Grown Growers

A Community Cooperative Sponsored by: Texas AgriLife Extension Service

January 28, 2012 Hidalgo County, Texas Editor: Barbara Storz, M.S., Horticulturist

Farmers Market - Wellness Center

We will be in front of Doctors Hospital Wellness Center Saturday, January 28, located on Dove, just West of McColl (5525 Doctors Drive) in Edinburg. Hours: 9:00 am to Noon. Registered Dietitian, Amanda Longoria, will be serving up samples of fresh vegetables and talking about health. As always, we have great recipes to share!

Citrus Greening Information Booth

There are a lot of effective options for protecting your trees from Citrus Psyllid and some are approved organic products. Dont waste money on products that do not work. Come visit our Master Gardeners Saturday morning at the Farmers Market (Wellness Center). They can provide pros and cons of each product depending on your trees and situation.

varieties, care and maintenance and on Citrus Greening Disease. This program is being held from 8:30 am to noon at the North San Juan Community Center, on the Nolana Loop extension, just past Raul Longoria, going East. The Center is the first commercial complex on the south side. Dr. Victor French, recently retired Entomologist from the Texas A & M Citrus Center in Weslaco, and Dr. Monte Nesbitt, Fruit Specialist from College Station, will provide the programs. Cost is only $20.00 and you can register at the door.

Carrots
EhWhats up, doc? Bugs Bunny brought carrots into the spotlight back in 1940, and 72 years later, he continues to promote the consumption of this nutrient-rich vegetable for young and old alike! Having trouble convincing your kids to eat carrots? Just ask them to pretend like theyre Bugs Bunny! One cup of chopped carrots provides about double the amount of vitamin A (converted from beta carotene) you need for the day! Vitamin A is important for eye health and to keep your immune system in tip top shape. Beta carotene gives vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash their orange hue. If you eat a lot of these foods, your face, palms, soles of your feet, and skin may begin to turn a yellow-orange color. No negative effects are known to come from eating high amounts of beta carotene in food. In contrast, vitamin A supplementation in high amounts can be toxic to the body.

Fresh Goodies
This week we will have: Carrots, Beets, Kohlrabi, Arugula, six(6) Lettuce varieties, Mustard Greens, Kale, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Dill, Cilantro, tomato, eggplant, herbs, and lots more! The first 15 customers will receive a free Grown Growers Bag! (One per family.)

Citrus Educational Program

Saturday, January 28, the Master Gardener volunteers are sponsoring a program on citrus

Educational programs of Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating

Grown Growers Newsletter January 28, 2012 Page 2

Unless it is medically necessary to take a supplement, its always safer to receive vitamins and minerals from food. When you eat vegetables like carrots, you receive a package of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, and calcium, which are all important for keeping blood pressure within the normal range. Plus, you get a boost of fiber that keeps you regular, reduces cholesterol, and helps with weight loss. In 2008, only 14.3% of adults and 8.3% of children in Texas consumed the recommended number of servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Carrots count as a vegetable! Enjoy them steamed and sprinkled with fresh dill, pack them for a snack with hummus (garbanzo bean dip), or roast them in the oven to bring out their natural sweetness.
Amanda Celine Longoria, RD, LD
Registered and Licensed Dietitian, the Healthcare Teams Nutrition Expert! South Texas Institutes of Health, Inc.

Steven M. Stoltz, MD,CPI

www.stxih.org
Follow Amanda on Twitter @RGVDietitian

Educational programs of Texas AgriLife Extension Service are open to all people without regard to race, color, sex, disability, religion, age, or national origin. The Texas A&M University System, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the County Commissioners Courts of Texas Cooperating