Castro County - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension and 4-H

11/01/2026

Still time to sign up for November's Young Chef Workshop. Choose between one of the two dates. and Sign up here https://forms.gle/jLLV525KAnh1s8ms8

10/29/2026

Our Annual Simply Christmas Lunch and Learn event will be on Friday, November 20!
Our theme this year is Jingle and Mingle: Holiday Games and Food!
12:00pm - 1:00 pm
Dimmitt Senior Citizens

We will have lunch, tips, ideas, and fun games for all types of families and friends. Plus, you'll get all the recipes from lunch, plus more, in our must-have recipe book!

RSVP is highly encouraged but not required; call 806-647-4115!

10/28/2026

With the weather changes we have had lots of calls and comments about fruit flies in homes. This was gathered by our IPM specialist John Thobe!

10/27/2026

You can still join Castro 4-H anytime throughout the year, BUT our annual enrollment fee does go up in just a few days!
So join NOW for $25!
Don't wait for the increase! Come join our fun!
https://tx4h.tamu.edu/welcome

10/26/2026

Our Second Young Chef October Class was this wonderful rainy morning !
We had 13 youth come and learn:
🧑‍🍳measuring with cups both liquid and solid and spoons! We enjoyed a demo of measuring and then 7 stations where they had to practice their skills!
🍁 we then made banana pancakes

Everyone enjoyed the cooking and learning!
And I have to say how proud I was of the older classmates who did lots of assisting, teaching and making sure the younger members where learning!

Novembers class will be on Knife Skills. You can RSVP for November 9 or 13th using this link!!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdpqyl_e4fABLA-2Br9CRvzdr4oMO-2RjzXidDS_QmP6EP3RA/viewform

10/25/2026

District 2 Grillin’ Games Contest today in Lubbock!!
Senior Re*****on Meador. And Junior Chris Kern both competed! They had to grill
🔥chicken
🔥pork chop
🔥hamburger patty
🔥corn
🔥dessert

Chris placed
1st in Chicken
3rd in pork chop
6th in corn
9th in dessert
6th overall

Re*****on placed
6th in chicken
7th in pork chop
10th overall

What a great day becoming grill masters!! So proud of them and their hard work at home practicing and trying recipes!!!

10/24/2026

Our first Make Time Session this morning for adults!!
We painted a fall wood pumpkin sign! Each is so creative and unique! And everyone had a great time socializing, creating and making time for themselves.
Crafting is such a great way to relax, take a break from all the stress, and build back up your mental fortitude!

🍁We have a couple of the wood sets left if you would like to paint one on your own! Come by the office first serve until gone they will be $25. All cute out ready to paint!

🎄Also mark your calendar for Saturday, December 12th! We will be doing a Christmas Tree Painting you are not going to want to miss!!

10/23/2026

We still have one more October Young Chef on Monday, but it is time to sign up for November Session!
This one will be teaching knife skills!
The dates are either:
Monday, November 9 or
Friday, November 13
Sign up here!
https://forms.gle/jLLV525KAnh1s8ms8

Also mark your calendars for December. We will have two sessions on Friday, December 18th!!

10/20/2026

👩‍🍳 YOUNG CHEF | OCTOBER
A little kitchen math can save the recipe!
Recipes don't always call for the measuring cup you have handy. Knowing a few simple equivalents can help:
🥄 3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon
🥄 4 tablespoons = ¼ cup
🥄 2 half cups = 1 cup
🥄 4 quarter cups = 1 cup
TRY IT: Cinnamon Sugar Tortilla Chips
You need:
• 2 flour tortillas
• 1 Tbsp. melted butter
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• ¼ tsp. cinnamon
Mix the sugar and cinnamon. Cut tortillas into wedges, lightly brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 375°F for about 7–10 minutes, until lightly crisp.
Young Chef Challenge: Don't use the 1-tablespoon measure! Can your young chef figure out another way to measure the tablespoon of sugar?
💡 Family Question: If you needed ½ cup, how many ¼ cups would you need?
📸 IMAGE IDEA: Measuring cups and spoons beside cinnamon tortilla chips with “Young Chef Tip: Kitchen Math!”

10/18/2026

Great information on canning toaster a freeze! If you have tomatoes after our freeze. Freezing them in a freezer is your safe food preservation method!

Cold weather is ahead!

Here's your yearly reminder: Do not can tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines because the acidity of the fruit may be altered. Green tomatoes are more acidic than ripened fruit and can be canned safely with any of the following recommendations in our NDSU Extension publication >>> https://www.ndsu.edu/agriculture/extension/publications/canning-and-freezing-tomatoes-and-making-salsa #:~:text=Do%20not%20can%20tomatoes%20from%20dead%20or%20frost%2Dkilled%20vines%20because%20the%20acidity%20of%20the%20fruit%20may%20be%20altered.%20Green%20tomatoes%20are%20more%20acidic%20than%20ripened%20fruit%20and%20can%20be%20canned%20safely%20with%20any%20of%20the%20following%20recommendations.