Greencastle schools Deer Meadow and Ridpath will host Kindergarten Round Up.

Canned foods are convenient, portable, quick, and have a long shelf life. They also help provide needed nutrients to meet USDA Dietary Guidelines.

There are several varieties of canned foods on grocery store shelves, offering an array of nutritious options. Check out the following tips on storing and using canned foods.

Purchasing canned goods: Avoid rusted, dented, scratched, or bulging cans. Always check freshness dates on foods. Below are different types of “dates” you may see on canned items.

• Sell by: tells the store how long to display the product for sale. You should buy the product before the date expires to have enough time to use it at best quality.
• Best if used by: is recommended for best flavor or quality. It’s not a purchase or safety date.
• Use by: is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality and has been determined by the manufacturer.
• Closed or coded: are packing numbers for use by the manufacturer to rotate the stock as well as to locate products in the event of a recall.

Comparing food labels: Read the Nutrition Facts Label on products to find food with the most nutrition for your money. Using the Nutrition Facts Label helps you compare fat, calories, fiber, sodium and sugar found in different products. They also provide information on the serving size and how many servings are in an item. Look for lower sodium or no salt added versions of canned foods.

Storing canned foods in the cupboard/pantry: Store canned food in clean, cool, dark, and dry spaces. Don’t put them above the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or any place exposed to high or low temperature extremes. The optimal temperature range is 50-70ºF. Temperatures over 100ºF may cause canned food to deteriorate and lose quality. Freezing temperatures may cause changes in food textures, and lead to rust, bursting cans, and broken seals that may let in harmful bacteria.

First in, first out rule: To prevent foods from spoiling use the first in, first out rule as your rotation system. Using this rotation method will help you use older canned and dried food items before using recently purchased products. Check canned items regularly for signs of spoilage. Do not use food from cracked, bulging or leaking cans, or those that spurt liquid when opened; discard cans immediately.

Fortifying with fruits and vegetables: Canned fruits and vegetables are always in season and packed at the peak of freshness. Keep canned tomatoes, beans, fruits and vegetables on hand to quickly create meals or boost the nutrition of recipes. Try adding canned black beans, chick peas, Mandarin oranges, beets or other colorful fruits and vegetables to your next salad. Canned soup, broth, pasta and chili can serve up meals with vegetables, grains and protein.

For more food, nutrition, and health information go to food.unl.edu.

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

Feb. 27 & Mar. 5 – Navigating Farmland Inheritance webinar series, 12-2 pm, $25 per household/farm, Register at https://cvent.me/EPBQ0D

Feb 29 – Mini 4-H Grade 2 Kickoff, 6 pm, York Auto Bldg., Fairgrounds

Mar. 5, 7, 12, 14 - Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families, 5:30-8:30 pm, Register at https://wia.unl.edu/prep

Mar. 6 – Breakfast with a Forester, 8-10 am, Fairway Restaurant, register at
765-653-5716 ext. 3

Mar. 9 – Ag Day Breakfast & Mini Farm Fest, Fairgrounds

Mar. 15 – The Legal Side of Agriculture, 10 am – 12 pm, Ivy Tech-Greencastle, $20,
register at https://purdue.link/AgLaw24
Mar. 16 – Garden Fair, Fairgrounds, April 8 – ServSafe Food Manager course and exam in Montgomery County – register at https://cvent.me/zEnyl3 by April 1.

The Indiana Department of Transportation announces temporary restrictions coming to U.S. 231 north of Cloverdale.

Beginning on or after Monday, March 4, crews will be adding a temporary crossover to allow for a lane shift between I-70 and County Road 700 S on U.S. 231.

This will be the first phase of a multi-phase construction project and will be used to allow future steps in this project to be completed.

Work is expected to last a couple of weeks, weather permitting. All work schedules are subject to change.

Eligibility in the regular 4-H program necessitates one must be in Grades 3 through 12 as of January 1 of the current year. However, second graders can get a taste of 4-H by signing up for the “Exploring 4-H” or mini 4-H program. Exploring 4-H is a program for children who are not yet old enough for 4-H. Any youth in the second grade as of January 1 of the current year is eligible.

There will be three meetings leading to a field day during the summer months for Exploring 4-Hers and ultimately project exhibition during the Putnam County 4-H Fair during July 19-26. With help from the Junior Leaders, the meetings include an introduction to the 4-H program, individual project instruction, recreation, and a snack. Additionally, the youth in this program typically have entered their own float in the fair parade which will likely occur again this year if the group so desires.

Project choices for Exploring 4-H youth include collections, crafts, drawing, entomology, farm animals, foods, photography and wildlife. Collections, photography and wildlife are poster projects while drawing is submitting a framed picture, foods involve entering no bake cookies, and crafts is hands-on construction creating a small standing or hanging exhibit. A model of an ant that the youth assemble is the entomology exhibit option while those doing farm animals will use a shoe box to make an animal themed diorama. Information and registration forms were sent home with all second-grade school students during recent school visits.

Parents may sign up their second graders now by selecting one of the eight projects. Enrollment is simple. The cost is ten dollars and forms are available at the office or one may enroll online at https://v2.4honline.com/#/user/sign-in and pay with a credit card there as well or with cash/check at first meeting. The first meeting will be between 6-7 pm on Thursday, February 29th at the Putnam County Fairgrounds in the York Automotive Community Building.

Other meetings will occur on March 27th, April 29th and the field day will be on June 18th. The meetings are typically 6-7 pm, the field day is during the afternoon starting at 1 pm, and all events are at the fairgrounds. Project check-in at the fair will be July 16th anytime between 4-7 pm and the “Fun at the Fair” scavenger hunt will be at 5:30 pm on July 24th. It is fine if one misses a meeting as that should not keep one from participating.

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

Feb. 22 – Ag Women Engage Conference, Fort Wayne, $100, register at https://purdue.link/AWE2024

Feb. 27 & Mar. 5 – Navigating Farmland Inheritance webinar series, 12-2 pm, $25 per household/farm, Register at https://cvent.me/EPBQ0D

Feb 29 – Mini 4-H Grade 2 Kickoff, 6 pm, York Auto Bldg., Fairgrounds

Mar. 6 – Breakfast with a Forester, 8-10 am, Fairway Restaurant, register at
765-653-5716 ext. 3

Mar. 5, 7, 12, 14 - Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families, 5:30-8:30 pm, Register at https://wia.unl.edu/prep

Hoosier heroes step up to the plate to serve, protect and take care of Indiana every day. February 19 -24 honors a group of heroes who work year-round to ensure your county is ready to respond to a crisis.

Counties throughout Indiana have emergency management offices that take steps to reduce their communities' vulnerability to hazards and to help cope with disasters. These Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs) work with other public safety partners and organizations to prepare for, mitigate, respond to and recover from emergencies.

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security joins Gov. Eric J. Holcomb in recognizing the efforts and accomplishments of all its dedicated emergency managers statewide and invites Hoosiers to join in honoring them during EMA Appreciation Week.

Recently, EMAs have been ramping up preparedness planning for the Total Solar Eclipse on April 8, 2024. They have been working with state agencies and their local partners to ensure their counties are ready to handle the influx of crowds. Their behind-the-scenes work will shine bright during a rare spectacle for Indiana.

“Emergency Management Agencies have the foresight to see how events big and small will affect their communities. We have been working with them hand-in-hand to understand potential problems that may occur and how state partners can work with EMAs to mitigate any issues. We cannot keep Indiana safe without these partners,” said IDHS Executive Director Joel Thacker.

IDHS will celebrate EMAs on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram. Follow along to learn about the people putting in countless hours to keep you safe. 

Green Guest Artist Jerron Paxton will perform at the Green Center, Thompson Recital Hall on Wednesday, February 21 at 7:30 p.m.

Raised in the Watts district of Los Angeles but deeply influenced by the music and culture of his Louisiana family heritage, this multi-instrumentalist storyteller plays traditional American music of all kinds. Now based in New York City where he is part of a lively traditional music community, Paxton travels the country sharing his immense musical gifts and extensive knowledge of nineteenth- and twentieth-century country blues, ragtime, and old-time string band music.

This event is made possible through support from the DePauw Performing Arts Series.

For tickets: dpugreencenter.eventbrite.com

New for this year’s Indiana Individual income tax return is a deduction for military pay earned by Hoosiers who are active or reserve members of the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard.

Retired military service members, or their surviving spouse, may also be eligible for this deduction.

This deduction is equal to the actual amount of military income received (i.e., military pay, retirement pay, and/or survivor's benefits) or $5,000, whichever is less. If both a service member and their spouse received military income, they may each claim the deduction for a maximum of $10,000.

Prior to 2023, the exemption was only for the period that military service members who were mobilized or deployed. Find more information in Information Bulletin #27.

Additional guidance for military service members including due dates and extensions of time to file for those serving in a combat zone, choosing the right form, and paying Indiana county taxes is available.

Indiana 211’s mission is to improve quality of life for Hoosiers by promoting equity and connecting people to health and human service resources through highly skilled navigators, continuous community collaboration and a robust community database and technological innovations. National 211 Day celebrates and helps to spread awareness in the United States about assistance, resources and services offered by 211.

As a result, Governor Eric Holcomb has proclaimed Feb. 11, 2024, as 211 Day in Indiana.

Indiana 211 became a part of the Family and Social Services Administration in July of 2020, and since then, has assisted hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers connect with help and answers from thousands of health and human service agencies and resources in their local communities—quickly, easily and confidentially. Indiana 211’s team is comprised of experienced, responsive and compassionate community navigators who are skilled at actively listening and identifying needs and providing referrals that best meet those needs

In 2023, Indiana 211 answered approximately 180,905 calls and community navigators helped make over 637,930 referrals to community organizations and programs.

Indiana 211 uses statistical data from calls, texts, and web visits to help shed light on the nature of social needs in Indiana for community decision-makers and government across the state. Communities are encouraged to search the Indiana 211 dashboard, county-by county, by multiple counties or statewide, to identify top need categories by their chosen metric, including the percentage of unmet needs within each need category.

To access Indiana 211, simply call 2-1-1 or 1-866-211-9966 from anywhere in Indiana, text your ZIP code to 898-211 or visit our website at IN211.org.

An upcoming four-part extension workshop for women in agriculture will focus on emergency preparedness for rural families.

The program will be a 4-part series, held at numerous locations across Nebraska and Indiana. The series will focus on farm and ranch emergency management, first aid, fire protection, and hazardous materials. Workshops will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern time on March 5, 7, 12 and 14.

The program is a collaboration between extension women in Agriculture programs at Purdue University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, agricultural occupations have high rates of work-related injuries and deaths. While not all emergencies result in bodily injury or death, they also may cost rural families in other ways.

“Women play a critical role in ensuring the safety of their homes and rural communities,” said Jenna Nees, Purdue Extension Educator Ag & Natural Resources in Putnam County. “In many farm and ranch families, safety is an important topic, but it sometimes gets overlooked because it does not directly impact profitability.”

Each state’s workshop sites will be hosted by local extension personnel. Keynote speakers will be simulcast to each location, and each site will provide additional speakers and hands-on activities. Dinner will be included at in-person sites.

Nees said the program’s structure is intended to strengthen networks of women in rural areas, which can provide opportunities for building trust and sharing information. “Connections are so important to rural women,” she said. “We have seen the benefits that come from knowing your peers, having a place to share difficulties, and mitigate the isolation that so many of us in agriculture often feel.”

The workshops seek to help participants initiate preventative practices, set up a plan to deal with emergencies before they occur and be more comfortable reacting to emergency situations.

There is a registration fee of $50 per person before Feb. 20. The fee increases to $60 per person after Feb. 20. Participants should plan to attend each session. A virtual option is available for those unable to attend a workshop site, although in-person attendance is highly encouraged to better network with other attendees and interact with speakers. The virtual registration fee is $75 before Feb. 20 and $80 after Feb. 20. Registration may be completed on the Nebraska Women in Agriculture website, https://wia.unl.edu/prep.

Those with questions or concerns can contact Jenna Nees at smith535@purdue.edu or 765-653-8411. This project was supported by a grant from NCRCRD through funding from USDA NIFA Award #2022-51150-38141.  ?

Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families Indiana Workshop Sites

• Angola Steuben — County Community Building, 317 S. Wayne St
• Bloomfield — Community Event Center at the Greene County Fairgrounds, 4503 W. State Road 54
• Columbia City — Purdue Extension - Whitley County, 524 Branch Court
• Columbus — Purdue Extension- Bartholomew County, 783 S. Marr Rd
• Greentown — Howard County 4-H Fairgrounds - Lead Center, 610 E. Payton St
• Plymouth — Marshall County Building - Extension Office, 112 W. Jefferson St.
• Portland — Portland Fire Department, 1616 N. Franklin Street
• Princeton — Gibson County Fairgrounds, 709 N. Embree
• Valparaiso — MAAC Center, 4203 Montdale Park Drive
• Veedersburg — Fountain County Fairgrounds, 476 W. US HWY 136
• Winchester — Randolph County Fairgrounds, 1885 S. US Hwy 27
   

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:

Feb. 22 – Ag Women Engage Conference, Fort Wayne, $100, register at https://purdue.link/AWE2024

Feb. 27 & Mar. 5 – Navigating Farmland Inheritance webinar series, 12-2 pm, $25 per household/farm, Register at https://cvent.me/EPBQ0D

Mar. 6 – Breakfast with a Forester, 8-10 am, Fairway Restaurant, register at
              765-653-5716 ext. 3

Mar. 5, 7, 12, 14 - Emergency Preparedness for Rural Families, 5:30-8:30 pm, Register at https://wia.unl.edu/prep

Greencastle Parks and Recreation will be holding a second public meeting Wednesday, February 21 at 6:00 p.m in City Hall for the Five-Year Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

The public is invited to attend and provide feedback.

A copy of the most recent draft can be found at greencastleparks.com. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is now accepting applications for the Continuous Conservation Reserve Program (Continuous CRP) signup.

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) encourages agricultural producers and landowners in Indiana who are interested in conservation opportunities for their land in exchange for yearly rental payments to consider the enrollment options available through Continuous CRP, which also includes the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) offered by FSA partners. Additionally, producers participating in CRP can now apply to re-enroll, if their contracts will expire this year.  

“We are pleased to announce we are now accepting Continuous CRP offers,” said Farm Service Agency (FSA) State Executive Director Julia A. Wickard.“Continuous CRP is one of the best conservation tools we can provide producers and landowners. Whether a producer wants to focus on water quality benefits or work with one of our partners to address a natural resource concern in their area, the program offers many options to help you meet your resource conservation goals.” 

On Nov. 16, 2023, President Biden signed into law H.R. 6363, the Further Continuing Appropriations and Other Extensions Act, 2024 (Pub. L. 118-22), which extended the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (Pub. L. 115-334), more commonly known as the 2018 Farm Bill, through Sept. 30, 2024. This extension allows authorized programs, including CRP, to continue operating. 

To submit an offer, producers should contact the FSA at their local USDA Service Center by July 31, 2024, in order to have an offer effective by Oct. 1, 2024. To ensure enrollment acreages do not exceed the statutory cap, FSA will accept offers from producers on a first-come, first-served basis and will return offers for approval in batches throughout the year. 

Additionally, producers with acres enrolled in Continuous CRP set to expire Sept. 30, 2024, can now offer acres for re-enrollment. A producer can both enroll new acres into Continuous CRP and re-enroll any acres expiring Sept. 30, 2024.  

FSA water quality practices, such as riparian buffers, prairie strips, grassed waterways, and wetlands, will receive an additional 20% incentive. Buffer practices have a positive impact on water quality. Additionally, the Climate-Smart Practice Incentive launched in 2021 is also available in the Continuous signup.??? 

There are several enrollment options within Continuous CRP, including:  

• CREP: Working with conservation partners, CREP leverages federal and non-federal funds to target specific state, regional, tribal,or nationally significant conservation concerns. 
• State Acres For Wildlife Enhancement (SAFE): The initiative restores vital habitat in order to meet high-priority state wildlife conservation goals. 
• Highly Erodible Lands Initiative (HELI): Producers and landowners can enroll in CRP to establish long-term cover on highly erodible cropland that has a weighted erodibility index (EI) greater than or equal to 20. 
• Farmable Wetlands Program: Producers and landowners can enroll land in CRP to restore previously farmed wetlands and wetland buffers, improving both vegetation and water flow.??? 
• Clean Lake Estuaries and Rivers (CLEAR) Initiative and CLEAR30:This initiative prioritizes and offers additional incentives for water quality practices on the land that, if enrolled, will help reduce sediment loadings, nutrient loadings and harmful algal blooms. Through CLEAR30, a component of this initiative, these additional incentives for adoption of water quality practices can be accessed in 30-year contracts.