Penn State Cooperative Extension will be offering Dining with Diabetes at Concordia Lutheran Ministries in Cabot 1:30 to 4 p.m. April 20.

According to Mary Alice Gettings, a Penn State Extension educator based in Beaver County, the program is for adults with diabetes and their families. The series of classes includes four sessions and a follow-up session after three months.

Participants will learn how to prepare meals that are healthy, simple, and taste good. Recipes will be demonstrated and participants will have the opportunity to help prepare and taste each one.

In addition, participants will learn up-to-date information on nutrition, meal planning and exercise as well as how to understand common, diabetes-related medical tests. Each participant will receive recipes, handouts, and supplies worth more than $120.

The fee for the Dining with Diabetes is $35 per person or $50 per family. Registration is required. You can download a registration brochure at http://beaver.extension.psu.edu or register directly at http://guest.cvent.com/d/8dqbkk. Copies of the brochure also are available from Penn State Cooperative Extension in Butler County. Phone 724-287-4761.

For more program information, contact Penn State Cooperative Extension in Beaver County at 724-774-3003.

Agriculture and beyond

Sometimes a question is all it takes to remind us that we need to sit back and take stock of who we are and what our chosen profession represents to an individual we are meeting for the first time.

I was reminded of this when I was trying to explain, briefly, what the Cooperative Extension is. Not an easy task.

For many, Penn State Cooperative Extension is associated with agriculture. For others, the 4-H program is the key to recognition.

These program areas are only a part of the total system and the opportunities provided to the public.

Penn State Cooperative Extension is an educational network that gives people in each of the state’s 67 counties access to Penn State’s resources and expertise. Historically, three legislative actions make possible today’s Extension work. Act 142 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly was the original legislation that established the tie to county government. This legislation granted county commissioners permission to fund cooperative extension’s work in the county and provide office space and facilities. The Smith-Lever Act, passed by Congress in 1914, along with subsequent amendments, authorized the appropriation of state funds for the support of extension through their land grant college or universities. Act 12 of the Pennsylvania General Assembly identified Penn State as the recipient and executor of the Smith-Lever Act in Pennsylvania. Today, these legislative ties continue to define the funding partnership that includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, state and county governments.

Through the county-based partnership, Penn State extension educators, faculty and local volunteers work together to share practical how-to education, information, and technical expertise with local residents.

While many programs are offered in counties across the state, the focus on local issues and concerns permits flexibility and provides an opportunity for extension agents to address specific needs unique to our community.

Penn State Cooperative Extension offers a broad range of educational programs designed to:

• Support productive, profitable, and competitive businesses and a safe agriculture and food system

• Strengthen families, children and youth

• Build caring, safe, and healthy communities

• Ensure the long-term vitality of Pennsylvania’s natural resources

• Enable people to better understand and deal with complex public issues.

The program opportunities are diverse, but share a common goal, to help the citizens of Pennsylvania and Butler County make informed decisions that contribute to healthy, successful communities.

For more information about Penn State Extension, contact the Butler Office at 724-287-4761 or e-mail us at butlerext@psu.edu.

This material is submitted by Donna Zang, extension director, and the staff of the Penn State Extension office at the Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center complex.