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ESCAMBIA
SANTA ROSA OKALOOSA WALTON
HOLMES
WASHINGTON
BAY
JACKSON
CALHOUN
GULF
GADSDEN
LIBERTY
FRANKLIN
LEON
WAKULLA
JEFFERSON
Living Wellin the Panhandle
Solutions For Your Life!Provided By Family & Consumer Sciences Agents in Northwest Florida
November 2009, Volume 1, Issue 3
In This IssueFood Safety for the 1Holiday SeasonFor Better or Worse 3Stay Green (and Out of 4the Red) this HolidaySeasonDealing with a Reduced 6IncomeUnderstanding Your 7Credit ScoreCooler Temperatures, 9Hotter SavingsIt's Time to "Refuel" Your 10Body - Let's HaveBreakfast!Calendar of Events 11The University of Florida 11IFAS Extension NeedsYou!
The hustle and bustle of the holidayseason is upon us. Many people willgather with family and friends sharingelaborately prepared meals. While thetime spent with loved ones during spe-cial occasions is often packed full of
traditions and memories, this can alsobe a challenging time. Families andindividuals may feel enormous stressabout finances, time, and relation-ships.
In this issue you will find timely andresearch-based information from theExtension Faculty in Northwest Flor-ida. Brush up on your food safetypractices to ensure preparation of notonly delicious but also safe holidaymeals. Find out what you can do tostretch your dollars, protect yourcredit score, and reduce your impacton the environment.
Twin Oaks Farm located in Bonifay,Florida
Photo Credits: Twin Oaks Farm
The Extension Faculty works dili-gently to provide articles that helpyou and your family live well in thePanhandle. We want your
feedback. In each article, you willfind contact information for the au-thor. Please contact the author or theeditor with any questions or sugges-tions. We look forward to hearingfrom you.
Have a happy and healthy holidayseason.
Kendra ZamojskiNewsletter Editor
Walton [email protected]
Food Safety for theHoliday Season
Holidays bring warm memories offamily and friends gathering to sharetraditional foods such as turkey, ham,stuffing, gravy and eggnog.
During these festive times, foodsafety considerations are often over-looked, especially when there may beseveral cooks preparing food. Foodsthat are mishandled can cause veryserious consequences for everyone,
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especially young children, older adults, pregnant wo-men, and people with weakened immune systems.
Bacteria are everywhere but there are a few types morelikely to crash holiday gatherings. Salmonella, Staphylo-coccus aureus, Clostriduium perfringens and Listeriamonocytogenes can be frequent travelers on people'shands, equipment and counter tops. These bacteria can-not be smelled or tasted, unlike microorganisms thatcause food to spoil.
According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Ser-vice, “any raw food of animal origin, such as meat,poultry, milk and dairy products, eggs, seafood, andsome fruits and vegetables may carry Salmonella bac-teria. The bacteria can survive to cause illness if meat,poultry, and egg products are not cooked to a safe min-imum internal temperature as measured with a food ther-mometer and if fruits and vegetables are not thoroughlywashed. The bacteria can also contaminate other foodsthat come in contact with raw meat and poultry. Safefood handling practices are necessary to prevent bac-teria on raw food from causing illness”.
Whether you're a seasoned cook or a novice preparingyour holiday meal, be aware of safety issues from startto finish. Your meals need to be managed carefully. While holiday food safety tips are important, we shouldremember them throughout the year. So, here are somesafety tips to help you with your meals.
Photo Credits: Kendra Zamojski, Walton County
Remember food safety begins when shopping for food.Be a safe shopper by putting raw meat and poultry indouble plastic bags so it doesn't cross-contaminate yourother groceries. Pick up your refrigerated and frozenfood items right before you check out. Go straight homeor put perishables in a cooler with ice. Refrigerate orfreeze foods immediately when you arrive home.
When preparing the food, the first thing you want to dois to wash your hands. Wash them before, during, andafter handling different foods to help prevent the spreadof harmful bacteria. It is important to keep cooking andserving utensils separate and clean. Using hot water andsoap will go a long way in preventing the spread of dan-gerous microorganisms that can make you and your fam-ily sick.
Whether it is a turkey, duck or ham, follow basic hand-ling guidelines when preparing and cooking these foods. Refer to the package instructions for thawing and cook-ing times. Don’t forget to insert a meat thermometer inthe thickest part of the meat making sure not to touch thebone!
Many times the enjoyment of family and friends maycause us to let food stay out too long. Keep hot foodshot (140° F or above) and cold foods cold (40° F or be-low)! Use chafing dishes to serve hot foods. If youdon't have any, hint to family and friends that thesemake nice Christmas gifts. Cold foods can be kept coldby nesting the dishes in bowls of ice.
For those who enjoy eating leftovers, make sure they arehandled and stored safely. Discard any turkey, stuffing,and gravy left out at room temperature longer than 2hours; 1 hour in temperatures above 90° F. Divideleftovers into small portions. Refrigerate or freeze incovered shallow containers for quicker cooling. Use re-frigerated turkey and stuffing within 3 to 4 days. Usegravy within 1 to 2 days. If freezing leftovers, use with-in 2 to 6 months for the best quality.
Remember, when in doubt about the safety of any food,throw it out! For more information, contact your local
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University of Florida IFAS Extension Family and Con-sumer Sciences Agent.
Marjorie MooreCounty Extension Director
For Better or Worse
During these tough economic times, many families maybe experiencing difficult family relations. Americanfamilies are diverse, complex, alive and changing withthe times. Families no matter what the type - single par-ents, blended families, working couples, etc. - can sur-vive stress and grow closer. One way to do this is to de-velop strengths and learn to meet daily pressure andmanage life’s changes.
Photo Credits: Kendra Zamojski, Walton County
Strong families share common characteristics. Thesestrengths help families solve problems and adapt tochange. Don’t get discouraged if you feel that your fam-ily does not share all of the characteristics. The goal isto move toward these strengths and not try to achieve allstrengths simultaneously. The process is called buildingfamily strengths.
Strong family characteristics include:
commitment to each other;•
physical, spiritual, and emotional wellness;•
effective family communication;•
appreciation of all family members;•
meaningful and sufficient time together;•
effective strategies to deal with stress.•
When many say their wedding vows, they commit toeach other during good times and in difficult times. Commitment takes giving time and energy to the familyon a daily basis. Decide as a family unit what activitiesare most important, and then consider reducing unneces-sary pressures.
Research shows that individual wellness helps a personmanage daily pressures. This refers to both physical andpsychological health. It is very important that familymembers have a healthy lifestyle that includes propernutrition, exercise, adequate rest, and relaxation.
Communication is probably the most challenging char-acteristic to manage. Effective communications in-cludes listening to words and nonverbal messages andshowing understanding through rephrasing and askingquestions. Positive speaking is a major component,meaning being kind and encouraging the other person. Itis being honest but not brutal. Positive speaking in-volves being specific about what you need or expectfrom others, and sharing your own feelings, thoughts andexperiences.
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Photo Credits: Kendra Zamojski, Walton County
Make a list with your family of all your activities as in-dividuals and as a family unit. Together discuss the fol-lowing:
What is important, individually and together?1.
What is least important, what you don’t want to bedoing, or activities that don’t give you much happi-ness?
2.
What activities do family members feel they canscratch off from the list?
3.
Develop some suggestions about how to use this ex-tra time for your family and plan an activity together.
4.
For one week keep track of how you spend your time. At the end of the week note ways you can reduce wastedtime or reorganize your priorities to have more time.
Research has shown that the following characteristicshelp families cope with stress: support from friends, rel-atives, neighbors, and others in the community; a posit-ive outlook or long-range view that things will get bet-ter; and a way to work together to overcome difficulties.
Keep a perspective on things and remember you are notalone, things will get better. Use your sense of humorand laugh. Set priorities and simplify your life. Take
one day at a time and let go of worries. Get outsideyourself and make time for friends. Strong families areresilient and can adjust to change so be flexible. Main-tain open communication, pull together and if need be,seek outside help. For more information on stress andfamily relations contact your local University of FloridaIFAS Extension office.
Source:
Smith, Suzanna (2005). Building a Strong and ResilientFamily. Family Youth and Community Sciences Depart-ment, UF/IFAS.
Monica BrinkleyCounty Extension Director
Liberty [email protected]
Stay Green (and Out of the Red) thisHoliday Season
‘Tis the season of excess – most Americans spend toomuch, cook too much, eat too much, and waste toomuch! Recent Gallup polls indicate that consumerspending will decrease slightly for the 2009 holiday sea-son but the average shopper still plans to spend over$1000 on holiday meals and gifts. Dr. Michael Gutter,Assistant Professor of Family Financial Managementwith the University of Florida says, "You do not need tospend more than you can afford to spread good will toothers. During the holidays season, remember that thebest things in life are free. It is often more rewarding toeveryone to focus less on spending money and more onthoughtful gifts. Focus on spending time with lovedones and do not worry too much about spending moremoney."
Holiday consumption is not only hard on the budget andwaistline, it is also hard on the environment. During theholidays the Environmental Protection Agency reports a25% increase in household trash. Here are some tips toreduce waste and keep the budget in check without los-ing the holiday spirit:
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Buy LED holiday lights and use timers to avoid need-less use of lights. Make sure the timers are appropri-ate for the wattage and usage of the lights (i.e.indoor/outdoor).
•
Reuse gift bags, ribbons, bows and wrap. Recyclewhat cannot be reused.
•
BYOB – Bring your own bag when shopping.•
Plan your shopping trips. Use a list when shoppingfor gifts and food.
•
Look for holiday cards printed on recycled paper, sendelectronic cards, or reuse holiday cards you have re-ceived by turning them into postcards.
•
Plan meals carefully with the number of guests inmind. Plan to use or freeze leftovers, send leftovershome with guests or take extra food to homeless shel-ters or food banks.
•
Compost food waste.•
Shop locally owned businesses and buy local products.•
A house full of guests gets warm quickly. Turn theheat down before guest arrive.
•
Clean out closets and take unused clothing and toys toa local charity.
•
Choose reuseable dishes rather than disposable platesand silverware.
•
Carpool to holiday parties and celebrations.•
Give homemade gifts, gifts of time, and other creativegifts.
•
Remember the true spirit of the holidays and avoid thestress of over spending. With a little thought you canhave a green holiday and keep your budget out of thered. For more information, contact your local UF IFASExtension office.
Photo Credits: Kendra Zamojski, Walton County
Sources:
"Avoiding the Holiday Spending Hangover" by Dr. Mi-chael Gutter, UF/IFAS 2009
"Plan Holiday Spending" by Jo Turner, UF/IFAS 2006
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"Reducing Holiday Waste", Environmental ProtectionAgency 2009
Kendra ZamojskiFamily & Consumer Sciences/Community
Development AgentWalton County
Dealing with a Reduced Income
During these tough economic times, many people haveseen their paychecks decrease (fewer hours worked) ordisappear (lost job!). That can be a major challengewhen trying to manage your monthly expenses. Whatare the steps you need to take if this happens to you?
First, Accept the Reality of the situation. There isless income, so changes must be made.
1.
Take Control of finances right away to avoid makingrash or poor money decisions. Consequences of notpaying bills or paying too little can include expensivelate fees, repossessions of goods, and a reduction inyour credit score. If bills are not paid, lenders cantake legal action to garnish wages and seize assets –both property and money in your account.
2.
Communicate your current circumstances with fam-ily members. A reduced income typically meanshousehold expenses will need to be reduced. It is verycommon for family members to have different ideasabout how money should be spent. Family membersneed to decide together which expenses can be re-duced.
3.
Keep track and plan your spending. Develop aspending plan based on your current income and ex-penses. This will help you see what you spend onvarious things. What will income look like after jobloss or reduction? Then make decisions about howmuch can be spent. Try to stretch income so it coversall necessary expenses. This may mean eliminatingmany non-essential things (“wants" versus “needs”).Look carefully at your bank account to see if you
4.
have any automatic deductions for expenses that youare not under contract to pay and/or that are non-pri-ority items. Track your daily spending to make surethat spending is focused on priorities.
Avoid Digging a Deeper Hole. You may need to usesavings to supplement your income, borrow money oruse credit cards when income is reduced. Borrowingor using credit cards as extra cash is a short-termsolution that can lead to expensive debt con-sequences. Be on guard against “get out of debt quickoffers” and other scams. They can greatly increaseyour debt and cause long-term credit problems. Anysolution that sounds too good to be true, probably is!
5.
Prioritize Debts. Once you have completed yourspending plan you may find that there is just enoughmoney to cover all of your debts. Prioritize your debts– Essentials, Legal Obligations and Consumer Debts. Essential expenses are those that are critical for ourhealth and well-being including food, medically ne-cessary medications and health insurance, housing,utilities and transportation. While those items are es-sential, there are often ways to reduce the amount youspend on them. Legal obligations include child sup-port, student loans, taxes and legal judgments. Fall-ing behind on these types of debts can have seriousconsequences. Stay in touch with the appropriate leg-al authorities or agencies and try to work out a pay-ment plan. Next, decide how much you can pay to-wards your consumer debt. Consumer debt includescredit card accounts and bills for medical services.Try to pay more than the minimum amount on theseaccounts so you can avoid expensive fees, interestand collections. Use free tools such aswww.PowerPay.org to establish a calendar for yourdebt repayment. This tool can also help you determ-ine how to prioritize your debt payments and evenhow to use any extra money to make strategic “PowerPayments.”
6.
Contact Creditors. If you are living paycheck topaycheck, then you may want to contact your credit-ors. Any negotiations should be trying to improveyour monthly cash flows so you are able to makesome payments to everyone and still meet your
7.
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monthly living expenses needs. This may often meanthat your monthly payment is reduced but you will bepaying on this loan for a longer period. Using aspending plan, will give a better sense of how muchof your income you can allocate to each debt. Oncethis is determined, you can contact your creditors, ex-plain your situation and see if they will accept a re-duced payment that you can afford. In addition, youmay want to see if lower interest rates are available.Be sure to follow-up with U.S. Postal service(“postal”) mail communication. Use “Certified Mailwith return receipt requested” for critical correspond-ence to create a paper record of your efforts. Remem-ber to save any correspondence that is sent to youfrom creditors. Postal mail communication carrieslegal protection under the federal Fair Debt Collec-tion laws that email does not.
Follow Through On Your Plan. We know these arechallenging times. Do your best to stick to a spend-ing plan that fits your economic situation. If a credit-or accepts a reduced payment plan, stick with it andcontact them immediately if you cannot pay the re-duced amount. (Remember to get their response inwriting.) Tough times can serve as an opportunity tosharpen perspective on your priorities, about what ismost important and focus your resources towards ne-cessities.
8.
Use these websites for additional resources, includingfinancial calculators and worksheets:
Photo Credits: Elaine A. Courtney,Okaloosa County
http://fycs.ifas.ufl.edu/toughtimes/index.htm
http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu
http://okaloosasaves.org
Source:
"Take Steps to Reduce Your Income," by Dr. MichaelGutter and Lisa Leslie--UF IFAS Extension. 2009
Elaine A. CourtneyFamily & Consumer Sciences Extension
AgentOkaloosa [email protected]
Understanding Your Credit Score
Do you know your credit score? Are you certain thatsomeone hasn’t stolen, or at least borrowed, your iden-tity?
If you answered “no” to either or both of these ques-tions, then you are in good company. A 2008 survey ofconsumers by the Consumer Federation of America andWashington Mutual Bank revealed that less than a thirdof consumers understood that a credit score indicates therisk of not repaying a loan. And 79% of those surveyeddid not understand the difference between a credit re-port, which can be obtained for free at least once a year,and a credit score.
Credit Report vs Credit Score
A credit report, sometimes called a credit file disclosure,is simply all the information that is maintained in yourcredit file by a consumer reporting company such as Ex-perian, TransUnion, or Equifax. The information notonly includes details of your financial accounts, bothopen and closed, it also includes a record of those whohave made inquiries about your credit. A credit score,on the other hand, is a three digit number between 300and 850 that is basically a report card of your credittrustworthiness. Higher scores are more desirable. Themost common credit score that is used is the FICO score,
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which is calculated by the Fair and Isaac Corporation us-ing data from the credit report. The five most import-ant categories of data used are: payment history, amountowed, length of credit history, new credit, and types ofcredit used.
What’s So Important About My Credit History?
Your credit report not only determines whether you canobtain a loan and how much you will pay for it, it alsocan determine things like whether you can buy a cellphone, rent an apartment, purchase insurance, and evenget a job. That’s why it’s vitally important that youmake sure there are no inaccuracies in your credit his-tory. And even if there are a few blemishes in your past,you should still make sure that they are reported cor-rectly and that any mitigating circumstances have beenentered on the record. If you do have items on yourcredit history that you want to dispute, make sure you doit in writing to the appropriate reporting agency.
The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions (FACT) Actof 2003 mandates that consumers be allowed to obtainone free credit report from each of the three consumercredit reporting agencies each year. This means that ifyou space your requests out, you can check your creditabout every four months.
AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized sourceto get your free credit report under federal law. TheFederal Trade Commission’s website (www.ftc.gov) haslinks to the official credit report website as well as aphone number and an address where consumers can ob-tain their reports.
The report is free, but it will not tell you your FICOscore. That can be purchased separately from the threeconsumer reporting companies starting at about $15 (Ex-perian) and up. Consumers Union, the publisher of Con-sumer Reports, suggests purchasing the score when youget your free report, but advises against signing up for anongoing credit monitoring service, which can cost up-wards of $15/month.
A credit score between the 600s and 700s is the norm. The boundary between getting a standard loan and ahigher cost (subprime) loan is usually considered to be a
score of 620.
Photo Credits: Kendra Zamojski, Walton County
Improving Your Credit Score
The best way to improve your credit score is to pay yourbills on time. Delinquent or missed payments stay onyour record for 84 months (7 years). Try to keep creditcard balances low, because lenders look at the debt toavailable credit ratio. That’s why you should think care-fully before closing any credit card account, especially ifit’s an older account. Account average ages, as well asaccount limits, are key indicators in determining a creditscore. And only apply for credit cards when you needthem. Having many new accounts decreases the aver-age account age and lowers your score. Too many ac-count inquiries (which occur when you apply for loansor credit cards) can also have a negative impact on yourscore.
Be wary of companies that claim they can fix your cred-it quickly, because there is really no quick fix for badcredit. The Federal Trade Commission’s website(www.ftc.gov) is a good resource to help consumers re-cognize scams. It also advises you of your rights in re-gard to credit repair and details how to dispute inac-curacies in your report.
If you need help with debt relief, seek assistance from areputable nonprofit agency that is a member of the Asso-ciation of Independent Consumer Credit CounselingAgencies or the National Foundation for Credit Counsel-
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ing. Your credit score may suffer initially from enteringinto a payment agreement with a debt-relief firm, butyour score will gradually improve as you demonstrateresponsible repayment behavior.
The Future of Credit
The CARD (Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility,and Disclosure) Act, which was passed by Congress inMay 2009, is aimed at ending unfair credit card com-pany practices such as sudden rate hikes and hiddenfees. Some of the provisions went into effect in Septem-ber of 2009 and the rest will be implemented by Febru-ary 2010.
Credit card companies must keep the interest rate yousigned up for steady for at least the first 12 months, 6months if the rate is promotional. If credit card terms,such as interest rates, grace periods, and fees are goingto be changed, the company must give you 45 days no-tice. Companies must also use “plain language in plainsight” so that consumers can make informed choices.
Another provision of the act will make credit card com-panies display on their statements exactly how long yourbalance will take to pay off if you make only the minim-um payments, and how much interest you will be pay-ing if you do so.
Lastly university students, frequently a target of creditcard companies, will be protected from unethical mar-keting practices.
All of these new protections should make it easier forconsumers to protect their credit history and maintain ahigher score, something that has become vitally import-ant for all aspects of life today. Contact your local Uni-versity of Florida IFAS Extension office for more in-formation on credit and credit scores.
Lila QuintilianiVolunteer
Leon [email protected]
Cooler Temperatures, Hotter Savings
Cooler autumn temperatures usually mean lower elec-tric bills, as we open windows and rely less on air condi-tioning. Since your heating, ventilation, and cooling(HVAC) system accounts for over 40% of home energyuse, consider these steps to help you save money whenthe time comes to turn on the heat:
Photo Credits: Judy Corbus, Washington & Holmes
Counties
Clean or change the air filter monthly. A dirty filtercauses your HVAC system to work harder, whichleads to higher utility bills and a shorter life span forthe unit.
•
Trim shrubbery to allow plenty of air flow around thecompressor. Like a clean filter, unobstructed air flowhelps your unit to operate more efficiently.
•
Clean indoor and outdoor HVAC coils for better effi-ciency.
•
Caulk or weather-strip any cracks or openings aroundwindows and doors to keep conditioned air inside. You can save at least 10 percent on utility bills by re-ducing air leaks.
•
Set your thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter. Forevery degree above 68 degrees that you raise the ther-mostat, you spend up to 4% more in heating costs.
•
Use ceiling fans to keep air moving. Switch the fan•“The Foundation for the Gator Nation” an Equal Opportunity Institution.
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blades to turn clockwise and the fan speed to low inthe winter. This will force the heated air back downinto the living space for greater comfort (and more“bang” for your heating dollars). In the summer, thefan blades should turn counterclockwise.
If you have a fireplace, keep the damper closed whenyou are not using it. This will prevent heated air fromescaping and keep cold air out.
•
Make sure furniture isn’t blocking vents or openings.•
Open blinds, curtains, or draperies during the day tolet in the warm sun; close them at night.
•
Pull on a sweater or an extra pair of socks instead ofturning up the thermostat.
•
Throw an extra blanket on the bed so you can loweryour thermostat during sleeping hours while still stay-ing comfortable.
•
Judy CorbusFamily & Consumer Sciences Agent
Washington & Holmes [email protected]
It's Time to "Refuel" Your Body - Let'sHave Breakfast!
Many of us tend to rush each morning as we get readyfor work or school. So what happens? Eating breakfastgets forgotten or neglected on many of these busy days. However, breakfast may be the most important meal ofyour day.
Breakfast is important to your health as it “refuels” yourbody after not eating for many hours during the night. To begin, breakfast provides the glucose which is theprimary energy source for your body and brain. Asstated by Gail Frank of the American Dietetic Associ-ation, “breakfast skippers often feel tired, restless, or ir-ritable in the morning.” Research has shown that miss-ing breakfast does diminish the mental performance ofchildren, young adults, and the elderly.
Eating breakfast may also play a major part in weightmanagement as it reduces hunger and prevents binge eat-ing. When people eat breakfast daily they are “far lesslikely to become obese, compared to those who skip thefirst meal of the day.” (American Dietetic Association)
With all of this said, it is very important that you fitbreakfast into your family routine each morning. Al-ways aim to make breakfast healthy and filling by tryingto include foods from at least three of the food groups.
Here are a few healthy breakfast ideas:
Stir low-fat or fat free granola into a bowl of low-fator fat-free yogurt. Top with sliced apples or berries.
1.
Add strawberries, blueberries, or bananas to waffles,pancakes, cereal, oatmeal, or toast.
2.
Add vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, spinach,mushroom, or tomatoes to your egg or egg white om-elet.
3.
*Canned, dried, and frozen fruits and vegetables are alsogood options. But be sure to look for fruit without addedsugar or syrups and vegetables without added salt, but-ter, or cream sauces.
For more information, visit UFIFAS publicationFAR8026 at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu and the CDC web-
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site http://www.fruitsandveggiesmatter.gov for recipeideas.
Melanie G. TaylorFamily & Consumer Sciences Agent
Gulf [email protected]
Calendar of Events
Bay County
December 2 - Food Safety and Quality Program
January 27 - Food Safety and Quality Program
Escambia County
Nov 10 - Cooking Healthy with Diabetes Holiday Edi-tion
Nov 12 - Cooking Healthy with Diabetes Holiday Edi-tion
Nov 16 - What’s New for Dinner?
Nov 18 - HCE Holiday Classics Program
Nov 19 - How to Burn Your Holiday Cookies
Dec 01 - Growing A Pizza
Dec 04 - Deck the Stalls
Holmes County
November 3 - First-time Homebuyer Class Part 1
November 5 - First-time Homebuyer Class Part 2
Okaloosa County
January 7, 14, 21 - Small Steps to Health and Wealth
Walton County
November 21 - First-time Homebuyer Class
December 14 - First-time Homebuyer Class
January 7, 14, 21 - Small Steps to Health and Wealth
Call the UF/IFAS county extension office for more in-formation and registration.
The University of Florida IFASExtension Needs You!
The University of Florida IFAS Extension works to-wards agricultural, environmental, and economic sus-tainability in our rapidly growing state and communities.We accomplish this through research-based educationalprograms, publications, and opportunities provided toyou locally. Please consider donating to the UF IFASCounty Extension office in your county. Your monetarygift is greatly appreciated, and will be used to continueour efforts at providing information and education youwant and need. To find out more about making dona-tions and endowments to University of Florida IFAS Ex-tension, please contact your County Extension Agentslisted below, or Joe Mandernach, IFAS DevelopmentOffice.
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NW District Extension OfficesContact us with questions or for more information
ESCAMBIA
SANTA ROSA OKALOOSA WALTON
HOLMES
WASHINGTON
BAY
JACKSON
CALHOUN
GULF
GADSDEN
LIBERTY
FRANKLIN
LEON
WAKULLA
JEFFERSON
Bay CountyMarjorie Moore, [email protected] Jenks Ave., Suite APanama City, FL 32401-2660(850) 784-6105http://bay.ifas.ufl.edu
Calhoun CountyJudy [email protected] Central Ave E.Blountstown, FL 32424-2295(850) 674-8323http://calhoun.ifas.ufl.edu
Escambia CountyPamela H. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Stefani RoadCantonment, FL 32533-7792(850) 475-5230http://escambia.ifas.ufl.edu
Franklin CountyBill [email protected] 4th StreetApalachicola, FL 32320-1204(850) 653-9337http://franklin.ifas.ufl.edu
Gadsden CountyElizabeth [email protected] West Jefferson StreetQuincy, FL 32351-1905(850) 875-7255http://gadsden.ifas.ufl.edu
Gulf CountyRoy [email protected] North 2nd StreetWewahitchka, Fl 32465-0250(850) 639-3200http://gulf.ifas.ufl.edu
Holmes CountyJudy [email protected] E. Highway 90Bonifay, FL 32425-6012(850) 547-1108http://holmes.ifas.ufl.edu
Jackson CountyJoan [email protected] Pennsylvania Ave.Marianna, FL 32448(850) 482-9620http://Jackson.ifas.ufl.edu
Jefferson CountyLarry [email protected] North Mulberry StreetMonticello, FL 32344-2249(850) 342-0187http://jefferson.ifas.ufl.edu
Leon CountyBetty [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Paul Russell RoadTallahassee, FL 32301-7060(850) 606-5203http://leon.ifas.ufl.edu
Liberty CountyMonica [email protected] NW Theo Jacobs WayBristol, FL 32321-0368(850) 643-2229http://liberty.ifas.ufl.edu
Okaloosa CountyElaine [email protected] Old Bethel RoadCrestview, FL 32536-5512(850) 659-5850http://okaloosa.ifas.ufl.edu
Santa Rosa CountyMichael [email protected] Dogwood DriveMilton, FL 32570-3500(850) 623-3868http://santarosa.ifas.ufl.edu
Wakulla CountyShelley [email protected] Cedar AvenueCrawfordville, FL 32327-2063(850) 926-3931http://wakulla.ifas.ufl.edu
Walton CountyKendra [email protected] N 9 Street Ste BDeFuniak Springs, FL 32433(850) 892-8172http://walton.ifas.ufl.edu
Washington CountyJudy [email protected] Jackson Avenue Ste AChipley, FL 32428-1602(850) 638-6265http://washington.ifas.ufl.edu
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