WALK GEORGIA

The fall session of Walk Georgia opens this Sunday, August 23. Registration will be open through September 8. Activity may be logged September 6 - October 31.

Grab your tennis shoes, tune up your bike, or pump up your basketball and join us as we explore our great state.

What is Walk Georgia?
Walk Georgia is an 8-week program to increase your physical activity in a fun, community-oriented way. You may participate as an individual and track your progress with other individuals in your county and state OR form a team of four to exercise together.
The online component of Walk Georgia provides an activity record to keep track of your weekly physical activity and time. The activity that you record is translated into "walked" miles, based on average rigor of the chosen activity and the time you were active.
When you accumulate miles, you will be able to navigate a map of Georgia and chart your course to "walk" Georgia. As you move throughout this virtual state, you will be able to view fun facts about each county you visit and learn new ways to improve your health. You will also be able to see how you compare to other individuals throughout the state.
We hope you will be inspired to join us and others in your county as we get more active and become healthier!

Participate as an individual or build your dream team and get registered at http://www.walkgeorgia.org.

For assistance with account registration visit: http://www.walkgeorgia.org/public/acctCreation_participant.html.

We recommend registering schools or large groups by September 3. Schools or groups may access the school registration kit at http://www.walkgeorgia.org/index.cfm?public=schoolKit.

To get started, go to the Walk Georgia website and create your account. For more information, contact your local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension office at 1-800-ASK-UGA1 or email walkga@uga.edu.
http://www.walkgeorgia.org
Move more and enjoy living more!
The Walk Georgia Task Force

Thomas County Extension Prison Garden Project makes UGA's Homepage

UGA Thomas County Extension Agent R.J. Byrne makes the homepage of http://www.uga.edu/ with the news of the prison garden project at the Thomas County Prison.



The full story is online at http://www.uga.edu/. Thanks to the help of the Thomas County Master Gardeners this project has been a success. The story is archived under the UGA's Competing in a Global Economy - http://www.uga.edu/aboutUGA/compete-prison_garden.html

Thomas County Prison Vegetable Garden Project

Thomas County Extension Agent R.J. Byrne and Thomas County Prison Warden Robert Greer have started a vegetable garden at the Thomas County Prison.
Byrne and the Thomas County Master Gardeners will work with the Warden and the inmates to grow and harvest vegetables at the prison garden to reduce prison food costs and help teach inmates a new skill. Goals of this pilot project include helping to reduce food costs and expanding the size of the garden in future years.




Inmates grow their veggies in Thomasville

By Christian Jennings -

THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - Thomas county inmates have a new horticulture detail...their new vegetable garden on prison property off County Farm Road needs people to tend it.

That garden could end up saving tens of thousands of dollars in food costs.

It's not your typical garden. Here farmers are replaced with inmates and they're growing vegetables they'll eat at the prison dinner table.

"Today we're starting the planting," said RJ Byrne.

Thomas County extension agent RJ Byrne and Warden Robert Greer came up with the idea as a unique way to cope with rising food costs.

"On a weekly basis we spend about $5,000 for a week of food supply and of that probably $1000 or more in vegetables, in produce and we invested probably less than $1000 in this project," said Warden Greer.

Here's an example of how much the prison will save. One kernel of corn produces three ears of corn. And the warden only paid ten dollars for a four pound bag.

Now compare that with what you pay at the farmer's market. Here corn is two for a dollar.

"We're going to grow corn, squash, tomatoes, beans, peppers, okra, and cucumbers," said Byrne.

But the soon to be colorful, delicious vegetables will benefit more than just you, the taxpayer. They'll provide inmates with a new skill to take with them when they leave their cell.

"They're really interested in the garden and a lot of them are already volunteering to be on a permanent detail for this," said the Warden.

"It's going to save money and these guys are going to be able to watch these grow and eat the reward," said Byrne.

But until then, these inmates are just planting seeds of saving.

The inmate's garden is just a pilot project right now.

The warden and extension agents will show the garden and the cost savings to county commissioners soon and hope to expand the garden with their support.

HOTC Day - Painting the office's front hand rails...

Volunteers came over on Hands On Thomas County Day on Saturday, October 4th, 2008, to help re-paint the front entrance hand rails to the building. The front rails were rusty and the paint was peeling off. We got them sanded and painted. No more rusty rails to look at.

Thanks to all the volunteers!

- R.J.

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Agrosecurity Awareness Training, August 13th, Macon, Georgia

Agrosecurity Awareness training is offered by the Georgia EmergencyManagement Agency in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the University of Georgia for those who have a potential role in responding to an agricultural incident. This training provides information on the scope of agriculture in Georgia and impacts of terrorism or disaster, recognition of potential threats, notification procedures, and how to better prepare your community for an agriculture or food emergency. Participants include those involved in production agriculture or agribusiness, as well as first responders from local and state governments and volunteer organizations who respond to all types of emergencies. Examples include:

• Agricultural chemical distributors and retailers
• Agriculture Educators, Agricultural fair managers, Agriculture-related organizations and cooperatives
• Emergency Management, Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighters, Environmental Health Officers and Health Care responders.
• Food processing, wholesale and retail managers and employees, Farmers and commodity group leaders
• Food & Agriculture-related Local, State and Federal agency personnel
• Livestock and poultry industry and Green Industry representatives, Public Works, State government leaders and congressional staff., Veterinarians, technicians, assistants and animal health specialists, Other first responders

6 hours credit is offered in each of the following categories:

• Georgia Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (post).
• Georgia Firefighters Standards and Training.
• Georgia Department of Human Resources, Office of Emergency Medical services.
• Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine

4.5 hours Certified Crop Advisor credits: 1.5 Pest Management; 2.0 Crop Management; 1.0 Pest Detection
Southern Chapter ISA credits: 2,25 Arborist; 1.5 BCMA Science; 2.25Municipal; 0.075 BCMA Management

Additional credits are being sought including Pesticide Applicators Recertification. Status of these credits will be sent to registrants priorto training.

Location:
Vineville Methodist Church
2045 Vineville Ave
Macon, GA 31204
(478) 745-3331

Directions: From I-75, take exit 164/Hardeman Ave. Travel toward downtown Macon. Merge onto Vineville Ave. Turn right onto Forrest Ave. Vineville Methodist Church will be on the right. Park behind the church and Enter through the double glass doors.
If you get lost, call (478) 745-3331.

The training is free, but PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED: Registrants should send their name, address/city/state/zip, day-time telephone number, occupation, e-mail address, and the date of training you wish to attend to cdawson@uga.edu, or fax to 706-542-7905.

There will also be another training on September 3 also in Macon. Trainings are from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Doll Sewing workshop

4-H'ers sewing doll clothes for Salvation Army.