November 13, 2015 - As winter approaches, the days get shorter. We are cut back on the number of daylight hours we have to work outside. We probably each need to consider cutting back on our work activities so that we can spend time with friends and family during the holidays.

October 8, 2015 - We are writing to let everyone know that there will be a combined 4-H monthly meeting for the month of October. All three clubs, Center, Joaquin, and Shelbyville will have their meeting on Tuesday, October 27, 2015 at the First Baptist Church, Felllowship Hall at 6:00PM in Center Texas.

We will be having a guest speaker at this meeting. Please make every effort to attend this meeting. We think that it will be a very informative meeting.

September 14, 2015 - Since I was not from East Texas, I was deprived of being raised with mayhaw jelly. Though my mom made lots of jellies and jams for our family’s sweet tooth, I learned of mayhaws while attending college at SFA.

Historically, mayhaws have grown mainly in river bottoms and swampy areas. The mayhaw is a native fruit tree found along river bottoms and swamps from the Trinity River of Texas, east to Georgia and Florida. Today, the mayhaw is grown in family orchards for its fruit and as a beautiful addition to the home landscape.

August 24, 2015 - Perhaps one of the more iconic trees growing next to older homes in east Texas is a fig tree. Figs are one of the first fruits planted by settlers. Figs are also mentioned numerous times in the Bible.

If you are looking for a great addition to your landscape that can be expected to produce, consider figs. When planted in a good location, figs can thrive and do exceedingly well for many years.

August 10, 2015 - As more families grow their own food, there has been an increase in the number of people collecting their own seeds. Home gardeners who save their own seeds know exactly what plants they will be growing next year. Saving seeds also gives people a chance to swap seeds with other gardeners.

The general concept of seed saving is allowing specific annual vegetable plants to grow to full maturity — until the fruit is over ripe — and then harvesting and saving the seeds from the fruit.