UF/IFAS Extension Leon County -

The Grape That Loves a Southern Summer

by Molly Jameson
July 24, 2026

The Grape That Loves a Southern Summer Late summer in the Panhandle has a flavor, and for a lot of us it tastes like muscadines. If you grew up here, one bite can send you straight back to a hot afternoon spent picking grapes off a backyard ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Crops, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, UF/IFAS Research
Tags: FAMU, Grape Harvest Festival, Home Orchard, Muscadine, Muscadine Cultivars, Muscadine Grapes, Native Plants, Panhandle Gardening, Scuppernong, Seedless Muscadine, Viticulture, Vitis Rotundifolia, Wine Grapes

A Bite of History: Chocolate Chip Cookie

by Suzanne Holloway
July 8, 2026

Ruth Graves (later Ruth Wakefield) was born on June 17, 1903, in Massachusetts. She graduated in 1924 from Framingham Normal School (now Framingham State University), where she studied household arts. Later, she worked as a dietitian, lecturer, ... READ MORE

Category: , Food Safety, Home Management, Money Matters, UF/IFAS Extension, WORK & LIFE
Tags: Chocolate Chips, Cookies, Cottage Food, Food History, Food Safety

Teen Film Project Connects Local Stories to National History

by Valerie M. Stansly
July 7, 2026

Tallahassee has stories yet to be told, stories that live in the memories of the places and people who have shaped this community for generations. From its complex history, shaped by struggle and the fight for freedom, to its role in the broader ... READ MORE

Category: 4-H & Youth, Clubs & Volunteers

Lethal Bronzing Confirmed in Leon County

by Mark Tancig
June 26, 2026

Well, it was really only a matter of time before lethal bronzing found its way to Leon County, and that time has arrived. In the last couple weeks, symptomatic palms were sampled in western Leon County and were confirmed to contain the phytoplasma ... READ MORE

Category: HOME LANDSCAPES, Pests & Disease
Tags: Gardening In The Panhandle, Leon County, Lethal Bronzing, Palm Disease, Panhandle Gardening

A Slice of History: Cakes

by Suzanne Holloway
June 22, 2026

Sugar, fat, eggs, and flour are probably the most common ingredients for any dessert, including (most) cakes. There is often a fine line in baking between cake, bread, and even cookies. The actual word “cake” was borrowed from the Old ... READ MORE

Category: Food Safety, UF/IFAS Extension, WORK & LIFE
Tags: Boked Mixes, Boxed Cake Mixes, Cake, Cottage Food, Food History

Your Garden’s Deadliest Allies

by Molly Jameson
June 11, 2026

Your Garden's Deadliest Allies As a gardener, summer can feel like it takes knightly status to grow fruits and vegetables. You strap on your metaphorical armor, raise your shield, and draw your sword to battle the stink bugs, squash ... READ MORE

Category: Agriculture, Fruits & Vegetables, HOME LANDSCAPES, Horticulture, Pests & Disease, Pests & Disease
Tags: Arilus Cristatus, Assassin Bugs, Beneficial Insects, Biological Pest Control, Garden Pests, Insect Identification, Integrated Pest Management, IPM, Milkweed Assassin Bug, Natural Pest Control, Panhandle Gardening, Predatory Insects, Wheel Bug, Zelus Longipes

Getting Real & Raw About Milk [Part 1]

by Suzanne Holloway
June 5, 2026

June is National Dairy Month. This awareness month originally started in 1937 as National Milk Month, but the name was eventually changed to promote consuming other milk-based products like yogurt, cottage cheese, and much more! But what ... READ MORE

Category: Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, WORK & LIFE
Tags: Dairy, Living Well In The Panhandle, Milk, Raw Milk

The Hidden Struggle for Healthy Food in Leon County

by Suzanne Holloway
May 22, 2026

Food is national security. Food is economy. It is employment, energy, history. Food is everything. - José Andrés, chef and humanitarian Imagine living in a neighborhood where fast-food chains and liquor stores outnumber grocery stores. Snack ... READ MORE

Category: Community Volunteers, Health & Nutrition, Money Matters, Relationships & Family, UF/IFAS Extension, WORK & LIFE
Tags: Food Access, Food Apartheid, Food Desert, Food Insecurity, Food Security, Food Swamp, Living Well In The Panhandle

Leon County 4-H Youth STEM Program Expands Robotics, AI, and Engineering Learning Opportunities

by Valerie M. Stansly
May 20, 2026

The Leon County 4-H Program continues to empower youth through hands-on STEM education, offering engaging learning experiences in robotics, electronics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation. Youth in the program have successfully completed ... READ MORE

Category:

Termite Prevention Tips

by Mark Tancig
May 15, 2026

Many of us who spend time outdoors may have noticed an increase in insect activity with the warm weather and welcome rainfall. One insect you may have seen is the infamous termite, especially during a recent swarm. Termites, responsible for ... READ MORE

Category: Pests & Disease
Tags: Gardening In The Panhandle, Panhandle Gardening, Termite Prevention, Termites

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