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Picking your family pumpkin patch

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With October in full swing and Halloween just around the corner, families throughout Alabama have begun picking their family pumpkin patch. (Photo source // Farmer in the Dell)

The tradition of family pumpkin patches has grown beyond picking and carving the fall vegetable. Today patches throughout the state offer multiple family-friendly activities.

What to look for in a patch

When researching local pumpkin patches, shoppers should ensure the patches offer all the activities they want for their family. Many pumpkin patches offer:

Quality pumpkin picking

Different sized pumpkins fit different shoppers. Families with small children may want smaller pumpkins while teens and college-aged students may want larger pumpkins for carving. Therefore, shoppers should research to ensure their pumpkin patches have different sizes available.

Hay rides

This timeless tradition is for the whole family. While this is not as interactive, this allows for riders to enjoy the outdoor scenery and rest from the day’s picking.

Sunflower picking

Sunflowers are in peak season during the fall months. Sunflowers are not always offered at pumpkin patches, however, those that do offer a one-stop location for fall decorations.

Corn trough

Corn troughs are great options for families with small children. These often resemble sandboxes and contain small shovels and buckets for children to use for play.

Farm animals to feed

Animal feedings or petting zoos add an interactive touch to the patches and gives younger children experience with farm animals.

Buy from your local patch

Joe Kemble, an Alabama Extension Vegetable Specialist, said he encourages communities to support their local pumpkin patch. He said Facebook may be a good resource for families to find a patch in their area.

Marie Foshee, operations director at Farmer in the Dell said the support of the Auburn-Opelika area is vital to the success of their patch.

“One of the greatest privileges of having the pumpkin patch is getting to see families year after year,” Foshee said. “So much of what we do is for the community, so it’s a great encouragement when we see the smiles of people enjoying the farm. We’re so thankful for everyone that comes out to support us, whether that’s for the first time or the ninth time.”

For more information on the positive effects of buying locally, check out the following PDF.

More Information

For a list of patches throughout the state, visit the following website. Also, for more information on Alabama pumpkin patches, visit www.aces.edu or contact your local Extension agent for assistance in the field.

What is available at fall farmers markets

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*This article originally appeared in Extension Daily*

AUBURN, Ala. – As the weather gets colder and the fall months push on, farmers market shoppers are left to question what is still available at their favorite markets.   (Photo: Patrick Kuhl // Flickr)

Within the last few years, the nearly 200 Alabama markets have seen a dramatic rise in popularity.

Due to this increase, farmers are finding new ways to stay competitive and offer shoppers products year-round.

Tony Glover, Cullman county extension coordinator, says more and more farmers are planting fall crops to extend their marketing season as long as possible.

Available standard produce

The most common and steadfast product that is sold at farmers markets is produce.

While many crops’ peak-seasons end before the fall, there are still many products sold in the early winter months. Most common fall produce products are:

  • Bell peppers
  • Cabbage
  • Cucumbers
  • Greens (kale, mustard, collard and turnip greens)
  • Lima Beans
  • Okra
  • Pumpkin
  • Snap Beans
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Tomatoes

For an extensive, year-round list, check out the following PDF.

New crops to try

A new trend in farmers markets is the appearance of ethnic vegetables that cater to Hispanic, Asian and other cultures in the local population.

While the availability varies based on the surrounding population, these uncommon crops bring something new to the classic farmers market.

“I would encourage farmers to engage these cultures in conversation and find out what they want to buy and start small scale production,” Glover said.

Products besides produce

Although some markets throughout the state continue to only sell produce, many markets are expanding.

For bigger markets in metropolitan areas, shoppers have seen a rise in small, boutique stores joining the markets.

Joe Kemble, an extension vegetable specialist, said, “these specialized stores boost foot traffic and draw people in. Having these options help expand clientele beyond the classic farmers market shopper.”

From custom cheeses and home-made jams to entertainment and chef demos, farmers markets across the state are expanding their target audiences.

Why buy locally

Shopping local keeps money in the local economy and supports local farmers.

The push to “buy fresh buy local” also encourages shoppers to buy the freshest products available at their local markets.

“It’s a way to keep money within an area,” Kemble said. “Most of the time we go to big box stores, and that money doesn’t stay in Alabama or impact the local economy, so we support buying local.”

More Information

For more information on Alabama markets, visit www.aces.edu or contact your local Extension agent for assistance in the field.

The Ins and Outs of UPC

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upc-logoAuburn’s University Program Council, or UPC, is one of Auburn’s largest student organizations, putting on nearly 60 free events for Auburn students annually. (Photo source // UPC Facebook)

With events ranging from large scale concerts to pumpkin carvings to cooking workshops, all UPC events are planned, organized and executed by students for students.

The president of UPC, Catherine Scibetta says the events UPC plans are more than fun events for students.

“It’s about diversifying the student experience and bringing people together in meaningful, memorable ways,” Scibetta said. “We really strive to positively impact the campus climate by educating, empowering, unifying and serving our student body and our members.”

The Committees

UPC is composed of 10 committees along with an executive board. Split into subdivisions of support and planning committees, these ten groups work together to bring the full calendar of events annually.  The committees are:airwaves-croud-300x244

  • Development
  • Films
  • Fine Arts
  • Major
  • Public Relations
  • Publicity
  • Speakers and Comedians
  • Special Projects
  • Tech
  • Tiger Nights

For a detailed description of each committee and their responsibilities, click here. (Photo source// UPC Facebook)

UPC Events

Traditionally, UPC’s most popular events are their spring and fall concerts and comedians.

In the past, they have attracted thousands of students to these large-scale events by bringing in big-name artists such as Rae Sremmurd, Ben Rector and John Mulaney.

However, the hidden gems of UPC are their small-scale events because they open-mic-nightbring Auburn students together in close community.(Photo source// UPC Facebook)

Examples of these events are the monthly open mic nights held in the Student Center Starbucks and an exotic petting zoo on the Student Center Greenspace. These bring fun to the everyday life on campus.

For a more information on upcoming events, check UPC’s Facebook.

Ways to get Involved

There are two main avenues to getting involved with UPC – council and committee.

UPC council is composed of directors and assistant directors of each committee and is the more time demanding of the two areas of involvement. Their responsibilities include managing their events and responsibilities as well as their committee members.

Council members attend three meetings a week as well as three office hours for assistant directors and five office hours for directors in the Student Involvement Office.

committee-appsCarter Brown, the director of public relations and a junior majoring in PR says UPC has played a major role in his time in college.

“UPC has really helped me find my place at Auburn,” Brown said. “I’ve been able to gain and practice skills I’ll need in the workforce after graduation while also gaining some of the greatest friends I’ve ever had.”

Applications for UPC council are available in the spring and the position runs a full year.

The second and less demanding form of involvement is a committee position. These positions are filled at the beginning of the fall semester and meet bi-weekly as a committee as well as monthly as a full UPC council.

Committee members support council by helping plan, promote and execute all events put on by their respective committee. (Photo source// UPC Facebook)

More Information

For more information, follow UPC on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. To receive push notifications on updated events, download the Auburn Guides app and subscribe to the UPC guide.

 

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This is Auburn

Auburn’s homecoming weekend

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*This article originally appeared in the Corner News*

AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn University’s Student Government Association, SGA, and
University Program Council, UPC, have partnered to bring students, alumni and the community an activity-filled homecoming weekend Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. (Photo source: Auburn SGA Facebook Page)

Noteworthy events include the “This is Auburn” speaker series, the homecoming parade and pep rally, a concert featuring Echosmith and the downtown “Brunch and Browse.”

“What the university is trying to do is make homecoming an enticing thing,” said Catherine Scibetta, president of UPC. “Not just for students but for alumni and the community as well.”

The “This is Auburn” speaker series kicks off the weekend’s events on Friday, Sept. 30 at 3 p.m. in the Auburn Alumni Center and features Bill Hutto, Auburn University Aviation Center and Airport director.

Later that day, the homecoming parade will start at 6 p.m. at the corner of Thach Avenue and South College Street.

Brooke Taylor, SGA’s director of homecoming, says the parade is the perfect way to see what all is happening on Auburn’s campus.

“This year we’re really trying to reach out to other organizations to do a float so that it’s not majority Greek. Inclusion is important to SGA so we want to properly represent the student body,” Taylor said.

The parade will end with a pep-rally at the Gay Street parking lot in addition to a concert put on by UPC.

This year’s concert features opening act White Tie Ensemble and main act Echosmith. The concert will start at 7 p.m. and is free to the public.

“We’ve been working to create an event that works for both the community and the student body,” Scibetta said. “The goal is to make it traditional so that it will be part of the Auburn experience year after year.”

The weekend continues on Saturday, Oct. 1, when the Auburn Tigers play Louisiana-Monroe in Jordan-Hare stadium.

Events for Saturday include a Tailgate inside the Auburn Alumni Center and Auburn’s Tiger Walk.

Homecoming festivities will come to a close on Sunday, Oct. 2, with a downtown “Brunch and Browse” event starting at 10 a.m.

This event allows members of the community and college a chance to eat at participating restaurants while shopping throughout the downtown area.

“I think homecoming is a wonderful opportunity for the students and the community to come together and feel like one Auburn family,” Taylor said.

More Information

For more information about events, how to get involved  and homecoming traditions visit the Auburn homecoming Website. Also follow SGA and UPC on Facebook for updates throughout the weekend.

Auburn University Introduces New App, Auburn Guides

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*This article originally appeared in the Auburn Family Blog and Auburn University Newsroom*

Auburn University and the mobile app, Guidebook, have partnered together to bring students a new app, Auburn Guides, as a way to centralize campus information.

With 12 departments and organizations on board, Auburn Guides is the first mobile app to allow students, faculty, families and fans access to the resources of their choice in one tap of a finger.

These include Academic Support Services, Auburn Global, Career Center, First Year Experience, Parent and Family Programs, Parking Services, Student Conduct, Student Government Association, Student Organizations, University Housing and Residence Life, University Program Council and Welcome Week.

“Each of these varying departments and campus organizations has a guide within Auburn Guides that allows specific information to be told about that specific unit,” said John Michael Roehm, the director of Auburn Guides.

Jackie Young, marketing director for Auburn Guides, says Auburn Guides is a great resource that has a lot of information in one place. “Nothing that is on the guide is necessarily new information, but it puts it all in one place, which is really nice to have on your phone because you don’t have to go through websites and search,” Young said.

Holding commonly referenced student handbooks and regulations, the app also brings interactive elements including organization’s event calendars and tailored to-do lists.

“The schedule is our most popular feature,” said Young. “You can choose to attend 10 of the 200 events planned that week and set an alarm to remind you of them. They will also send out push notifications when plans change directly to your phone.”

Camp War Eagle has been a driving force in promoting Auburn Guides, requiring all freshmen and transfer students to download it in order to access camp content.

“Camp War Eagle helped us tremendously,” said Young. “Students are more inclined to think of Auburn Guides after being exposed to it at camp. Perhaps this will lead to them exploring the career center or checking out what UPC has planned for the week, and ideally, it will become their source for campus information.”

All guides within the app are also available online, allowing students without smart phones the same access to a central location.

“In general, we hope students will explore what all Auburn Guides has to offer because there’s tons of useful information on there and it really is an extension of people’s website,” said Roehm.