Preserve Your Harvest Safely

Susan Mills-Gray will host workshops on Pressure Canning 101, Pack a Pickle, Fantastic Jellies and Jams, Salsa Made Easy and Dehydration. You will get hands on experience and everyone will take a product home. Learn the latest research to retain the highest quality and safety. Solutions to common problems and challenges. Workshops are designed for beginners or those who need to update their skills. The first workshop starts on June 10.  Registration and Workshop Dates Flyer (PDF)

Planning a Fall Garden

This workshop will cover which plants can be grown late in the season and when to start your seeds so you have plants available in fall. Although vegetable crops will be highlighted, some ornamentals like flowering kale and pansies will also be discussed. Topics include the challenges of starting seeds in outdoors in hot weather, in protected locations, and under lights indoors. Participants will do some hands-on seed sowing to get a good jump on their fall gardens.

MSU Wine Premiere - Open House

Stop by anytime in the evening to taste the 2012 vintage Missouri State University Wines at our Wine Premiere Open House. MSU Agriculture Graduate Student work will be featured along with photographs of local artist and grape grower, Joyce McMurtrey. July 18, 2013, 4:00 - 8:00 p.m..

Free and open to the public.

Home Grape Growing Dinner

Workshop will be be held at the Faurot Hall and Field, Missouri State Frouit Experiment Station Mountain Grove, Tuesday, July 23, 2013 at 5:00 - 8:00 p,.m. Registration fee is $15.oo for dinner and materials. Please Register by Friday, July 19th. For more information visit mtngrv.missouristate.edu.

Basic grape growing will be covered with the home grower in mind. Different grape varieties, general culture and pest and disease problems will be covered.

  Chia seeds: Superfood or scam?

Many of us remember the Chia Pet craze…the commercial jingle even sticks in our minds “ch-ch-chia”!  Now the cousin of those same seeds that burst onto the scene over thirty years ago as a table top plant, are now a popular diet choice.  “While chia is certainly a unique food with strong a nutrient profile, its claim as the next superfood may be a bit premature,” says Susan Mills-Gray, Nutrition/Health Specialist with University of Missouri Extension.

Chia is an unprocessed, whole-grain food that can be absorbed by the body as seeds (unlike flaxseeds). One ounce (about 2 tablespoons) contains 139 calories, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrates and 11 grams of fiber, calcium, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids.

Chia seeds are gluten-free, and do not trigger reaction for those allergic to nuts. The mild, nutty flavor of chia seeds makes them easy to add to foods and beverages. They are most often sprinkled on cereal, sauces, vegetables, rice dishes, or yogurt or mixed into drinks and baked goods. They can also be mixed with water and made into a gel. 

 It’s unclear how much of the ALA in chia gets converted in the human body to the heart healthy omega-3s found in cold water f fatty fish.  Currently there is limited evidence to show that that chia seeds are heart protective.

In theory, chia seeds are supposed to expand in your belly, helping you to feel full, eat less, and ultimately shed pounds. But research indicates otherwise. A Study conducted by Appalachian State University showed no reduction in body weight, body fat and no improvement in traditional cardiovascular markers from 50 grams of chia per day.

Mills-Gray adds “If you have an allergy to sesame or mustard seeds or are on high blood pressure medications or blood thinners, you should ask your health care provider before adding chia to your diet.”

For more information contact your local MU Extension Center or this faculty member directly at mills-grays@missouri.edu.

(Sources:  National Institute of Health, Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter Mach 2013, WebMD)

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