Author: Laura Halladay

Basics of Home Food Preservation

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Are you interested in preserving your own food? The Basics of Home Food Preservation workshop is a great starting point to introduce you to a variety of home food preservation methods.

Basics Of Home Food Preservation
Thursday, September 30 at 6 pm
OSU Extension Greene County
100 Fairground Rd
Xenia, OH 45385

Basic Information
The workshop will focus on the basics of canning, freezing, and other methods of home food preservation. Participants will learn basic food safety principles; the basics of getting started with water bath and pressure canning; and methods of freezing fruits and vegetables. 

Register at https://go.osu.edu/basicfoodpreservation
Register by 9/28/2021

Other Details
The program is designed to before informational, and there will be an opportunity to look at a variety of food preservation equipment, there will not however be any hands on canning at this presentation.

This program will be held in person at the OSU Extension Greene County office, Ohio State University Extension follows current University and Local Public Health COVID-19 protocols.

For more information, contact Laura Halladay
Email: Halladay.6@osu.edu or call 937-372-9971

Connection Café: Dimensions of Wellness

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Join OSU Extension Family and Consumer Sciences Educators from across the the state for our latest Connection Café. Through out the month of September we will be covering the Dimensions of Wellness and their impact on aging. Sessions are free but registration is required, go.osu.edu/connecttowellness.

Cooking for One or Two

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Join FCS Educators from Ohio State University Extension and Central State University Extension for a free webinar: Cooking for One or Two. Sometimes cooking for one or two may seem like it is not worth the trouble, but everyone needs a variety of nourishing food to stay healthy. In this class you will learn strategies for preparing quick, easy and nutritious meals for one or two.

When: Monday, June 21 2021 @ 12 P.M.
Where: Online webinar
Cost: Free
Registration: https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7O4lKKi8ng2ZR9c

Please contact Laura Halladay, FCS Educator with any questions 937-372-9971 or Halladay.6@osu.edu

Pressure Canner Lid Testing

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Thousands of Ohioans are planning and preparing their home or community vegetable garden. An important part of planning should include your plan for the harvest. Many people chose to preserve their produce via home canning. For those planning to use a pressure canner, part of the preparation should include having the pressure canner gauge checked to ensure you are canning safely.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends you have your pressure canner lid and gauge tested every year. Ohio State University Extension: Greene County is offering pressure canner gauge testing on Tuesdays beginning in May. Please visit http://go.osu.edu/2021cannertestinggreene or call 937-372-9971 to schedule an appointment.

For more information contact Laura Halladay, Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, at Halladay.6@osu.edu or 937-372-9971

Manage Your Money – 5 week series

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Manage your money is a five-week program that helps people and families learn how to manage their money wisely. Lesson topics include:

  • Money Choices: Understanding your money values, wants and needs.
  • Financial Fitness: Steps to making a spending and savings plan.
  • $ Controls: Managing debt and credit, credit records and reports.
  • Nutrition Planning a Budget: Tips and tricks to making meals till next pay day.

When: Wednesday, May 5, 12, 19, 26 and June 2 from 1:00-3:00 PM
Location: Will be held virtually via zoom – Zoom link will be sent the day before for each week’s lesson.
Cost: Free
Register: Registration is required, please register at this link https://osu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_87TPHNQgtUPeP9c

This program is utilized by Greene Metropolitan Housing as financial education to earn priority housing points. Upon completion of this 5 week (10 hour) program you will receive a certificate of completion. Please contact Brenda for more information.

Contact information: Brenda at sandman-stover.1@osu.eduor 937-372-9971

Master of Memory – Free Virtual Series

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The Connection Café will feature the Master of Memory program series offered by OSU Extension this May.

Are you concerned about memory problems? If so, join us for this 4-part series, Master of Memory.

Studies show that 80 percent of older adults complain about memory problems, but only 15 percent report them to their health professional. People of all ages complain about forgetting, but older people tend to worry more about forgetting and memory loss. Regardless of age, memory losses are increased by factors such as inattention, anxiety or depression. Living alone, stress, illness, adapting to the loss of relationships, and the negative stereotypes of society all may affect the older person and their memory.

Master of Memory encourages participants to recognize they can impact their memory function and identify factors that may enhance or detract from their memory function. We will share suggestions that may help address some of those concerns.

OSU Extension will offer The Connection Café on Wednesday mornings at 10 am beginning May 5. These four sessions will be offered online. Sessions will include information on memory strategies, nutrition, medications, medical conditions, and exercise for the body and mind.

Sessions are free – but registration is required. You may register here: https://go.osu.edu/masterofmemory

If you have questions, please contact Greene County’s Family and Consumer Science Educator, Laura Halladay via email: Halladay.6@osu.edu or 937-372-9971

Happy National Nutrition Month!

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Every 5 years the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publish the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Dietary Guidelines serve as a reputable, research-based tool for nutrition guidance and education. The 2020 – 2025 Guidelines were released in December of 2020.

New this year are broader guidance that includes healthy dietary guidelines from birth through older adulthood. Here are the Top 10 Things You Need to Know about what else is new.

March is National Nutrition Month, please follow us on Facebook as our Community Nutrition Team shares some of their favorite recipes throughout the month.

Caregiver Support Network Webinar

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RESPITE! RESPITE? RESPITE….

Join the Caregiver Support Network for two free webinars on

Wednesday February 17 – online via Zoom

10 am: Respite and Caregiver needs: Creating your respite plan

2 pm: Sharing respite experiences and resources: Where do I start?

Who should attend: 

  • Family members caring for an adult or senior with chronic illness or disability
  • Adult children concerned about aging parents
  • Parents caring for adult children with disabilities
  • Long term workers: assisted living facility, adult family home or home care agency staff
  • Social service, adult day service or mental health professionals who work with family caregivers

For more information:

Website: https://agrability.osu.edu/caregiver-support-network/2021-caregiver-workshops

Registration: go.osu.edu/caregiver2021

You only need to register once to attend one or both webinars

Contact: Laura Akgerman at 614-292-0622 or akgerman.4@osu.edu

Strong @ Heart

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What do David Letterman, Burt Reynolds, Reggie Lewis, Barbara Walters, Bill Clinton, Hank Gathers, Toni Braxton, Kelsey Grammar, Dick Cheney, and Bret Michaels all have in common? All of them have or had some form of heart disease.

Did you know that heart disease is the leading cause of death in men and women in the United States? Even if you do not have a personal or family history, it is likely that you will still be impacted in some way by heart disease during your lifetime. Whether it is a friend, a co-worker, a professional athlete, a celebrity, a neighbor, or a loved one, if you don’t already know someone who has been diagnosed, you likely will.

The Live Healthy Live Well Team would like you to get “Strong @ Heart” with us this February as we celebrate American Heart Month. You may be thinking, yeah, yeah, yeah, but I don’t want a bunch of medical jargon thrown at me. Great! The Strong @ Heart email challenge will give you some information about heart disease and some tips on how to help you stay healthy, but it will be relatable. You see, many of the writers have personal stories as to why this topic is so important to them, myself included.

We know that 2020 was a rollercoaster for most people, and 2021 isn’t starting out much better. So, during the Strong @ Heart challenge, we want to connect with you on a more personal note about how heart disease has impacted and continues to impact the lives of many of us.

Get or stay Strong @ Heart with this 6-week challenge. For registration: go.osu.edu/LHLWGreene , Answer a few questions and you are set. Expect a pre-challenge message the last week of January.

So many treats! How to encourage healthy eating through the holidays

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The holidays can be a difficult time to stick to a healthy lifestyle. Join us in learning some strategies to not just survive the holiday treat season, but thrive in your healthy choices.

A free Lunch and Learn presented by Family and Consumer Sciences Educator, Laura Halladay on December 15 at 12p, please register by December 13th go.osu.edu/healthylivingseries