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Politics & Government

Hillsborough County Extension Service Open House Lets the Secret Out

The extension office offers a wide range of programs and services.

The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) Hillsborough County Extension Service wants you to take some time Saturday getting to know who they are and what they do.

The Seffner office, located at 5339 County Road 579, will host an open house Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The free event will offer brief seminars and presentations, hands-on demonstrations, youth activities and garden tours as well free publications.

Debra Jo Kinsella, county extension director, said the extension office may be known for its lawn and garden expertise but said its services go far beyond home gardening. She said when planning for the event started in October 2010, organizers agreed that it should present a wide array of services.

“We really wanted to be able to give people an overview of what we have to offer,” Kinsella said. “We have something for everyone, so we’d really like it if people stopped by for a few minutes or for a few hours to see all we do.”

The list of extension services is vast. It includes family and consumer counseling which provides comprehensive education in the areas of financial management, human development, nutrition, health and food safety. This area also includes parenting and divorce classes.

Some people may be aware of the extension office’s 4-H programs. 4-H is a unique educational program for boys and girls ages 5 to 18. It encourages diverse groups of youth to develop their skills and talents to the fullest. These youth actively participate in activities, events, competitions and projects that develop and strengthen life skills.

One extension program that is widely known is its lawn and garden services. The wildly popular Master Gardeners are in this category as well as the Florida Yards and Neighborhoods, Backyard Wildlife Habitat, Water Wise, rain barrels and others.

Lynn Barber, a Florida-Friendly Landscaping agent at the extension office, said she is looking forward to showcasing all of the extension office programs and services. She said there will be tours of the premises, which include two gardens and countless plants, flowers and outdoor elements.

“We want people to learn about planting the right plants in the right place,” Barber said. “People will be able to see what we’ve done here. It will be like walking through a lab.”

While these services will be represented during the open house, Kinsella said one area that people may not be aware of is its home-canning classes for foods such as fruit, jams and vegetables. Demonstrations will be held on Saturday.

“We have found that more people are growing their own food,” Kinsella said. “We want them to be able to safely preserve it.”

Barber said along the lines of food preparation there will be a solar cooking demonstration, which is offered by the extension office. In another area an agent will provide relaxation techniques to manage stress.

“All of it is going to be a lot of fun,” Barber said. “We are going to have something for everyone.”

Kinsella said she hopes the open house will be a success with a large number of people turning out to event.

“We offer so many services and we don’t want them to be a secret,” Kinsella said. “We want people to come and see what we do.”

The Hillsborough County Extension Service is an educational service provided by both the University of Florida and Hillsborough County. It provides information to the public through workshops, publications and mass media.

For more information about extension programs and services visit http:// Hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu

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