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IMPROVING LIVES, IMPROVING COMAL COUNTY
The mission of the AgriLife Extension Service is to improve the lives of people, businesses, and communities across Texas and beyond through high-quality, relevant education.
| Today's AgriLife Extension is known for its leadership, dedication, expertise, responsiveness, and trustworthiness. Texans turn to AgriLife Extension for solutions, and its agents and specialists respond not only with answers, but with a significant return on investment to boost the Texas economy. | |
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County Holidays/Office Closures:
None for April
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AgriFest Open House
Saturday, April 6, 2024, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Comal County for our annual AgriFest Open House.
Take a stroll through our educational demonstration gardens, featuring vegetables, roses, rain garden, native grasses, and much more! Come explore the 40+ Exhibits/Exhibitors during this beautiful time of year.
There will be multiple activities for the kids! (Hayrides, face painting, scavenger hunt, make a seed ball, and more!)
Please click the flyer for more information.
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Choose Healthy - Teen Youth Program
Mondays on April 8, 15, 22, 29
Westside Community Center
2932 S IH Frontage Road, New Braunfels, TX 78130
Teens will learn to incorporate physical activity and kitchen readiness/skills for a great healthy combination of learning. Lessons are about 15 minutes, and the rest is all hands-on learning. During the food demonstrations they will have the chance to practice kitchen skills, discuss food and kitchen safety and some of the benefits that each food has to offer.
Registration for this series will open at 5:00 pm on Monday, March 11, 2024. Please use the link below.
https://nbtexas.libcal.com/event/11868727
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Landowner Management Workshop | |
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Join Jason Mangold, our Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, as he provides a presentation on
Pond Management. This program will focus on creating and maintaining a pond on your property, whether it be for livestock or recreational purposes. We will cover basic principles, construction, water quality, stocking rates, management and control of insects and algae.
Now available in two locations!
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 12-1 pm:
Pond Management
Location:
Mammen Family Public Library
131 Bulverde Crossing
Bulverde, TX 78163
This workshop is free but registration is required. Please register at the link below:
https://mammen.librarycalendar.com/event/pond-management-21394
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Wednesday, April 10, 2024, 2-3 pm:
Pond Management
Location:
Tye Preston Memorial Library
16311 S Access Rd.
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
This workshop is free.
No registration is required.
Please contact the library at 830-964-3744 if you need assistance in finding them.
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Every Kid Healthy Week (April 22-26, 2024) | |
Every Kid Healthy Week - Action for Healthy Kids | Every Kid Healthy™ Week is an annual celebration of school health and wellness achievements. It takes place during the last full week of April - each day shines a spotlight on the actions schools and families are taking to improve the health and wellness of their kids. | | | |
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HealthTalk Express
Be F.A.S.T. to Prevent Stroke.
Join Amanda at the date and time below to talk about the warning signs of a stroke.
Thursday, April 25, 2024 @ 12 - 1 pm
Location:
Garden Ridge Library
9400 Municipal Parkway
Garden Ridge, TX 78266
This program is FREE but registration is required.
Please call Garden Ridge Library at 210-651-6570 to register.
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Agri-Land Resources Workshop
This workshop focuses on assisting agri-land owners and managers. Topics include USDA, NRCS Programs, Grazing land Management Wildlife Management, Urban Agriculture, Beef Herd Management,
Pesticide Laws & Regulations (1 CEU Provided) and more! FREE Refreshments Provided!
Monday, April 29, 2024 @ 11:30 am - 5:00 pm
Location:
Jourdanton Community Library
1101 Campbell Ave.
Jourdanton, Texas 78026
This workshop is FREE but pre-registration is required.
Please register by April 27 at: www.alamorcd.org
Please click the flyer for more information and agenda.
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Rescheduled - Turfgrass Management Program
**Register in April for this May course!
The Turfgrass Management Program has been rescheduled
to May 3. Five (5) CEU’s are available for license and certificate renewal. Lunch will be provided.
- 3 - General
- 1 - Integrated Pest Management
- 1 - Laws and Regulations (including Label/Labeling comprehension)
Pre-registration is required. Please register by April 26. Call our office at 830-620-3440 to register for the program.
Friday, May 3, 2024, 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Location:
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Comal County
325 Resource Drive
New Braunfels, TX 78132
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Child Care Provider Conference
"Recipe for Success"
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**Register in April for this May conference!
Date: May 4, 2024
Time: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (Check-in begins at 8:30 am)
Location:
TCEA
3100 Alvin Devane Blvd, Bldg. B
Austin, TX 78741
Take this professional opportunity to learn from industry experts and your peers.
Texas AgriLife Extension Service offices of Bastrop, Comal, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Caldwell, Hays, and Travis counties are co-hosting this childcare conference for providers, directors, Head Start teachers, and parents.
Click here to learn more about this conference and to register.
Regular Registration fee is $75
from April 1 to April 25.
Late Registration fee is $85
from April 26 to May 1 at 5:00 p.m.
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Grilling
There are times when grilling outdoors is impossible or just impractical. But if you’re craving the seared, juicy results that only grilling brings, a stove and an indoor grill pan can be your new best friend.
The Technique of Grilling
What can you grill indoors? Pretty much anything you can cook on the outdoor grill. Stove-top grilling is perfectly suited for quick cooking ingredients like steaks, burgers, summer veggies and even meat alternatives like tofu. They all come off the grill with gorgeous sear marks and delicious char-grilled flavor. Let the meat or veggies come to room temperature before grilling and then season. Dry rubs, marinades or a simple salt and pepper dusting are all welcome. A key step when grilling indoors is to remove any excess moisture from your ingredients before they go on the heat. Dripping liquid will steam the food from the bottom and create smoke in the kitchen. To prevent this, pat the food dry with paper towels before placing it on the hot grill to ensure good sear lines. The high heat sear will seal in the juices with tender, flavorful results.
Steps for Indoor Grilling Success
Bring your meat to room temperature – Room temperature meats, and vegetables and tofu, sear better and cook more evenly when they aren’t straight from the fridge. Let your ingredients sit at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes before you start.
Season the meat – Add your choice of seasoning before placing the food on the grill. This is a great time to add any smoky elements, like smoked paprika or chipotle powder, to mimic those smoky flavors of an outdoor grill.
Preheat the grill pan – For the best results, the pan needs to be evenly heated. Let the grill pan heat for about 5 minutes on medium to medium-low heat. The heat level depends on your stovetop, so it might take a few tries to figure out the perfect level for you.
Oil the pan – Using a silicone basting brush, lightly oil the pan to increase caramelization and prevent sticking. Use an oil with a high smoke point – like grapeseed or canola. Heat the oil just until simmering, not smoking.
Grill undisturbed – Once you place the meat or vegetable on the grill pan, let it sit for a few minutes until it releases naturally from the pan. Then flip and sear the other side for perfect grill marks.
Rotate 45 degrees – For that photo-worthy, crosshatch pattern, rotate the meat 45 degrees and sear again before the first flip.
Finish in the oven – Unlike an outdoor grill, the grill pan doesn’t have circulating heat on all sides. To finish cooking larger cuts of meat or thicker cut vegetables, place the whole grill pan in the oven until the desired internal temperature is reached.
Let the meat rest – For any cut of meat, let the food rest after cooking to finish cooking and seal in the juices. Vegetables don’t need any rest time so you can enjoy them immediately off the grill.
(Reference: LeCreuset Institute)
| Watch for amazing recipes on our Facebook page at facebook.com/ComalAgriLifeExtension/ for the month of April. | |
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Landowner Management Workshop
Join Jason Mangold, our Agriculture and Natural Resources agent, as he provides a presentation on
Preparing for Disaster/Drought. With the recent years of going through a drought situation, this program will help you be better prepared to take care of your livestock and property.
Now available in two locations!
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Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 12-1 pm:
Preparing for Disaster/Drought
Location:
Mammen Family Public Library
131 Bulverde Crossing
Bulverde, TX 78163
This workshop is free but registration is required. Please register at the link below:
https://mammen.librarycalendar.com/event/preparing-disaster-drought-21395
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Wednesday, May 8, 2024, 2-3 pm:
Preparing for Disaster/Drought
Location:
Tye Preston Memorial Library
16311 S Access Rd.
Canyon Lake, TX 78133
This workshop is free.
No registration is required.
Please contact the library at 830-964-3744 if you need assistance in finding them.
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension provides equal opportunities in its programs and employment to all persons, regardless of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Individuals with disabilities who require an auxiliary aid, service, or accommodation in order to participate in meetings are encouraged to contact the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service office at 830-620-3440 five days prior to the event so that appropriate arrangements can be made. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating | |
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