Want to know what is going on with the Family & Consumer Sciences (FCS) program over the next few months? For more information or to be on our email list about upcoming programs, send me your email or mailing address at jennifer.brown@ncsu.edu 

• The Granville County Extension Office is currently offering monthly wellness challenges to help you reach your fitness goals. Complete the Arm Circle Challenge for March and turn in your form for a chance to win a prize.
• Also, we have a National Nutrition Month Calendar to help give you tips to use throughout the month to be healthy.
• We will be helping offer a monthly “Extension At Home” series on the first Thursday of each month. The next workshop “Eat Seasonally: Root Vegetables” and will be Thursday, March 2nd at 11:00 a.m. (EST). Early spring in North Carolina means an abundance of root vegetables. Together, we will learn how we can enjoy these local, seasonal, nutritious delights. Register for this workshop and the rest of the series will be located at go.ncsu.edu/extensionathome
• Dining with Diabetes” is a cooking and nutrition education program designed for people with diabetes and their family members or caregivers. In a series of four classes, discussions and demonstrations will help you learn healthy techniques to use in your own kitchen. The program includes learning about healthy foods and discussion with a certified diabetes educator. Join the Extension office on Mondays, March 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at the South Granville County Senior Center at 114 Douglass Drive, Creedmoor, NC for this free 4-session series. Call (919) 528-0848 to register.
• Join us on Wednesday, March 8th at 12:30 p.m. at the Vance Granville Community College Civic Center for a cooking demonstration and brief workshop on eating healthy on a budget using some of the food available at the Vance Granville Community College food pantry.
• Come join us at the Person County Senior Center on Thursday, March 9th at 10:30 a.m. for a “Cooking Matters At Home” workshop to celebrate National Nutrition Month. We will discuss eating healthier, cooking more at home, meal planning, food budgeting and so much more!!
• “Fuel for the Future”  – March is National Nutrition Month and during this month, we encourage everyone to become concerned about their nutrition and the nutrition of others in the hope of achieving optimum health for both today and today. This year’s theme is Fuel for the Future. We will discuss the different nutrients found in foods, describe what makes a food nutrient-dense and explain ways to fuel for the future on a limited budget.
  • Join us in-person on Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. at the Person County Extension office at 304 South Morgan Street. $5, prepay by March 10.
  • Join us virtually on Tuesday, March 28, 2023 at 12:00 p.m. (EST).  Register for the virtual workshop online at go.ncsu.edu/fcsregistration
• The Person County Cooperative Extension will be offering an in-person “NC Safe Plates” for all those who work in the food service industry. This class will be offered at the Person County Office Building on Tuesday – Friday, March 14 – 17, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m with the exam the following week. Participants will receive a certificate required for inspections. The registration period has closed but we will be offering a food handler course later in the spring for any employee or citizen that wants some basic food safety knowledge. Email jennifer.brown@ncsu.edu if you want to receive information when the food handler course will be held.
• No Fooling Around!! Get your canner lid tested before April Fool’s Day this year so you are ready when the produce starts coming in. We have appointment slots available on Monday, March 27th at 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Granville County Extension Office at 125 Oxford Outer Loop Rd.Call 919-603-1350 to reserve an appointment. Or come Wednesday, March 29th at 1:00 p.m. -4:00 p.m. to the Person County Extension Office at 304 South Morgan Street. You can call 336-599-1195 to set up an appointment. If you cannot make it to the office during one of these days, you can drop off your dial gauge lid, labeled with your name and number, and we will contact you when we are done testing it.
• The Eat Smart, Move More, Take Control curriculum is coming to Granville County this spring. The program is an 8 session chronic disease prevention program that provides strategies to help adults manage their health. It informs, empowers, and motivates participants to change their eating and physical activity patterns. The program provides opportunities for participants to track their goals and progress toward healthy eating and physical activity behaviors. Each 1-hour session contains a basic cooking demonstration and sample of a healthy recipe. The recipes and nutrition handouts are provided to program participants. This program that will be held at the North Granville Senior Center in Stovall, NC on Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. on the following 2023 dates: March 28, April 4, 11, 25 May 9, 30 June 6, 13, 20 June 27 (make-up day if needed). Everyone that registers for the program, attends classes and completes the required paperwork will receive free incentives at the end of the program.