Give the gift that keeps on giving ...

Marsha Goetting, MSU Extension
Family Economics Specialist

If you didn’t attend NEAFCS in West Virginia, you missed out on the opportunity to purchase Montana Wildflower note cards that were made available by the Montana Association of Extension Family and Consumer Sciences (MEAFCS).  The association was selling the blank note cards as a fund raiser for the national meeting in Big Sky Montana during September of 2016. 

Thanks to this blog you have the opportunity to purchase Montana wildflower cards to help support the Big Sky Conference.  These are perfect gifts for any occasion (holidays, anniversaries, weddings, birthdays, and thank you’s).  The cost for each beautiful card is $5 apiece (plus $2 for shipping for 1 or 2 cards) or 5 cards for $20 (plus $3 for shipping for 3 – 5 cards).  All proceeds pass to MEAFCS to support the Big Sky conference.  

The photographer of these unique cards is our Montana State University Extension Family Economics Specialist and MEAFCS member, Marsha A. Goetting. 

If you would like to order a variety of cards in your favorite colors (blue, red, purple, yellow or white) or if you have favorite wildflowers let her know the common name such as shooting stars or forget-me-nots.  Some of her favorites include:  owl clover; all colors of paintbrushes; columbines; fringed grass of parnassus; and chocolate lilies.   Please make your check payable to MEAFCS and send to 422 Cutting, Bozeman, MT 59715.  

Congratulations and THANKS!

At the recent NEAFCS conference in West Virginia, the Montana delegation invited participants to drop off their business cards at the Montana booth to be included in a drawing for a three-night stay at Big Sky Resort.

The winner of that drawing was Lorrie Coop with Texas A&M Extension.

We very much appreciate the donation from Big Sky Resort and a shout-out to Brandon Bang with Big Sky Resort for his assistance.

We also had a Montana sapphire necklace that we sold raffle tickets for this fall and at the NEAFCS conference as part of our fundraising to cover some of the expenses of hosting the conference.  We appreciate all who purchased and contributed toward this effort.

The winner of the sapphire necklace was Susan Routh of Oklahoma Cooperative Extension.

Thank you to Tara Andrews, MEAFCS and Jewelry by Monte in Miles City, Montana for selecting the beautiful sapphire. If you are driving through the eastern part of Montana to get to NEAFCS, you might want to add a stop in Miles City, home of the world famous Miles City Bucking Horse Sale.  

If you are looking to mine your own sapphires, Philipsburg, Montana might make a nice pre- or post-conference excursion for you.

Dining In

Dining In

with Dr. Sandy Bailey

Family & Human Development Specialist
baileys@montana.edu

Do you ever wish that time would slow down for your family so that you could enjoy each other’s company? The idea of gathering the family together in the same place at the same time in the 21st century may seem impossible for many, but it can be done. Try planning family time around a meal. Eating together as a family may not look like Sunday dinners of a generation ago. However, the goal can still be the same. Family mealtime provides an opportunity to spend time with family members and talk with one another. Eating meals together can help families feel closer and provide better nutrition – two ingredients for happy, healthy families.

Flickr Photo CC by Paul Schultz

Family mealtime can happen with any meal – breakfast, lunch, dinner or even a snack! The meal does not need to be fancy, so don’t worry about bringing out the china – paper plates are fine! Research shows that eating a family meal together helps family members make better choices in what they eat. Children learn a broader vocabulary as they listen and talk with other family members. They also learn social skills that they can use in other settings. Family mealtime also sends the message to family members that family time is important!

December 3 is National Family and Consumer Sciences’ Day and this year they are promoting an activity of “Dining In.” Please help spread the word to families across Montana!

The theme is, “Dining In” for Healthy Families, and the goal of the campaign is to double the 2014 results and receive 200,000 commitments to “Dining In.”  December 3rd was chosen as Family & Consumer Sciences Day to honor family and consumer sciences pioneer and AAFCS founder Ellen Swallow Richards (December 3rd is her birthday).  Make your ‘Dining In’ commitment today!

For more information on family mealtime see the MSU Extension publication at http://store.msuextension.org/publications/homehealthandfamily/mt200403hr.pdf

Thankful for Our Treasures

In Montana, we are excited to host the NEAFCS 2016 conference.  We wanted to take a moment to reflect and share our thanks with our wonderful colleagues from across the nation and their dedication to the Extension mission.

MSU President, Dr. Waded Cruzado

We are thankful in Montana for our MSU President, Waded Cruzado, who is so passionate about Extension and the land-grant mission.  President Cruzado will be one of the speakers at our NEAFCS conference in Big Sky, Montana.

We wanted to share with you an excerpt from her Blue and Gold news that we thought might interest you.  One section is on STEM and the other on pulse crops, both topics recently discussed at the 2015 NEAFCS conference.

STEM:
A hiring method researchers at Montana State University devised to significantly increase gender diversity in science, technology, engineering and math faculty was featured recently on Amy Poehler's Smart Girls blog. The post noted that although STEM careers in science, technology, engineering and math currently are dominated by men, Montana is "paving the way towards a more equitable future in STEM careers that is going to make a huge difference for girls across the state."

Pulse Crops:
MSU has created several short videos about important research that is being conducted at the university. This video shows how Montana State researchers are looking at ways to improve efficiency and revenues on Montana's farm and ranch lands by utilizing pulse and cover crops as well as precision agriculture techniques. 

We look forward to sharing with you throughout the year some of our great treasures for which we are thankful.  Today, we hope you'll take a moment to reflect and be thankful for the meaningful work you do with Extension. 

We'll see you in Montana in September!

Montana Treasures!

We just wanted to share with you some of the scenic treasures we have discovered in Montana!  We look forward to connecting with you as you make your own Montana discoveries at the NEAFCS Conference in 2016 in Big Sky, Montana.

Big Sky Resort

We are very excited to welcome you to Montana!  We believe many of you will fly into Big Sky Country likely into the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport.  The airport is just a few miles away from the beautiful Montana State University campus and home to MSU Extension.

The conference will be held at Big Sky Resort, which is just a scenic drive away from the airport.

If you have questions about transportation, you may find the answers here, or you can contact our conference liaisons Tara Andrews and Sheila Friedrich.

Big Sky Resort is a renowned area among skiers, but there likely won't be enough powder for skiing during our NEAFCS 2016 conference; however, it is not uncommon for there to be a skiff of snow, even in September.  We recommend checking the weather forecast and packing for cool Montana mountain evenings.

Big Sky Resort offers amazing lodging opportunities from hotel rooms to condominiums to cabins to homes.  You can enjoy western comfort and style during the NEAFCS 2016 conference in Big Sky. The different lodging choices each have their own amazing amenities.  Look for the situation that suits you from private hot tubs to fireplaces to kitchens.  Some states may even want to all stay together in a home, condo or cabin to really connect during the conference.

We'll See YOU in Montana!

Coming Soon!