In This Issue FCE Updates and Changes

President’s Desk

Carla Bush named UT Central

Region Program Leader

Food Preservation Classes

2019 TAFCE Conference

Update

Sewing Corner

Protect Yourself

News from the “Field”

Fashion Revue National

Winner

Holman’s Horticulture

Fraud Alert

Powder Puff Mechanics

Quilt Coloring Page

As summer draws closer, we are still learning how to work remotely. Extension employees across the state have been working from home since March and we have found new ways to engage with our clients. From my perspective, it has been important to stay in close contact with our FCE board members and local club Presidents. I have done this through emails, phone calls and text messages.

We have also focused efforts through FCE by making facemasks for healthcare workers. To date, Wilson County FCE members, 4-H members and community members have made over 2,000 facemasks for local healthcare workers and emergency responders. We aren’t done yet. Our local hospital is still in need. If you have questions about making facemasks please contact me.

While we may be living through uncertain times, it is important to stay connected. I have asked local club Presidents to enact club calling trees. If your club doesn’t have one, now is the time to start one. It’s easy to do. Just choose 2-3 people and divide up your membership list. Make contact with one another to just catch up and check on your club members.

This, too, shall pass. Although lots of things are uncertain, one thing remains the same. UT-TSU Extension in Wilson County is still here for you!

See you soon! Shelly Barnes, FCS Extension Agent

County-Wide Newsletter Summer 2020

Wilson County fce Connections

Unfortunately, we have cancelled the luncheon that had been rescheduled from the Spring tornadoes. Our process for reim-bursement for luncheon tickets is outlined below. Carrie

Shehane, County FCE Treasurer, will mail a check to club treasurers in the amount of tickets sold to your club members. She will include a list of members (including totals) that need to be reimbursed. Club treasurers will need to reim-burse club members on the list Carrie sends. Contact Carrie at 615-604-5964 or carrieandmichael@msn.com for questions. Thank you to the planning com-mittee for your hard work! We look forward to the 2021 luncheon hosted by Oakland!

Join our TAFCE Masks of Love Facebook group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/

TAFCEmasksoflove/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

FCE Updates and Changes as related to COVID-19 The Wilson FCE County Board has prepared this notice for Wilson County FCE Club members. Information was gathered from UT Extension, TAFCE State Board and TAFCE, Central Region Board A Newsletter will be sent soon, please contact members in your clubs that do not have email and share this information We know we were all looking forward to our FCE club events, contests and conferences; however, this is a national emergency and our most important concern is to keep our members as safe as possible. For our FCE Club program:

• County FCE

Local Club Meetings – Cancelled until August 1 (may change depending on situation and guid-ance from UT)

Creative Writing can be submitted by May 26 to FCE Vice President, Cernovia Burns, 149 Ram-sey Lane, Lebanon, TN 37087 (see attached forms)

June 12 Sampler Quilt Block workshop-Cancelled

June 26 Special Interest Workshop-Cancelled

July 24 Special Interest Workshop-Cancelled

July 1 – Kate Bagnall Scholarship is due to Greta Kirby, TAFCE Central Region VP for Programs, 287 Turkey Creek Hwy., Carthage, TN 37030.

July 3 – 50 year members due to Pam Sites, TAFCE VP for Programs, 406 Regal Drive, Murfreesboro, TN 37129. Please note Pam has a new email address: pfsitesFCE@gmail.com.

July 30 County Council-No face to face meeting, may consider conference call

July 31-Membership and Dues mail to Carrie Shehane

July 31-Copy of Membership due to Diane Marsh, mail to Extension Office

County Council Meetings – potential for conference call in July, will be determined in June during our called June board meeting

Cultural Arts Contest in August – cancelled for 2020

Fashion Revue in August – cancelled for 2020

Luncheon rescheduled for September – Cancelled

CVU’s do not need to be turned in this year. CVU’s for 2020 and 2021 are to be turned in next year and you will be allowed to double the maximum amount (up to 4000 individual hours for com-bined 2020/2021).

• Region TAFCE

Central Region FCE Retreat in May - Cancelled

Central Region Annual Meeting in September –Cancelled • State TAFCE

State FCL Training – Cancelled

TAFCE State Conference in November – Potentially, but likely Cancelled • National FCE

NAFCE Conference in July - Cancelled I completely agreed when Governor Bill Lee said, “Right now, the best way for us to care for one another is to keep our distance – and take care of our neighbors. Give them a call or a video chat. We’re all in this togeth-er. Please do your part, stay apart.” It is more important than ever to stay connected as local FCE clubs. If you haven't already, make a phone chain to make sure your friends and neighbors are okay. Other suggestions are to have secret pals or pen pals. Work on creative writing projects to turn in now! Work on cultural arts and fashion revue for next year. I have a feeling entries will double next year. Please let me or any of your board members know if you have any questions. Any activities after July will be determined and discussed during our June board meeting.

Shelly Barnes, FCS Extension Agent & Wilson County FCE Advisor

Carla Bush Named as Central Region FCS Program Leader Recently, Carla Bush, FCS Extension Agent in Rutherford County was named as the new Central Region FCS Program Leader. This position is essential to our work with FCE in our region. This person sets the stage for our educational programming, mentor new members, finds resources and offers support for seasoned agents. As Central Region FCE Advisor, Carla shared this snippet with the regional officers in a recent board meeting. It is important that you know your worth as FCE members and I want to share the words from Carla,

“It is my hope the local clubs will use phone trees and/or letter writing in the next couple months to stay connected if you’re not already. Perhaps have secret pals? Our local clubs are the foundation of county FCE organizations. My first year in Rutherford County, I had a Trail Mix theme for the county officer training. Local clubs were represented by peanuts; this is what I shared:

Local FCE Clubs – Peanuts

• Peanuts are kind of a “nut” - Making it FUN working toward our purpose as FCE Club members which is to strengthen individuals and families through continuing education, leadership development and community service

• We think they are a nut BUT they are a legume—Local clubs are where you really get to know each individual member by gathering on a monthly basis and learning and working together

• Are good for you, rich in essential nutrients—Going to Club is good for you! Experts say that staying active and social can enhance your life as you get older and help stave off conditions such as dementia and depression. http://www.everydayhealth.com/senior-health/enhancing-your-life.aspx

• Are high in protein so they’re filling—Local club meetings “fill” individuals with new knowledge, new skills, new friendships, new experiences

• Have many uses: peanut oil, peanut flour, boiled, roasted, peanut butter, etc.—Local club members come with many “uses” and a variety of knowledge and experiences that can be shared with other members

THANK YOU for taking on the role of being a leader in FCE and I wish you the best!”

Carolyn Binkley

Wilson County fce

President

From the President’s Desk

For the ones that don't know me I'm your Wilson County FCE President. I am a member of the Oakland FCE Club and a consistent volunteer of Fiddler’s Grove. Hope this newsletter finds you safe and healthy. This year hasn't been the best, but I want to thank all the FCE members for their support and coming to the rescue. We have a great group. We have scheduled a June meeting for county board members. We will share more information with you after that. Looking forward to seeing everyone again soon.

Food Preservation Classes Online As we continue to work remotely, we have found new ways to deliver educational content to residents. One increase we have seen as a direct response to COVID-19 is an increased interest in gardening and food preservation. As a result, Mary Draper (Smith County) and I have completed six sessions as it relates to basic food preservation principles. I have made these available on our Wilson County FCE Facebook group, our Wilson County FCE Facebook page, our UT-TSU Extension, Wilson County page as well as our YouTube channel. All sessions have been recorded and are available to watch on our YouTube channel (link below). Lucas is also offering zoom sessions on horticulture, they are also recorded and uploaded on our YouTube channel.

Beginning Wednesday, May 27th, we will begin a new series on food preservation. We will take a more in-depth approach to various topics related to food preservation. The dates and topics are listed below. Send me an email if you would like to sign up. All sessions are at 1:00pm. If you don’t have internet access and want to ask food preservation questions, give me a call at the office at 615-444-9584. Leave a message at ext. 105 and I will call you back.

Preserving Foods Safely Series 2

• May 27-Session 1-Jams and Jellies

• June 3-Session 2-Canning Tomatoes

• June 10-Session 3-Salsa

• June 17-Session 4-Principles of Pickling

• June 24-Session 5-Fermentation

• July 1-Session 6-Flavored Vinegars

https://tinyurl.com/wilsontube

2019 TAFCE Conference Update Dear Wilson County FCE members, I want to thank each of you who helped in any way to make the 2019 TAFCE conference special. Especially to Frances Baker who did leg work to involve other counties in our quest to have the best bags for all attending. She did an outstanding job. Congratulations to Regina McCathern for her appointment as Fashion Revue Chairperson on the Central Region Board for the next two years. Many thanks to Genna Kilga who has represented Wilson County well for the past two years as Vice President for Public Policy. I want to say a special thanks to Robin George and Penny West who helped with Wilson County Cultural Arts at conference. Many thanks to Dorothy Dunn who has served as our county representative at Central Region and State Conference. She has done it with much grace and I appreciate her for that. To each and every one of you I wish you safety and happiness. Please see below for TAFCE Cultural Arts Winners.

Wanda Briddelle, TAFCE President

Category 1st Place 2nd Place

Basketry Jeanie Such

Cross Stitch-Counted Caryn Crowston

Cross-Stitch-Other Petra Mitchell

Dolls Penny West

Embroidery (hand) Caryn Crowston

Holiday Decoration-Christmas Only Shirley Mossburg

Holiday Decoration-Non Christmas Shirley Mossburg

Quilts-Applique Shirley Mossburg Sandra Shoemake

Repurposing Caryn Crowston

Rugmaking Petra Mitchell

Sculpture Robin George

Stained Glass Robin George Penny West

Pesky Flies Penny West from TXR FCE Club gives a helpful tip about dealing with pesky flies.

Penny says, “To kill flies quickly, you need a spray bottle filled with alcohol. Spray the flies and they will fall to the ground where you can easily swat them. This also works on other flying insects. P.S. The alcohol disinfects, dries quickly and is also good for cleaning glass. Have a great day!”

Protect Yourself Penny West from TXR FCE Club gives a helpful tip about our homeowners insurance based on her re-cent experience with the April tornado that de-stroyed her home. Penny says, “This is very im-portant and very easy. Check with your insurance agent to make sure you have guaranteed replacement cost insurance, NOT extended replacement cost. This is a huge difference in the two. It may cost a few extra dollars, but in the event a disaster strikes, you will be so much better off. We never plan on a disaster striking and to be honest I even told my agent that I didn’t think I need-ed as much coverage as I had. Well, let me tell you, I was WRONG!”

Hello fce Friends,

Hope everyone is well

and looking forward to

summer and summer activities. I also thought

some of you might be looking for a new property

where you could truly “social distance” and enjoy

the scenery. I was looking at some agricultural

interest new blogs this morning and saw the

following. Just thought some of you might find this

of interest. It sounds like a “real estate steal and a

great investment!!!”

“Apple co-founder Mike Markkula has relisted his

sprawling ranch in Carmel Valley, California, for

$37.5 million, a steep drop from his original ask of

$59.95 million. Rana Creek Ranch is a 14,000-acre

property in one contiguous block with bountiful

water resources, a riding arena, two barns, a

2,900-foot landing strip, miles and miles of

trails, in addition to several residential

structures. (All the amenities one needs to so-

cial distance.) It’s a working ranch to grow cattle,

and the business generates revenue to maintain

the ranch. He and his wife, Linda, bought the

original 8,000-acre Rana Creek Ranch for $9

million about 35 years ago. Mr. Markkula is 78

years of age.”

Contrast this to a Tennessee farm: average size,

156 acres, average farmer age, 58, average value

and land and buildings, $608,000. Agriculture and

forestry remain vital sectors in the Volunteer State,

contributing approximately $74.8 billion to

Tennessee’s economy each year. Leading

agricultural commodities are cattle and calves,

broilers and milk, soybeans, corn, hay, wheat,

cotton, tobacco, and a variety of fruits and

vegetables. Tennessee ranks 15th in the nation for

farms selling local foods direct to consumers. The

value of local food sold from farms in 2018 totaled

over $60,000,000. I love calling Tennessee home.

Everyone stay well and hope to see you out and about again soon.

Best regards,

Ruth

News from the “Field” Ruth Correll, Ag Extension Agent & County Director

Wilson County FCE Fashion Revue Wins National Award

The Wilson County Fair was recognized in 2019 from the International Association of Fairs and Expositions for our Wilson County FCE Fashion Revue Competition in the Outstanding Special Contests division. Congratulations to chairman Robbie Rodgers, Norene FCE Club, and Co-Chairman Regina McCathern TXR FCE Club. Congratulations also goes to all members that participated in last year’s fair. We are very proud to bring home this national award to Wilson County! Great job, everyone!

Holman’s Horticulture This year has been one for the books. If my emails, calls, and text messages are any indication of the amount of people that are gardening this year, it is a lot! In turn I do believe we’ll see more people in the kitchen making plans to save that summer harvest for those dreary winter days. I’m fortunate that I grew up in a household with a large vegetable garden and my mother still processes enough vegetables to feed a small army. I’m also fortunate that the people that I interact with all understand gardening and “canning”. These seem to have been lost arts over the years and there is a big pull to get back to those this year. I want to

encourage you to help out that next generation that didn’t grow up with the same passion for gardening and canning. Their questions may seem silly, but in reality they are usually asking a serious question. Some of the questions I’ve

received almost make you feel sorry for people because they did not grow up as I did. It is my hope this year that this generation finds their same love of gardening and canning and that I can help them pursue these interests. I do believe that if they have a little success gardening or canning, they’ll be hooked! Now that I have a daughter, I hope that she will be helping in the kitchen and picking in the garden! If you have friends that have gardening questions, however simple they may seem, feel free to send them my way at 615-444-9584 or lholman1@utk.edu. As a side note, here’s a picture of Ellie Pearl Holman and I can’t wait for you all to meet her!

Lucas Holman

Horticultural Agent

Powder Puff Mechanics Scott West, Cedar City Diesel

Sponsor of the Sampler Quilt Block Competition

We asked Scott West, husband of Penny West-TXR FCE Club and owner of Cedar City Diesel to share an important tip to help maintain your vehicle. Scott says, “Help me, help you.” If you are hearing any weird noises, please don’t ig-nore them, as they may turn into a more serious problem. Leave the radio down and listen closely to what direction the noise is coming from, see if there is any kind of input such as braking or turning a particular direction or road surface that makes the noise happen. This will help your mechanic find the problem quicker which, in the long run, will save you money.

Fraud Alert Wilson County Register of Deeds, Jackie Murphy has implemented a new and free service to property owners in Wilson County, Fraud Alert. Subscribe to the free Fraud Alert notification service at wilsondeeds.com/#/home and click on Fraud Alert. If you need help, please contact Shelly at the Extension Office or contact the Register of Deeds office at 615-443-2611.

Ellie Pearl Holman

Quilt Coloring Page Here’s a fun way to boost your brian power! Coloring has the ability to relax the fear center of your brain, the amygdala. It induces the same state as meditating by reducing the thoughts of a restless mind. This generates mindfulness and quietness, which allows your mind to get some rest after a long day of work. Can you name this quilt pattern? Send Shelly an email at sphill24@utk.edu if you can! Don’t cheat by looking it up on the internet!