installed Sept/Oct 2023, with a celebration to follow.

An open call to artists will be announced April 1.

Indiana’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning today announced that $10 million in funding is available to child care and early education providers to expand access to high-quality early education for Hoosier families.

“This Child Care Expansion Grant provides a great opportunity for child care providers who are looking to grow their businesses and serve more children and families, particularly in underserved areas of Indiana, or to expand availability to priority age groups where care is often hardest to find,” said Courtney Penn, director of FSSA’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning. "The first five years of a child’s life are the most significant to build a strong foundation for future success. We welcome the opportunity to partner with providers to serve hard-working Hoosier families." 

The funds for this program are made possible through Senate Enrolled Act 2 from the 2022 Indiana General Assembly special session, as well as funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

The grant will be competitive with funding offered across two tracks:   

• Existing program expansion: Up to $200,000 per program to assist providers who accept child care assistance in updating existing facilities and operations with priority given to high-quality providers and those adding capacity or serving underserved age groups, such as infants and toddlers
• New program creation: Up to $750,000 per program to assist providers in establishing new child care programs in underserved areas of the state
  • An applicant must be the intended operator of the new program, provide data to demonstrate a need for new child care in the community and must contribute at least ten percent of the total project budget, either in cash, loan funding or through in-kind donations or contributions.

Applications are open now through May 12. An overview of the grant opportunity, including supporting resources and a link to the application, is available here.  

This expansion grant helps to build upon FSSA’s recent work to help stabilize and grow child care in Indiana to support child care providers and build available child care capacity. This includes:

• Providing $542 million in stabilization grants in 2021 and 2022 to more than 3,300 child care providers to help them rebuild after the instability caused by the pandemic.
  • These investments directly strengthened the workforce, leading to a 29% decrease in vacant child care and early learning teaching positions from 2021 to 2022.
• Assembling a working group of child care professionals to review current licensing rules and regulations and make recommendations to remove barriers that make licensing more burdensome than necessary.
• Analyzing the data received during the stabilization grant process to help reevaluate reimbursement rates to providers, to make them more in-line with the actual cost of child care.

The Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning is a division of the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. Child care providers may send questions to oecoslproviderinquiry@fssa.in.gov.

One of the most common remarks heard from current and former Putnam County 4-Hers is how awesome their camp experiences were while in the 4-H program or what a great experience to be on a college campus for science workshops. Most will make lifelong friends while participating in these experiences. Also, one may participate in one of these events to complete one’s 4-H experience or continue to achieve more in the program. There is no requirement to exhibit or do other 4-H activities if one solely wants to participate in a camp or state workshop.

Youth interested in 4-H camp must be in grades three through six as of January 1, 2023. Camp occurs at Shakamak State Park. Departure is noon, Sunday, June 4th with a return of 11:00 am, Wednesday, June 7th. Youth learn lifelong skills, have a great time swimming, and make new friends. The deadline for youth to enroll for camp is Friday, May 12th or as long as space is available. Registration must be submitted via 4honline to the Purdue Extension-Putnam County office. Health forms must also be completed in 4honline and a medicine form (if meds needed) completed at departure. Camp registration will occur within the 4-Hers account in 4honline and payment can be mailed or dropped off at the Extension office and must be made by May 15. Thanks to TSC Paper Clover funds that help to offset significant increases in costs. Camp will be $130 this year and include all meals, t-shirt, lodging, etc.

Those interested in applying to be camp counselor must be enrolled in 4-H and be in at least 7^th grade for consideration. Camp Counselor applications also are being completed in 4honline and will be due Sunday, April 16^th for priority consideration. Training dates for counselors will be Tuesday, April 18^th and Thursday, May 3^rd where successful applicants must be present. Cost will be covered by the Diana Thomas Memorial Endowment for 4-H volunteer development. The health form and medicine form must be presented at departure.

Numerous statewide 4-H summer events in 2023 are planned to occur.  4-H Academy, State 4-H Junior Leader Conference, 4-H Round-Up, 4-H Band and 4-H Chorus will be in June. Locally DePauw University will be hosting the state Junior Leader Conference on Tuesday, June 13 through Friday, June 16. The fabulous career and workforce programs of 4-H Academy for grades 9-12 will be June 7-9 and the 4-H Roundup for grades 7-9 will be June 26-28. If a 4-Her does not attend these two events at least once during a 4-H career, one is really missing out. In the 4-H Academy the aviation participants fly a plane and the first responders are very hands on with local hospitals and emergency first responders for example. There is also the National 4-H Dairy Conference, National 4-H Youth Congress, and the Indiana 4-H Leadership Summit later in the fall.

And finally, for those who would like to work in the Indiana State Fair 4-H Exhibit Hall having the opportunity of meeting other 4-Hers from around the state, these are paid opportunities to work during late July and August with the entry and display of 4-H projects at the Indiana State Fair. Contact the office if you are interested in this opportunity so we can get you the information. One is to sign up by May 15 for many of these events. Visit the state 4-H website https://extension.purdue.edu/4-H/get-involved/state-programs/index.html to see all details and most current info as plans are finalized.

Visit our homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local office by calling 765.653.8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. Office hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00 am-12:00 pm and 1:00 pm-4:00 pm. Evening and lunch appointments are available, upon request. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee. All times listed are Eastern Time. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

Upcoming Events

April 4 – Exploring 4-H, 6pm, Putnam County Fairgrounds

April 7 – Extension Office closed for Holiday

April 13, 20, 27, & 29 – Forestry Management Workshop Series, 6-8 pm, Ivy Tech, $20, register at https://tinyurl.com/ForestyMgmt23 

April 16 – Camp Counselor Applications due for 4-H Camp register via 4honline account

April 18 – Basics of Home Food Preservation (Freezing and Dehydrating), 6pm, Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds, register at 317-745-2555 ext. 3

May 15 – All 4-H livestock/animal registrations must be entered in 4honline (firm deadline)

May 15 – Last day sign up for 4-H Camp via 4honline

Congratulations! You decided to save or invest (more) money in 2023 as a New Year's resolution. Now it's time to start setting money aside, but you are wondering where you can put $1,000 or less. Don't worry…you are not alone. Many savers/investors start with just several hundred dollars. In other words, they practice "small step investing." If done consistently over time, it can result in 5-, 6-, and even 7-figure sums!

Below is a brief description of six places to stash $1,000 or less:

Savings Options

Bank Savings and Money Market Accounts- With the Fed funds rate over 4%, there is no reason to earn the December 2022 average savings account interest rate of 0.24%. Online bank savings and money market accounts currently pay about 3.3% to 4%+. Be sure to check the minimum deposit amount needed to avoid fees.

Certificates of Deposit (CDs)- Minimum deposit amounts vary by financial institution and may be as low as $250 or $500. Interest rates are locked in for a specific time period. Some 12-month online bank CDs are now paying about 4% and CDs purchased through a brokerage firm often pay 0.5% to 1% more. Shop around.

Investment Options

Bonds- Corporate bonds are IOUs to companies and pay semi-annual interest until they mature, at which time investors get back their original investment (principal). They typically sell for $1,000. Treasury securities (bills, notes, and bonds) are IOUs of the federal government and can be purchased with a minimum of $100.

Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs)- Traditional and Roth IRAs are not an investment per se but, rather, a tax-advantaged retirement investment account for taxpayers with earned income and their spouses. Minimum deposit amounts vary among IRA account custodians and the specific investments selected to put into an IRA.

Mutual Funds- Mutual fund shares provide ownership in a portfolio of stocks (growth funds), bonds (income funds), and other securities that comprise a fund portfolio. Many mutual funds accept initial deposits of $1,000 or less to open an account and minimum subsequent deposits are usually lower (e.g., $100).

U.S. Savings Bonds- U.S. savings bonds come in two types: Series EE and the inflation-adjusted Series I bond that garnered so much attention in 2022. Current rates of return through April 30, 2023 are 2.10% for EE bonds and 6.89% for I bonds. Both types of savings bonds can be bought for as little as $25 through Treasury Direct.

In summary, it does not take a lot of money to start saving or investing. Why not take your first step today?

Source: Barbara O’Neill, Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Visit our homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 765.653.8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. All times listed are Eastern Time.

Upcoming Events:

April 4 – Exploring 4-H, 6pm, Putnam County Fairgrounds

April 7 – Extension Office closed for Holiday

April 13, 20, 27, & 29 – Forestry Management Workshop Series, 6-8 pm, Ivy Tech, $20, register at https://tinyurl.com/ForestyMgmt23  

April 18 – Basics of Home Food Preservation (Freezing and Dehydrating), 6pm, Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds, register at 317-745-2555 ext. 3

The last of this legislative session's Putnam County Farm Bureau Legislative Updates is scheduled for Saturday.

State Rep. Beau Baird and State Sen. John Crane with State Sen. Rod Bray are expected to attend and provide information on the ongoing budget session at the Statehouse.

The update is open to the public and starts at 9 a.m. in the Farm Bureau board

Cinnamon rolls and coffee will be available.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces County Road 100 W. over I-74 will close on or after Monday, March 27 for bridge work, near Crawfordsville. This is about one-mile west of U.S. 231.

Crews will also be restricting both driving lanes of I-74 at the bridge. It's expected to reopen after early October, weather permitting.

The restrictions are also expected to end after that time.

The detour follows U.S. 231 to Co. Rd. 400 N. to Co. Rd. 100 W. to N. 400 N. to U.S. 231 and back to Co. Rd. 100. 

This contract was awarded to Milestone Contractors, LP for $2.6 million. 

Starting today, March 13,  in Putnam County: Work will begin on two bridge rehabilitation projects on U.S. 231, near Cloverdale and S.R. 240, near Stilesville.

For both bridges, traffic will be controlled by two temporary signals, which will alternate traffic through one lane at a time

You are going to dig this year’s Putnam County Master Gardener Association Garden Fair. 

Learn and shop at this free event on Saturday, March 18 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Putnam County Fairgrounds. Come out and see three great educational presentations and over thirty garden related vendor booths, many of which are new this year.

At 10 a.m., accredited horticulturalist, Dolly Foster, will be teaching attendees how to winter sow seeds. Winter sowing works with nature to prepare and germinate seeds for the spring planting season. By winter sowing you are taking advantage of the natural temperatures and length of day to trigger germination. This is an easy, inexpensive and highly successful way to start seeds without a lot of indoor space or equipment. 

Sit in and learn from a group of award winning, highly successful vegetable gardeners at 11:30. They will share their tips and techniques on how to increase yields, fight pests and avoid diseases. Bring your questions and make this year’s vegetable harvest the best ever.

Bees and gardening are interdependent. As bees collect pollen in our gardens, they pollinate plants and enable them to produce fruits and vegetable. At 1:30 Mike Seib, of Seib’s Honey will be discussing how to draw bees into our garden and protect them so that the bees and your garden thrive.

We have expanded our shopping experience with many new vendors as well as some old favorites.  Get your tools sharpened on site by Indy Cutting Edge. Pick up some dried mushrooms or a mushroom growing kit from American Mushroom Co. Everything Elderberry will have all kinds of locally made wellness products. Spruce up your garden with upcycled metal artwork or your patio with new composite wood furniture or a cedar swing.  Brighten your home with some new house plants from The Plant Van or choose some cacti or succulents from S & S Creations. Tree Frog Gardens always brings interesting and often times difficult to find outdoor plants. Learn about the power of native plants from the Indiana Native Plant Society and Native Plants Unlimited. The Bluebird Society will be on hand to educate. Gift ideas include nature photography and botanical art. Meet local vendors who offer local honey, gardening and pruning services, stump grinding, pond designs and soil testing. With over 30 vendors, fairgoers will surely find something new for their garden

The first 300 attendees may pick up either a white pine or a red oak tree to take home and plant. We are grateful to the good folks at First National Bank who have once again sponsored our tree give away.

Bring the little ones with you to Garden Fair. There will be garden related kids’ activities to educate and a take home garden craft to hold their interest. It is never too early to get the kids interested in gardening. 

Garden Fair is a wonderful opportunity for gardeners and would-be gardeners to celebrate the end of winter and the coming of spring.  Everyone is encouraged to come and make a day of it. Learn from the speakers, shop and interact with the vendors, and enjoy a tasty lunch home made by the good cooks of the Putnam County Master Gardener Association.

Visit our homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local Purdue Extension Office by calling 765.653.8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity institution. All times listed are Eastern Time.

Upcoming Events:

March 14 – The Legal Side of Agriculture, 6:30-8:30 pm, Ivy Tech, $20, register at https://tinyurl.com/AgLaw23

March 18 – Garden Fair, 9 am – 3 pm, Fairgrounds

March 21 – Food Preservation Workshop, 11am-4pm, Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds, register at 317-745-2555 ext. 3

April 4 – Exploring 4-H, 6pm, Putnam County Fairgrounds

April 13, 20, 27, & 29 – Forestry Management Workshop Series, 6-8 pm, Ivy Tech, $20, register at https://tinyurl.com/ForestyMgmt23

April 18 – Basics of Home Food Preservation (Freezing and Dehydrating), 6pm, Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds, register at 317-745-2555 ext. 3

A pair of breakfasts to benefit Putnam County volunteer fire departments are scheduled for Saturday.

The Reelsville/Washington Township Volunteer Fire Department, 7748 S County Road 625 West, Reelsville, will hold a breakfast and community craft fair Saturday morning. 

The breakfast and craft fair, which features over 10 vendors, begins at 7 a.m. and lasts until 11 a.m.

The Clinton Township Volunteer Rescue and Fire Department will also hold its breakfast Saturday morning. 

The breakfast will be held from 7 to 10 a.m. at the department, 4218 West County Road 450 North, Greencastle. 

In addition, residents can learn about Project Lifesaver. 

Daylight saving time begins this Sunday, March 12, and the American Red Cross Indiana Region reminds everyone to turn your clocks forward one hour and test your smoke alarms.

Did you know working smoke alarms can cut the risk of dying in a home fire by half? That’s why it’s critical to “Turn and Test” and take these lifesaving steps to stay safe from home fires — the nation’s most frequent disaster:

• Install smoke alarms on every level of your home, including inside and outside bedrooms and sleeping areas. Test alarms monthly and replace the batteries at least once a year if your model requires it.
• Replace smoke alarms that are 10 years or older. That’s because the sensor becomes less sensitive over time. Check the date of your smoke alarms and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Practice your two-minute escape plan. Make sure everyone in your household can get out in less than two minutes — the amount of time you may have to get out of a burning home before it’s too late. Include at least two ways to get out from every room and select a meeting spot at a safe distance away from your home, such as your neighbor’s home or landmark like a specific tree in your front yard, where everyone knows where to meet.
• Teach children what a smoke alarm sounds like. Talk about fire safety and what to do in an emergency.

If you are interested in a free smoke alarm installation, click here.

Visit redcross.org/fire for more information, including an escape plan to practice with your family. You can also download our free Emergency app by searching for “American Red Cross” in app stores.

The Red Cross responds to more than 60,000 disasters every year and most of them are home fires. To help prevent fire-related deaths and injuries, the Red Cross launched the Home Fire Campaign with community partners in 2014 to reduce fire-related deaths and injuries. 

Recently, with support from thousands of community partners, the campaign met its goal of installing 2.5 million free smoke alarms and making 1 million households safer across the country. So far, the Home Fire Campaign is credited with saving more than 1,583 lives in the U.S. Because home fires remain a daily threat and the campaign has made a lifesaving difference, the Red Cross will be continuing the program with community partners as part of its standard services across the country

Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch and the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs today announced 21 Indiana Main Street communities will participate in Community Transformation Workshops.

The workshops will be held from March 2023 through December 2023 with the assistance of Main Street America consultants.

“I am excited that these Indiana Main Street organizations are being provided another resource to help strengthen their communities,” said Lt. Gov. Crouch, Indiana’s Secretary of Agricultural and Rural Development. “By utilizing opportunities like the Community Transformation Workshops, communities can continue their efforts to support economic and cultural growth.”

The 21 organizations are required to participate in the workshops sponsored by OCRA’s Indiana Main Street program. The two-day workshops will help programs to become or stay accredited through Main Street America.

Additionally, the workshops provide services to assist the organizations to define community-informed and market-driven strategies that can direct and strengthen its revitalization efforts. 

“The Community Transformation Workshops are a great opportunity for our Main Street organizations,” said OCRA Executive Director Denny Spinner. “Each community can learn more about how to best carry out efforts for economic development and community engagement in their unique city or town.”

The 21 communities participating include Huntingburg, Greensburg, Lebanon, Lawrenceburg, New Albany, Muncie, Logansport, North Vernon, Franklin, Auburn, Pendleton, Kokomo, New Castle, Aurora, Jeffersonville, Corydon, Crawfordsville, Columbia City, Coatesville, Noblesville and Greencastle.

All participating communities have demonstrated the effective implementation of the Main Street Four Point Approach. This approach will help each community and their Main Street organizations identify and build on their greatest economic strengths through targeted community development strategies.

People rarely talk about the foods they toss out, yet the topic of food waste is getting a lot more attention these days.

It’s been estimated that Americans throw away billions of pounds of food each year either at home or when eating out. And that amount doesn’t even include the food that goes uneaten at the grocery store or the crops that are left in farmers’ fields.

Not all food that is wasted can be saved and eaten, but it’s been proven that a lot of food waste could be prevented, especially at home.

A good place to start is right in your own kitchen. Here are a few tips that will help.

Plan Meals Based on the Foods You Already Have on Hand

• Look in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry for foods that need to be used up.

• Write a list of the ingredients you still need.

• Buy only the amount of perishable foods that can be eaten or frozen within a few days. This is especially true for foods, like fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products and seafood.

Get Creative with Leftovers

Transform meals into soups, salads or sandwiches by cutting up leftover veggies and cooked meats.

• Use as a topping for salads or cooked grains like rice or pasta.
• Wrap in a tortilla or stuff into a pita for a satisfying sandwich.
• Combine to make soup, then enjoy or freeze for future use.
• Eat as a leftover meal later in the week.
• Or simply brown bag the leftovers for lunch.

Master the Shelf Life of Foods

Many foods and drinks purchased at the grocery store include a date, which indicates when it should be used or sold by. Because these dates refer to the product’s quality, it doesn’t necessarily mean they should be thrown out.

• “Use by”, “Best by” and “Best Before” dates are found on foods, such as mustard, salad dressing and ketchup. These products usually don’t need to be refrigerated until opened. In many cases, they are safe to eat beyond the date as long as they have been stored properly.
• “Sell by” dates are displayed on perishable foods, such as meats and dairy products. It’s possible these foods may be used a few days after that date, as long as they were stored at a safe temperature.

Source: Eat Right, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Visit our homepage at www.extension.purdue.edu/putnam or you can contact the local office by calling 765.653.8411 for more information regarding this week’s column topic or to RSVP for upcoming events. Office hours are Monday thru Friday from 8:00am-12:00pm and 1:00pm-4:00pm. Evening and lunch appointments are available, upon request. It is always best to call first to assure items are ready when you arrive and to RSVP for programs. While many publications are free, some do have a fee. All times listed are Eastern Time. Purdue University is an equal access/equal opportunity/affirmative action institution.

Upcoming Events

March 11 –Ag Day Breakfast & Mini Farm Fest, 8-12pm, Fairgrounds

March 14 – The Legal Side of Agriculture, 6:30pm, Ivy Tech, $20, register at https://tinyurl.com/AgLaw23

March 18 – Garden Fair, 9am-3pm, Fairgrounds

April 4 – Exploring 4-H, 6pm, Putnam County Fairgrounds

April 18 – Basics of Home Food Preservation (Freezing and Dehydrating), 6pm, Hendricks Co. Fairgrounds, register at 317-745-2555 ext. 3

Indiana Landmarks and Indiana Farm Bureau welcome nominations for the 2023 John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation.

The award recognizes the preservation and continued agricultural use of historic farm buildings in Indiana. Since it was established in 1992, owners of more than 30 historic farms all over the state have been honored with the award.

Anyone, including farm owners, can submit a nomination for the Arnold Award, which will be presented during the Celebration of Agriculture at the Indiana State Fair in August.

The nomination is simple and asks for:

• a brief history of the farm and description of its significant historic structures and features, such as the farmhouse, barns, agricultural outbuildings, and landscape elements.

• a description of how the farm’s historic agricultural structures are used in day-to-day farming operations, and how they have been preserved or adapted.

• high-res digital photographs of the farm and its preserved historic features. Historic images are also welcome.

The award winner receives an attractive outdoor marker and feature coverage in Indiana Preservation magazine.

Indiana Landmarks named the award in memory of John Arnold (1955-1991), a Rush County farmer who successfully combined progressive agricultural practices with a deep respect for the historic and natural features of the rural landscape.

The John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation honors those who share a similar commitment to preserving the landmarks and landscape of rural Indiana.

Submit nominations for the Arnold Award for Rural Preservation online at www.indianalandmarks.org/john-arnold-award-rural-preservation, or contact Tommy Kleckner at Indiana Landmarks, 812-232-4534, tkleckner@indianalandmarks.org.