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)

QuickBooks for Beginners and Advanced Workshops

Kelly Dyer, UCM SBTDC Manager, Business Application, will hold a QuickBooks workshop at the Cass County Extension Center, 201 W. Wall St., Harrisonville, MO, the beginners will be on May 23 and advanced users will be on June 20.  Learn how to set up a company, write checks, navigate through QuickBooks and much more. For registration:  Beginner QuickBooks Flyer (PDF), Advanced Quickbooks Flyer (PDF)

 Percolation test certification training

Percolation Test Certification Training will be held Friday and Saturday, June 14-15, 2013, at Johnson County Extension Center, in Warrensburg. This course is for individuals who want to obtain certification to conduct soil percolation tests for determining soil absorption qualities of sites being considered for installation of an on-site sewage system. Instructors for the 2-day event will be David Lindell, retired University Extension Agronomy Specialist and John Tharp, retired University Extension Water Quality/Community Development Specialist.

The cost of the 2-day course is $160 per person. Each participant who completes the course will also need to provide a payment of $90 to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. This is in addition to the

$160 course fee to Johnson County Extension. Registration is limited to 25 participants per class and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is due by Friday, May 31, 2013. We must receive the $160 payment before registration deadline.

At the end of the training course an exam will be given by the instructors and mailed for grading by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. DHSS certification cards will be mailed to those successfully completing the exam.

The training site is upstairs at the Johnson County Extension Office, 135 W. Market Street, Warrensburg, MO 64093. For more information, please phone: 660-747-3193.  Registration Form & Flyer (PDF)

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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