October 6, 2021 Issue, Page 20 of 26

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Agriculture October 6, 2021 OSU Extension’s CNEP helps families stretch food budget By Trisha Gedon Nutrition Education Program said this is the first time the healthy way,” Giles said. etables; they also can get meat to make healthier meals that (CNEP) helps SNAP benefits ‘Thrifty Food Plan has been Giles helps her clients and fresh eggs. It’s a win-win are filling and taste great. STILLWATER. - Rising recipients make healthy food updated since 1975. learn how to read sales ads for everyone.” “In one of the classes Mar- food costs continue to make choices and stretch their “Current SNAP benefits from the local grocery store, Lacresha Davis has been leta made a dish with quinoa it challenging for families on food dollars to last the whole are a max of $4 per person comparison shop, make lists, working with Giles and said and vegetables. There wasn’t limited budgets to put healthy month, said Candy Gabel, per day, so the extra benefits plan menus and use ingredi- the information she has any meat, and I didn’t think meals on the table, but some CNEP state coordinator. families will be receiving will ents already in the kitchen. received has been useful in there was any wayI could get relief is on the way. The U.S. CNEP is funded by two fed- be helpful,” Cripps said. “Our She said it’s important to plan helping with meal planning, full on that,” she said. “I was Department of Agriculture eral programs: The Expanded NEAs work closely with their menus and make shopping shopping strategies and meal surprised at how good it was. recently recalculated the Food and Nutrition Education clients to teach them how to lists to make sure all ingredi- preparation. In fact, I made it for my family Thrifty Food Plan, which is Program (EENEP) and the make healthy meals at home ents are on hand and to avoid “Marleta really helped three times that week.” used to calculate Supplemental educational component of the instead of spending money on going to the store multiple me improve my food choices Davis said she’s thankful Nutrition Assistant Program SNAP-Ed. fast food, We want to create times a week. at the store and helped me for everything she has learned (SNAP) benefits based on fam- “Our nutrition educa- behavior changes to help those Giles also helps her clients understand what healthy through CNEP and Giles. ily size. tion assistants (NEAs) work on limited budgets be able to think outside of the tradi- food truly is,” Davis said. “Pm blown away by the ‘The recalculation will through CNEP and SNAP-Ed enjoy healthier food options.” tional grocery store by taking “T've learned a lot about how professionalism of this pro- increase SNAP (formerly food with families and individuals Marleta Giles, NEA in them to the farmers market. foods are labeled. You might gram. Marleta has been so stamps) benefits across the to provide them with knowl- Tulsa County, has been work- “Many families don’t nec- think you're making a healthy helpful to me and my family,” nation. In Oklahoma, re- edge and skills needed to pre- ing with families for several essarily think about shopping choice, but you're not. There she said. “My family’s eating cipients will receive about $36 pare healthy meals and help years and is happy to learn of at the farmers market. Here in are several words that really habits have improved and I've extra per person per month. them budget their food dollars the increase in benefits. Tulsa there's a program called just mean sugar.” learned so much.” A family of four will have an so they last all month long,” “[ think this will truly Double Up Food Bucks in Davis also said Giles has For more information additional $140 each month to Gabel said. “We currently have make a difference for fami- which they can exchange $20 helped her make meals that about the CNEP program, bolster their purchasing power 38 NEAs that cover 34 coun- lies. We not only want to help in SNAP dollars and get $40 are filling, but also budget contact Gabel at candy.gabel@ for food. The increase goes ties across the state.” SNAP benefits recipients worth of tokens to spend at friendly. Growing up, she said okstate.edu or 405-744-9942. into effect Oct. 1. Kimberly Cripps, CNEP make their food dollars last all the farmers market,” she said. meals had to be a potato, meat OSU Extension offers addi- Oklahoma State Univer- area coordinator in the Tulsa month, but we also encourage “The farmers market offers and a vegetable, but thanks to tional nutrition information sity Extension's Community County OSU Extension office, them to shop and cook ina more than just fruits and veg- CNEP, Davis has learned how online. Take a proactive approach to wildfire season ina drought, drier air and points of a home. Keep win- fighters, he stages during an lower humidity levels could dows and doors shut on barns incident, provides emergency fuel a fire across Oklahoma’s to prevent the entry of flying care and arranges transport. parched landscape at any mo- embers. He often accompanies a hand ment. Identify bare ground or a crew or will hike into an area “Wildfires can occur any gravel area where equipment with a hotshot crew. After month in Oklahoma. They can be stored in case of a fire. teaming up with firefight- are wind driven by high wind Spread out a hay supply - ers from across the U.S., he’s events during extreme, dry don’t store all hay in one spot. learned wildfires in his home conditions,” said John Weir, Develop a livestock contin- state have a national reputa- an Oklahoma State Univer- gency plan. Determine where tion. sity Extension specialist in animals can be moved to a “Tve worked with guys fire ecology with decades of trampled down area or corral from Florida to New Jersey to experience in fire training until the fire passes. New York, and they talk about nationwide. Check with the insurance Oklahoma fire,” Roberts said. ‘The state’s most recent company for details of current “Oklahoma is wide open. The large wildfire event was the wildfire coverage. Make sure fires are driven by wind, and Rhea Fire of April 2018 that the policy is up to date and there's nothing to stop it.” burned 286,000 acres in west- determine if the plan needs to Half of Oklahoma's 45 mil- ern Oklahoma. Many of the be enhanced. lion acres are flammable areas acres were rural, but Weir said Flames can consume Okla- of forests, rangelands, prairies there are bordering metro- homa’s flat grasslands as fast and pastures, Weir said. politan areas currently at risk as the fires that burn in states Although 1 to 2 million acres By Gail Ellis Oklahomans also need to stay and vegetation lay dormant of succumbing to Oklahoma along the western seaboard, are ignited every year for pre- alert. across the prairie. March is wildfire. but Weir said fires out west are scribed burns, some regions of STILLWATER. ~The Oklahoma's official wildfire historically the state's windi- “Urban landowners who fought with different strate- the state are more active than 2021 wildfire season is here, season runs from November est month of the year, but live on the edge of Oklahoma gies. Blazes in California, for others. Additional controlled and while fires rage out west, through March when plant life with most counties currently City, Tulsa or Edmond should example, are fueled by vegeta- burns, which are those con- be concerned,” he said. “There tion containing flammable ducted on a particular piece are heavy fuels growing right oils and compounds, and the of land with specific goals and up against their backyards.” topography also poses more of objectives during ideal condi- OSU Ranchers Thursday Lunchtime Weir advised residents should initiate community a challenge for firefighters. “The landscape is steeper, tions, are encouraged. “The more prescribed fire planning with the assistance we put on the ground, the less Series targets wintertime beef allowing fire to move rap- of programs like FIREWISE idly up a slope,” Weir said. bad fire we'll have,” Weir said. USA, which protects lives and “The heat rises and preheats “Landowners understand the cattle management property. For landowners liv- ing in remote areas, outside of everything, causing intense emissions at a quicker rate.” risk of fire, and many try to reduce cedar encroachment. a municipality where fast and As fire climbs the terrain If we could see a third of the By Donald Stotts ranchers, scientists and others mitigate negative effects of reliable fire support may not of the western U.S., destruc- burnable area of the state to learn and share useful tips higher feed costs translates to be an option, Weir recom- tive flames threaten remote burned every year through STILLWATER, Okla. about beef cattle production, benefits for the entire indus- mended the following precau- areas where it is difficult for prescribed fire, that would be Oldahoma State University management and marketing,” try, and that includes consum- tions as discussed on OSU's emergency support to travel beneficial for the state.” Extension is hosting a new said Dave Lalman, OSU Exten- ers who have been paying SUNUP: and suppress the fire. A raging blaze, controlled lineup of Ranchers Thursday sion beef cattle nutritionist. Lunchtime Series events in “the series is like one-stop more for their meat products,” Survey the status of the “The elevation here ranges or wild, isa scary thought, October. The group of free shopping. We cover pretty Lalman said. home, other buildings and from 4,000 feet to 9,000 feet, but the more Oklahomans are Zoom webinars will kick off much everything over time. ‘The Zoom webinar format equipment. Determine how so topography plays a huge proactive with their prop- with insights about how much Spending lunch with us is an is designed for participants the property can stand alone if part in how the fire moves,” erty, the more apt they are to to cull beef cattle herds and investment that can provide to interact with beef cattle fire response is delayed or not said Brett Roberts, a city of avoid a devastating fire event. focus on ways to best manage real-world benefits for ranch- specialists from across the available. Tulsa firefighter. He talked Scorched earth is adaptive and winter feed costs while provid- ers and their operations.” country. October sessions will Keep the area mowed about his experience as a first will recover, but a human life ing livestock with needed Of paramount importance showcase experts from OSU down short and make sure any responder while serving in is priceless. nutrition. to ranchers this year are ways Extension, Montana State kind of flammable shrubs or California after working shifts “The further we get behind Zoom webinars are sched- to manage feed costs, which University, the University of trees are a safe distance from in Idaho and Oregon earlier in prescribed fire, the more uled for Oct. 7, Oct. 14, Oct. are 30-40% more compared to Arkansas and more. the home or buildings. this year. “When the humidity, biofuels will build up and 21 and Oct. 28. The weekly 2020, Lalman said. There have series is free to the public, been a number of reasons for Visit OSU Beef Cattle Prune tree limbs to prevent wind, fire and sun all align on make wildfires more extreme, but registration is required higher feed prices, from bad Extension’s Ranchers Thurs- fire spreading to the crown of aridge, it’s perfect conditions putting human life and prop- for each event. Questions and crop weather shrinking world day Luncheon Series online trees. for an aggressive fire.” erty at risk,” Weir said. feedback are encouraged. All harvests, to an increased webinar pages to learn more Clean up other flammable In September, Roberts Enroll in the OSU Exten- October webinars will begin demand for beef, to supply or watch past Zoom sessions. items around the home and traveled with crews working sion prescribed fire online at noon central time and end chain disruptions caused by For additional information, buildings, including firewood. the KNP Complex fire near course, view the OSU Exten- about 1 p.m. the COVID-19 pandemic. contact Lalman by email at Stack or store firewood a safe California's Sequoia and Kings sion prescribed burning hand- “Join our Beef Cattle “Anything we can do to [email protected] or distance away from the home. Canyon National Parks. As- book and learn more about Extension team, experienced help livestock producers by phone at 405-744-6060. Consider the fire entry signed to a division of fire- preparing for wildfire season. Send to [email protected] with a description!